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| Richie Smith Big Winner in 40 Lap Hobby Stock Feature at Citrus County | By Larry MacMillan
Mini Stocks and Hobby Stocks put on quite
a show in their 40 lap specials Saturday night at Citrus
County Speedway. Late Models, Sportsman, Street Stocks,
and Thunder Stocks ran regular 20 lap main events and
qualifying heats and the outcome produced to four new
first time winners for the season. Time trials were
delayed by about 20 minutes by a short rain shower but
twenty-two Mini Stocks and 28 Hobby Stocks qualified in
45 minutes.
Inverting the top 20 Hobby Stocks qualifiers proved that
there is lots of passing on the new track set up and saw
fast qualifier Tommy Smith and brother Richie racing each
other for the win in lap 33 when Tommy blew a tire that
took him out of the running and put the defending Hobby
Stock Champion Richie Smith in Victory Lane for the $500
win purse. Brandon Johnson came from 16th to finsh second
just ahead of Tim Whitehead who started eighteenth. Last
week's first time winner Daniel Webster moved from 17th
to fourth at the checkers and Dean Lawyer held out for
fifth.
Robbie Yoakam turned up the heat in the Mini Stock
qualifying and was fast qualifier over the 22 car field.
When the pill was pulled they inverted the top 18 and
Robbie charged through the traffic and picked up the
point by lap 30 of the 40 lap main event and logged his
third win of the year, keeping him in the point lead for
the third week in a row. First time racer at Citrus, Tom
Zimmerman, started ninth and showed some muscle for
his second place finish followed by Steve Griffin, Kevin
Harrod and pole sitter Ron Bartley.
Twenty-two Late Models took the green flag for their 30
lap event with Jim Smith, Herb Neumann Jr. and Billy
Bechtelheimer taking the wins in the three heat races.
Dale Sanders started on the outside pole and was
pressured for the next 20 laps by polesitter Billy
Bechtelheimer before Billy's tires started giving out.
Going into the final ten laps Bechtelheimer raced Rex
Struble for second and then Daniel Keene Jr. joined the
mix. When the checkers flew it was Dale Sanders taking
his first trip of the season to Victory Lane. Rex Struble
and Daniel Keene Jr. battled right to the flag for 2nd
and 3rd respectively.
Bechtelheimer slipped back to fourth just ahead of point
leader Mike Bresnahan who was looking to take his third
feature win in a row.
Outside polesitter Terry Cater won the drag race with
George Neumann to turn one when the green flag flew in the
20-lap Sportsman feature. They diced for the lead for
the first five laps when Neumann took the lead for one
lap and then lost it again two laps later to Cater who
went on to take his first win of the season. Neumann held
out for second while Tate Pierce snatched third from Bill
Oestreicher in lap 18. Mark Dominique picked up fifth just
ahead of point leader Mike Veltman. Neumann and Pierce
took the heat wins.
Mike Bell logged his first win of the Street Stock season
after a disappointing DNF last week and came out of his 9th
starting spot like a man on a mission to finally make it
to the checkers first. Pole sitter Ernie Reed held on to
second at the finish line being pressured by Kathy Ray
right to the flag. Dwayne Fultz had his best finish of
the season, outrunning James Green Jr. in the run for
fourth. Heat winners were Reed and Bell.
Thirty one Thunder Stocks necessitated two 20 laps
features and Josh Teague proved he is the man to beat with
his fourth win of the season. Robin Bauer fought off
multiple challenges for her second place finish over
Gary Johnson, Terry Sharrone and Victor Shahid Jr.
Bauer also won her first heat of the season.
Fifteen cars were in the second feature with Jeff Teague
coming off the pole and setting the pace all the way
to the checkers after winning his heat race. Apparent
second place finisher Glenn Gordon lost the spot in tech
inspection leaving Ron Stone, Lee Keller, Dale Shelton
and Todd Downs moving up the ladder to round out the top
five.
Next week, 30 plus Late Models will qualify in Time Trials
for starting positions in the first of four Crystal Motor
Car Company Late Model 125's for $5000 to win. Added to
the program are the Sportsman, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks,
Hobby Stocks and Thunder Stocks.
Results:
Late Model Feature - 30 laps - 22 cars
1. #1 Dale Sanders Lecanto
2. #3 Rex Struble Homosassa
3. #5k Daniel Keene, Jr. Land O Lakes
4. #6 Billy Bechtelheimer Dover
5. #3x Mike Bresnahan Homosassa
1st Heat Winner - #9 Jim Smith Inverness
2nd Heat Winner - #98 Herb Neumann Jr. - Inverness
3rd Heat Winner - #6 Billy Bechtelheimer - Dover
Sportsman Feature - 20 Laps - 12 Cars
1. #1 Terry Cater - Inverness
2. #96 George Neumann - Inverness
3. #81 Tate Pierce -
4. #0 Bill Oestreicher - Webster
5. #7 Mark Dominique - Lecanto
lst Heat Winner #96 George Neumann - Inverness
2nd Heat Winner - #81 Tate Pierce
Street Stock Feature - 20 laps - 19 cars
1. #17 Mike Bell - Brooksville
2. #55 Ernie Reed - Crystal River
3. #63 Kathy Ray - Floral City
4. #00 Dwayne Fultz - Hernando
5. #63 James Green Jr. - Inverness
lst Heat Winner - #55 Ernie Reed - Crystal River
2nd Heat Winner - #17 Mike Bell - Brooksville
Mini Stock Feature - 40 laps - 22 cars
1. #8x Robbie Yoakam - Hernando
2. #55 Tom Zimmerman - Pinellas Park
3. #3 Steve Griffin - Ocala
4. #34 Kevin Harrod - Bushnell
5. #6x Ron Bartley - Bushness
Fast Qualifier - #8x Robbie Yoakam - 15.302 seconds
Hobby Stock Feature - 40 laps - 28 cars
1. #42 Richie Smith - Hernando
2. #88 Brandon Johnson - Inverness
3. #35 Tim Whitehead - Floral City
4. #l Daniel Webster Brooksville
5. #19 Dean Lawyer - Beverly Hills
Fast Qualifier - #21 Tommy Smith - 16.810 seconds
Thunder Stock Feature 1 - 20 laps - 16 cars
1. #20 Josh Teague
2. #97 Robin Bauer
3. #40 Gary Johnson
4. #36 Terry Sharrone
5. #8x Victor Shahid
Thunder Stock Feature 2 - 20 laps - 15 cars
1. #2x Jeff Teague
2. #63 Glenn Gordon
3. #16 Ron Stone
4. #21 Lee Keller
5. #51 Dale Shelton
lst Heat Winner - #85 Tim Wilson
2nd Heat Winner - #2x Jeff Teague
3rd Heat Winner - #97 Robin Bauer
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