by Andy Sandall, FASCAR Media

New Smyrna Speedway – 15^th May 2010

 The Dennis Boyd Memorial 50 for Open Wheel Modifieds was the headline race of the night at New Smyrna Speedway on Saturday, but it was a couple of horrendous crashes for the Late Models that had everyone in the stands talking. Amazingly the night ended with nothing more than some of the driver’s pride hurt, but the fabricators and race shops of Central Florida would have plenty of work on their hands come Monday morning once the dust had settled and the state of some of the cars as they left the track was fully appreciated.

 The Dennis Boyd Memorial 50 brought a big field of regular Modifieds to the track, and the pre-race pill draw fittingly put #22 Jason Boyd, son of the race’s late honoree, on pole position alongside #12 John Zidek, and ahead of #12 Tank Tucker and #12T Rich Clouser, who was driving the hastily renumbered spare car from Tucker’s pit. Making up the front three rows came the always dangerous #4B Alan Bruns and one of the pre-race favorites #66 Jerry Symons.

 From the green flag it was the worst possible start for Zidek who locked his brakes heading into turn 1, sailing high up the banked corner before regaining control, but losing 3 places in the process. Boyd would now have Tucker and Clouser in his mirrors as he set the early pace, but soon the cars were slowed back down thanks to a spin for Tucker, under pressure from #38 Chad Pierce, bringing out the pace truck. The restart would see Symons make a tremendous start, flying around Bruns and up to 2^nd  behind Boyd, while Pierce would also make a move to get himself into 4^th place. The race at the front soon split into two, as Boyd, Symons and Bruns began to expand the gap between themselves and Pierce in 4^th, who was now fending off the advances of the identical cars of Tucker and Clouser.

 Another caution would soon follow as #51B Butch Herdegen headed up to the wall for the first of what would be a number of spins or incidents suffered by the Super Stock regular during the race, but this stoppage saw the face of the race change dramatically once Symons used the high line he was handed to great effect as he passed Boyd on the outside to take the lead, while Pierce would also find speed up high to grab 3^rd from Bruns. Several quick cautions would break the flow of the race over the next ten laps, but every one affected the back of the field more than the front as Symons showed no signs of struggling, but Boyd equally reacted by looking high and low for a way back to the lead. By the time the racers took the crossed half-way mark flags it was still Symons leading Boyd at the front, but now Pierce was snapping at Boyd’s heels as Tucker and Clouser ran right in their tire tracks waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

 Another spin for Herdegen would bunch the whole field back up again, and this time Boyd anticipated the restart perfectly to power under Symons heading into turn 1, with Tucker also doing well to grab 3^rd with an outside pass on Pierce. Boyd’s return to the front spot was short-lived however, and just two laps later Symons dropped low to slide under the #22 in turn 1, although it would take a couple of laps of side-by-side racing before Symons could move across and claim the lead all for himself, due in no small part to the distraction for Boyd of Tucker nudging him hard to his rear bumper. Boyd would do his best to defend his place, but soon Tucker was using the high line to get around and grab 2^nd for himself.

 By now Symons was well ahead and pulling away from the others, and with clear track in front of him Tucker would also extend the gap between himself and Boyd in 3rd. The race for 4^th became the closest on the track as Clouser and Pierce ran bumper-to-bumper before Clouser got the run he was looking for out of turn 4 to move up a position with just 4 laps to go. Soon the checkered flags would be out confirming the win for Symons, with Tucker well back in 2^nd and Boyd rounding out the top 3 in what must have been an emotional race for him.

 For many in the stands and probably for every one of the track officials, the fact that the main race of the night had run free of any major incidents was a relief after the earlier Late Model race that had twice gone to red flag conditions and had seen one popular racer taken to hospital for precautionary observation. Again another sizeable field of cars had been assembled for what on paper looked like a great race, but the action had barely begun before the biggest wreck seen on the track this season brought the drivers back to a halt while the emergency crews raced to the scene. Leading off on pole position #4 Cynthia Strahley led the cars into the first turn with #4B Alan Bruns alongside her and #99w Brett Woodley and #98 Bobby Joe Woodley right on her rear bumper.  Disaster struck as something mechanical gave up on Strahley’s car as it hit the middle of the corner, instantly slowing her down with the whole pack of cars bunched up tight behind her. Bruns was able to get by on the low side, but neither Brett  nor Bobby Joe Woodley had anywhere to go to avoid her rapidly decelerating car. Brett Woodley would have no control as his car plowed under the rear of Strahley, lifting her car up and onto it’s nose before sliding over to hit the catch-fence high in the turn, eventually dropping back down onto its wheels.

