| Saturday, September 14, 2002 | |
| Kittleson Takes Second Win in a Row for the Sunbelt Super Late Model Series | by Jane Smith
Showers fell at Orlando SpeedWorld but not enough to
stop the running of the 125 lap Sunbelt Super Late
Model race. With twenty seven of the best Super Late
Models the state of Florida has in the field, fans
were in for a wild, wooly night of Super Late Model
racing.
Aric Almirola set fast time but after the famous pill
was drawn, it was Justin Drawdy #12 Drawdy Brothers
Construction car on the pole. On the outside sat #88
Travis Kittleson in the Bob Steele Chevrolet.
Drawdy quickly jumped to the point on the green but
only one lap got down before the #51 Jacob Warren spun
on the bottom of turn 1 and 2. On the restart, it
was Drawdy, Dick Anderson, Kittleson, Almirola and
Williams.
John Jackson #1 brought out the second of twelve
cautions when he spun in turn 1. On the restart,
the #00 Anderson began to slow, stayed up high until
he could get down to the pit road and was out of the
race. Something mechanical went wrong.
Four cars were involved in the third caution, #16K
Tommy King, #37 James Powell III, #77 Jonny Kay, and
#38 Shane Sawyer. King and Sawyer continued but Kay
was done for the night and so was Powell.
On the restart, it was Drawdy, Kittleson, Almirola,
Williams, Bruce Lawrence, Daniel Keene Sr., Brian
Finney, Jimmy Cope, and Jay Middleton. Bruce
Lawrence spun on the top of turn 1 and 2 with #5
Derrick Strong spinning to avoid Lawrence. Both
were able to continue.
On the restart coming out of two, #14 Almirola spun
at the bottom causing caution five. Then just a few
short laps later, it was #l John Jackson and #16
Tommy King up against the frontstretch wall for
caution six.
Drawdy still holds the lead with Kittleson, Williams,
Cope and Finney in the top five. Williams looked
high, looked low, looked every way but could not make
the pass on Kittleson for the second spot. Kittleson
held tight.
The #72 Chad Pierce and #80 Brian Finney both get sent
to the rear for a spin on the frontstretch for caution
eight. On the restart, Williams brushed the frontstretch
wall sending a cloud of cement dust into the air but
was fine.
Racing hard from the rear of the pack, #72 Pierce once
again turned the #80 Brian Finney. Pierce retired to
the pits and Finney continued on to race.
On the restart, Drawdy is still at the point with
Kittleson, Williams, Cope, and Shane Sawyer. Jay
Middleton #74J was running eighth when he went into
the frontstretch wall. Derrick Strong #5 spun avoiding
Middleton, Middleton was towed back to the pits and
his night was done.
On the restart, Kittleson made his move on Drawdy and
slipped to the lead putting Drawdy second. Williams,
Sawyer and David Rogers are now the top five. Rogers,
who started in the rear of the field, had quitely
worked his way to fifth.
Coming off turn 2, Drawdy's tire went down brushing
him into the backstretch wall and hard in the turn
three wall. Drawdy was not hurt but his good run
for the night was done.
At this point, 15 cars are left on the track with
Kittleson leading. The #38 Sawyer, while running
in the fourth place, spun and retired to the pits
ending his night.
Tommy King has returned to the racing surface with
his new #16K open wheel modified. But after a fender
comes off, the last caution of the race was flown
for debris on the track.
On the next to last lap, #80 Brian Finney spun going
up high next to the turn 3 wall. No caution was thrown
as the cars came around one more time for the checkered.
Finney was not hurt and by the grace of God, no car
spun out hitting him in the last lap.
Following Kittleson to the checkers was Michael Williams,
David Rogers, Jacob Warren and Jimmy Cope.
OFFICIAL FINISH ORDER
1. #88 Travis Kittleson
2. #40 Michael Williams
3. #11 David Rogers
4. #51 Jacob Warren
5. #61 Jimmy Cope
6. #74 Barry Willoughby
7. #34 Rex Struble
8. #22x Larry Osteen
9. #22 David Froehlick
10. #16 Bruce Lawrence
11. #26D Eric Deffendall
12. #5 Derrick Strong
13. #80 Brian Finney
14. #26 Mike Murphy
15. #38 Shane Sawyer
16. #12 Justin Drawdy
17. #74J Jay Middleton
18. #72 Chad Pierce
19. #78 B.J. McLeod
20. #16K Tommy King
21. #14 Aric Almirola
22. #l John Jackson
23. #5 Daniel Keene Sr.
24. #77 Jonny Kay
25. #00 Dick Anderson
26. #37 James Powell
27. #23 Scotty Crockett
The next Sunbelt Super Late Model Series race will be
September 28th and 29th at Sebring. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
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