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| Hager Pulls Off Modified Upset at Putnam | by Jon Harney
SATSUMA, FL (8/25) - Last Saturday night's 25-lap Modified feature at Putnam County Speedway will have local race fans buzzing for weeks. The race ran caution-free and a new driver emerged victorious. Garry Flynn led the early going but lost the lead when Robbie Hager threaded the needle between Flynn and a backmarker on the seventh lap. Marion Sizemore established himself in second shortly after and found himself well behind the leader. As the duo negotiated heavy lapped traffic, Hager maintained his lead until lap 20. Sizemore threw his best moves at Hager, but couldn't get an edge. The duo made contact on the last lap coming out of turn two. Hager fishtailed down the back straight and managed to regain control. Sizemore made a very sportsmanlike gesture as he allowed Hager to collect his car before resuming his challenge. Hager won by just a car length at the checkers. This was Hager's second outing in the Haseleu's #5 and the duo will be a major factor in the weeks to come. The crowd wildly applauded Hager's win as well as Sizemore's sense of fair play. The remainder of the top five was Robby Barris, John Gamble, and Garry Flynn.
The Hobby Stock division is Putnam's motorized version of the WWF. Nineteen cars started the cage match, er, race with polesitter Mike Scranton taking the early lead. David Miller was also in contention and swapped the lead with Scranton throughout the event. The Hobbies maintained their reputation for hard racing as they bopped and banged for every position. Miller's car caught fire on lap 18 which forced a red flag. Miller quickly rolled out of his car and was fine but his bid was over. Scranton drove his car to the pits during the red which brought him an automatic disqualification. Ronnie Soltis, who started dead last, inherited the lead and led the final two laps to victory. George Richards had a solid run and posted his year-high finish in second. Chip Owen was third followed by Shannon McConnell and Dave Dowling Jr.
Ken Durham had things his way in the Pure Stock feature until a lapped car KO'd his Camaro at the halfway point. L. J. Klemons was the benefactor of Durham's misfortune and looked to have the race in hand when he lost control on lap 18. Floyd Martin Jr. saw his steady improvement rewarded as he ran off with the win. David Miller Jr. recovered from last week's crash well enough to pilot a different car to the second spot. Klemons recovered to finish third ahdad of Grady Lundquist and Chip Owen.
Toby Sims and Kenny Hall each led exactly half of the Street Stock main. Fortunately for Hall, he led the half that counted and earned his second consecutive win. Sims and Shane Williams put on the best battle of the race as the duo ran door-to-door down for numerous laps to the checkers with Sims besting Williams for second. Ronnie Soltis followed up his Hobby Stock win with a solid fourth in George Flanders' Monte Carlo and Richard Adams rounded out the top five.
J. O. Nobles left no doubt who the prime mover in the Limited Late Models is as he led from green to checkers in a caution-infested 25-lapper. Marion Sizemore kept up with Nobles for the first few laps, but had nothing for the leader as the race wore on. He was, however, the best of the rest as he finished a comfortable second. Chris Vogel had another podium finish in third. Bill Kopka finished fourth and held on to his division points lead. Raymond Larsen was fifth.
Honda finished one-two in the Mini Stock feature as the Preludes of Colt Taylor and Mike Gibbs were much too strong. Both easily broke away from the pack and ran nose to tail. Taylor led every lap, but not without a fight from Gibbs. Taylor took his second feature in four starts with Gibbs close behind. Stanton Mills finished a distant third, Don Strosahl Jr. drove his Celica home fourth while sporting a cast on a broken arm and Karla Phipps came home fifth.
Racing returns next Saturday night with all six regular divisions. Grandstand gates open at 5 PM and racing starts at 7 PM. The weekend of September 14-15 will be a double points and double purse weekend. Practice and heats will run on September 14 and features will run on September 15.
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