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| Columbia Motorsports Parks Opens FASCAR Era | by Jane Smith
 Clint Foley won by a nose in the Florida Mini Stock Challenge Series 50
Lake City, Florida (September 18, 2004)- A perfect night greeted fans and racers for the grand opening race for Team FASCAR and their newest track Columbia Motorsports Park. After a number of weeks with no racing action because of Hurricanes Charley and Frances, fans were ready for some good ole short track racing and they got it.
The visiting Florida Mini Stock Challenge brought sixteen of the best Mini Stockers in the state with Clint Foley of Dunnellon setting fast time of 19.891 at the half mile oval. Foley drew the number 10 pill after tech putting Mark Moniz of Land O'Lakes on the pole for the 50 lap event.
Moniz took the lead on the green followed by Darren Jackson of Lakeland, Dennis Valdez of Tampa, Dave Moskwa of North Ft. Myers, and Marty Neikens of Clearwater in the top five. But it did not take Jackson but until lap two to take over the lead. For 17 laps it was the Darren Jackson show as he had a ten car lead on the rest of the field.
Caution came out for Moskwa who slightly touched Justin Edwards of Ft. Valley, Georgia and sent Edwards spinning. Edwards was able to continue but both drivers were sent to the rear of the field for the restart.
 Jackson, who had complete control of the first 17 laps, obviously had problems on the restart as all the cars passed him. Jackson stops on the backstretch bringing out the caution. Jackson's car seems to come back to life with Jackson now in the rear of the field for the restart.
Robbie Storer of Zephyrhills leads the field on the restart with Neikens, Robbie Yoakam of Hernando, Foley and Ronnie Larson of Clearwater in the top five,. Yoakam moves to second as Foley follows Yoakam to third with Neikens settling into fourth.
Yoakam passes Storer for the lead as Foley looks high and low to pass Storer for second but Storer holds. Roger Wright of Pinellas Park has a wild ride as he brings out the caution as he takes a ride off the track into the gravel.
The race goes back green but on the restart, Justin Edwards hits the frontstretch wall bringing out the caution again. Edwards is fine and the race goes by green as Yoakam leads the way.
Just alittle pass halfway, Jackson has moved up into eighth place for his rear position as Jay Zolciak of Pinellas Park brings out the caution as he spins in turn 4. On the restart, Yoakam finds his hands full of a very hard charging Clint Foley who is going side-by-side with Yoakam for the lead. Foley is able to make the pass and take over the point with Yoakam, Storer, Neikens and Larson in the top five.
Larson finds his hands full of young Dustin DeChamps of Tampa who is going for Larson's fifth place position. DesChamps proves he has a strong car as he takes fifth with Larson going to sixth. Yoakam retakes the lead with Foley in second as Darren Jackson, running seventh, begins to slide backwards fast. Suddenly Jackson's car has obvious fire under the hood and has blown the engine as he slows and stops in turns 1 and 2. Not how Jackson wanted to end his night after leading for so long and moving back up With only five laps left to go, it was going to be a shotout for the win.
Yoakam holds the lead on the restart followed by Foley, DeChamps, Storer and Neikens. But Foley is not done and goes side-by-side with Yoakam for the lead. Yoakam is able to hold off Foley but coming to the checkered, Foley slips by Yoakam and takes the win followed by Robbie Yoakam, Dustin DesChamps, Robbie Storer and Marty Neikens.
Aaron Dreher had the pole for the 25 lap Super Late Model feature with 21 Super Lates going for the win. The No. 41 of Scott Bramlett would have made 22 but was unable to start because of an earlier incident. But it was Doyle Boatwright had took the point on the green and maintained it from green to checkered.
Following Boatwright on the green was Fain Skinner, David Hodges, Patrick Williams, and Tal Etheridge. The caution came out for Gale Grayer who suddenly disappeared off the backstretch and into the woods. Grayer was fine but done for the night. Retiring from the race during the caution was Billy Dean and Mike Franklin who was driving the No. 92 for Dick Anderson.
Boatwright held the point on the restart followed by Skinner, Hodges, Williams and Etheridge. Williams puts the heat on Hodges and takes over third as Etheridge follows taking over fourth and Hodges settling into fifth. The caution comes out as Williams and Skinner get together with Williams spinning. Williams rejoins the field in the rear as Skinner goes in for some crew attention.
Boatwright still commands the field on the restart followed by Etheridge, Hodges, David Rogers and Patrick Conrad in the top five. Skinner has made repairs and tries to come back into the race only to bring out the caution as he and the pit wall make contact on his re-entry. Skinner somehow knocked his front end off and is now done for the night.
