February 13, 2004 Champions Crowned with Final Night Rainout by Jane Smith -KARNAC.com Samsula, Fla (February 14, 2004) Due to unending rain, the ninth night of the 38th running of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing has been called. Champions were crowned in the pits with Mike Fritts winning the Super Late Model Champion over Wayne Anderson. Both Fritts and Anderson were tied in points but Fritts had more top five finishes which determined the final outcome. Rich Clouser won the Late Model Championship by 16 points over Tim Russell. Lee Collins took the FL/IMCA Championship over Brad May by 16 points and Eric Beers won the NASCAR TOUR TYPE Championship with John White winning the SK Mod Championship. New Smyrna Speedway will open it's regular 2004 season on March 13. Anderson and Christopher Big Winners on Night 7 Points are very tight at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway and the racing is getting very hot. New cars appear daily adding more fuel to the excitement. Night 7 saw 41 Super Late Models take qualifying time. A consi race was run with the top 8 going into the main event. Winning the consi race and going into the main feature was Pete Shepherd Jr., Kevin Dowler, Robert Dean, Russ Blakeley, Dexter Bean, Donnie Varcoe, Mark Owens, and Landon Cassill. Sportsman were the first division up with Paul Colgan on the pole but it was Wednesday night's winner Dale Clouser who quickly jumped to the lead over Colgan, Joe Adams, John Webber and David Myers. With no cautions in their 20 lap event, Clouser easily held the point and took the checkered over Joe Adams, Paul Colgan, Earl Beckner, and John Webber. Justin Gaydosh had the pole for the NASCAR TOUR TYPE/SK Mods but it was Ted Christopher that took the point on the green. Following Christopher was Buck Catalano, Justin Gaydosh, George Kent and Ed Flemke Jr. Lap 4 saw the yellow come out for a number of cars that got spun around when the #94 of Justin Gaydosh spun. Involved in the spin was Eric Beers, Charlie Pasteryak, Ed Flemke Jr., and George Kent. Both Gaydosh and Pasteryak were towed to the upper pits ending their night. The race went back green with Christopher leading the way. Flemke brings out the caution again on lap 11 as he hits the turn 2 wall. On the restart, the yellow is flown again because of a bad start so the race goes back green one more time. But before a lap is down, Bill Anderson brings out the caution as he hits the turn 2 wall. The race goes back green with Christopher leading the way but it was a short run as lap 13 sees the yellow again for Terry Zacharias as he spins going down the frontstretch. Trying to avoid the spun car, Johney Bush and Chuck Hossfield make contact on the frontstretch. Christopher holds the point and takes the checkered followed by Buck Catalano, Eric Beers, J.R. Bertuccio, and Mike Fitch. The Richie Evans Memorial will run Friday night for 100 laps of pure excitement. Chuck Burkhalter had the pole for the Late Model feature event but before a lap was in the yellow came out for Mike Murphy, Danny Maddox, Troy Atkins, Cynthia Strahley and Ricky Potts who got together on the start. The race is restarted but on lap 1, Jerry Artuso brings out the yellow again as he is stalled at the entrance of pit road. Overall Late Model Champion Rich Clouser (left) with Promoter Don Nerone On the restart, Tim Russell takes over the lead position with Burkhalter, Doug Samion, Shaun McWhirter and Jason Boyd in the top five. Samion moves to second with Rich Clouser in third, Boyd in fourth and McWhirter in fifth. Boyd passes Clouser and takes over third. Samion now finds his mirror full of Jason Boyd who is doing everything he can to pass Samion. Finally Boyd gets the move and takes second but cannot reach Russell to take over the lead. Russell takes the checkered followed by Jason Boyd, Doug Samion, Rich Clouser and Shaun McWhirter. Eddie Hoffman held the pole for the 50 lap Super Late Model event but it was Kevin Cywinski who jumped to the lead on the green. Following Cywinski was Hoffman, B.J. McLeod, Jack Landis and Wayne Anderson. Anderson puts the heat on Landis and takes over fourth with Landis sliding back to fifth. By lap 8 Anderson has taken over third as McLeod slips to fourth. Lap 13, Justin Drawdy is looking high, low, every way he can to pass Jr. Hanley but Hanley holds strong. Lap 16, Landis, after running a very good race, goes in for mechanical problems. By lap 21 it is Cywinski, Hoffman, Anderson, McLeod, and Hantz. On lap 30, Hantz finds himself going door-to-door with Hanley with Hanley winning the spot. Lap 34 David Rogers comes into the top five with the caution coming out on lap 38 for a spin on the backstretch. The race restarts with Cywinksi, Anderson, Hoffman, McLeod, and Rogers going nose to tail. Lap 40, Anderson powers past Cywinski taking over the lead but a caution comes out before the lap is completed putting Cywinski back in the lead for the restart. On the restart, Cywinski holds but coming off turns 3 and 4 Anderson makes his move and once again takes over the lead position. On lap 48, Drawdy and Hanley are once again side-by-side. They seem to touch with Hanley spinning and causing a number of cars to spin avoiding him. Involved were B.J. McLeod, Eddie Hoffman, Jr. Hanley and Mike Fritts. Anderson holds the restart and takes the checkered followed by Kevin Cywinski, David Rogers, Justin Drawdy, and Louie Mechalides. The FL/IMCA Mods were the last event of the night with Billy Johanneck on the pole for their 20 lap feature. Johanneck lead the first lap but it was Tank Tucker taking over the point and never looking back. Following Tucker were Jerry Symons, Jerry Artuso, Lee Collins, and Brad May. Florida Modified Champion Lee Collins with family. On lap 10 the caution comes out for Rusty Purdue who does a complete 360 but is able to correct the car and keep going. But David Hite and Alan Bruns also spin avoiding the spun and moving Purdue. Tucker holds the point on the restart but it is a short run as Mark Vandevender brings out the yellow as he makes contact with the backstretch wall. Lap 14 sees the yellow again as Billy Johanneck spins coming off turn 4 at the pit road entrance. Lap 15 is a heartbreaker as the points leader Jerry Artuso breaks and retires to the pits. Tucker holds the point and takes the checkered for his first win in the World Series. Following Tucker to the checkered was Jerry Symons, Brad May, Lee Collins, and David Stacy. Friday, February 13, the NASCAR Tour Type/SK Mods go for 100 laps in the Richie Evans Memorial plus Super Late Models, Late Models, FL/IMCA Mods, Sportsman and FASTRUCKS. Racing begins at 7:30 p.m. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!