| Powell takes first leg of Triple Crown | UPDATE: TRIPLE CROWN RACE ONE WAS RUN AT NEW SMYRNA SATURDAY NIGHT. RACE TWO WILL BE FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9 AT ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD. RACE THREE WILL BE AT CHARLOTTE COUNTY SPEEDWAY SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10.
by Jane Smith
In spite of the mud from the downpour that pounded New Smyrna Speedway in mid-afternoon, there were 30 of the best Super Late Models that the state of Florida has to offer. Fast time was set by Michael Williams in the #40 South Forty Pontiac with an 18.351. James Powell, Mario Gosselin, Dick Anderson and B.J. McLeod rounded out the top five. The ninth fastest car of Eric Black, #10, hit the turn 4 wall in his second lap of his qualifying and was not able to make repairs to join the field. Black's car was engulfed in flames after the wreck but got out fine and was not injured.
Michael Williams drew a #8 pill, which put Travis Kittleson in the #88 Bob Steele Chevrolet, on the pole. Sitting on the outside was the #30rr of Justin Drawdy. The drivers were introduced, given a few warm up and greet the fans laps, and it was time to go racing.
Travis Kittleson jumped to the early lead from the wave of the green flag. Then following Kittleson was Drawdy, Anderson, McLeod and Powell. But Powell was not happy with fifth place and worked his way around the #78 of McLeod. Then it was Mario Gosselin in the #10x that came into the picture. Gosselin quickly put himself in that number five spot when the first of nine cautions came out. Jonny Kay and Mike Good tangled slightly in turn 4 but all were able to continue.
As the green flew once again, Gosselin was right on Powell's bumper taking the fourth place spot. McLeod slipped back to ninth as Drawdy and Anderson had a side-by-side battle for the second place spot. Powell now had successfully passed Gosselin but the yellow came out and he was put back to the last lap position. Jonny Kay had spun in turn 2.
Kittleson once again jumped to the lead on the restart with Anderson and Drawdy side by side. Eventually Anderson won the second place position and set his goals on the lead. Just as it was getting hot and heavy, caution 3 came out for the #7 of Matt Griffin who spun betweens turns l and 2. As the race restarted with Kittleson still in the lead, Anderson was never far behind. Gosselin worked his way to third, Drawdy slipped and David Rogers came into the picture for fifth, putting Drawdy sixth. Just as it was heating up once again, caution 4 came out for the #40 of Williams, #07 of Scoffield and the #00 of Olmos. As the cars went in to repair damages, the #40 returned with no left side to his car. Twenty-four cars were left at this time.
The restart was short lived as the #27 of Good spun around in turn 4. On the restart, Kittleson missed a shift and Anderson plowed into the rear of Kittleson damaging his front end. Powell quickly jumped to the lead with Gosselin in second and Kittleson now running third. Anderson remained on the track but had to go in eventually for sheet metal removal. Caution 6 came out as the Williams and Good tangled in turn 4. The #40 of Williams now looked more like a modified than a Super Late Model.
Once again the green waved with Powell now leading the way but it was a short lived green flag run as the #92 of Anderson caused the seventh caution for losing car parts. The #92 slid into for repairs and the race restarts with Kittleson taking second spot away from Gosselin. The running order was now: Powell, Kittleson, Gosselin, Rogers, Drawdy, and Franklin. Caution 8 came out for the #19 of Tom Root and the #27 of Good as they spun around in turn 4. On the restart, the good luck of Gosselin disappeared as he exited the racing surface for mechanical problems.
Just as the white flag waves, caution 9 comes out for the #07 of Scoffield and the #6 of Johnson who tangle on the front stretch. The field came around with Governors Cup winner James Powell III taking the first leg of the Triple Crown, Kittleson came across the stripe in second, David Rogers hung on for the third spot, Fourth was taken Drawdy and rounding out the top five was Mike Franklin Jr. in the #5.
Due to weather conditions around the state the second leg will be run Friday night 11/9 at Orlando Speedworld and final leg will be Saturday night 11/10 at Charlotte County Speedway.
Finishing Order:
1. #37 - James Powell
2. #88 - Travis Kittleson
3. #11 - David Rogers
4. #30rr - Justin Drawdy
5. #5 - Mike Franklin Jr.
6. #5x - Daniel Keene, Sr.
7. #16 - Bruce Lawrence
8. #96 - Jack Cook
9. #80 - Brian Finney
10. #89 - Lee Collins
11. #74 - Barry Willoughby
12. #27 - Mike Good
13. #31 - Jeff Sloan
14. #07 - Jeff Scoffield
15. #6 - Mac Johnson
16. #63 - Joe Fitos
17. #7 - Matt Griffin
18. #19 - Tom Root
19. #74x - Hubert Simmons
20. #10x - Mario Gosselin
21. #92 - Dick Anderson
22. #3 - Mike Bresenhan
23. #40 - Michael Williams
24. #78 - B.J. McLeod
25. #00 - Victor Olmos
26. #48 - Jonny Kay
27. #9 - Jonathan Brown
28. #s40 - George Murphy
29. #61 - Jimmy Cope
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