 Instantly the track crews were out to check on the drivers, but the severity of the crash was obvious to everyone as they looked on at the badly mangled #4 and #99w cars. Having happened at the front of the field a number of other cars had taken avoiding action and needed to be helped clear of the incident, including #9z Zach Donatti and #59 Chris Brannon, but both were able to continue once pulled clear. A lengthy red flag period would follow to allow EMTs to head over to the track to check out Strahley and Woodley, with Strahley heading back to the hospital as a precaution after complaining of pain and soreness. Eventually the track would be cleared and the remaining cars able to fire back up, but the restart would see Strahley and both Woodleys having their cars brought back to their pits courtesy of the wreckers.

 From the restart the initiative was grabbed by #36 Ross Chastain who flew around Bruns and into the lead. Bruns would quickly be relegated one more place thanks to #9 Rich Clouser, but the fight between these two seasoned campaigners was far from over as Bruns fought back to pull level. Behind the leaders it was two of Florida racing’s brightest young stars who were battling for 4^th place in the form of Donatti and #20 Anthony Sergi, who were putting on their own display of door-to-door racing for the fans. A spin for #42 Jesse Pontello bunched the cars up once more and gave Clouser a brief taste of the lead from the restart before Chastain captured it back with a smooth pass on the low side. Donatti and Sergi would also continue to provide entertainment with two perfectly matched cars running side by side before a spin by #57 Eddie Furtak coming off turn 4 brought the pace truck out once again.

 This restart provided the second major incident of the race, and would once more see the track staff scrambling with the rest of the racers sitting in turn 4 under red flag conditions. Chastain had already led the cars over the start line and through the first corner, but immediately behind him a big hit from Donatti on the back-quarter of Sergi’s car turned the young pro-truck ace, leaving him stranded in the middle of the back-straight. Just as with Strahley’s earlier wreck, the cars being so close together after the restart could only lead to disaster, and this time it was Furtak and #46 Rick Taylor who had nowhere to go, Furtak in particular slamming hard into the rear of Sergi’s car. Somehow Sergi was able to return to the pits under his own power, but now his car looked more like a competitor in a demolition derby than a Late Model, while others needed the assistance of the tow trucks to get their pride and joys back to their trailers. Donatti would still be in the field for the restart, but on the final lap before the green flag his car came to a halt on the back straight, ending his night too.

 Clouser would make one last attempt to grab the win once the race was back underway, but his lead was short-lived as Chastain gave him a tap to the side and used the space this created to move underneath and reclaim the leader’s spot. With the white flag soon on display to denote just one lap remaining Chastain, Clouser and Bruns were nose to tail, and on the final push out of turn 4 Clouser gave one last nudge to the rear of Chastain’s car, but the #36 was quickly pulled back into line to take the checkered flag, his arm aloft through his window to acknowledge the standing fans cheering the racers over the line in what was an incredible finish.

 The night had begun with a Sportsman race that quickly saw #27 Phil Luizzo grab the lead in the car that had been wheeled to victory the previous week under a different number by Mike Soukup, but he was quickly sent back to 3rd as #23 Mike Pletka and #111 Donnie Williams made short work of their push to the front. A caution quickly followed as #28John Emerson span in turn 3 as he attempted to pass Luizzo, his turning rear end clipping Luizzo’s rear panel as he went high up the track to avoid him, and forcing Luizzo back to the pits for a new tire as Emerson followed him in to have his now damaged rear bumper removed to allow him to continue.

 By the halfway mark Pletka and Williams would be well ahead in the lead, running door-to-door around the high banks before Pletka finally nosed in front and began to pull away. Williams would make a late charge to get back to the rear of his great rival’s car, but it was too little too late as Pletka took the win by 2 car lengths from Williams, with Luizzo a distant 3^rd ahead of Emerson.

 The Mini Stocks put on a great show for the crowd, with most of the excitement coming from the race for last place! Even before the race had started the prohibitive favorite was out of the running once #81 Cody Blair went up in smoke down the back straight, giving #10 Michael Seay the first of two face-fulls of smoke that he would receive before the race was done. Blair would limp back to the pits with no chance of making the race, giving little resistance for #09 Todd Haught as he moved from the rear to the front before the first lap was complete, bringing #14 Chace Miller with him.

