|
| Bresnahan Restarts Citrus Season With Sunbelt 125 Win | by Larry MacMillan
Citrus County Speedway reopened their 47th season with a bang Saturday night after a three-week hiatus for the Citrus County Fair. For the second time in a row, one hundred fifty one racecars jammed the pits for the Crystal Motor Car Co Sunbelt Series 125. Thirty of the car count was there to try and conquer the new 3/8th mile layout and win the big money in the Sunbelt Series Late Model second race of the season.
Time trials saw some of Floridas biggest names in short track racing break into the 13-second bracket in qualifying. Mike Bresnahan, the young man who broke into racing at Citrus not too many years ago proved that he knows the shortest way around the new layout by winning fast qualifying with 13.735 second run followed up closely by the king of the short tracks in Florida, Dick Anderson with a 13.793 and son Wayne Anderson qualified third with a 13.850. Bresnahan drew the zero pill and won the pole starting position with the balance of the field lining up according to the qualifying time.
When the green flag flew, Dick Anderson won the drag race into turn one only to see a caution come out before the completion of the lap, necessitating a complete restart. On the second drop of the green, Bresnahan was on the throttle hard to outrun Anderson to the turn and set the pace for the entire 125 laps. Despite numerous cautions for minor accidents on the track, Anderson couldnt catch Mike and congratulated the young up and coming racer for his ability and foresees bigger and better things in his racing future.
James Powell managed to advance from his tenth starting spot to pass Wayne Anderson in the race for third. Lee Faulk came from 11th to round out the top five. The next five were Jonny Kay, Mike Franklin, Ricky Carlton, Scotty Crockett and David Rogers.
Four other divisions raced in 30 lap features and the Thunder Stocks split their 37-car field into two 20-lap features to the full house of race fans. Bill Oestreicher out powered defending Sportsman Champion Mike Veltman to the checkers with Chris Hooker celebrating his birthday with a third place finish.
Scott Hendrickson launched his Street Stock off the outside pole position and never looked back for his first win of the season. Point leader Danny Cretty drove from his 13th starting spot to finish second over 12th starter Mike Bell. James Green Jr. moved from 16th to finish fourth over Travis Nichols.
Kevin Harrod moved from 12th to the winners circle for his second Mini Stock win of the early season. Rob Wheatley gave him a run for his money all the way but had to settle for second over Robbie Yoakam who started dead last in the 25-car field. Steve Griffin and Phillip Joyner balanced out the top five.
Tommy Smith is establishing his reputation as his brother did last year taking his third of four features for the Hobby Stock division early start to the season. Smith started 16th and worked his way to the front to set the pace for the final 10 laps over the 23 car field. Rookie Joe Rauner is showing he will be a contender out dueling Dustin Aaron, Tim Whitehead and Roy Perkins for the top five positions.
Tim Wilson made it through tech this time to lock in his first Thunder Stock feature win. Stuart Madison was on his rear bumper at the checkers, with Rick Badessa, Ron Stone and Todd Downs rounding out the top five in the first of two 20-lap features.
Tenth starter Josh Teague has his racer dialed in to work the outside groove proving that the shortest way around isnt necessarily the fastest, scoring his second win of the season. Lee Keller made a late charge at Teague but had to settle for second over Robert Jordan, Glenn Gordon and Jason White.
Next week will see a full race card featuring the Sportsman in a 40 lap, $1000 to win special. The regular Late Models are back along with heat and feature action from the Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks and Thunder Stocks.
Citrus County Speedway Results 3/30/02 Late Model Crystal Motor Car Co. Sunbelt 125 30 Cars
CRYSTAL MOTOR CAR CO. SUNBELT 125 RESULTS 3/30/02 30 Cars Started
1. # 3 Mike Bresnahan Homosassa
2. #174 Dick Anderson Wildwood
3. #37 James Powell Astor
4. #19 Wayne Anderson Wildwood
5. #25 Lee Faulk White Springs
6. #77 Jonny Kay Deerfieled Beach
7. #137 Mike Franklin Homestead
8. #34 Ricky Carlton Homosassa
9. #72 Scotty Crocket Land O Lakes
10.#11 David Rogers Orlando
11.#09 Scott Grossenbacher San Antonio
12.#14 Aric Almirola Tampa
13.#22 David Froehlick Loxahatchee
14.#5x Daniel Keene Land O Lakes
15.#54 Kevin Ingram Auburndale
16.#74 Barry Willoughby Port. St. Lucie
17.#16 Bruce Lawrence Sorento
18.#16k Tommy King Bartow
19.#40 Michael Williams Mims
20.#22x Herb Hoefler Floral City
21.#96 Danny Johnson Crystal River
22.# 6 Mac Johnson Newberry
23.#98 Herb Neumann Jr. Inverness
24.#13 Tom Haselmayer Brooksville
25.#91 Al Lawrence Hudson
26.#116 Bruce Lawrence II Sorento
27.#52 Mike Moore Brooksville
28.##81 Tate Pierce Wesley Chapel
29.#74x Jay Middleton Lake City 3
0.#54x Kevin Bryant
Dade City Fast Qualifier Mike Bresnahan 13.735 secs. Second Fast Qaulifier Dick Anderson 13.793 secs
Sportsman Feature 30 Laps 15 Cars
1. # 0 Bill Oestreicher Webster 2. #55 Mike Veltman Crystal Ricker 3. # 3 Chris Hooker Inverness 4. # 2 Jimmy Thompson Pinellas Park 5. # 7 Mark Dominique
Lecanto Street Stock Feature 30 Laps 23 Cars
1. #21 Scott Hendrickson Inverness 2. #01 Danny Cretty Dunnellon 3. #17 Mike Bell Brooksville 4. #53 James Green Inverness 5. # 2 Travis Nichols
Inverness Mini Stock Feature 30 Laps 25 Cars
1. #24 Kevin Harrod Bushnell 2. #88 Rob Wheatley Inverness 3. #8x Robbie Yoakam Hernando 4. #21 Steve Griffin Ocala 5. #86 Phillip Joyner
Inverness Hobby Stock Feature 30 Laps 23 Cars
1. #21 Tommy Smith Floral City 2. #14 Joe Rauner Brooksville 3. #98 Dustin Aaron Brooksville 4. #35 Tim Whitehead Floral City 5. #07 Roy Perkins
Inverness Thunder Stock 1st Feature 20 Laps -17 Cars
1. #85 Tim Wilson Floral City 2. #2 Stuart Madison Inverness 3. #88 Rick Badessa 4. #16 Ron Stone 5. #27 Todd Downs
Thunder Stock 2nd Feature 20 Laps 18 Cars
1. #20 Josh Teague Clearwater 2. #21 Lee Keller 3. #28 Robert Jordan 4. #63 Glen Gordon 5, # 8 Jason White
Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board!
news@karnac.orgor send a letter to the editor!
|
