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| Wilson takes Sportsman Checkers @ Ocala | By Diana Brake
Ocala, FL, April 28, 2001 - Ocala Speedway continues to make improvements to the facilities. Starting Tuesday May 1, 2001, construction will begin on the new bathrooms. The building will be brand new and provide much greater access. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of May. The gentle breezes tonight dressed the stage for a great night of racing. The Outlaw Winged Sprints were the special guests.
The Junior Cup Cars raced first tonight. After winning the heat race, Conner Baxley (64) sat on the pole. Eddie Kilbury, Jr. (82) sat on the outside. Kilbury jumped well and claimed the lead. After a good first lap though, Baxley moved past him on the inside. Conner Baxley finished a tight race to take the checkered flag. Eddie Kilbury, Jr. finished second followed by Victoria Gentry, Elizabeth Gentry and Hunter Overton.
The Coca-Cola Four Cylinder Bombers presented a full field. Bobby Valeo (8) sat on the pole, and Joel Eckman (27) sat on the outside. Valeo jumped well and claimed the lead. John Naber (3) slipped into second and he was followed by Joel Eckman (27). Eckman held onto third for most of the race, but near the end, Kris Richardson (88) moved up through the pack and took over third. This feature was caution free. Bobby Valeo drove a fast race to finish first under the checkered flag. John Naber finished second followed by Kris Richardson. Joel Eckman and Darren Dukes filled out the top five.
The WTRS Pure Stocks roared from the pits. Roger Brass (81) sat on the pole, and Frank Buchanan (07) sat on the outside. Brass jumped hard and took the lead. Joel Watkins (81) quickly moved up into second as Buchanan fought hard to keep third. Pete Close (89) was running well and moving up through the pack. By lap three, Close moved up to take third. A yellow flag flew after the fourth lap when a car spun and hit the backstretch wall. Brass dominated the next eight laps, but on the thirteenth lap, Brass slipped from his line, letting Watkins and Close run under him on the inside. Joel Watkins took the checkered flag, followed closely by Pete Close. Roger Brass wasn't far behind in third. Moose Alderman and Edward England filled out the top five.
The Steven A. Bagen Sportsmen filled the track. William Edwards (08) sat on the pole, and Mike Wilson (79) sat on the outside. Edwards took the lead, but before the lap could be completed, a car spun in turn four, bringing out the yellow flag. A complete restart was called. This time Wilson took the early lead and ran away. Edwards and Tommy Roberts (44) battled for second for the first eight laps, then bumpers touched and Edwards went for a spin down the front stretch. Both drivers restarted in the rear. With their removal, Charles Kopach (53) found himself hold second position. The rest of the feature was clean and Mike Wilson took home the checkered flag. Charles Kopach came in second, followed by Doug Levesque, Tom Posavec and William Edwards.
The Budweiser Modifieds roared onto the track. Raymond Vann (99) sat on the pole, and Eddie Kilbury (79) sat on the outside. The first start was no good, and a full restart was called. Just as the first lap was being completed, three cars tangled in turn one, bringing out a yellow flag. Raymond held the point, followed by Kilbury and Red Vann (32) for the single file start. This order prevailed for four laps. A yellow flag flew again for a car that spun in turn four. The leaders were unaffected. Only two laps got ticked off before another yellow flag flew. Alan McCafferty (32x) and Glenn Baum (15) had been running fourth and fifth. McCafferty got loose in turn three and slipped into Baum, causing both to slide to the outside wall. McCafferty moved on under his own power, but Baum had to be pushed from the track. Three laps later, a four-car pile up on the front stretch brought out yet another yellow flag. As time was running short, the racers were given three more laps to finish the race. Raymond struggled on the restart and Red took the point. Kilbury also came under Raymond to take second. Raymond slipped back in the pack. Red Vann took the checkered flag. Eddie Kilbury finished a close second. Monty Morgan came in third.
The Outlaw Winged Sprints came to Ocala Speedway. Twenty-four cars started, and Ben Fritz(16) sat on the pole. Sonny Hartley (32) sat on the outside. After their signature four-wide pass, the green flag flew. Fritz took the early lead and held it for seven laps. Shane Butler (18) was moving up through the pack and after passing Sonny Hartley and Bo Hartley (3x) he challenged Fritz for the lead. On the eighth lap, Butler took the point. A yellow flag flew on the next lap when two cars bumped on the front stretch, causing a minor pile-up. Butler was followed by Dude Teate (0), Keith Butler (19) and Stan Butler (68). Another yellow flag slowed the action after a car dropped some oil on the track. After the clean-up, three laps remained. Shane Butler raced hard for the wire to take the checkered flag. Dude Teate finished second. Keith Butler, Shane's brother, finished third just ahead of Stan Butler. Stan Butler is father to Shane and Keith. Jim Childers finished fifth.
The Ocala Speedway 2001 season will continue with weekly racing. Next week, May 5th, will feature all the regular features plus ten-cent beer, ten-cent wings and the BUD Girls. There will also be a special "Lights Off" feature and a Mechanics Race. Come out every Saturday night during the regular season for the many exciting features. This is high-action racing fun for the whole family.
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