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| Fox Gets Checkers in Charlotte LLM | We started the night's racing action with lap six of the Lee's Auto Detail and Transmission Pure Stocks twenty five lap feature race. Our curfew caught up with us last weekend on lap six so that's where we picked it up this weekend. The #16 of Wally Smith from Naples started the single file restart. The #22 of Kevin Murphy from Fort Myers brought out the first caution of the race when he spun out in turn one causing a restart. After a few green flag laps of the fourteen car field Kevin Utter from Fort Myers in the #6, and Smith in his #16 were doing a great side by side battle but Kevin gets a little high in turn two giving Wally the lead. The caution came out on lap twelve when the #18J with Ray Jayne at the wheel, had some help spinning around in turn three from John Plakiotis in his #91X from Port Charlotte. After the restart the battle for third place was heating up between four cars but, the caution came out on lap eighteen when the #91 of Kay Jackson from Punta Gorda and the #31X of Elbert Butts of Nocatee got together in turn one. Jackson lost the nose-piece off the front of his car but was able to continue racing. Once they realigned the field, our flagman Greg Roeback, was shaking the yellow flag at #91 to let him know he was driving a little too rough. On lap twenty-one, Fred Kight from Naples blew his engine in the #39. The all-volunteer broom crew had to come out for the clean up. Finishing in first was #31x Elbert Butts, followed by #99 Mark Collins from Cape Coral, and third place was #91X John Plakiotis.
The first heat race of the night had the Shirley's Bookkeeping Rebel Road Warriors lined up two by two for eight-laps. #74 from Fort Myers with Chuck Stevens started on the pole of the seven-car field. Stevens' car started smoking real bad on lap two sending him to the pits. The #55 of Conrad Molter from Naples came in first place. #9S came in second with Taz Sidock at the controls, and third place was taken by the #77 of Dennis Hale from Punta Gorda.
The Florida Dwarf Car Federation Inc. came up next for the first of their three heat races. The seven car eight-lap race started with Brian Paradis from Miramar on the pole in his #68. Paradis shot out on the drop of the green flag and had a quarter of a track lead by the end of the second lap. Meanwhile the race was on for the second place position between the #06 of Bob Quick from Jacksonville and the #11 Michel Fortin from Hollywood. On lap six the one and only caution came out for the #5 of George Landis from Boynton Beach when he spin around in turn four. #68 held off the #06 for the win, #06 came in second, and the #11 came in third. The second heat started with #24 from Boca Raton with Mark David on the point. The Dwarf cars have a cone placed on the track for their starting spot. That means they are not allowed to pass each other before they get to it or pass below it at the drop of the green flag. Unfortunately Mark David passed the cone on the inside and ended up losing a lap. That gave the #02 of Marc-Andre Gagnon from Hollywood the lead. He held off the rest of the eight-car field until the last of the eight-lap race. He came out of turn four a little to hard causing him to drift up the track and letting Alan Cote from Hallendale in his #27 take the win. Second place was nabbed by Andre Gagnon in his #6 and third place was taken by Roger Wolfe from Sarasota in the #85 car. The third heat for the Dwarf cars had seven cars for another eight laps. The #49 of Rick "Spanky" McFarland from West Palm Beach started on the pole but it was Tim McLeod from Sarasota in #92 who took the lead before the first lap was completed. The caution flag came out for the #12 of Francois Gagnon when he spun around in turn four on the third lap. While the race was still under caution, the #92 of McLeod stalled out ending his chance for the win. The restart had the #49 out front but the #8 of Stan Hope from Fort Myers had a better idea. Stan went on to take the win with "Spanky" in second and #12 in third place.
The Lee's Auto Repair Road Warriors six lap heat race came up for their turn next. The fourteen cars were ready to do battle with Lonnie Retherford from North Fort Myers in his #2 car on the pole. #42x jumped out to take the lead on the first lap with Trey Almand at the wheel (hometown not listed), and didn't look back for all six laps, taking the win. The last lap did see the #9 of Gary Miller from Englewood get into the back of 42x with #9 ending up in the turn four wall causing some heavy front end damage to the car. After the restart it was a green/white last lap dash. Second place was taken by the #11 of Robert Hendry from North Fort Myers and a third place finish by the #10 of Mark Regner also from North Fort Myers. The second Road Warrior heat race had fourteen cars for six more laps. The pole was held by Bob Williams of Naples in his #M00 car. The first three laps had these guys racing three wide for some fender banging and paint swapping. They showed some great driving when a car spun around right in front of a large pack of hard charging cars when one car spun out and got back under way but the caution came out before he did. The spin was right in front of a large pack of hard charging cars. Everyone got around him without touching him. I didn't get the car # that spun out, but I bet he was glad nobody ran into him. That was a close call. Williams took his #M00 on for the win with #27 of Terry Price from Port Charlotte in second, and third was taken by the #73 of Del Beckner Naples.