The restart sees Boatwright on the point but coming into turn 1, the No. 38 of Kevin Dicks goes airborne and over the hill and down into the woods. Dicks was not hurt but his car was. The race is red flagged to allow the wrecker crew time to get the car back up the hill. A very scary moment for the fans.
Boatwright takes the checkered followed by Tal Etheridge, David Hodges, David Rogers and Patrick Conrad. Mike Franklin and Gale Grayer won the heat races.
Wayne Parker had the pole for the Open Wheel Modifieds but it was J. F. McClelland who lead from green to checkered. Following McClelland to the checkered was Dave Barker, Len Stapleton, John Mitchell, and Wayne Parker. J. F. McClelland won the heat race.
John Mitchell had the pole for the Street Stock feature but it was Kelly Barber who took the lead on the green. Jason Garver tried but could not pass Barber as he held tight on the point. Barber takes the checkered followed by Jeff Prescott, Jason Garver, John Mitchell and Dennis Nixon. Jason Garver won the heat race.
Caleb Mahler had the pole for the Pure Stock feature but it was John Roling who took the point on the second lap. Following Roling was Josh Bedenbaugh, Marty Wood, Caleb Mahler, and Frank Fegel. Wood takes over second and aims for Roling and the lead. Wood is finally able to make his move and take the lead and the checkered over John Roling, Josh Bedenbaugh, Caleb Mahler, and Adam Hitt. Marty Wood took the heat win.
Only three Hornets were in the field for their feature race but they put on a very nice show. Harold Hansard had the pole and took the lead over Marvin Blankenship and Buck Hedman. Hansard lost the lead when he took a short trip off the turn 4 track and into the grass but continued on after re-entering the track. This gave the lead to Hedman who went on and took the checkered followed by Marvin Blankenship and Harold Hansard. Marvin Blankenship took the heat win.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
COLUMBIA MOTORSPORTS PARK - SEPTEMBER 18, 2004
Florida Mini Stock Challenge - 50 Laps
1. #7 Clint Foley, Dunnellon
2. #8 Robbie Yoakam, Hernando
3. #51 Dustin Deschamps, Tampa
4. #9 Robbie Storer, Zephyrhills
5. #70 Marty Neikens, Clearwater
6. #88 Ronnie Larson, Clearwater
7. #71 Dave Moskwa, North Ft. Myers
8. #41 Mark Moniz, Land O'Lakes
9. #40 Dennis Valdez, Tampa
10. #112 Justin Edwards, Ft. Valley, GA.
11. #69 Jay Zolciak, Pinellas Park
12. #03 Raymond Folwell, St. Petersburg
13. #48 Roger Wright, Pinellas Park
14. #13 Whitnee Shaffer, Valrico
15. #73 Darren Jackson, Lakeland
16. #Chris Thornton, Clearwater
17. #8x Ronnie Hicks, Trenton
SUPER LATE MODELS
1. #57 Doyle Boatwright
2. #8 Tal Etheridge
3. #16 David Hodges
4. #11 David Rogers
5. #9R Patrick Conrad
6. #77 Patrick Williams
7. #65 Shane Nichols
8. #88P David Pollen, Jr.
9. #29 Jason Davis
10. #17 Aaron Dreher
11. #02 Gig Smith
12. #53 Al Berry
13. #4 Rick Bates
14. #88 Jimmy Andrews
15. #38 KIevin Dicks
16. #1 Fain Skinner
17. #19 Dennis Nixon
18. #92 Mike Franklin
19. #25 Ray Wheeler
20. #87 Gale Grayer
21. #29 Billy Dean
22. #41 Scott Bramlett DNS
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED
1. #01 J. F. McClelland
2. #56 Dave Barber
3. #14 Len Stapleton
4. #2 John Mitchell
5. #85 Wayne Parker
6. #06 Greg Nordstrom
7. #04 Rick McManaway
STREET STOCKS
1. #15 Kelly Barber
2. #07 Jeff Prescott
3. #27 Jason Garver
4. #17 John Mitchell
5. #31 Dennis Nixon
6. #20 Ronnie Crawford
7. #21 David Hart
8. #77 Brad Fiene
PURE STOCK
1. #13 Marty Wood
2. #18 John Roling
3. #82 Josh Bedenbaugh
4. #51 Caleb Mahler
5. #41 Adam Hitt
6. #32 Frank Fegel
7. #27 Andy Wren
HORNETS
1. #1 Buck Hedman
2. #16 Marvin Blankenship
3. #6 Harold Hansard
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