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2001
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| CLANTON DOMINATES WJ PLEMONS INVESTMENTS 200 PRESENTED BY JANI-KING | 
by Thom Watson
LAKELAND, FL:(KNS)The fan friendly American Speed Association (ASA) chose to open their 35th season in sunny Florida, at the USA International Speedway in Lakeland. The ASA brought their show from the still cold Midwest and its many drivers from that part of the country and were dominated by Georgia boy, Joey Clanton. ASA veteran and former champion, Gary St. Amant started on the pole with a fast lap of 21.615 around the 3/4 mile oval. Rookie Kyle Busch, whose brother Kurt won his first NASCAR Winston Cup race just minutes after completion of the race, started on the outside pole.
The ASA, is working harder than most touring series in trying to win more fans. Included in their fan friendly ways are, removing the haulers from the infield for better sight lines for the fans, the drivers names in large block letters along the bottom of each car for easier identification and fan autograph sessions on the track with the stars and cars.
The ASA has a very strong rookie class this year in competition for the Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie of the Year award, led by a pair of 16-year olds and a trio from Florida. The 16-year-olds are Busch and Reed Sorenson, while the trio from Florida is headed by last year’s NASCAR All-Pro Series champion, Wayne Anderson, in his Jani-King Chevrolet. Also among the rookies from Florida are Travis Kittleson and Jeff Emory.
Clanton started in the third position and took the lead on lap 44 and never gave it up. He took advantage of a long green flag stretch in the middle of the race to open as much as a 12-car length lead. With seven caution flags in the last half of the race, Kevin Cywinski, St. Amant and Dan Fredrickson were able to stay close, but the race was for second place. On one 17 lap green flag run, from lap 116 through 132, Clanton was able to build a half a straightaway lead. From lap 132 through 170, there were six caution flags and on each restart, Clanton was able to comfortably stay in front. On one of the restarts, Clanton asked his spotter, “is that a new pace car they have this year?”
Cywinski, St. Amant, Fredrickson were able to hold on and finish second, third and fourth. Another rookie, David Stremme was fifth, with Chad Wood sixth and Kansas native, Rick “rocket man” Beebe coming in seventh after starting 15th.
"We’ve made some changes with our team adding a new crew chief (Bond Suss) and a lot of other guys," said Clanton. "They are obviously very good as we’ve only been together about a month. My car was handling just perfectly."
ASA will head to California, Virginia, then back to Florida to historic Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola on May 5 before heading to the Midwest for the remainder of the season.
FN ST NO. Driver/Hometown Sponsor/Make LAPS STATUS
1 3 83 Joey Clanton
Stockbridge, GA SteveDale.com/Pro Shocks/Racing Radios/Campfire USA Chev. 200 Running
2 7 1 Kevin Cywinski
Wausau, WI Tecumseh Engines & Transmissions/Country Joe Homes Chev. 200 Running
3 1 7 Gary St. Amant
Columbus, OH ACDelco/Lane Automotive/Automotive Promotions Inc. Chev. 200 Running
4 5 21 R Dan Fredrickson
Elko, MN Country Joe Homes/LaFavre Racing Teams Chev. 200 Running
5 11 11 R David Stremme
South Bend, IN Meijer/Tony's Pizza/Edy's Grand Ice Cream/Stouffer's/Tyson Chev. 200 Running
