Florida Video Service Race Recap

November 24th the speedway will be closed. Punta Gorda Speedway owners would like to wish the Fans, Drivers, Crews and Staff a Happy Thanksgiving. Make sure you mark your calender for Dec 1st.  The Speedway has a full night of racing action when the Open Wheel Modifieds return along with Street Stock, Road Warriors, Pro 4, Legends, Outlaw Modifieds, T.Q. Midgets, Dwarf Cars and the fan favorite, Fan Participation. Visit our web site for all up to date information at www.puntagordaspeedway.com

The first feature of the night was the Rookie Truck class for twenty five laps, that saw Travis Miller of North Ft. Myers on the pole and Corey Bigley outside. Miller took the first lap but Bigley quickly got by him to run the first half of the race in the lead, while Chad Chastain of Alva was making his way through the field. Half way mark, Chastain made the move on Bigley to take over the lead and go onto win the race.

T.Q. Midgets were up next and what a race it was when the race was red flagged after just two laps in the books. Coming out of turn four it appeared that Chris Gimmler got loose and spun flipping over on his side. While trying to avoid the 51, the 11 of Jimmy Wilkens III of Ft Pierce spun and landed on its side. David Patterson of Port Charlotte came out of four, went down low, hit the grass and the Midget went airborne, spinning several times in the air. The car landed and bounced and rolled several times before stopping upside down. Once the clean up was done it was the 7 of Jamie Barnum of Brooksville that went on to win the race while Rob Kohler was a close second and Mike Belusar was third. (more…)

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, if you were not at the Punta Gorda Speedway Saturday night, you missed a full, on the edge of your seat, night of racing action. To some, it seemed as if it was full moon racing, cars returning home not like them came in and others, it was a repeat of their race before.

The features started off with the Dwarf cars that ran bumper to bumper and side by side with the 08 of Rob Kohler as the leader. The 14 of Bo Bass was right there and battled Darren Bass for second  till ten to go when Bo Bass got by Kohler for the lead. Two laps to go the drive shaft broke on the 08 and the finish was Bo Bass of Eustis, Darren Bass and Larry Hubbard jr for third.

Road Warriors came out next and put on a heck of a show that was filled with cautions till they settled in and Chris Loney of Naples was fighting to stay ahead of the pack. Jason Miller took over the lead and never looked back as a real battle was going on for those next spots. When all the smoke cleared and some hard fought door to door racing, it was Richard Nelson that finished second Rocket Rick Reed was third.

Street Stock race at times seemed to be a race of drive through them not around them but the real race was Ryan Pancoast out of N. Ft Myers that took the lead away from a hard fighting Richard Nelson. “Back in the winner circle again” , it was Ryan Pancoast, with the 88 of Jimmie Meiser second, Shane Leonard third and Richard Nelson that got shuffled back to fourth on the last restart. (more…)

The night started out with the Rookie Truck feature that saw Chad Chastain from Alva dominate the race from start to finish. Young Chastain is called “Melon Jr” because of the Melon One sponsor he sports on the thirty six truck that mirrors the truck his older brother Ross drives in the Camping World Truck Series. The real battle was going on for second place as James Dellea III of Port Charlotte stayed out in front of Corey Bigley to finish 2^nd in the James Dellea Tire and Auto Repair sponsored Truck. Coery Bigley would bring the Whitney Poole Motorsports truck home in third.

T.Q. Midgets were up next for their twenty five lap feature that saw Chris Gimmler jump out to the lead while battling with Port Charlotte’s David Patterson who was running in second. Gimmler held on and led all the laps for the win while Rob Kohler was second and Jamie Barnum third and Patterson fourth.

Legends cars were lined up and ready to go with the 48 of Carl Haag on the pole and Seth Adams outside, while fast qualifier Chase Fitzgerald started in the rear. Adams of Mulberry jumped out to take the lead while Beca Monopoli of Lakeland was a close second. With no cautions in this 40 lap feature, it was Monopoli chasing Adams while Devon McCleod was closing in fast. Five laps to go, Monopoli saw a chance to squeeze on the inside of Adams between turns three and four and it was Monopoli that made the pass clean to take over the lead. When the checkers flew it was Becca Monopoli that was the winner, Seth Adams came in second and Devin McCleod was third while fast qualifier Chase Fitzgerald was fourth. (more…)

