| Mike Fritts Dominates Florida Governors Cup | UPDATED WITH OFFICIAL FINISHING ORDER
Full house and full field make 40th Cup race a huge success
By Jack Smith
(L To R) Bill Posey, Tom Gallagher, Mike Fritts, Robert Hart, Andrew Hart
Mike Fritts of Debary won the pole for the 40th Annual Governors Cup 200 and led over half the laps en route to his second win in Florida's biggest asphalt race in front of a packed house at New Smyrna Speedway.
Florida's Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, State Senator Bill Posey and other dignitaries joined FASCAR owner Robert Hart in welcoming the drivers and their teams in pre-race ceremonies. Posey read a letter to the fans from Governor Jeb Bush which in part said, "I am sure Tom Gallagher will leave the track tonight with an even greater understanding and appreciation of Florida's stock car racing community, as I did." Posey indicated to us after the race that that indeed was the case.
The race was exciting from the first lap to the last, and was made even more electric with the $20,000 in sponsor money which paid $100 per lap to the driver in the lead. Though the official results have not been tallied at the time of this article, Mike Fritts earned around $7000 before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke from a spin involving himself and Jeff Choquette, the youngster from West Palm who won last year's Cup race. That incident shuffled the field for a bit but Fritts eventually came back to secure the victory by leading the last 50 laps or so.
Another former Governors Cup winner, Wayne Anderson of Wildwood, chased down Fritts in the closing laps and said afterwards, "If there were three more laps it would have been real interesting".
A one hour and fifteen minute rain delay with 46 laps left did not dampen the spirits of the several thousand race fans, as very few fans left early.
Jeff Scofield, Jason Boyd and David Rogers rounded out the unofficial top five.
Full results and race reports, video and photos from the race, and also the Mini Stock Challenge Series 100 Sunday on KARNAC.com.
RELATED ARTICLES:Mike Fritts Claims Second Florida Governors Cup....By John Berti
1. #27 Mike Fritts, Debary
2. #84 Wayne Anderson, Wildwood
3. #07 Jeff Scofield, Plant City
4. #92 Jason Boyd, Orlando
5. #11 David Rogers, Orlando
6. #7 Daryl Shelnut, Ft. Lauderdale
7. #0 Rich Pratt, Anthony
8. #75 Martin Pierce, Sanford
9. #86 Chet Morrison, Huma, GA.
10. #1 Fain Skinner, Live Oaks
11. #74j Jay Middleton, Lake City
12. #80 Brian Finney, Merritt Island
13. #61 Jimmy Cope, St. Petersburg
14. #59 Mario Gosselin, Lake Wales
15. #78 B.J. McLeod, Walchula
16. #70x James Glover, Pinellas Park
17. #83 Lee Collins, Felda
18. #20 Ron Dicandio, Canaveral Groves
19. #57 James Powell, Astor
20. #47 Chris Fontaine, Lakeland
21. #12 Justin Drawdy, Ft. Pierce
22. #70 Jeff Choquette, West Palm Beach
23. #10 Ryan Foster, Lowell, Arkansas
24. #00 Robert Yoho, Pinellas Park
25. #55 Scott Walters, Naples
26. #2 Patrick Conrad, Clermont
27. #62 Travis Wilson, Bartow
28. #6 Mac Johnson, Gainesville
29. #5k Daniel Keene Jr., Land O'Lakes
30. #05 Dalton Zehr, Daytona Beach
31. #25 Tim Nicholas, Melbourne
32. #53 Al Berry, Branford
33. #94 Wayne Jefferson, St. Petersburg
34. #20 Scott Milar, Ocala DNS
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