Bradenton,Fla.(4/8) The weather turned cool Saturday night and Billy Bigley jr current Slim Jim Late Model Points Leader in the #34 kept his "cool" leading from green to checkers in the Limited Late Model 50 lapper on the high banks of DeSoto Speedway.........

#01 Jeff Wogoman was fast qualifier but Bigley drew the number one pill giving him the pole position. When the green flag dropped the #61 Richard Kelley had some sort of a mechanical problem and was slow to start causing a pile up behind him with no major damage to anyone except Kelley who had to retire on the first lap of competition. The green dropped again and Bigley jumped to a two car length lead over the #1x of David Logan who had #79 Clint Slaggy and Wogoman battling hard behind him. Wogomans bad luck at DeSoto continued though as he tapped Slaggy who spun send Wogoman to the rear and later he would crash ending his night early again. Meanwhile Sonny "Gumby" Hughes #45 was showing his knowledge of the "South's Fastest Short Track"
maneuvering his way through the field using the bump draft on the #77 Tony Amico and taking the fourth spot and moving up to battle Slaggy for the third position. Another caution was brought out when the #37 John Shields exploded in a ball of flames spreading oil on the track but was quickly extinguished by track personnel. On the restart it was the cagey veteran Bigly jumping out to a big lead over Logan who had a mirror full of Hughes who was driving the wheels off the #45 finally getting by and setting his sites on the leader but Bigley held him off for a big return win to DeSoto Speedway followed by last LLM feature winner Hughes second, #1x David Logan third, Clint Slaggy fourth in the #79, #32 Tim Laurent taking the fifth spot..

Rocco Ranallo #67 jumped out to the early lead in the Open Wheel Modified feature race but after some bumping and grinding and a trip to the pits with a start from the rear it was the "Rocket" Teddy Nelson #17 charging to the front and taking his fourth feature win in a row holding off a fast John Grimm in the #72, Ronnie Skipper pulled double duty in the #32 finishing third and also running in LLM race, #67 Ranallo held on for fourth, and in fifth pole sitter #4 Billy Boyd.

Sportsman Feature winner was the familiar #41 of Gus Coorssen, Second place went to George Shaver #18, #21 James Carter ended up third, James Carter in the #86 fourth and rounding out the top five was Joe Shaver #11.

#00 Casey Hall held on to lead and took the win in the Street Stocks, after a hard Dennis Wilson jr #42 the points leader was second, third place went to #5 Dan "the Rock" Reigle, Ron Hurst #59x fourth, Joey Barnes fifth in the #19.* note: #95 Chet Roberts who crossed the line in third was DQ'ed by head starter Tony Hill*

A great charge through the field brought a hard earned victory to the #73 Shawn Williams in the Mod-Mini feature, #8 Kenny Hankins in his VW "Monte Rocco" brought home the second place trophy, another good finish was logged by the #3 of Matt Watts in third, #31 Greg Luecke fourth and fifth #23 Don Kiethley.

DeSoto continues to draw some up the top LLM and PLM drivers from all over the state making for some good Late Model action.....from Bradenton....Rick Anges


LIMITED LATE MODELS
1. #34 BILLY BIGLEY JR., NAPLES
2. #45 SONNY HUGHES, BRADENTON
3. #1 DAVID LOGAN, JUPITER
4. #79 CLINT SLAGGY, BRADENTON
5. #32 TIM LAURENT, SANFORD
6. #22 LARRY OSTEEN, CLERMONT
7. #17 JASON CROSLEY,
8. #77 TONY AMICO, CLEARWATER
9. #36 TOMMY YOUNKMAN, SARASOTA
10. #47 CHRIS FONTAINE,

OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED
1. #17 TEDDY NELSON, PINELLAS PARK
2. #72 JOHN GRIMM, SEFFNER
3. #32 RONNIE SKIPPER, LAKELAND
4. #67 ROCCO RANNALLO, BRADENTON
5. #4 BILLY BOYD, RIVERVIEW
6. #52 STEVE HAUSER JR, PARRISH
7. #9X BRENT LOUISO,
8. #15 BILL DAVIS, WAUCHULA
9. #26 RICHIE CORR,
10. #2 JEFF GIRARD, SARASOTA

SPORTSMAN
1. #41 GUS COORSSEN, SARASOTA
2. #18 GEORGE SHAVER, ARCADIA
3. #21 JAMES CARTER, BRADENTON
4. #86 JEFF ANDERSON, BRADENTON
5. #11 JOE SHAVER, ARCADIA
6. #03 BARRY CARLSON, LARGO

STREET STOCK
1. #00 CASEY HALL, TAMPA
2. #42 DENNIS WILSON JR, BRADENTON
3. #5 DALE REIGLE, SARASOTA
4. #59X RON HURST, SARASOTA
5. #19 JOEY BARNES, BRADENTON
6. #77 SCOTT WOODLAND, BRADENTON
7. #65 MIKE JOHNSON, SARASOTA
8. #2 DAVID DICK, PARRISH
9. #9 BEN KELLY, NORTH PORT
10. #8 SUE PURINGTON, NOKOMIS

MODIFIED MINI
1. #73 SHAWN WILLIAMS, KATHLEEN, FL
2. #9 KENNY HANKINS, LAKELAND
3. #3 MATT WATTS, DADE CITY
4. #31 GREG LUECKE, ST PETERSBURG
5. #23 DON KEITHLEY, OVIEDO
6. #98 MIKE MITRISIN, BROOKSVILLE
7. #63 ANDY WHITTED, SARASOTA
8. #7 STEVE MARTIN, PINELLAS PARK
9. #17 JOHN COHEE, ST PETERSBURG
10. #O3 JOHEL CHAVES, FT MEADE





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