by Ocala Speedway Media
OCALA, FL- Florida’s oldest speedway will present a special event this Friday night, April 9th, as the Top Gun Sprint Car Series will return to Ocala Speedway to challenge the toughest 3/8ths mile in the southeast. In addition to Florida’s most exciting touring sprint car series, Ocala fans will thrill to the excitement of Ocala’s own Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stock Division, as well as the Amsoil V8 Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks.
The Top Gun Sprint Car Series brought the top names in sprint car racing from across Florida and south Georgia to Ocala last year, and thrilled fans with a hotly contested race eventually won by the 92 machine of Matt Kurtz. Gene Lasker also put on quite a show in the 2009 race coming in second to Kurtz, and followed by Rocky Sullivan, Bruce Durden, and Ryan Partin.
This year Ocala Speedway’s own Rich Pratt is expected to wheel a sprint car around Ocala’s oddly shaped track, and his experience with the track may give him an advantage over some more seasoned sprint car racers who may not be as familiar with Ocala’s quirks and pitfalls. Pratt, who hails from Anthony, Florida, has been a local favorite at Ocala for years, racing a super late model on both asphalt and on the clay up until last season when he began making the transition to driving a 360 sprint car.
Thanks to a lack of support and cooperation from nature, the Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stocks have only had one outing at Ocala Speedway this year so far. That race was a $1000 to win affair on opening night that was won by Jody Wells, with Patrick “DoughBoy” Williams and “Shady” Grady Christian rounding out the top three. So with all of the time off thanks to wet conditions, Ocala’s Hobby Stock racers will be beyond ready to hit the clay again this Friday night.
The Amsoil V8 Thunder Stocks were on the track last Friday night and saw Augie Burttram battle hard with Michael Stalnaker on his way to victory. Eddie Lentz, who was buzzing around in a Gladiator last year, placed second last Friday in his new Thunder Stock machine, and hopes that trend will continue this week. Sean Babcock, who is back in the 5W again in 2010, was the third place finisher last Friday night.
Defending 2009 Mini Stock Champion, Paul Combast, grabbed a win Friday night in as he held off Dan Kerr enroute to the checkers, but Nick Kerr already has twice that many Mini Stock wins at Ocala in 2010. 2008 Mini Stock Champion, Keith Briggs, has been suffering from some back problems that have slowed him down recently, but he still managed a respectable third place finish last Friday, and plans to have the 19T back on the track this weekend as well.
The action will get underway at Ocala Speedway at 8PM on Friday night, with heat races, followed by any needed B mains plus the feature races. The pit gate will open at 2PM and the grandstand ticket office and gates will open at 5PM. Please visit www.OcalaSpeedway.com to check “special event” pricing or to see the 2010 racing schedule at America’s Dirt Track, or call the track at 352-622-9400.