6 20 2 Chad Wood
Madison, WI gotents.com/Wood Brothers Racing Chev. 200 Running
7 15 5 Rick Beebe/Shawnee, KS Instant Shade/AFCO/Structural Transport Inc./Don Fanetti Ford 200 Running
8 12 25 Mike Cope
Pinellas Park, FL Florida Auto Auction of Orlando/Red Line Oil/Autoway/Cope Chev. 200 Running
9 9 86 R Wayne Anderson
Wildwood, FL Jani-King/Grand American Race Cars Chev. 200 Running
10 28 29 Reed Sorenson
Peachtree City, GA The Aviation Group/Allan Vigil/Pennzoil/Racing Radios Chev. 200 Running
11 2 07 R Kyle Busch
Las Vegas, NV Roush Racing Ford Taurus/Roush-Yoder Racing Ford 200 Running
12 17 63 Robbie Pyle
Columbus, OH Citgo/WalTom Racing Chev. 200 Running
13 4 66 R Pat Kelly
Rockdale, IL RaceFan.com/Ritke-Hines Racing Chev. 199 Running
14 19 28 Tim Taylor
Indianapolis, IN EMAS Ambulance Service/Taylor Racing Chev. 199 Running
15 29 55 R Todd Kluever
Sun Prairie, WI Sign-1-1/Marshall Metals/Badger Music & Equipment/TK2 Chev. 199 Running
16 10 38 Johnny Spaw
Cedar Rapids, IA Medicap Pharmacies/SouthWest MotorSports Chev. 199 Running
17 18 26 Greg Edwards
Poquoson, VA Danny's Glass/Edwards Motorsports Chev. 199 Running
18 30 14 R Doug Mahlik
Green Bay, WI Mahlik Motor Sports Chev. 198 Running
19 33 0 David Hole
Cumming, GA Holeshot Motorsports Chev. 197 Running
20 13 30 R Travis Kittleson
Merritt Island, FL Bob Steele Chevrolet/Easy Care / R/T Racing Chev. 197 Running
21 35 8 John Silverthorne
Dallas, TX John Silverthorne Racing Chev. 184 Running
22 21 16 Russ Tuttle
Indianapolis, IN Conseco Chev. 173 Running
23 34 60 Ed Brown
Leesburg, FL Eustis Roofing/Lo Down Larry's ATMs/Kami-Causey/EBR Chev. 172 Running
24 26 53 Richard Fincher
Wilmer, AL Stryker/Howmedica/Osteonics/Scott Hansen Racing Chev. 159 Accident
25 6 44 Peter Cozzolino
Indianapolis, IN A&A Manufacturing/McDonald's Drive-Thru/Cozzolino Chev. 158 Accident
26 24 09 J.C. Beattie Jr.
Baltimore, MD ATI Performance Products/J.C. Beattie Jr. Chev. 158 Running
27 14 20 Brian Schwartz
Countryside, IL BCS Motorsports Chev. 149 Brakes
28 16 17 Mike Garvey
Atlanta, GA All Carpet/WJ Plemons Investments/Two Sisters Racing Chev. 147 Accident
29 32 10 Greg Williams
Haubstadt, IN Vore Welding & Steel/Greg Williams Racing Chev. 142 Running
30 8 64 Brad Bennett
Stamford, CT Allen J. Reyen/Reyben Racing Chev. 112 Rear End
31 36 48 R Rich Gardner
Marion, KY Par 4 Plastics/Rich Gardner Racing Chev. 106 Electrical
32 25 4 R Brandon Miller
Bakersfield, CA Mercury Racing/Oakley/Lennox/Automotive Promotions Inc. Chev. 45 Accident
33 22 33 Greg Stewart
Four Oaks, NC Body Balance/Life Force International/Screaming Eagle Pont. 21 Accident
34 27 98 Doug Stevens Jr.
Lovejoy, GA Conkle's Tub Grinding/Conkle's Tree Service Chev. 21 Running
35 31 82 R Jeff Emery
Longwood, FL Nicole Emery Chev. 19 Clutch
36 23 05 Chris Wimmer
Wausau, WI Wisconsin Cheese Cake/Wimmer Racing Chev. 3 Handling
Race Stats
Time of Race: 1 hr. 41 mins. 23.593 secs. Average Speed: 88.763 mph
Margin of Victory: 2.549 secs. Winning Chassis: Port City
Lead Changes: 2 among 3 drivers
Lap Leaders: K. Busch 1-3; G. St. Amant 4-42; J. Clanton 43-200
Fastest Lap of the Race: J. Clanton (Lap 60) — 21.994 secs. / 122.7761 mph
Cautions: 9 for 57 laps
Pole Position: Pole Position - Gary St. Amant 21.615 secs. / 124.913 mph
Entries: 38 Qualifiers: 35
Entrants Who Did Not Qualify for the WJ Plemons Investments 200 presented by Jani-King: J. Webb, D. Klein
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