The new millennium presented a brand new beginning for Citrus County Speedway as they entered their 44th year of operation at the quarter mile. For openers, the second annual Hangover 200 for enduro cars and the purse was $10,000 for the winner. The inducement brought 47 registered cars and 43 took the green at 2:00 PM Sunday.

Former Sportsman champion and Late Model hot shoe, Herb Neumann Jr. started 5th and only took three laps to take the point. Having a lot of experience in heavy traffic at Citrus, Neumann proceeded to drive a smart race that kept him in the lead despite major traffic jams of slower cars and four red flags. He weaved in and out of the slower traffic, lapping car after car on each lap. Some of the quicker cars raced right with him to stay in the lead lap but Neumann played it cool and lead the race for 197 of the 200 hundred laps and was the only car to finish in the lead lap.

Keith Philman locked on to Neumann in the early laps, but got hooked up with some of the slower traffic losing his second place run and eventually as far back as fifth. Mike Gamache was the hard charger of the race, making a pass on Neumann in lap 175, down the back straight. It put him in the lead for about ten seconds, but he looped it in turn three just after taking the lead, backing into the dirt embankment in the infield. Gamache was able to get it corrected and held on to his second position just behind Neumann at the checkered flag.

Neumann won the race but lost the war in technical inspection, wearing over sized rims. Had the race gone another 10 laps, a cut tire would have certainly taken him out of the winner's circle. Mike Gamache wound up in second, one lap down and was also called for oversized rims in tech inspection which left third running Keith Philman in tech undergoing a four hour tear down that found him with an illegal cam shaft.

Robert Ray had to leave the race before the mid-point with a shredded tire that took four laps under green to change. He came back into the race and made up one lap before the checkered flag flew, finishing in fourth, three laps down. For the second year in a row, Ray came in to the finish three laps down and took home the $10,000 win purse. His wife, Kathy Ray, was four laps down and 8th at the checkered flag but made it through tech over the other 3 cars that finished in front of her to take home second money, $500. The 9th running car, Tuck Trentham picked up $250 for taking third.

Other top ten finishers in the 18 cars that were still running that didn't make it through tech were Arnold Hughes Jr., 5th, John Mamph 6th, Terry Lansing 7th and Fred Nicatra 10th.

Next race at Citrus County Speedway will be a Speedweeks special for the INEX Legend Winter Nationals. Over 175 Legend cars in three divisions will be traveling to the speedway from all over the country and Canada. It all kicks off on Monday, February 14th and continues through Friday, February 18th, for the one week of competition.

The 44th regular racing season will open under the new promoters, Billy Hooker and Steve Zeibarth and General Manager Bob Eldredge on Saturday, February 26th with 6 regualr divisions of racecars taking to the quarter mile and many specials planned for the 2000 season.

-Larry MacMillan
Citrus County Speedway -PR



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