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| Spencer Takes Classic Win At Bronson | by Dave Westerman
It looked like a giant Easter egg in the winners circle Saturday night at Bronson Motor Speedway as Palm Harbor's Bud Spencer scored a popular win in his "Lavender Love Machine" in a race to the checker with defending CARS champion Eddie Thornton. The evening's Classic Auto Racing Series events were sponsored by Ugly Duckling Car Sales and Pete Orr's Winners Circle Racing School.
Rookie contender Patrick Sanders, driving the Pools by Jade/William Sanders Air Conditioning coupe, took his first career victory in his heat race, outrunning Spencer and Keith Roberts to earn the pole for the 25-lap feature.
Point leader Jim Rahman topped Thornton and David Nunes in the other heat and gridded fifth for the feature. Spencer wasted little time moving from the outside pole past Sanders into the lead at the drop of the green as Sanders settled into second spot ahead of E.T. McGhee with Roberts in front of Rahman in a battle for fourth.
Roberts and Rahman had the crowd buzzing as they banged bumpers on numerous occasions, with the rookie holding the '98 champion at bay. Rick Bristol looped in turn two on lap 11 just after Rahman got past Roberts to bring out the first of only two cautions in the race.
Roberts dropped from the race at this point as his engine began to misfire. The caution bunched up the field and the battle was now on for third with McGhee getting the pressure from Rahman, Thornton, Ed Yates and Dave Nunes.
On lap 15, Rahman dove low trying to pass McGhee in turn three and they touched sending McGhee into a spin. McGhee, who had spent the entire week repairing both ends of his car following a crash at Charlotte County Speedway, was placed back in third by Bronson officials while Rahman was penalized to the rear of the field. McGhee's car was never quite the same though, as Thornton, Yates, and Nunes quickly passed him on the restart.
Thornton made a quick move on Sanders for second and set sail after Spencer. Sanders was able to keep Yates at bay for a few laps but finally surrended the spot with three laps to go. By that time Yates was too far behind the two leaders to catch them. Thornton was now on Spencer's bumper and tried to pull off an inside move on the final turn, but Spencer held his line to take his first win since the 2000 season in his Palm Harbor Eagles 4408/Pletcher Racing/Holeshot Engineering sedan.
Spencer was met by a large group of kids in victory lane where one remarked "Hey, he's an old man!!." Spencer just laughed and said "Well, this old man just won the race!!." Thornton was second followed by Yates, who for the second week in a row had to make repairs from a heat race tangle and come from the rear of the starting field. Sanders was fourth, his best career feature finish, and earned Rookie of the Race honors. David Nunes rounded out the top five after a bit of banging with Rahman on the last lap. Rahman came back from his rear of the field penalty to claim sixth while McGhee, Mike Albert, George Hall III, and Harvey Ewing rounded out the top ten. Bristol was running eighth with two laps to go when a tire went down, dropping him out of the top ten. Yates' third place finish saw him regain a slim point lead over Rahman while Spencer's win vaulted him to third in points.
The Classics now have two weeks off before the next race at Orlando Speedworld on April 19th.
OFFICIAL FINISH - BRONSON MOTOR SPEEDWAY - 3/30/02:
1) Bud Spencer, Palm Harbor #7
2) Eddie Thornton, Orlando #4
3) Ed Yates, Orlando #74
4) Patrick Sanders, Winter Garden #8
5) David Nunes, Orlando #54
6) Jim Rahman, Clermont #5
7) E.T. McGhee, Deland #1
8) Mike Albert, Winter Springs #24
9) George Hall III, St. Petersburg #9
10) Harvey Ewing, Brooksville #17
11) George Hall, Jr., St. Petersburg #32
12) Rick Bristol, Orlando #2
13) Keith Roberts, Groveland #31
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