The Cat Country Limited Late Models heat races had six cars and six laps for the first race and eight cars for six more laps in the second race. Both races were run clean and green for these guys. The #80x of Jackie Smith Punta Gorda started on the pole of the first race and ended up in second place with James DuBose from Arcadia in #67 first and the #81 of Chuck Sweet from Port Charlotte in third. The second heat race had the #51 of Richie Anderson from North Fort Myers on the pole. He held off #1 John Jackson from Ellenton who took second, and #64 Chris Libak from Fort Myers who took third, #51 Anderson took first.
Hendry's Mango Maniacs Cowboy Cadillacs had eight trucks for one eight lap heat race with Gene Pack Jr. from grove City in the #2 truck on the pole. Pack had the hard racing Cheryl Weaver from Port Charlotte in her #37 truck right out his back window for all eight laps. They finished first and second with Don VanAcker from Punta Gorda coming in third place in his #33.
Shirley's Bookkeeping Rebel Road Warriors twenty-lap feature race had eight cars starting with the #77 of Dennis Hale on the pole. By lap four, Wayne Wilson in #88 tried to take the lead from Conrad Molter in #55 but couldn't make it work. All the while, the #3S of Stuart Van Devender was sneaking up behind them and took over the lead for a few laps until Conrad came back around him for another run up front on lap twelve. #9S driven by Taz Sidock ended up going to the back of the pack for making contact with #3 Van Devender in turn one on lap sixteen causing him to spin. Conrad stayed out front in the #55 on the restart and held off the #3S of Van Devender to take the win. Dennis Hale stayed in third place in his #77.
The Florida Dwarf Car Federation Inc. twenty-five lap feature started with #68 and Brian Paradis on the pole. By lap seven Paradis and the #11 of Michel Fortin were running up on lapped traffic with #06 Bob Quick and #40 Alain Paradis in and in hot pursuit. Everybody cleared the lapped cars alright, but on lap nine the caution came out for a blown engine on the #6 of Andre Gagnon bringing out the all volunteer broom crew for a work out. Prompt Towing had to bring the car back to the pits. After the restart the racing was hot and steady until lap fourteen when #11 Fortin took the lead from #68 Paradis using the lapped traffic. Again these small, but very fast race cars had a good run going until lap twenty four when the caution came out for a last lap shoot out that had the #11 Fortin bog down enough to let #68 Paradis take the win. #06 Gagnon took second with #11 Fortin holding on for third.
Lee's Auto Repair Road Warriors twenty lap-feature race had twenty six cars lined up for the start. The #2 car of Lonnie Retherford had the point. Before the first lap was completed they had a seven car pile up going into turn one. Several of the cars had to go to the pits for some quick repairs but most were able to return for the restart. Once they got realigned and the green flag started flying, the pole sitter lost a right front tire in turn two bringing out another caution. After the restart four laps on, Bob Williams in #M00 took the lead. #68H John Hanuschik spun around in turns three and four leaving #52 Donna Connolly of Lehigh Acres no where to go. Connolly ended up hitting Hanuschik head on. Both drivers were alright, but it was a hard hit. #27 Terry Price and #28 Joe Bosey fought hard for second place with the #28 holding on to it. #27 took third while M00 Bob Williams held on to first place for the win.
The Lee's Auto Detail & Transmission Pure Stock feature started with #3 Loren Rosenthal on the pole. #49 Christine Gibson took the lead on lap two with #71 Scott Moran moving to second. It was green flag racing for the twenty four of the twenty five laps of this race until on lap twenty four, #99 Mark Collins spun around in turn four bringing out the caution. #49 Gibson held on to take the win but was disqualified in tech leaving #71 Moran in the official first place. #38 Joe Reese took second followed by #91 Kay Jackson took third.
