(Inverness, FL; 8/12/2000) All day rain and the threat of flooding in the area brought out the red flag on racing at Citrus County Speedway Saturday before it even got started.

Promoters Billy Hooker and Steve Ziebarth and general manager, Bob Eldredge, took a look at the weather outlook and all the water that had accumulated on the track and infield and felt it would be best for all concerned not to make the trip to the speedway and called it at 3 PM before the track opened. This is the fourth total rain-out in the 2000 season for Citrus County Speedway.

Mini-Stock drivers from all over central Florida were planning on taking on the local hotshoes in pursuit of the big purse in the J.D. Smith Termite and Pest Control 40-lap special, which will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Alot of those planter junkers were on the trailer and ready to run in the first Demolition Derby of the season but will have to wait for rescheduling, to get their frustrations out. And the kids will have at least another week to get into shape to take on the quarter-mile in the WRC bicycle races.

With 16 races in the books and 52 drivers competing in Late Model action this season Mike Bresnahan has been the man to beat most of the season. Defending champion, Danny Johnson, Al Lawrence, Fred Stoner, Herb Neumann, Jr., Robert Elting, Brad Atkin, Tate Pierce, Perry Lovelady and Owen Leigh hold out in the top ten positions.

There have been nine different winners to include occasional visitors Dave Pletcher, Dick Anderson, former Late Model champion Doc James Batson and John Lovelady. Regulars with feature wins are Bresnahan and Neumann with three, Johnson and Stoner with a pair, and Tate Pierce with one in the top ten gang.

The Limited Sportsman division continues to grow and bringing in more competition for defending champion and current point leader Mike Veltman. Veltman has won 7 of the 19 races run in the division with runner-up Johnny Gann, Jr. logging three victories. All of the top five have been to victory lane with Travis Nichols scoring once, David Dollar twice, and Rex Struble one. Rookie, Jim Smith has scored three wins and holds out in sixth being chased by Mark Dominique, Johnny Sanders, Bill Ostreicher and Mike Holm who round out the top ten and are looking for their first win.

Sixty Street Stock drivers have been in the running for the championship crown and the seesaw battle for the lead has seen the Wilson brothers sharing the lead and taking the lions share of the features. Point leader, Wes Wilson has logged six victories while Ernie Reed, Jr. has picked up one. Sport Wilson has logged three wins and his dad is right behind him with two and holds out in fourth in points. Otis Hamilton is fifth with one win followed by rookie, Don Teague, who is still looking for his first win. Rounding out the top ten are Victor Stanley with three wins, Dean Lawyer and Wayne Lewis with two wins, and Scott Hendrickson with one.

The smallest, but one of the most competitive divisions, sees 32 drivers chasing two-time Mini-Stock champion George Neumann with four feature wins under his belt after 19 races. Runner-up Mark Sowell also has four wins with Kevin Harrod taking three trips to the winner's circle and holding out in third in the point race. Frank Coleman has a pair of wins and is 20 points up on Don Faunce in the race for fourth. Rounding out the top ten are John Coleman with one win, Mike Moore and Billy Smith who are winless but finishing well. Holding out in ninth is Rick Coleman with three wins and no ride for the past several weeks. Rookie Jake Garver is getting an education and holds out in tenth.

The top five drivers in Hobby Stock action account for 18 of the 19 feature wins in 2000. Chris Hooker continues to dominate the division with a 93-point lead and six wins under his belt. Rookie Richie Smith is giving Hooker a good run for his money with four wins and J.D. Goff holds out in third with five wins. Defending champion, Roy Perkins, has only been able to score once this season but he won the crown with just two feature wins last season. Mike Ruff holds out in sixth with a pair of wins with the balance of the top ten still looking for their first. Jimmy Peters, Jeff Sharp, Allen Jacobson and Kreg Belcastro round out the top ten. Fifty-four drivers are in the points competition this season.

Figure-8's have only gotten 10 races in with 29 different drivers taking a crack at the intersection action. Defending champion, Robert Aaron, took over the lead at midseason with two feature wins and eight top-five finishes. Gary Swing lost the lead after four quick wins followed by four top-five finishes and two top tens. Mechanical problems have hurt Swing big time in the past several outings. Holding out in third and fourth are Ken Crews and Charlie Meyer with no wins thus far. Scott Knight is fifth with two checkered flags, followed by Robbie Hage with one. Balancing out the top ten are Larry Harris, Peanut Higgenbotham, Curtis Yoaman and Tim Henault who is the only other feature winner in the division. The Run What You Brung race is not a points race.

Next Saturday will see the Limited Sportsman in a pair of feature races plus the Figure-8's and a regular program of Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini-Stocks, Hobby Stocks, and Street Legal Junkers.

-Larry MacMillan-

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