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| "Mr. Excitement" Takes the First Night Win | 
By Jane Smith
Jimmy Cope "Mr. Excitement" showed his stuff on the first night of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing as he came from fourth to take the first night's win in the Super Late Model division. The #47 of Louie Mechalides sat on the pole and held the lead until the #84 of Wayne Anderson took it away. But the #61 of Cope and the #66 of Junior Hanley were both determined to take that first night win.
Hanley tried every possible way to get Cope loose so he could slide by but nothing worked and Cope held on for the first win in night one. The top ten were: Jimmy Cope, Jr. Hanley, Wayne Anderson, Louie Mechalides, Justin Drawdy, Dan Fredrickson, Shane Sawyer, Freddie Query, Erik Darnell, and Travis Kittleson.
Tonight, the NASCAR Tour/Sk Modifieds had a caution free 25 lap green flag race. Charlie Pasteryak in the #5 sat on the pole and was able to hang on for the win in spite of the fact that Ted Christopher was behind him trying his best to shake Charlie off and out of that lead spot. But Pasteryak held on with Ted Christopher, Rob Summers,. John Blewitt III, Eric Beers, George Kent, Nevin George, Mike Fitch, JR Bertuccio and Jamie Tomaino filling out the top ten.
Jason Boyd was once again on a roll after coming off a three night win at SpeedFest at Lakeland's USA International. Jason set fast time for the Late Models but he started in sixth after the all famous pill was drawn. I spoke to Jason before the race and he was not happy about someone drawing his pill for him because he had to jump from the Late Model to the Open Wheel Modified but he said it made no difference where he started, he would win and that he did. The #63 of DeWayne Bryan sat on the pole but it was the #22 of Larry Osteen jumping to the lead and holding off Boyd's #15 and Jason Burkett's #42. In the end, Boyd made the pass and took the win for Night 1, Top ten were Jason Boyd, Larry Osteen, Jason Burkett, Don Thomson, Joey Miller, DeWayne Bryan, Mike Murphy, Jerick Johnson, Gary Artuso. and Chad Allman.
The Mini-Stocks were not so lucky on Night 1. The #US1 of David Castello blew an oil line and before the yellow flag came out for oil on the track, the lead cars had come around and hit the oil and ended up all over the frontstretch. The #2 of Corbin Gibbs faired the worse as he was towed off the track and into the pits for a lengthy repair. Tim "Missileman" McPhail sat on the pole\ but was also one of the cars involved in the frontstretch crashfest. Rick Tumey's #55 also lead at one point but it was the #96 of Frank Welch, the 2001 Florida Mini Stock Challenge Champion, that took Night 1 for the Mini-Stocks. Top ten were Frank Welch, Rick Sirmans, Matt Watts, Ron Dubeau, Rick Tumey, Pete Jacobs, Ted Vulipus Clint Foley, Mickey Thomas, and Mark Smith.
The Florida/IMCA Modifieds saw the #66 of Jerry Symons take the win in the last lap of the race over the #l of Stephen Alphansus. Wayne Parker's #v3 sat on the pole and lead until the #1 of Alphansus took the spot from Parker. Symons also comes off a three night win at Speedfest last weekend and definitely has a hot streak going for the #66. Tonight, Symons will race the Blue/Grey at Columbia Motorsports Park and return to NSS on Sunday. The top ten were Jerry Symons, Stephen Alphansus, Jason Boyd, Jon Compagnone, Wayne Parker, Mike Carroll, Bobby Blake, #89, Mark Vandevender, and Chad Poole.
Night one of the World Series of Asphalt Racing was damp, cold but also full of excitment. Seeing Jimmy Cope back in the Winner's Circle after almost a two year absence, a caution free NASCAR Tour Type/SK Modifieds race and some of the best short track drivers the U.S. has, made it all worth while. Tonight the Super Stocks will join the field and we are off to night two.
Jane Smith
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