| Monday, December 17, 2001 | |
| Bresnahan Wins Winter Spectacular Late Model 100 | 
by Larry MacMillan
(Inverness, Fl. 12/15/01) Twenty six of Florida's best came to take on the new configuration at Citrus County Speedway in the Winter Spectacular I and twenty three of the quick super late models were able to take the green flag for the 100 lap, all green flag special mid winter race.
Mike Bresnahan coming off his Rookie of the Year season in the Florida Pro and Sunbelt series, came back to his home track and took away most of the honors. He kicked off the night taking the Nick Nicholas Ford Fast Qualifier Award with a 14.040 second run on a green racetrack. The top 12 drivers pulled pills for starting positions, with the balance of the field starting according to their qualifying times. Andy Werden pulled the #1 pill and took the point for the first 27 laps before Scotty Crocket managed to make the pass for the lead. Several caution flags thinned out the field to 18 cars before the halfway point in the race.
Crocket developed an oil leak that sent him to the pits for repairs at lap 47, relinquishing the lead to 2001 Track Champion Herb Neumann Jr. Twelfth starter Mike Bresnahan worked his way into second and chased Neumann for the next 15 laps before he was able to make an inside pass for the lead and the win to take the first leg of the Winter Spectacular series. Neumann held out for a solid second followed by Mac Johnson, Andy Werden, Danny Johnson, Jared Allison and Mason Love who had to be the hard charger, starting 23rd and finishing seventh. Only seven cars were in the lead lap at the checkered flag and only 11 cars were able to finish the race. Bruce Gaskins, John Buzinec, Billy Bechtelheimer and Ed Sartori round out the top eleven finishers.
Bresnahan banked $2,800.00 for his effort and has to be the odds on favorite to repeat in Winter Spectacular II, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, January 19th 2002. With a $1,000 bonus added to the $2,500 win purse for anyone who finished in the top five, and graduated bonuses up for grabs for anyone finishing in the top fifteen in race one, should be enough to encourage most of these drivers to make a return trip in January. And the field will be open to any additional late model drivers who feel they would like to be the spoiler in race two and try on the new modifications that will take place over the next month. It will again be a whole new playing field for all the drivers with the widening of the back straight and additional banking in turns 1 and 2. Its still anybodies ball game.
In other action, Jimmy Thompson took the Scooby Do II to a checkered flag in the thirty-lap Sportsman special only to weigh in light in tech, handing the win over to Chris Hooker.
Mike Bell launched his new Street Stock off the outside pole and held off the 19-car field for 30 laps for his wire-to-wire win.
Rick Sirmons again showed he had the power stroke and the outside groove figured out for the Mini Stock win in their 14-car, 30-lap main event.
J.D. Goff took home the winners purse in the Hobby Stock 30 lap feature.
2001 Thunder Stock Champion, Stuart Madison, took his first trip to Victory Lane after a winless regular season, holding off the 19 starters in the final race of the night.
Citrus County Speedway management and employees want to wish all our race teams and fans a very Happy Holiday season and invite you to kick off the New Year during Winter Spectacular II on January 19th, 2002. The regular racing season will begin on February 9th with 38 race dates on the schedule for 2002. Our new race start time will be 6:00 P.M. with the Thunder Stocks running heats for qualifying instead of just feature races.
Winter Spectacular I Late Model 100 1. # 3 Mike Bresnahan Lecanto 2. #38 Herb Neumann Jr. Inverness 3. #6X Mac Johnson 4. #48 Andy Werden 5. #96 Danny Johnson Crystal River 6. #18 Jared Allison Cocoa, Fl. 7. # 0 Mason Love Seminole 8. #87 Bruce Gaskins Inverness 9. #08 John Buzinec Bellview 10.# 6 Billy Bechtelheimer Dover 11.#50 Kevin Fair New Port Richey 12. #72 Scotty Crockett Land O Lakes 13. #51 Eddie Hartin 14. # 5 Daniel Keene, Sr Land O Lakes 15. #5K Daniel Keene Jr. Land O Lakes 16. #88 Brock Ogelsby Ocala 17. #25 Lee Faulk Lake City 18. # 1 Fain Skinner 19. #75 Dave Pletcher Pinellas Park 20. #84 Kiki Thomas Clearwater 21. #70 James Glover Pinellas Park 22. #27 Rob Elting 23. #28 Steve Smith
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