OCALA, FL- Florida’s historic Ocala Speedway will be back in action this Friday night as the Pepsi Wheel of Fortune will spin to determine which racing division gets to share extra cash, courtesy of the official soft drinks of Ocala Speedway. Five divisions will be in action as well, including the Colortyme Modifieds, Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stocks, Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants Thunder Stocks, the Mini Stocks, and the Gladiators.
Thanks to weather issues during the early part of the 2010 racing season, the Colortyme Modifieds have not had much in the way of track time so far this year, and the point standings are literally neck and neck. Devin Dixon is on top of the points list, but Jeff Mathews, Kyle Owen, Roger Crouse, Kyle Bronson, and Chip “Hollywood” Owen, are all within ten points of overtaking him. Garrett Stewart, Wayne Hammond, and John Bradley, are within 15 points of Dixon, and Tim Zackery is just 21 points out of first place. And with the standings that tight, Friday night’s results could seriously scramble the top ten of the points standings, and provide us with a new points leader.
The Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stocks saw action last Friday, but the race did not count toward the season points race. Two of the top three in the standings are quite happy about that while one may not be so pleased, as Dean Jarvis remains at the top with Heath Walker just one point behind. Daniel Miller Jr remains in the third spot at 16 points in back of Jarvis, while Jody Wells and Sean Babcock are tied at 20 points out of first. This Friday’s race will count, so look for some shuffling around to happen in the points depending on the finishing order.
Michael Stalnaker is another racer who is happy that the races last Friday did not count toward the Amsoil V8 Thunder Stock season points race, as his tangle with Jessie Corbitt knocked both racers out of action. So Stalnaker remains the points leader with Jerrid Bennett trailing by 9 and Augie Burttram just 14 points back. And while the wild night of racing may not have shaken up the points battle, it did manage to rattle a few cages and bang up some race cars, which could be a factor this Friday when everyone returns to the track. Stalnaker wants to return to his winning ways, but a host of other racers hope to stand in his way.
Ocala Speedway’s Mini Stocks will return to action after some time off this Friday, with Dan and Nick Kerr holding onto the top two rungs of the points ladder, and with defending champion Paul Combast right behind them. Those three racers are all within 5 points of each other, while racers like Keith Briggs, Mike Budka, and Michael Oglesby, all remain within striking distance. This will be the Mini Stocks’ first race under their new rules package, as the racers and Ocala Speedway owner Mike Peters work together to make the division more competitive.
Casey Feaster seems to have taken control of the Ocala Speedway Gladiator Division over the past month, but his win from this past Friday does not count toward the 2010 points so he remains in fifth place going into this week’s race. Steven Johnson still is the points leader as Devin Walker follows at 7 points shy of first place. Kody Fisher remains consistent and holds onto the third spot at 11 in back of Johnson. So the question will be can Feaster remain the dominant force in the division, or will someone step up and take him down a notch or two?
The grandstand gate will open at 5PM on Friday night with racing action beginning at 8PM. For directions to the speedway, or information on prices or scheduled events, please visit www.OcalaSpeedway.com, or call 352-622-9400.