Thursday, February 27, 2003 Seven Division Race Card is Contingent on Weather by Larry MacMillan The most intense and versatile race card to date is set for Saturday (3/1/03) in hopes that the weather will move out of the Florida area or at least leave a hole over Citrus County Speedway at race time. It isn’t looking as threatening as last week’s which postponed the Star Wars Pro Tour FASTRUCK introduction to the local fans. They are expected to qualify 30 plus trucks in time trials on the 3/8ths super fast racetrack for the 24 starting positions that will go for the big money in their 50 lap main event. Late Models will officially open their regular points season with a 30-lap feature. There should be a full field of the regulars anxious to get underway with their limited schedule for 2003. They have 19 races at Citrus plus four Super Late Model Specials that some may participate in. This will also allow the Late Model Drivers to travel to other racetracks and try them on for size. Rex Struble will have his crown to defend and most of the old favorite regulars will be back in hopes of dethroning him if they can. They are scheduled to run qualifying heats to set up their feature run. Mike Veltman continues to lead the Sportsman division after two weeks of action sharing Victory Lane with Johnny Sanders who took his first ever win two weeks ago. Bill Oestreicher trails Veltman by 32 and Sanders by a short 7 points in the early going. Johnny Gann holds out in fourth over rookie Mike Bell who relinquished his 2002 Street Stock crown to make the move up to Sportsman. He is definitely in the hunt and seems to have the power to give the old pros plenty to think about in the run for the crown. Sportsman will go in two heats and a 20 lap feature. Joe Viverito is top shoe in the Street Stock point race with one feature win and 2 heat wins. Ernie Reed trails by one point with the only other feature win and a heat win in the books this season. Mickey Burns is eleven points back in third with a heat win and looks like he may be the new comer to watch in the division. Danny Cretty holds out in fourth just two points behind Burns and Owen Leigh is devoting his time to just one division this season and hold on to fifth. Streets will qualify in heats and run a 20 lap main event in their third week of action. Twenty Mini Stocks have already gotten into the chase and Chris Hooker picked up his first Mini Stock win two weeks ago and holds the top spot after two weeks of action. Chris Thornton trails the leader by 13 being chased by last year’s runner up Rob Wheatley. Tom Giddings is ten points back with Phillip Joyner on his heals, trailing by nine. Minis will go in a pair of heats and a 20-lap feature. Hobby Stocks are also out in heavy numbers with more to come after the County Fair brake. Twenty-three are already in the hunt with Richie Smith going after his third crown taking both feature wins thus far. Curtis Neumann has been right on his rear bumper much of the time and the second year driver trails by 30 in the early going. Dean Lawyer is definitely in the hunt followed by Alvin Williamson and Curtis Youmans with a 27 point separation. Roy Blotz holds the early lead in the Thunder Stock race. New comer Louie Cioe, lady Pat Quick, Lee Keller and Shawn Conner are giving him and the other fifteen drivers who have earned points in the early going plenty of competition. They have a long season ahead of them. Practice begins at 2 p.m. and FASTRUCK time trials begin at 5 and the first heat will take the green at 6 p.m. Citrus County Speedway is located 2 miles south of Inverness on U.S. 41 at the Citrus County Fairgrounds, next to the Inverness Airport. Seven divisions will make up the race card for Saturday night. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!