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| HAMMERBECK TOPS SOUTH 40 CLASSICS AT SUNSHINE | by Dave Westerman
Point leader Dan Hammerbeck of Clermont used the difficult outside groove of Sunshine Speedway to his advantage as he stormed to victory in Saturday nights 20-lap South 40 Motorsports Classic Auto Racing Series feature. The race was sponsored by Cold Fire Thermal Cycling of Largo. Melbourne's Danny Shearer won the first heat race and started from the pole and jumped out to a quick lead with Mike Albert settling in behind him in second.
E.T. McGhee was attempting to pass Albert for position when he spun on lap six to bring out the first caution. Once the race restarted, Hammerbeck was on the move from his tenth starting spot using the difficult outside lane of the tight quarter mile looking like a Sunshine Speedway veteran rather than a driver seeing the track for the very first time.
Hammerbeck zipped around Shearer to take the lead on lap 10 and never looked back from there as ninth starter Ed Yates was the driver to watch. Yates moved to third spot just as the caution flew for a tangle involving David Numes, Simeon Spagnuolo and Doug Cattanach on the front straightaway. Both Nunes and Cattanach were done for the night.
Yates began to work on Shearer for second place, but caution flew for the third and final time when Albert spun in turn three while running fourth. Yates slipped by Shearer with two laps to go but was too far behind to do anything with Hammerbeck who went on to take his second win of the year in his Don's Paint & Body sponsored coupe.
Yates was second while Shearer held on for third. Second heat winner Bud Spencer raced to fourth spot much to the delight of a large group of fans from the Palm Harbor Fraternal Order of Eagles #4408 who were there to watch the show. Spagnuolo came back from his earlier altercation to get fifth place money. Eddie Thornton did a great job coming back from a fuel leak problem in his heat and an early race bobble to claim sixth. Frank Conrad, George Hall, Jr., George Hall III, and E.B. Carr rounded out the top ten with E.T. McGhee coming back from his spin to get 11th and earn Rookie of the Race honors.
Hammerbeck also won the Action Performance Hard Charger Award for coming home the winner after starting tenth. The South 40 Classics now have a week off before heading to the ultra-fast high-banked half mile New Smyrna Speedway on May 19th.
OFFICIAL FINISH:
1. Dan Hammerbeck, Clermont #2
2. Ed Yates, Orlando #74
3. Danny Shearer, Melbourne #77
4. Bud Spencer, Palm Harbor #7
5. Simeon Spagnuolo, Vero Beach #21
6. Eddie Thornton, Orlando #4
7. Frank Conrad, Ft. Pierce #11
8. George Hall, Jr., St. Petersburg #32
9. George Hall III, St. Petersburg #9
10. E.B. Carr, Okeechobee #90
11. E.T. McGhee, Deland #33
12. Mike Albert, Winter Springs #24
13. Rodney Eary, Orlando #4X
14. Doug Cattanach, Lutz #50
15. David Nunes, Orlando #54
16. T.K. Grief, E. Deland #3
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