IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

November 12, 2008 "King Kong" Korte Climbs to Eastbay UDLMCS Finale Win, "The Locomotive" Johnny Collins Locks-Up 2008 Championship By Rick Anges Gibsonton, Fl. Just as the season begun back February at Ocala forty-six Late Models lined the pits of Eastbay Raceway Park for the final race of 2008 United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series. With just 100 points separating first place Johnny Collins and second place Mark Whitener every step of the nights racing from qualifying all the way to the feature would be critical. Also on hand was the National Late Model series, which also had their own point’s battle going on with Whitener and Brandon Cameron. The series still has two races remaining on the schedule. This would be the second race where the series combined forces in 2008. Darrell Padgett, Patrick Williams and Clay Bedenbaugh were also involved in the “Non-Members” Championship. Something that Ken Kinney had put together for racers who had not joined but supported the series throughout the season. Josh Peacock with his win at Eastbay back in September and a seventh place finish at New Hendry County had locked up the 2008 Pace American UDLMS “Rookie of the Year” run. All Steel Buildings out of Gibsonton put up an extra $200 for the fifth place finisher in the A-Main. “The top guys get their share we just wanted to help out one of the other drivers,” said a reprsenetive of the company. This has been the way all season at almost all the tracks the series has visited. The excitement it has brought has had local businesses and people adding to the purses with cash and products to be part of the racing. “The Catfish” Keith Nosbisch was looking to take back to back Zeigler Racing Engines Fast Qualifier awards but it was the “Tallahassee Terror” Tyler Ivey who would scoop up the award with his quick lap around “The Clay by the Bay”. Forty-six cars were put into five heat races to decide the first fifteen starting spots in the $5,000 to win sixty-lap A-Main. The top three from each heat would move on. Heat One would see “the Dough Boy” Patrick Williams in the familiar number 38 formerly of Scott Thompson taking the win. Marshall Austin would take the second spot and third going to Darrell Padgett. Heat Two win would go to the visiting driver out of Illinois Randy “King Kong” Korte. “The Gambler” Russell Brown Jr. crossed the stripe in second, third place was another northern racer making the trip down south Ryan Bernhardt. Heat Three was won by Adam Bedenbaugh, Keith Nosbisch rolled across in second and the points leader Johnny Collins would make the trip to the A-Main with a third place finish. Heat Four had “Showtime” Shan Smith seeing the checkers first. Smith came into the race tied with Nosbisch for third in the point’s race. Rookie of the Year Josh Peacock was in the second position and third was Phillip Cobb who moved into former ride of Roger Crouse. Heat five had Golden Isles winner and fast qualifier Tyler Ivey taking the final heat checker of the evening, Clay Bedenbaugh second and third Carlton Jackson. Heat Results: Heat 1: 1. 38 Patrick Williams 2. 42 Marshall Austin Jr 3. 46B Darrell Padgett 4. 33 Jeff Mathews 5. 07 David Clegg 6. 00 Rich Pratt 7. 9 Jimmy Waldrop 8. 41 Travis Varnadore 9. 45 Michael Cherry 10. 22 Sheryl Cochran Heat 2: 1. 78 Randy Korte 2. 00B Russell Brown, Jr. 3. B69 Ryan Bernhardt 4. 007 J.R. Prather 5. 5 Frank Erskine 6. 2 Paul Gibbs 8. 24 Dennis Williams 9. 444 Ted Erskine Heat 3: 1. 26B Adam Bedenbaugh 2. 101 Keith Nosbisch 3. 5 Johnny Collins 4. C2 Cale Simons 5. 41K John Kellum 6. 70 Jeff Choquette 7. 23 Lawton Minchew 8. 81 David Whitener 9. 00 Billy Costello Heat 4: 1. 17ss Shan Smith 2. 21P Josh Peacock 3. 32 Phillip Cobb 4. 12 Jack Nosbisch 5. P1 Wallace Peacock 6. 97 Justin Choquette 7. J17 Joe Kump 8. J1 Jay Johnson 9. 12D Chuck Julian Heat 5: 1. 47 Tyler Ivey 2. 6 Clay Bedenbaugh 3. 37 Carlton Jackson 4. 11 Doug Horton 5. 5W Mark Whitener 6. 33C Roger Crouse 7. 71A Bo Allen 8. 16 Trevor Merrell 9. 22B Brandon Cameron Thirty-one cars were still on the outside looking in after the completion of the Heats. Two cars from each of the B-Mains and three provisional’s would put the final cars on the front stretch for the 60lap A-main. Two top drivers of the series had to race their way into the feature through the first B-main. Jackie Nosbisch who led the majority of laps in the last race for the series at Eastbay took the win with Mark Whitener sitting in second UDLMCS and leading the NLMS points race in second. “The Sod Father” David Clegg won B-main number two with Wallace Peacock moving on with his second place finish. The third and final B-Main winner was Doug Horton in a Nosbisch prepared ride and Bo Allen in second. The provisional spots went to Roger Crouse, Travis Varnadore and Brandon Cameron. B-Mains Results: B-Main 1: (top 5) 1. 12 Jack Nosbisch 2. 5W Mark Whitener 3. 33 Jeff Mathews 4. 24 Dennis Williams 5. J17 Joe Kump B-Main 2:(top 5) 1. 07 David Clegg 2. P1 Wallace Peacock 3. C2 Cale Simons 4. 41 Travis Varnadore 5. 5 Frank Erskine B-Main 3: (top 5) 1. 11 Doug Horton 2. 71A Bo Allen 3. 81 David Whitener 4. 2 Paul Gibbs 5. 45 Michael Cherry In the 60 lap feature Keith Nosbisch jumped out front in the early going and looked like it was his night pulling away from the field on every re-start. Randy Korte and Marshall Austin Jr battled much of the race for the second spot, several times going door to door several laps at a time. "Showtime" Shan Smith electing to start in the rear for a shot at the $3000 bonus money, was into the top ten by lap 15. as the race approached the 50 lap mark Shan Smith was in fourth place trying to get by Austin. With Korte and Austin battling for 2nd and Russell Brown in the #00 and the 17ss of Shan Smith right behind them, Nosbisch began to have problems. Korte took control with ten laps left and moved away from Austin with #11 Doug Horton making a late race charge into third. Johnny Collins rode his 5th place run to the 2008 UDLMCS Championship, with Mark Whitener (8th place) taking the runner-up spot in the final standings. Official Finish: FINISH-START-#-DRIVER 1. 2 78 Randy Korte 2. 5 42 Marshall Austin Jr 3. 16 11 Doug Horton 4. 24 17ss Shan Smith (Hard Charger) 5. 12 5C Johnny Collins 6. 6 00B Russell Brown Jr 7. 7 101 Keith Nosbisch 8. 18 5W Mark Whitener 9. 9 6 Clay Bedenbaugh 10. 3 47 Tyler Ivey (Fast Qualifier) 11. 23 22B Brandon Cameron 12. 1 38 Patrick Williams 13. 20 P1 Wallace Peacock 14. 22 41 Travis Varnadore 15. 13 32 Phillip Cobb 16. 10 46B Darrell Padgett 17. 8 21P Josh Peacock 18. 19 71A Bo Allen 19. 14 37 Carlton Jackson 20. 4 26B Adam Bedenbaugh 21. 11 B69 Ryan Bernhardt 22. 15 12 Jack Nosbisch 23. 17 07 David Clegg 24. 21 33C Roger Crouse Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on The Real Racin USA Florida Fan Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!