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| Greenwell Scores Win at DeSoto | Former Boston Red Sox standout Mike Greenwell brought the # 39 Budweiser car to High Banks Saturday night and dominated a field of 19 cars to take the victory over a tough lineup of cars.....
Sonny "Gumby" Hughes #45 was the top qualifier for the LLM 50 lap feature, pumping a 15.37 second lap. With most of the field in the fifteen-second bracket it was a tight line up. After the pill draw for the line up Hughes garnered the seventh starting position while it was the #37 of John Shields who started on the pole, outside of him was the #39 of Mike Greenwell.
When the green dropped it was instant side by side action all the way through the pack. By lap 6 Greenwell made his way by Shields to take the point. Meanwhile Hughes made his way from the seventh position to move into third spot and begin the battle with Shields for second. Also moving up through the field was the #88 of Tommy Kelly who slid up into the fourth spot with the #01 Jeff Wogoman hot on his tail. Hughes showed he knew his way around DeSoto's high banks taking the high line and getting passed Shields along with him came hard charging Kelly with Wogoman right on his bumper.
But it was Greenwell taking the checker flag in his first attempt at the high banks. Greenwell later was heard saying he had some help with the car from someone else who has made his way around DeSoto Speedway, the "King" Dickey Anderson had helped with the set up of the car. Second place was Sonny Hughes, the #88 of Kelly held off the charge of Wogoman for third. John Shields the only Mopar in the field rounded out the top five.
With a field over twenty cars the Street Stock fifty lap shoot out was a game of attrition. Chet Roberts one of the early favorites dropped out before the first lap was completed after getting a front row starting spot. #33 Scotty Faulkner jumped out to the early lead and looked like he had the field. But as he was driving away with the race the cars behind him began slipping and sliding on something slick and it was soon evident that it was Faulkner leaking the fluids on the track and bringing out a caution. After several attempts to repair the car he retired it. Duane Best #3 also had his hands full as he was running in second and closing on Faulkner earlier in the race when his car exploded in a ball of flames in turn three, he was able to escape without injury. Ben Kelly #9 assumed the lead but it was a patient Dan Hall #12x who closed on and then took the lead from Kelly and went on to score a long awaited win at DeSoto, Kelly took second, Sue Purington #8 roared across in third, #19 Joey Barnes held on for fourth and #8 Rich Clouser came back from the rear to take fifth. In the Open Wheel Modifieds division long time Late Model driver Pat Nanney debuted the familiar Mopar blue and #60 on his new Modified. In his first time out Nanney was able to bring it home sixth, but it was Teddy "the Rocket" Nelson with for sale #17 who made the move of the night as he and John Grimm #72 were battling with leader Rocco Ranallo #67 all three cars seemed to bounce off each other coming out of four and what seemed sure disaster in front of the field all three were able to pull it together with Nelson pulling out the lead and Grimm in second. Another scary moment occurred when a back marker spun as the leaders were approaching sending Nelson and the others spinning out of the way but all were able to restart with Nelson taking the checkers Grimm second, Rannallo in his second week back third, Steve Hauser jr #52 brought his dented machine in fourth and Bill Davis held on to fifth.
Some scary moments occurred in the Mini-Stock feature as the #22 of Shane Whitbeck, #34 Eric Anderson and #95 Clay Joseph went three wide coming out of turn four with all three cars tangling and Whitbeck going up in the air almost as high as the front stretch fence in a violent wreck.
Although Whitbecks car was totaled and Anderson's was heavily damaged all the drivers walked away. In another show of what kind of a family we are all part of, the winner of the 50/50 prize donated all of the money to Whitbeck so he could return as soon as possible. After the smoke had cleared it was the #17x of Syndee Brown taking the victory, Phil Cruse #07 survived for second, #84 Robert Haywood third, fourth went #70 Tony Elrod and rounding out the top five was #98 Arlin Pope.
Don Gibson in the #21 held off the charge of #8 Steve Black to take the Pro-Figure race.
Tommy Pearson was unable to complete his world record attempt only knocking five of the six cars down on his try but putting on a good show none the less......From DeSoto Speedway....Rick Anges Top Ten Feature Winners
SOUTHERN COMFORT POOLS
Limited Late Models
1. #39 MIKE GREENWELL, FT MYERS
2. #45 SONNY HUGHES, BRADENTON
3. #88 TOMMY KELLY,
4. #01 JEFF WOGOMAN, FT MYERS
5. #37 JOHN SHIELDS, BRADENTON
6. #36 TOMMY YOUNKMAN, SARASOTA
7. #42 JEREMY GEIGER, BRADENTON
8. #3 HAROLD CANNON JR,
9. #32 RONNIE SKIPPER, LAKELAND
10. #71 RON WOODCOCK, RIVERVIEW
OPen Wheel Modifieds
1. #17 TEDDY NELSON, PINELLAS PARK
2. #72 JOHN GRIMM, SEFFNER
3. #67 ROCCO RANNALLO, BRADENTON
4. #52 STEVE HAUSER JR, PARRISH
5. #15 BILL DAVIS, WAUCHULA
6. #60 PAT NANNEY, BRADENTON
7. #14 ARIC ALMIROLA, TAMPA
8. #32 RONNIE SKIPPER, LAKELAND
9. #98 BUDDY KESSLER,
STREET STOCK
1. #12 DAN HALL, SARASOTA
2. #9 BEN KELLY, NORTH PORT
3. #8 SUE PURINGTON, NOKOMIS
4. #19 JOEY BARNES, BRADENTON
5. #8 RICH CLOUSER, GRANT, FL
6. #65 MIKE JOHNSON, SARASOTA
7. #59 DEAN CLARK,
8. #77 SCOTT WOODLAND, BRADENTON
9. #51 CLARENCE SMITH, SEBRING
10. #93 JEFF FIRESTEIN, NOKOMIS
MINI STOCK
1. #17X SYNDEE BROWN, BRADENTON
2. #07 PHILIP CRUSE, MYAKKA CITY
3. #84 ROBERT HAYGOOD, BRADENTON
4. #70 TONY ELROD JR, KATHLEEN
5. #98 ARLIN POPE, BRADENTON
6. #80 KEVIN KNOX, WESLEY CHAPEL
7. #23 MIKE GAYLE, SARASOTA
8. #35 GREG KROM, SARASOTA
9. #68 DANNY POLING, SARASOTA
10. #11X CURTIS LAM, SARASOTA
PRO FIGURE 8
1. #21 DON GIBSON, BRADENTON
2. #8 STEVE BLACK, SARASOTA
3. #11 GORDON BROWN, LARGO
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