| Blake Lehr Gets Super Late Model Win at Speedworld | By Dave Westerman
 Mother Nature tried to spoil things Friday afternoon at Orlando Speedworld as a pesky weather system coming in off the Atlantic Ocean brought rain showers to the track, but by race time the skies had cleared and a healthy field a racers was ready to do battle in FASCAR sanctioned action.
The Super Late Model 25 lap feature was dominated by young Blake Lehr as he put his Orlando Predators sponsored machine out front at the drop of the green and never looked back in scoring his first career Super Late Model win.
Heat race winner Jared Allison chased Lehr the entire distance as the race ran green to checker without a caution. David Pollen, Jr. crossed the stripe in third ahead of Rick Bates and Joe Piazza. Rounding out the finishers were Mark Emberson, Gary Bierlein, Mark Dienhouse and Perry Lovelady.
 SHORT
TRACK AMERICA AUDIO: RECENT INTERVIEW WITH BLAKE LEHR(15 min)
Defending Modified champion Alan Bruns got his first win of 2007 leading flag to flag with only a lap 11 caution for Jimmy Wilkins' spin slowing his pace.
Shane Held stayed within striking distance but had to settle for second. Gary Fountain, Sr. had another impressive run coming home third with veteran Doc McKinney fourth and Mark Emberson fifth. Completing the finishers were Randy Froelich, Wilkins and Scott Bramlett.
Carnage was the word in the Sportsman feature as barely half the field could make it past lap five.
Henry Shepherd grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and that was the place to be as the sheet metal started to fly behind him. Derrick Wood and Andy Nicholls got things started off on lap five by tangling in turn three earning both a trip to the back of the field.
On the restart it was Earl Beckner and John Castro getting together on the back stretch with Beckner hitting the wall ending his bid for three straight wins while Castro was able to continue.
On the following restart, second running Matt Towell spun in turn three sending the rest of the field scattering. Eddie Thornton spun to miss Towell and was hit broadside by Nicholls who in turn was hit hard by Castro. Only Thornton was able to continue.
With many of his challengers now by the wayside, Shepherd sped off to an easy win while Barbara Pierce took the second spot in her new car which she says is still not to her liking. Wood came back for third, the rookie's third straight top three finish. Jack Lenzen and Kyle Alford rounded out the top five with Thornton, Whitney Poole, and Richard Hight the only cars still running at the end. Towell and Castro were credited with ninth and tenth ahead of Timmy Todd, Jr., Beckner, Nicholls and Kerry Belflower while first heat winner Brandon Thomson did not start the feature. Towell won the second Sportsman heat.
After two attempts to get the race under way it was Pedie Allison making it three straight wins in three races in the Mini Stocks taking the lead from Kelly Jarrett on lap three and setting the pace the remaining distance.
R.J. Arnone took third spot ahead of Richie Laszlo and Josh Hermann. Rounding out the finishers were Bob Kelchner, Mickey Wright, Justin Curtis and Matt Sprenkel. Jarrett won the heat race.
Lee Wagner ended James Frisbie's two race win streak in the Super Stocks taking the lead from Roger Benton on lap nine and holding off Frisbie for the victory.
Frisbie's car had been damaged in and early-race altercation but it made little difference as the popular driver's car was still plenty fast but not quite quick enough to get by Wagner. Benton came home third trailed by Vince Keeler and Ron McCreary. Completing the top ten were Bobby Riley, Bobby Simcox, Matt Jarrett, Ray Mullis and Hoot Flynn. Super Stock heats were won by Benton and Frisbie.
The Action Gator Tire Strictly Stocks saw a host of "fan" sponsors come on board to help put up a good amount of cash for the class including Indian River Sportsman Gun & Hunting Shop of Titusville, Brevard Rigging & Tractor Supply of Cocoa, Sutter Irrigation of Lake Mary, Custom Wholesale Floors of Orlando, Santa Claus, Palm Tree Computer Systems of Oviedo and Road End Shooting Club of Davenport.
Young Jessie Cuddy grabbed her first ever Strictly Stock win in the first heat race and got around early leader Steven Streight to build up a good lead in the feature until she was forced in the wall by a lapped car.
Cuddy's machine was never the same after that as second heat winner Todd McCreary took the lead late in the contest and he held off Streight and David Leeper II for the win. Rob Reynolds was fourth over William Hindman with Cuddy hanging on for sixth ahead of Glen Rhodes, Gary Thomas, Tom Stewart and Jimmy Scripter.
The Palm Tree Computer Systems/BCS Welding and Fabrication/Orlando Grafix Junior Stocks were on the card for the first time this year and the 8-11 year old class saw their race end prematurely after Michael Held hit the wall hard on the front stretch. After a quick visit by mom and dad, Michael emerged from the car a bit more upset than hurt.
Wes Railing, Jr. ended up with the 8-11 year old win over Jeff Cuddy, Luke Gaier and Held. Meanwhile, Austin Carr led all the way to take the 12-15 year old win in his Jim Jones Photography sponsored Mustang taking the win over Justin Curtis, Tim Burr, Cory Gowin, and Jason Rosarius. Both feature winners also won their respective heat races.
Next week, the FASCAR Florida Mini Stock Challenge Series and Southern Sportsman Series cars make their first visit of 2007 along with the regular racing program.
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