| Jamie Skinner tops Goodyear Challenge Late Model 100 at New Smyrna Speedway | by Jane Smith
 Samsula, Fla. (September 16, 2006) Not one dark cloud nor a full moon stopped the Goodyear Challenge Late Model 100 at New Smyrna Speedway. Eighteen of the finest Late Models took qualifying time with A.J. Curreli of Daytona Beach topping the chart.
However, A.J. is not very good at pulling for the inversion and pulled the 7 putting Jonny Kay of Deerfield Beach on the pole with Charle Kopach of Clermont on the outside pole.
After an on-track autograph session for the fans, it was time to introduce the drivers to the fans. Drivers were belted in, window nets put up and it was time to go racing.
As the green flag flew, Kay and Kopach were side-by-side for the lead. Kay eventually took the point with Kopach in second. Coming down the frontstretch on lap 2, Kopach seemed to go high going into one and hit the turn 1 wall. Kopach was fine, can't say the same for the car. It was very close racing and hard to tell if Kay and Kopach had touched causing the spin but Kay was put to the rear and Kopach was towed in.
"I honestly did not think that I hit him," said Kay. "It was tight and everyone does make mistakes and we all do that but I honestly did not feel the call was right."
With Kay sent to the back, it was now Dustin Deschamps in the lead on the green followed by Jamie Skinner, Sam Watts, A.J. Curreli and Rich Clouser. Skinner, who is use to driving a FASCAR Pro Truck, took to the Late Model right away and slowly worked his way behind Deschamps to challenge for the lead. By lap 11, Skinner made his move and took over the number one spot with Sam Watts following on Skinner's tail for second as Deschamps settled into third.
Watts has a very strong car and challenges Skinner but Skinner holds strong and retains the point. Troy Hall brings out the caution on lap 30 as he slows going down the frontstretch. Hall pits very fast and returns to the race on lap 31. The race goes back green on lap 28 as Skinner leads the way over Sam Watts, A.J. Curreli, Rich Clouser and Dustin Deschamps who finds his hands full of a very hard charging Travis Cope.
Chuck Abell of Apopka brings out the yellow on lap 32 as he spins going down the frontstretch but is able to continue. The race goes back green as Skinner leads the way over Watts, Curreli, Cope and Clouser. But it is a short green as Jonny Kay, who worked his way back from the rear into the top 10, spun high in turn 4 and makes a quick pit stop and returns to the rear of the field.
At this point, Brad May, who started from the very rear of the field, has worked his way to eighth. The green goes back out as Skinner gets another good restart over Watts. Kay takes his car back in on lap 45 and retires for the night. Cope finds his hands full of Clouser on lap 46 for fourth and by lap 47, Clouser has taken the fourth place spot.
Jeremy Colangelo brings out the next yellow on lap 72 as he spins off turn 4. The race goes back green on lap 75 but it is a very short green as Deschamps and Cope get together with Deschamps spinning high in turns 1 and 2. Both Cope and Deschanmps are sent to the rear for the restart. But another short green as Sam Watts and A.J. Curreli are doing some very hard side-by-side action with Watts spinning on lap 77. Watts is now sent to the rear for the restart.
On the restart it is Skinner, Curreli, Clouser, Justin Larson and yes, the last place starter Brad May in fifth. Lap 84 sees Watts retire from the race after running second for most of the night. As the field goes by under caution, a strange sight is seen as Mike Franklin no longer has a passenger side door however Joe Winchell now has a new design on his car which is Franklin's door. Franklin is more than happy with his new a/c in his car.
The last caution of the race comes on lap 88 for debris on the track. Now it is time to rock and roll as Skinner leads the way over Larson, Franklin, Clouser and May. As Curreli comes by, his hood is flying in the wind and after setting fast time and running a very solid race, Curreli retires to the pits on lap 94.
Skinner takes the checkered and wins his first Goodyear Challenge Late Model race over Justin Larson, Mike Franklin, Rich Clouser, and Brad May. With his fourth place finish, Clouser retains the points lead going into the final race on November 3rd at Orlando SpeedWorld.
A Few Footnotes from the race:
Charles Kopach got into the marbles during hot laps and hit the turn 4 wall. Rick Newton, owner of the 53 car, and his crew worked hard with the help of Alan Curreli and got that car back into shape for the race. A really nice job and evidentally it worked pretty good as Kopach qualified seventh for the race.
Joe Winchell did not drive his well known 57 but the 31x which was Greg Kaouk's back-up car. A true show of how drivers actually do work together and help each other.
OFFICIAL RESULTS NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY, SEPTEMBER 16
GOODYEAR CHALLENGE LATE MODEL 100
1. #26X Jamie Skinner, Daytona Beach
2. #88 Justin Larson, Safety Harbor
3. #12 Mike Franklin, High Springs
4. #9 Rich Clouser, Palm Bay
5. #10 Brad May, Orlando
6. #31x Joe Winchell, Oriedo
7. #31 Greg Kaouk, Davie
8. #05 Jeremy Colangelo, Penbroke Pines
9. #51 Dustin Deschamps, Brooksville
10. #26 Travis Cope, Bronson
11. #32 Bryan Silas, Stuart
12. #99 Dean Ferri, Deerfield
13. #19 Chuck Abell, Apopka
14. #30 Troy Hall, Coral Springs
15. #2 A.J. Curreli, Daytona Beach
16. #73 Sam Watts, Winter Springs
17. #48 Jonny Kay, Deerfield Beach
18. #53 Charles Kopach, Clermont
FAST QUALIFIER: A.J. Curreli
TOP ROOKIE: Justin Larson
HARD CHARGER: Brad May
HARD LUCK;; Charles Kopach
Have an opinion on
this story? Post a message on
our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!
|
