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| Eddie Holton Beats Field And Rain At Putnam | by Jon Harney
SATSUMA, FL (9/8) - Hobby Stocks drew another strong field of competitors for their scheduled 20-lap main event. This division is becoming the new fan favorite with close quarters racing and paint trading the norm. Ronnie Soltis assumed the early lead but couldn't shake some of the other frontrunners. Soltis' night came to an abrupt end when he tangled with Dave Dowling Sr. and Bobby Gigon on lap 6. Polesitter Eddie Holton inherited the lead and saw his challengers drop one by one due to mechanical difficulties. Holton stayed strong and went on to outlast the field to take his first feature victory in a race shortened by a brief rain shower. Holton didn't let the rain dampen his spirits as he and his crew celebrated in Victory Lane during the downpour. Following Holton - and scrambling for drier ground - was Mike Scranton, David Miller, Chip Owen (who raced in three different divisions tonight), and Glenn Henry.
When Marion Sizemore sits on the pole in Modifieds, the race outcome is usually a foregone conclusion. Robby Barris, however, chose to fail history and instead pass Sizemore when the green dropped. Barris was able to build a cushion in the early laps, but started to fade as the track dried out. Sizemore pressured the leader at the halfway mark and made his move as Barris drifted up the track on lap 21. Another win for Sizemore, but this time he had to earn it. Barris still had enough power to put away the rest of the pack in finishing second. Third was Gary Sexton, fourth was Garry Flynn, and fifth was David Baxley.
Polesitter Greg Fife couldn't outduel Mike Tripp on the initial start of the Pure Stock feature and that proved to be the difference as Tripp ran a steady race to take the win. Fife put up a strong challenge for the lead early on, then had to fend off Ken Durham in the late going. Durham slipped by Fife to take second. Hardy Jarvis was fourth behind Fife and Floyd Martin Jr. was fifth.
Kenny Hall stood tall once again in Street Stocks. Hall jetted to the lead on the first lap and was never challenged during the 20-lap event. Tiny Greene made a solid inside move on the start to jump from fifth to second and held that position throughout the event despite driving with a hand injury. Toby Sims kept Greene honest with a strong series of challenges but had to settle for third. John Reiter and Mitch McCoy followed behind for fourth and fifth.
There was no stopping J. O. Nobles tonight as he dusted the balance of an abbreviated Limited Late model field. Nobles grabbed the lead in the first turn and led every lap. Raymond Larsen was barely able to keep Nobles in view and held on for second over a hard-charging Marion Sizemore. Ronnie Grubb's Mustang was fourth followed by Adam Bennett.
Mini Stocks followed the Limited Late Models and the finish of the top two followed last week's result as Colt Taylor and Mike Gibbs ran away with the show. Taylor again outdistanced Gibbs by only a length at the checkers. Curtis Clark earned his best finish of the season with a third while Don Strosahl Jr. crossed the line fourth and Marlon Durbin came home fifth.
Racing returns with a double points and double purse extavaganza. The format will be different this weekend as practice and heats will run on Friday September 14 and features will run on Saturday September 15. Racing begins at 7:30 on Friday and 6:30 on Saturday.
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