Punta Gorda Speedway has not been able to race two weekends in a row since June because of the parking lot problems, until last night. Last night, made two weeks in a row the fans and kids were able to enjoy a full night of racing action and a fun, filled night of trick or treat for the kids. Every year the amount of kids to come out, dressed in all sorts of costumes grows and last night was an endless line of
Trick or Treaters that left with bags full of treats from the drivers. If you missed last night you missed some of the best racing action in the state and some of the most fun for the kids.
The features started off with the Legend cars that saw the 00 of Darin Cooker from Palm Beach Gardens jump out to and early lead. Becca Monopoli of Lakeland was in a distant second trying to chase Cooker down till o the only caution came out at half way for the muffler flying off the 55 car. Running in third was Chase Fitzgerald till five to go, when the car shut down coming down the front stretch and ended his night giving the third spot over to Mike Verhaagh of Ft Myers and that would be how they finished.
Open Wheel Modifieds were up next and the line up was inverted from their heat race that put Scott McDaniel of Cape Coral on the pole. The green flag dropped and good hard racing out of turn four before one lap was in the books, it looked like three wide down the front. Three wide did work and cars got together and bounced off and on top of each other and when the smoke cleared Johnny Allen, Eric Rudd and points leader all had to be towed off the track and not able to continue. Speedway owner went to the four drivers left on the track and they all agreed to make it a fifteen lap dash for the cash. Johnny Allen was able to return and the drivers were lined up with McDaniel on the poll and L.B. Skaggs out side. What a show by the front two then another caution with one to go. Lines back up it was side by side, petal to the metal all the way around the track and it was Scott McDaniel who crossed the line first with Skaggs second and John Rogers from Naples third.
You can always bet tempers will flare when the Cowboy Cadillacs hit the track and last night was no different. It was Jeff Deeble of Port Charlotte that took the lead on lap one and with two to go got spun by a lap truck that brought out the caution. Deeble back in his spot and Mike Bialecki outside, the green flag dropped for a green white checker finish. Bialecki got by Deeble, who’s truck wasn’t the same after the spin, with John Pummell Jr second and Rick Mills third. (more…)

It was a great night of racing, after having to cancel a few races due to nowhere to park the fans, due to flooded parking. Mother Nature was kind this week and the fans were treated to great side by side, door to door racing action at the Punta Gorda Speedway.

T.Q. Midget were the first feature of the night, the 63 of Mike Bleusar jumped out to the lead and never looked back. The T.Q.’s ran their twenty five lap feature, caution free,  Bleusar stayed on the gas while being chased by Rob “the cowboy” Kohler. David Patterson from Port Charlotte had a fast car coming in second in the heat but adjusted on the car for the feature and had to settle for fifth while Jamie Barnum came home third.

Legends also ran caution free and saw the 7 of Mike Verhaagh out of Fort Myers run start to finish while being chased down by Tony Steinbuck of Tamarac. Carl Haag of Port St Lucie would finish third.

Cowboy Cadillac gave the fans some action as they always do, running bumper to bumper and door to door. Mike Bialecki of Arcadia had a fast truck and was dominating till eight to go, when a caution came out and trucks got tangled, sending Bialecki to the pits to change a flat tire. Bialecki  pitting gave the lead over to John Pummell Jr. and it took Bialecki one lap to get back to second and fight for the win with Pummell. It was John Pummell Jr from Arcadia that came home first, Mike Bialecki second and Trey Almand of Port Charlotte third. (more…)

OCTOBER 20 – THE FLORIDA SUPER LATE MODEL ELITE SERIES 100
DAN BENOIT MEMORIAL RW-50 LAPS,
PERFECT PEST CONTROL PRO 4
STREET STOCK, COWBOY CADILLACS,
LEGENDS AND BANDOLEROS
OUTLAW MODIFIEDS, T.Q. MIDGETS AND MINI CUPS

FRONT GATE:
OPENS AT 5:00 PM
RACING STARTS AT 6:30 PM
ADULTS: $12.00
SENIORS: $10.00
CHILDREN: 12 AND UNDER FREE
PIT GATE:
OPENS AT 1:30 PM
OPEN PRACTICE 3:30 PM 5:15PM
DRIVER MEETING 5:45 PM
QUALIFYING 6:15 PM
RACING 6:30 PM
HEATS AND TROPHY DASH
PARADE LAP AND INVOCATION 7:15 PM (more…)

OCTOBER 13 – PRO TRUCK, ROOKIE TRUCK, DAN BENOIT MEMORIAL RW-50 LAPS, PERFECT PEST CONTROL PRO 4-40 LAPS, STREET STOCK, DWARF CARS AND T.Q. MIDGETS

Street Stock and T.Q. Midgets, are added to this weeks racing schedule

www.puntagordaspeedway.com
FRONT GATE:
OPENS AT 5:00 PM
RACING STARTS AT 6:30 PM
ADULTS: $12.00
SENIORS: $10.00
CHILDREN: 12 AND UNDER FREE
PIT GATE:
OPENS AT 1:30 PM
OPEN PRACTICE 3:30 PM 5:15PM
DRIVER MEETING 5:45 PM
QUALIFYING 6:15 PM
RACING 6:30 PM
HEATS AND TROPHY DASH
PARADE LAP AND INVOCATION 7:15 PM (more…)