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| "The King" Shows The Way At DeSoto | Dickie Anderson "The King" of Florida short tracks was on fire Saturday night as he blistered the track in qualifying with a 14.43 second lap. With names like McLeod, Bigley, and Franklin in the field you knew this was gonna be a good one.....
Anderson drew the number 7 starting pill in the field of 19 fast Pro Late Models, Lee Collins #89 started on the pole with a fast Randy"Hondo" Fox #2 on the outside, the action was hot and heavy from the get go with Anderson moving up two spots in just that many laps. The first caution was thrown when Fox the early leader, tangled with the #11 of George Richardson with Richardson getting the worse of the deal not being able to continue but Fox came back out after changing a flat was relegated to the rear of the field.
The "Felda Flash" Collins took the point with Daryl Shelnut #7 all over him trying both the high and low lines but Collins was able to hold him off. Meanwhile Anderson had moved his way up to the third position. Shelnut finally got by Collins when he slipped coming out of four bringing Anderson by with him. The King used his patented inside move on Shelnut and with a slight bump coming out of turn two was able to loosen him up just enough to take the point.
Meanwhile young BJ McLeod #78 was battling his up through the pack bringing along with him Slim Jim All-Pro star Billy Bigley jr. in the bright yellow #12. With rotors glowing the drivers were battling all over the track. Jeff Emory #12e who was fast early caught a bad break and spun late in the race about the same time that the #73 of Chad Dokken who was in the top ten exploded a motor on the back stretch ending his night.
With less then ten laps to go Shelnut tried everything he could to catch the #00 but Anderson was on a tear and not to be denied as he notched another victory in his long career, Shelnut took the second spot, McLeod finsihed third from his twelfth starting position. Bigley roared across in fourth and Lee Collins held on for fifth.
Brian Teeters in the #97 came back to DeSoto on a mission this week as took the feature win in the Sportsman class, #22 Fred Wagner came across the line in second. It was welcome back night for a couple of drivers as Bill Close #75 took third, #23 James Kinght came back strong for fourth, and last feature winner James Carter #21 followed in fifth.
The Open Wheel Modified feature was a wild event as Rocco Ranallo #67 returned from the accident that totaled his car and sent him to the hospital. He had a brand new Pletcher built car but tonight would not be his night as a first lap crash sent him on top of the #72 of John Grimm also involved in the melee was the #52 of Steve Hauser,#9x of Brent Yoder. When the race continued Grimm, Hauser and Yoder were able to continue but Rocco remained in the pits and went several laps down. Lee Collins #89 pulling double duty took the lead with # 32 of Ronnie Skipper right on his tail, the "Rocket" Teddy Nelson #17 was gingerly making his way through the field.
A scary moment when Skipper got under Collins for a run at the lead and tapped him Collins spun coming out of turn two and in a cloud of smoke stalled in the middle of the back stretch with the rest of the field barreling down on him Nelson and Skipper made it by but Yoder and the #205 of returning driver Rusty Dixon were not so lucky as Yoder slammed into Collins, Dixon also slid into the wreck. The force was so hard it knocked the fuel cell loose in Yoders car causing a delay in action. A shaken Collins was seen climbing out of his wounded race car and take a seat on the infield grass shaking off the effects of the wreck. Collins would later return to place fifth in the Pro Late Model race. When the green flew again it was all Teddy Nelson returning to the winners circle after some hard luck the last time out,Hauser got back on track and finished second, #2 Phillip Kessler came in third, # 32 Ronnie Skipper fourth and rounding out the top five was #98 of Steve Thomas.
#33 Scotty Faulkner did some slick driving and held off a hard charging #42 of Dennis Wilson jr to take the Street Stock feature event.#40 Mark Chapman came across the stripe in third, #68 Ronnie Allen took fourth and another top five finish for the young Joey Barnes #19.
Matt Watts #3 continued his winning ways by logging another feature win in the mod-mini class beating out #77 Lee Davis, #23 Don Kiethly placed third, Dusty Robinson #38 fourth and fifth was the pinto of #67 Bo Davis.
A jubilant Peggy Hurst #3 won her third feature this year and putting her first in the points for the Pure Stock class. Hurst powered her way to the front for the trophy, behind her was the #20 of Greg Banach, #69 Troy Buckles third, Fourth #77 Ed Kratzert and fifth went to #68 of Gary McFall.
The Gimmler brothers topped the field in the TQ Midgets as brother Mark #51 beat out #21 Gary to take the trophy home,#16 Rod Anderson third, fourth a slip sliding #52 of Mike Elder and in the top five was Ben Fritz in the #61.
From DeSoto Speedway.......Rick Anges
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