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| NUNES DOMINATES SOUTH 40 CLASSICS AT AUBURNDALE | by Dave Westerman
David "Fudd" Nunes of Orlando made the most of a second chance then ran away from the field to take the win in the South 40 Motorsports Classic Auto Racing Series 25-lap feature Saturday night at Auburndale Speedway. The race was sponsored by ABCO Garage Doors of Vero Beach. 72-year-old Granpa Mo Davenport won the first heat and had the pole for the feature and grabbed the top spot at the drop of the green while outside polesitter Nunes dropped to third. However, before a lap could be completed, Jim Rahman and Al Hagan tangled up with Rahman getting a pretty good chunk of the turn two wall. Both Hagan and Rahman went to the pits with flat tires. On the second try at starting the race, it was Nunes who got the jump on Davenport and he quickly built a healthy lead. A big scramble in turn two on lap two would jumble things up considerably. After being hit from behind, second heat winner Bud Spencer had a tire go down and he slowed trying to get off the race track. With cars trying to avoid Spencer, George Hall, Jr. got turned sideways and Ed Yates had nowhere to go and ran over the front of Hall's machine and went airborne tearing the right rear wheel off of Yates' coupe. None of the three drivers were able to continue. When the green appeared, Nunes packed his luggage in the trunk of his Gold Mechanical Services "Buzz Lightyear" coupe and checked out. Davenport was able to hold off the pack for a short time, but a late scramble of cars allowed Orlando's Eddie Thornton to move up to second. Thornton was able to cut into Nunes' lead, but Nunes still won by a healthy margin. Point leader Dan Hammerbeck came from ninth on the grid to finish third while Davenport held on for fourth. Mike Albert took fifth for his best career finish despite some body damage from one of the earlier altercations. Rounding out the top ten were Danny Shearer, E.B. Carr, Doug Cattanach, George Hall III, and Wayne Ashton. Ashton earned top rookie honors and also won the Action Performance Hard Charger Award finishing 10th after starting 17th. The South 40 Motorsports Classic Auto Racing Series now heads for the storied Sunshine Speedway in Pinellas Park for action next Saturday night. The race will be sponsored by Cold Fire Thermal Cycling
Official Finish:
1. David Nunes, Orlando #54
2. Eddie Thornton, Orlando #4
3. Dan Hammerbeck, Clermont #2
4. Mo Davenport, Palm Bay #27
5. Mike Albert, Winter Springs #24
6. Danny Shearer, Melbourne #77
7. E.B. Carr, Okeechobee #90
8. Doug Cattanach, Lutz #50
9. George Hall III, St. Petersburg #9
10. Wayne Ashton, Ft. Pierce #3
11. E.T. McGhee, Deland #33
12. Al Hagan, Melbourne #6
13. Bud Spencer, Palm Harbor #7
14. George Hall, Jr., St. Petersburg #32
15. Ed Yates, Orlando #74
16. Jim Rahman, Clermont #5
17. Frank Conrad, Ft. Pierce #11
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