 Behind the two front-runners the race for 3^rd was one of the most entertaining seen out on the track this season as #11 Pug Puglisi, who bought a sizeable fan-club with him, and #6 Mark Broat battled for 3^rd, all the time being buzzed by the diminutive red Pinto of Seay. With brake problems demonstrated by a spin in afternoon practice, Seay was left with no choice but to use shifting to slow himself into the corners, and every turn was a new adventure as he headed up high in the center of the corner only to cut back hard and shoot down the inside across the bottom of the track. Puglisi would be the first to defend these moves before he was able to get ahead of Broat and leave him to fend off Seay’s charge. This he managed successfully before his engine gave up in spectacular fashion with Seay again in the wrong place at the wrong time and feeling the full force of the oil smoke now pouring from every orifice of Broat’s car.

 With the race restarted the action now split into two battles, Haught and Miller at the front well ahead of Puglisi and Seay running for 3^rd. Laps continued to tick down and with the white flag on display the cars came around for one lap left, but this proved to be one too many for Miller as he overcooked his run out of turn 4, spinning and heading backwards into the wall. This would see the cars make one last restart, which would lead to Haught taking a comfortable win over Puglisi, who’s legion of fans cheered him over the line to 2^nd place despite Seay’s last corner swoop towards the finish line.

 The Super Stocks feature saw plenty of lead changes early on as #15 Michael Wofford made the best start from the front row before conceding his lead to #01 Scott Smith, closely followed in a group at the front by #3 Jeff Colburn, #56 Bobby Holley and #5 Cody Blair. The race between Holley and Colburn was close and fierce, but boiled over when both driver’s car got loose in turn 3, sending the cars behind them scattering across the track as they slid sideways. The two drivers would be sent to the rear for the restart, but a strong disapproving nudge by Colburn on Holley under the caution flag was enough to send both cars back to the pits for a stern talking to from track officials before the race would be allowed to continue.

 Once restarted Blair would head off into an unassailable lead to leave Holley and Smith to fight it out for 2^nd. With 25 laps gone Blair would cross the line for yet another 2010 feature win, while Holley managed to find his way around Smith and hold him off to cross the line in 2^nd place.

 The night finished as always with the Strictly Stocks, who once again saw #9 David Brannon getting away to a big early lead that never looked like being surrendered, while son #35 Chris Brannon put on his usual show for the fans by drifting around every corner, smoke pouring from his wheels. As usual Chris would be disqualified in tech, handing a deserved 2^nd place to #21 Maureen Dahm, who enjoyed one of her best races to date in moving through the field to lead the chasing pack.

DENNIS BOYD MEMORIAL
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED 50

1. #66 Jerry Symons
2. #15 Tank Tucker
3. #22 Jason Boyd
4. #T15 Rich Clouser
5. #38 Chad Pierce
6. #41 Doc McKinney
7. #40 Michael Williams Jr
8. #29 Joe Yarborough
9. #88 Paul Duncan
10. #10 Matt Montineri
11. #12 John Zidek
12. #51B Butch Herdegen
13. #15X Cody Blair
14. #112 Jarrett Korpi
15. #4B Alan Bruns
DNS #98S Robbie Cooper

LATE MODEL

1. #36 Ross Chastain
2. #9 Rich Clouser
3. #4B Alan Bruns
4. #42 Jesse Pontello
5. #6 Norbert Gostl
6. #20 Anthony Sergi
7. #9z Zach Donatti
8. #59 Chris Brannon
9. #00 Daniel Miller
10. #57 Eddie Furtak
11. #46 Rick Taylor
12. #119 Dalton Zehr
13. #55 Todd Allen
14. #4 Cynthia Strahley
15. #99W Brett Woodley
16. #98 Bobby Joe Woodley

SPORTSMAN

1. #23 Mike Pletka
2. #111 Donny Williams
3. #27 Phil Luizzo
4. #28 John Emerson

SUPER STOCKS

1. #5 Cody Blair
2. #56 Bobby Holley
3. #01 Scott Smith
4. #3 Jeff Colburn
5. #86 Richard Goodrich
6. #15 Michael Wofford
7. #60 Ernie Tumminello
8. #31 JT Tippins
9. #21 Mike Dahm
DNS #40 Robert Fouser

MINI-STOCKS

1. #09 Todd Haught
2. #11 Pug Puglisi
3. #10 Michael Seay
4. #14 Chace Miller
5. #6 Mark Broat
DNS #81 Cody Blair

STRICTLY STOCKS

1. #9 David Brannon
2. #21 Maureen Dahm
3. #60 Gino Tumminello
4. #57 Joe Candolino
5. #77 Bill Carringer
6. #01 Jason Tumminello
7. #54x Cody Whitley
DQ #35 Chris Brannon