Starting eighth in a field of 24, StreetStock point leader Wes Wilson was on a mission and managed to pull off his 4th feature win and put a lock on the three in a row bonus, becoming the second racer to do that at Citrus County Speedway this season. He comes out of the 8th race of the year batting 500 and it looks like the Wilson crew is setting the pace for the point’s championship in 2000.Harley Wilson Sr. dominated the 20-lap event from the green flag while Wes moved through traffic to overtake him in lap 18. When the checkers flew Wes pocketed the win and bonus purse leaving his dad to finish second ahead of Victor Stanley, brother Sport Wilson and Don Teague.

“Doc” James Batson and Defending Champion Dan Johnson took the start from the rear challenge in the “Pepsi Big Purse Challenge” looking topocket the $2,300 win money but it wasn’t meant to happen. Mike Bresnahan who tried that and failed last week had other ideas getting athird starting position and slipping to the point early to log his 3rd win of the season and putting some more cushion in his point lead. Last week’s winner, Fred Stoner, chased Bresnahan all the way to the checkers while “Doc” Batson managed to move through traffic to nail down a respectable 3rd place finish. Al Lawrence managed to pick up fourth in a borrowed ride and Brad Atkins held out for his best finish of the year in fifth. A post race announcement added another $500 bonus money to the “start from the rear challenge” for Late Models and boosting the overall payoutto $1,500 and a total win purse of $2,800 in a sponsored race. Rick Suggs from Precision Machined Engines of Inverness made the announcementafter the Late Model feature Saturday night. Only two drivers will get that opportunity if less than 20 cars make the field. Four drivers will be able to sign up if the field grows to more than 20 starters. Late Models will have the night off next Saturday while the Southern ProTrucks return to their home track for their second appearance of the 2000 season.

Travis Nichols logged his first feature win in a wire-to-wire run over the 15-car Limited Sportsman field. Bill Oestreicher, David Dollar,Benny Stevenson and Jim Smith finished in his tire tracks in the nose totail 20-lap main event. Stevenson and Rex Struble picked up the heatwins. Rick Coleman see-sawed from second to fourth to first for his firstMini Stock win of the season. Mark Sowell and point leader George Neumann put the pressure on all the way and had to settle for a second and third place finish. Russ Schlenker out dueled Kevin Harrod in the race for fourth. Neumann and Sowell took the heat wins.

Twenty-three cars took the green for the Hobby Stock feature and J.D.Goff made it two in a row and will be going for the three in a row bonusnext week. Mike Ruff started 20th and managed to come through the field to finish second in the shortened race that saw 6 caution flags. Bob Wood held out for third off the pole and Shaun Whitman and Jimmy Peters survived the mayhem for fourth and fifth place finishes. Chris Hooker,Roy Perkins and Richie Smith picked up the heat wins.

Gary Swing continued his dominance in the Figure 8 action over 11 starters, picking up his third win out four races this season. Defending champion Robert Aaron is giving him a run for the crown with a second place finish and trails by just four points. T.J. Sharrone, Peanut Higgenbotham, Phillip Rook and Larry Harris finished in that order.Early leader Ken Crews blew a tire in lap two and finished way out of the running, 14 laps down. Al Barber was unable to make the start due to a blown engine in warm ups.Wrapping up the night Henry Grant out ran a 24 a street legal Junker field for his first win of the season.

Saturday night will see the Southern Pro Trucks returning to headline arace card that will include the Limited Sportsman, Street Stocks, MiniStocks, Hobby Stocks and the Street Legal Junkers. It was also announcedthat the “Fan Participation Races” will return to Citrus County Speedwayin three weeks so Mom and Dad need to get the family grocery gettertuned up for competition.







Citrus County Speedway Results 05/06/00
Late Model Feture ­ 30 Laps ­ 14 Cars
1. #31 Mike Bresnahan Lecanto
2. # 7 Fred Stoner Hernando
3. #3X “Doc” James Batson Inverness
4. #45X Al Lawrence Spring Hill
5. #25 Brad Atkins Inverness
1st Heat Winner - #27 Robert Elting ­ Wesley Chapel
2nd Heat Winner - #45X Al Lawrence ­ Spring Hill
Limited Sportsman Feature ­ 20 Laps ­ 15 Cars
1. #39 Travis Nichols Inverness
2. # 5 Bill Oestreicher Ridge Manor
3. #04 David Dollar Hernando
4. # 2 Benny Stevenson Bushnell
5. #32 Jim Smith Inverness
1st Heat Winner - #2 Benny Stevenson ­ Bushnell
2nd Heat Winner - #69 Rex Struble ­ Homosassa
Street Stock Feature ­ 20 Laps ­ 24 Cars
1. #20 Wes Wilson Floral City
2. #85 Harley Wilson Floral City
3. #26 Victor Stanley Brooksville
4. #94 Sport Wilson Floral City
5. #2x Don Teague Lecanto
1st Heat Winner - #85 Harley Wilson Sr. ­ Floral City
2nd Heat Winner - #26 Victor Stanley ­ Brooksville
3rd Heat Winner - #28 Wayne Lewis ­ Inverness
Mini Stock Feature Winner ­ 20 Laps ­ 15 Cars
1. #20 Rick Coleman Brooksville
2. # 5 Mark Sowell Hernando
3. # 1 George Neumann Inverness
4. #43 Russ Schlenker Floral City
5. #34 Kevin Harrod Bushnell
1st Heat Winner - # 1 George Neumann ­ Inverness
2nd Heat Winner - # 5 Mark Sowell ­ Hernando
Hobby Stock Feature - Reduced to 10 Laps ­ 23 Cars
1. #14 J.D. Goff Brooksville
2. #23 Mike Ruff Homosassa
3. #19 Bob Wood Brooksville
4. # 8 Shaun Whitman Inverness
5. #27 Jimmy Peters Floral City
1st Heat Winner - #24 Chris Hooker ­ Floral City
2nd Heat Winner - #07 Roy Perkins ­ Inverness
3rd Heat Winner - #42 Richie Smith ­ Hernando
Figure 8 Feature ­ 20 Laps ­ 11 Cars
1. #22 Gary Swing Floral City
2. # 6 Robert Aaron Brooksville
3. #27 T.J. Sharrone Floral City
4. # 5 Peanut Higgenbotham Floral City
5. #17 Phillip Rook Inverness
Street Legal Junkers Winner - #71 Henry Grant

by Larry MacMillan


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