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| Masciarelli Champ After DQ - Butler Tops Sprints on Wild Night at Ocala | by Dave Westerman
Ocala Speedway brought the curtain down on Saturday
night racing with a little bit of everything...rain
(and lots of it), a close points race decided in
tech, another points leader sweating it out in the
pits after crashing early in his race, a first time
winner, and a young sprint car hotshoe that is
definiately dialed in to the tricky Ocala asphalt.
At first, it looked like there might not be any
racing at all. Heavy rains the day before combined
with more steady afternoon showers had track
officials laboring to plug up several leaks between
the wall and track surface in turn two.
The persistent problem was finally contained by an
equally persistent track crew and racing family
began in front of a very cooperative crowd almost
three hours late. "A month ago, we'd be home
watching TV right now," commented one fan from her
seat in the stands. "I like the way the new people
running the track do things. They know the drivers
are here to race and that the fans are here to watch
a race and don't care if it starts late, just as long
as we race," she said.
First on the track were the Ford of Ocala Pure Stocks
and this one would set the tone for an interesting
evening as Bobby Carter, driving the only Ford in
the field, led msot of the way to score his first
win.
Mike Fiddia did all he could to unseat Carter from
the top spot, but Carter kept his "Big Blue" Torino
out front to the checker then nearly flattened the
roof of the car dancing on it in victory lane.
Fiddia held off J.T. Schimborski for second while
DarrenDukes crossed the line in fourth and was
crowned Pure Stock Champion. Michael Rosa was
fifth followed by Rick Hart, Paul Fletcher, Rick
Bass, and Bobby Valeo.
Just four points separated Bob Masciarelli and Pete
Close, Jr. going into the final Saturday night of
racing in the Steven A. Bagen Sportsman class and
the two drivers would start from the front row in
their quest for the crown.
It wasn't Masciarelli's night as he got hung out
on the initial start, then got caught up in a
tangle that forced hsi car pitside for the
remainder of the event.
Close fended off the challenges of Kenny Abney to
take the win and an apparent points title until
third finishing Tom Posavec told track officials
he had the money in hand for a complete teardown
of Close's machine.
Close's Camaro was found illegal in tech thus
handing the evening's win to Abney and the points
championship to a stunned Masciarelli.
Posavec moved up to second after the disqualification
with William Edwards third ahead of Big John Smith
and Frank Buchanan. Michael Mennenga, Gary Wayne
Crouthamel, Jim Higginbothan, Masciarelli, and
Jeremy Finegan rounded out the top ten.
The large crowd on hand was treated to a dazzling
performance by the TBARA Winged Outlaw Sprint Cars.
Due to the lateness of the hour, the Sprints were
the only class to run heats. Paul Madden looked
strong in winning his 8-lapper while Shane Butler
blasted through the field to claim heat two making
both drivers eligible for the $300 Barfield Gift
Fruit "Clean-Sweap" award put up by Lee and Jeff
Barfield to any driver who can win both his heat and
feature.
Rookie Scotty Adema, who spent a good amount of time
during the rain delay chatting with fans in the stands
and signing autographs, grabbed the early lead with
Madden racing him hard for the top spot.
On lap three, Madden's engine came unglued coating
much of the track with oil and forcing a lengthy
caution. At this point popular Dude Teate pulled
his sprinter to the infield with problems and was out
of the running. Keith Butler had spun in the oil
and stalled his machine, so he was put in the rear of
the field for the restart per TBARA rules.
Adema got the jump on the restart, but Jimmy Alvis had
something break on his car and it shot left across
the frontstretch collecting points leader Wayne
Reutimann, Sr. in the process. Reutimann did a
fantastic job steering his car through the wet infield
and was able to continue while Alvis retired to the
pits.
Adema had the field covered on the restart, pulling
out a big advantage as the crowd focused on the
Butler brothers as Shane was quickly headed to the
front and Keith was slicing his way back through
the field.
David Slawiak spun on lap nine to bring out the
caution allowing the now-running-second Shane Butler
to move up on Adema. Two laps later, Shane blasted
by Adema into the lead while his brother Keith
eventually worked his way to second, although by
the time he did, he was nearly a half-lap behind.
Keith Butler's charge would come to a grinding halt
on lap 21 when the driveline broke on his car with
the shaft slamming into his seat and leg. Keith was
assisted from the car but refused help from
paramedics, preferring to "walk off" his injury.
Keith would continue that walk to victory circle as
his Brother Shane easily took the win and the Barfield
bonus as well. It was Shane Butler's second
consecutive win at Ocala.
Bo Hartley had a great run grabbing second spot in
the legendary 3X car with Adema holding on for
third and Reutimann coming back from his infield
excursion to place fourth just ahead of Gary Gimmler.
Matt Mercer, David Slawiak, Bill Pettijohn, Keith
Butler, and Sonny Hartley rounded out the top ten.
All David Baxley had to do was start the Diamond H
Air and Heat Modified feature to claim the points
title. Baxley not only started but finished second
in the 15-lap main event as well. But no one would
catch Alan McCafferty on this night as he drove to
his second straight win with relative ease.
Shane Nichols had a super run to get third ahead of
Marlon Durbin and John Foerg. Troy Robinson, Mike
Wilson, and Rick Brewer completed the field.
The final run for the Thrifty Nichel Want Ads Hobby
Stocks was another barn-burner with Tommy Roberts
coming out on top for the second week in a row
following a good race with Moose Alderman. Alderman
would hold off Frank Buchanan for second with Paul
Gladdin and Jamie Dunn rounding out the top five.
Finishing sixth through tenth were Tom Fralisch,
David Danielson, Harold Edwards, Chauna Johnston,
and Paul Fletcher.
John Betts was involved in an early-race crash but
still claimed the Hobby Stock points title and was
presented a special plaque in victory lane by
Thrifty Nichel.
The calculators were put to work at the end of the
Coca-Cola Four Cylinder Bomber feature to see who
was the champion of the class. After Ric Fort
smashed the radiator of his car in a grinding crash
early in the race, he was forced to sit, watch, and
hope that A.J. Schreier would not win the feature.
When it was determined Fort had a 16th place finish
in the books, calculations showed that Schreier would
win the title by one point if he could win the race.
That would not be the case however as Rocky Bowden
led all but one lap to take the win. A late caution
would prove Schreier's undoing as he engine went sour
relegating him to a fourth place finish behind Bowden,
Dan Sanderson, and Joey Durbin. Completing the top
ten wee Mike Hillary, Richard Kuhn, Tom Ellis, Kurtis
Mitchell, Tim Burr, and Dennis Harden.
All eyes will be on Ocala Speedway this coming Friday
night with the Grand Reopening featuring the return
of the Super Late Model, and Modified Mini Stocks.
Also on the card are the Modifieds, Sportsman, Four
Cylinder Bombers, and the new Street Stock class which
will combine cars from the former Hobby and Pure Stock
divisions. Racing starts at 8 PM.
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