Saturday night's Contemporary Cabinetry & Closet Concepts Pure Stock shootout, the Enduro 150 and Demolition Derby gave stock car racing fans a night of entertainment to remember. Pole sitter Troy Davis of Bradenton turned down a shot at $100 and went flag to flag to the win the Contemporary Cabinetry & Closet Concepts Pure Stock 50 lap shootout. Davis who drew the chip for the pole could've won $100 if he'd started scratch and won. It was too much of a gamble."I'll take the pole any time over the hundred," Davis said. "That was my first 50 lapper. It was a tough race, if Peggy (Hurst) had got under me I never would have passed her back. Every time I glanced back I saw her green car. She looked a couple of time but she didn't have the groove." Peggy Hurst of Sarasota, who set fast time for the event with an 89.20 (75 mph) lap time, started on the outside pole and the race was on. Hurst tried to pass high and low and inched up even with Davis' door."I almost had him but my car had just a little bit of hesitation," Hurst said. "I wasn't sure I could make through the race, my foot was melting. It was hot." Ed Kratzert of Bradenton took third place. "This just my second race ever," Kratzert said. "I bought it from a buddy and did a little work on it and got it set up pretty decent."


Robert Ray of Ocala roared to the $2500 win in the 150 lap Enduro special event. More than 38 cars blasted out to a 45 minute race that featured two red flag; one for to allow a driver to exit his stalled car, the second to clean up a fuel spill when the stalled car was sent spinning across the track. On lap 20 Mike Gamache of Palm Harbor had taken the lead with Ray lost in the backfield. Gamache slid in and out of heavy traffic dodging stalled wrecks and shattered car part, gliding effortless through the turns. Meanwhile Ray powered closer and closer, going high and low, running all out to catch Gamache. "I didn't think I'd ever catch Mike," Ray said. "Every time he'd get clear sailing he'd outrun me. Thank God there were a few cars that slowed him down a little. We just kept pedalling and it paid off. I love this track, there's plenty of room to race."Behind Ray came Ted Filedes of Largo, inching closer to the leaders. On lap 145 Ray had moved up with just two cars between him and Gamache. Going into turn three Ray went high and passed one car then to inside to pass another. Gamache got stuck behind a lap car and Ray tried to pass and failed. On lap 148 he tried again and again failed. On lap 149 Ray powered low into turn three, brushed inside Gamache and shot into the lead going down the frontstretch. Ray took the win by a nose over Gamache. "I knew Robert was coming," Gamache said. "The only thing I could do was hold on and wait. My driving style is drive smooth and take the openings. It was fun, good racing and I'd like to see a lot more of these." Filedes held on to take third place."We were trying hard to get up there," he said. "It was a very fast race. An excellent race. There wasn't as much contact as at some of the tracks. It was really clean. Some of the guys that didn't have moved over and gave the faster ones the line. It was a great race."


In the Demolition Derby 15 cars aimed their bumpers and proceed to pound the pulp out of each other, often hitting hard enough to knock the front, or rear, off the ground. When the dust, flying car parts and smoke had settled, Charlie Brower of New Port Richey claimed a victory with his '73 Olds Delta 88. A head-on collision with number 444 (car unidentifiable) killed the opposition's motor and the Olds kept chugging, giving Brower the win.


Bill Aerosmith and David Manchester whipped through the turns to take the win the chain race. Randy Hall and Rick Anges took second place."It's all his doing, he's the brakeman, I just push the gas and steer the car," Aerosmith said. "It really was a team effort. It's a fun race."


Teddy Nelson of Pinellas Park blazed to the Pepsi winners circle for his seventh win in the Callaghan Tire Open Wheel Modifieds feature event. "It's a good run for Nelson Brothers, RD Motorsports, Florida Van Lines and Nelson Chassis set up," Nelson said. "We're looking to have a Late Model for the June third race too." Ronnie Skipper of Lakeland placed second and newcomer Pat Nanney of Bradenton took third place.


Joe Shaver of Arcadia grabbed the finish line in the Selective HR Solutions Sportsman feature event. "Steve (Gainey) and My Dad have been driving for a long time," Shaver said. "Fortunately I was able to hold Steve off. He's got 30 years experience on me. He was beside me for at least five or six laps. It was a good race." Steve Gainey of Bradenton placed second and Bill Close of Bradenton took third place.


Randy Koon of Lakeland grabbed the win in the Manatee Lumber Modified Minis feature event. "Half the track I couldn't see because the sun was still out," Koon said. "I couldn't see the flag, I couldn't see behind me so I just said I'm going to go as hard as I can. The motor had been missing but finally tonights we got it figured out."Kenny Hankins of Lakeland placed second and Matt Watts of Dade City took third place.

by Ken Willis

OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED
1. #17 TEDDY NELSON, PINELLAS PARK
2. #32 RONNIE SKIPPER, LAKELAND
3. #60 PAT NANNEY, BRADENTON
4. #52 STEVE HAUSER JR, PARRISH
5. #72 JOHN GRIMM, SEFFNER
6. #67 ROCCO RANNALLO, BRADENTON
7. #15 BILL DAVIS, WAUCHULA
8. #6 JOHN GERSHNER,
9. #11 JIMMY THOMPSON,
10. #11B JAMIE BURROWS,

SPORTSMAN
1. #11 JOE SHAVER, ARCADIA
2. #1 STEVE GAINEY, BRADENTON
3. #75 BILL CLOSE, BRADENTON
4. #98 LONNY MILLER, BRADENTON
5. #22 FRED WAGNER, BRADENTON
6. #86 JEFF ANDERSON, BRADENTON
7. #21 JAMES CARTER, BRADENTON
8. #03 BARRY CARLSON, LARGO
9. #97 BRIAN TEETERS, PALMETTO

PURE STOCK
1. #57 TROY DAVIS, BRADENTON
2. #3 PEGGY HURST, SARASOTA
3. #77 ED KRATZERT, BRADENTON
4. #69 TROY BUCKLES, BRADENTON
5. #56 GARY FLYNN, PALMETTO
6. #25 JJ SANFORD,
7. #A1 JESSE GARGUS,
8. #16 JACK ROBY, BRADENTON
9. #55 MARK WILKINS,
10. #67 DAVID VAHRAUS,

MODIFIED MINI
1. #22 RANDY KOON, LAKELAND
2. #9 KENNY HANKINS, LAKELAND
3. #3 MATT WATTS, DADE CITY
4. #23 DON KEITHLEY, OVIEDO
5. #17 JOHN COHEE, ST PETERSBURG
6. #31 GREG LUECKE, ST PETERSBURG
7. #7 STEVE MARTIN, PINELLAS PARK
8. #67 BO DAVIS, LAKELAND
9. #O3 JOHEL CHAVES, FT MEADE
10. #25 SAM ROGERS JR., CLEARWATER

ENDURO 150
1. #9 ROBERT RAY, OCALA
2. #85 MIKE GAMACHE, PALM HARBOR
3. #13 TED FILEDES, LARGO

CHAIN RACE
1. #69-91 BILL ARROWSMITH - DAVID MANCHESTER
2. #13X-4W RANDY HALL - RICK ANGES

DEMO DERBY
#686 CHARLIE BROWER



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