The Cat Country 107.1 Limited Late Model feature started with #80X Jackie Smith on the pole for their fifty lap race. #67 James DuBose took the lead on lap twelve, but broke a rear end on lap twenty three, ending his night. #81 Chuck Sweet moved into second on lap twelve and was in the top spot after #67 suffered his breakdown, with the #1 car of John Jackson right behind him in second. Lap forty eight saw the #1 and #81 come together coming out of turn four, with both of them ending up back in the pits for the night. With only two laps to go in the race, #4 Randy Fox found himself in the lead with #7 Rusty Hillman in second. Both were able to hold their positions. #59 John Garrett came in third.
The Hendry's Mango Maniacs Cowboy Cadillacs twenty lap feature began with #2Gene Pack Jr. on the pole. #2 Pack was still out in front on lap nine when #24 Justin Bryant and #44 Raymond Tucker Jr. got together in turn three bringing out a caution. #44 Tucker ended up finished for the night. By lap seventeen, #24 Bryant pushed past the #33 Don VanAcker to move into third. #2 Pack held on for the win followed by #37 Cheryl Weaver in second and #24 Bryant in third.
Pure Stocks Make Up from 4-28-2001
31X Elbert Butts
99 Mark Collins
91 Kay Jackson
16 Wally Smith
6 Kevin Utter
2 David Fischer
91X John Plakiotis
10 Eric Smith
18 Ray Jayne
39 Fred Kight
67 Jon Basquin
13 Randy Miller
22 Kevin Murphy
38 Joe Reese
19 Greg Anderson
21 Jeff Padilla
87 Eric Schank
71 Scott Moran Did not start
49 Christine Gibson Did not Start
3 Loren Rosenthal Did not start
11 Doug Spitzer Did not start
Limited Late Models
4 Randy Fox
7 Rusty Hillman
59 John Garrett
62 Buzz Martin
64 Chris Libak
77 Mike Bailey
35 Tommy Younkman
80X Jack Smith
81 Chuck Sweet
1 John Jackson
51 Richie Anderson
36X Al Fradette
43 Glenn Morris
67 James DuBose
Pure Stocks
71 Scott Moran
38 Joe Reese
91 Kay Jackson
19 Greg Anderson
11 Doug Spitzer
3 Loren Rosenthal
31X Elbert Butts
16 Wally Smith
2 David Fischer
6 Kevin Utter
10 Eric Smith
99 Mark Collins
91X John Plakiotis
39 Fred Kight
13 Randy Miller
67 Jon Basquin
18 Ray Jayne
22 Kevin Murphy Did not start
49 Christine Gibson Disqualified in Tech for wrong heads
Road Warriors
Moo Bob Williams
28 Joe Bossey
27 Terry Price
42X Trey Almand
31 Scott Barnes
82 Billy Lentz
21 Andy Wood
29 Derek Ficarra
7 Jonathan Abraham
4 Bruce Allen
1 Jesse Gargus
81 Jim Bachmann
63 Gerald Bates
10 Mark Regner
73 Del Beckner
54 Paul Lion
35 Ron Dushek, Jr.
11 Robert Hendry
2 Lonnie Retherford
61 Chris Onken
68H John Hanuschik
52 Donna Connolly
18 Shane Leonard
68 Al Weeling
9 Gary Miller
3C Mike Collins
Rebel Road Warriors
55 Conrad Molter
3 Stuart Van Devender
77 Dennis Hale
9S Taz Sidock
36 Steve Schroeder
88 Wayne Wilson
74 Chuck Stevens
6 Henry Ferguson
Cowboy Cadillacs
2 Gene Pack, Jr.
37 Cheryl Weaver
24 Justin Bryant
46 Buck Wilson
33 Don Van Acker
73 David Weaver, Jr.
44 Raymond Tucker, Jr.
08 Eddie Allen
Florida Dwarf Cars
68 Brian Paradis
06 Bob Quick
11 Michel Fortin
40 Alain Paradis
22 Mark Landis
27 Alan Cote
18 Dennis Deihl
2 Phil Krauthoff
72 Yves Langlois
02 Marc-Andre Gagnon
8 Stan Hope
5 George Landis
24 Mark David
49 Rick McFarland
Moo Bill Moody
12 Francois Gagnon
88 Mike Landis
99 Jason Zyla
1 J Sorry No Name
6 Andre Gagnon
85 Roger Wolfe
92 Tim McLeod
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