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| DeSoto Mod-Mini's goes to Warram | by Ken Willis
Jeanne Whitted of Sarasota struck a blow for women in stock car racing Saturday night at DeSoto Speedway. Whitted drove patiently and fast and collected her second win of the season in the Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Stock Mini feature event. "I did get a little loose coming out of turn two," Whitted said. "But I gathered it back up." Whitted ran second behind hard charging Arlin Pope of Bradenton until car trouble forced Pope to the infield. Whitted took the lead and never looked back. "I feel bad for Arlin," she said. "But I'd like to thank everyone for rooting me on." Whitted win didn't come without pressure. A near dormant Jon Bailey of St. Petersburg came alive and roared to second place in the event. "It was a good race," Bailey said. "I want to thanks everyone that helps us out, and especially the fans for coming out. I hope you all enjoyed the races." And another local driver, Greg Krom of Sarasota, took third place in the 18 car field.
In other races: Ben Kelly of North Port roared to the winners circle in the Comcast Street Stock for his second win of the season. "that's the loosest car I've ever driven," Kelly said. "I didn't know if I was going to make to the end of the race. But I put a new wheel on it and replaced a wheel cyclinder and said I gotta make it work. It did. I'd like to thank my wife Janet for puttign up with me and this race car. She wants a kid but I said Honey i got a car." Rich Clouser of Grant placed second in the feature and Sue Purington of Nokomis took third place.
In the Callaghan tire Open Wheel Modifieds Teddy Nelson of Pinellas Park blazed to the winners circle for his first win in weeks. "I'd like to dedicate this race to the Woodcock family," Nelson said. "We became friends over the past couple of years and our hearts go out to Ronnie Jr and his family." J.R. Wade of Tampa placed second and D.J. Hoelzle of Dunedin took third place.
It took lead swaps and a bit of bumping and grinding before Jimmy Warram of Punta Gorda collected the win in the Manatee Lumber Modified Minis. "We started out pretty rough," Warram said. "We had to fight it all the way to the end but we had enough to get in there." Frank Welch of N. Ft. Myers took second place and Tony Elrod Jr of Lakeland took third place.
John Rosploch of Sarasota roared to the win in the DeSoto Speedway TQ Midgets exhibition race. "I was actually worried about my teram mate, Murray Hell," Rosploch said. "He's the one that usually gives me a problem. This car was runnign rough and I expected Murray to come flying by. I really appreciate everyone coming out." Rod Anderson of Tampa placed second and hard charging Ted Durfee of Bradenton took third place.
Mark Gill of Bradenton continued his winning ways in the Pure Stock. Gill took the checkered flag with Paul Huffstutler of Bradenton in second and Joe Wengerd of Sarasota taking third place.
TOP TEN: CALLAGHAN TIRE OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED:
1. #34 Teddy Nelson, Pinellas Park;
2. #2 J.R. Wade, Tampa;
3. #8 D.J. Hoelzle, Dunedin;
4. #67 Rocco Rannallo, Bradenton;
5. #60 Pat Nanney, Bradenton;
6. #22 Caleb Reschar, Palmetto;
7. #3 Barry Carlson, Largo.
COMCAST STREET STOCK: 1. #9 Ben Kelly, North Port;
2. #8 Rich Clouser, Grant;
3. #8 Sue Purington, Nokomis;
4. #42 Dennis Wilson Jr, Bradenton;
5. #77 Scott Woodland, Bradenton;
6. #12 Dan Hall, Sarasota;
7. #69 Chet Roberts;
8. #95 Clint Roberts, Duette;
9. #47 Bruce Ahlers, Bradenton;
10. #05 Bruce Sherwood, Bradenton.
PURE STOCK:
1. #54 Mark Gill, Bradenton;
2. #74 Paul Huffstutler, Bradenton;
3. #30 Joe Wengerd, Sarasota;
4. #00 Jody Collins;
5. #20 Greg Banach, Bradenton;
6. #52 John Clouser;
7. #16 Jason Esposito;
8. #4 Bob Petrilli, Sarasota;
9. #67 David Yahraus, Sarasota;
10. #52t Keith Thorbin.
MANATEE LUMBER MODIFIED MINI: 1. #82 Jimmy Warram, Punta Gorda;
2. #96 Frank Welch, N. Ft. Myers;
3. #70 Tony Elrod Jr, Lakeland;
4. #05 Rick Sirmans, Pinellas Park;
5. #57 Travis Kuykendall, Punta Gorda;
6. #7 Steve Martin, Pinellas Park;
7. #95 Clay Joseph, Bradenton;
8. #11 Charlie Brown;
9. #86 Lance Klass.
Q AUTO & INJURY ATTORNEYS MINI STOCK: 1. #9 Jeanne Whitted, Sarasota; 2. #14 Jon Bailey, St. Petersburg;
3. #35 Greg Krom, Sarasota;
4. #6 Mark Picklesimer, Bradenton;
5. #81 Neil Martin, Palmetto;
6. #22 Shane Whitbeck, Sarasota;
7. #34 Eric Anderson, Bradenton;
8. #23 Mike Gayle, Sarasota;
9. #05 John Wilson, Sarasota; 1
0. #70 Tony Elrod Jr, Lakeland.
DESOTO SPEEDWAY TQ MIDGETS: 1. #25 John Rosploch, Sarasota;
2. #16 Rod Anderson, Tampa;
3. #4 Ted Durfee, Bradenton;
4. #3 Jack Duffy, Sarasota;
5. #15 Murray Hall, Bradenton;
6. #24 Dick Stolec, Hudson.
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