TBARA Winged Sprints Opens Citrus County Speedway 48th Season
by Larry MacMillan (Inverness, FL. 2/8/03) Thirty TBARA Sprints Cars faced a cold, cold night but came ready to race for the 48th season opener at Citrus County Speedway Saturday night. Wayne Reutimann, Keith Butler and Wayne Reutimann, Jr. with five other drivers from each heat took the first 18 starting spots for the 35-lap feature race in the first of a four race series over the next week. Aubrey Black from Lookout Mountain, Ga. took the win in the B Main that rounded out the top six and a spot in the 24 car-starting field for the main. Doug Heveron totaled his ride in the third heat when he got into a three wide run coming off the expanded turn four, eating the wall and fortunately walked away from the wreck that definitely rang his bell.
Wayne Reutimann Sr. won the pole with Stan Butler taking the outside pole position. When the green flew. Butler brought out the first of several caution flags with a spin in lap two sending him to the rear for the restart. Reutimann Sr. took his 750 horsepower hot rod to the front and stayed there all night long, losing the position to Keith Butler on two occasions only to get it back when cautions came out to negate the lap that didn´t get finished. A total of seven cautions and a lengthily red flag stop slowed the race, which took an hour to run. Fifteen of 24 cars finished the race with Wayne Reutimann Sr. taking the flag to flag win followed by Keith Butler, Wayne Reutimann Jr., hard Charger Doug Berryman from Freemont, Ohio moving from 12th to fourth. Shane Butler locked up fifth from his 9th starting spot followed by Bo Hartley, Kevin Feeney, David Steele, Dude Teate who recovered from a wreck in the second heat and Jeremy Dickerson from Mansfield, Ohio to round out the top ten.
The TBARA Sprinters move on to New Smyrna for a Sunday and Monday night race and then on to DeSoto Speedway next Saturday to wrap up their four race series for Speedweeks.
Five of the regular six divisions opened up their points season on the Saturday night race card in first of 35 races for the 2003 season. Hobby Stocks kicked off the action with two time champions Richie Smith wasting no time showing the 20-car field that he is going to be the man to beat again this year. Smith came from the middle of the pack in three laps to lead the final 17 for his first win on the season and picking up 10 bonus points for holding the lead and leading the most laps under the new points agenda. Curtis Neumann followed him to the checkered flag with Curtis Youmans holding out for third, followed by Roy Perkins and Alvin Williamson. Heat Winners were Wes Wilson and Roy Perkins.
Ernie Reed flexed his horsepower over a fifteen car Street Stock field with Danny Cretty in hot pursuit in both the heat and 20-lap feature. Mickey Burns held out for third over second heat winner Joe Viverito. Owen Leigh moved from the rear of the pack to take fifth.
Chris Hooker took a last turn run at 19 lap leader Rob Wheatley for his first Mini Stock win ever. Wheatley had to settle for second over Chris Thornton, Tom Giddings and Rick Partridge. Heat wins went to Tom Giddings and Phillip Joyner.
Mike Veltman put in his bid for his fourth consecutive Sportsman Championship with his first win of the season outrunning Bill Oestricher, rookie Mike Bell, Johnny Gann and Bill Ryan. Veltman and Oestreicher took the heat wins.
Fifteen Thunder Stocks got an early start to the 2003 season. Roy Blotz brought his new Camaro out of the middle of the pack to take his first points race of the season after winning in the Winter Spectacular in January. Louie Cioe diced with him for the lead and settled for second in the final two laps. Lee Keller survived being sent to the rear of the pack to come back for a third place finish over Jimmy Nash and John Donahue. Heat wins went to Shawn Conner and Tim Wilson.
Week two of the 2003 season will feature the Pro Modifieds plus the Sportsman, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Thunder Stocks.
