The Sunbelt Super Late Model Series restarted the Citrus County Speedway 2003 season after a 3-week hiatus for local fair activities. Twenty-one of Florida’s best put on a stellar show that had the race starved fans feeling they got their money’s worth. Five other regular divisions restarted their run for the 2003 championship crowns.
Former Late Model champion and top money winner of special races at his home track, Mike Bresnahan set a new track record in time trials with a 13.596 fast qualifying run. That’s where skill and luck ended, pulling the nine pill for the top qualifiers putting him in the 9th starting position. Herb Neumann Jr. won the pole on the pill draw with Barry Willoughby on the outside pole. Row two had Tom Haselmayer and a hot shoe destined for ARCA competition, Wayne Anderson. Jonny Kay and Ricky Carlton made up the third row and Scott Grossenbacher and Jay Middleton rounded out the top eight with Bresnahan having to come through a lot of traffic of the 125-lap race.
Two attempts to drop the green flag for the start failed and Tom Haselmayer suffered the first trip to the pits. On the third attempt, Wayne Anderson made short work of the front three and took the point on turn four of lap one. The first of eight caution flags was brought out in lap three when Neumann and Barry Willoughby got together. The pole sitter Neumann fell way off the pace and was the third car to end the night early. Anderson set the pace for the first 118 laps with Ricky Carlton and Jonny Kay locked in his tire tracks. Mike Bresnahan moved from his ninth starting spot to fourth. A red flag brought the race to a halt when Perry Lovelady left a trail of fluid in two racing grooves all the way around the track.
On the restart, Anderson knew he had his work cut out for him with three heavy hitters behind him and lots of oil dry on the track to make the turns very slick. Lap 121 proved to be his undoing when he slipped a little on three and four, opening the door for Carlton to make a run at him, taking the lead with just four laps left to go. Carlton started his racing career at Citrus and made his return to his home track in the WRC racecar with a big win. Anderson had to settle for second after dominating most of the race with Jonny Kay holding out for third followed by Bresnahan, Jay Middleton, two former Citrus Champions Herb Hoefler and Danny Johnson, Barry Willoughby, defending Citrus Champion Rex Struble, and young gun Brock Oglesby. Thirteen cars managed to finish.
Five divisions returned to the race for their division crowns. Johnny Gann locked on to the Sportsman point in the early going and outran the fourteen car field for his first win in several years, followed by four time champion Mike Veltman who made him work for the win in the final five laps of their 20 lap main. Chris Cross, Bill Ryan and Rex Struble took the balance of the top five spots.
Travis Nichols made it two Street Stock wins in a row in his new ride in its second appearance at the fast 3/8ths mile. Daniel Webster dropped the lead to Nichols who started 14th in the line up and had to settle for second followed by Ernie Reed who had to start the night with a backup engine that had the team replacing his primary motor just before coming to the track. Mickey Burns and Danny Cretty round out the top five.
Phillip Joyner locked in his first Mini Stock win of the season making a late pass on Chris Thornton who held out for second over George Neumann in his first outing in a new racer. First timer Dan Smith and Chris Hooker finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Wes Wilson came from his 14th starting spot in the Hobby Stock 20 lap main to lead a 22-car gang to his first feature win of the season. Second year driver Curtis Neumann made several runs at Wilson but had to settle for second, just in front of two time champion Richie Smith, Dean Lawyer and Sport Wilson in the nose to tail finish.
Pat Quick has been a runner up twice out of three races but she finally saw Victory Lane after winning the Thunder Stock feature over point leader Roy Blotz and 18 other cars. Lee Keller battled with Rick Badessa and Derek DeSomma in the race for third.
Next Saturday night sees the FAST Sprints make their debut with a full slate of Sportsman, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Thunder Stocks to turn on week six of the 2003 season.
Citrus County Speedway Results 3/29/03
Sunbelt Series 125 – 21 Cars
1. #3x Rickie Carlton Homosassa
2. #84 Wayne Anderson Wildwood
3. #77 Jonny Kay Deerfield Beach
4. # 3 Mike Bresnahan Homosassa
5. #74j Jay Middleton Lake City
6. #22 Herb Hoefler Floral City
7. #96 Danny Johnson Crystal River
8. #74 Barry Willoughby Port St. Lucie
9. #69 Rex Struble Homosassa
10.#88 Brock Oglesby Ocala
11.#09 Scott Grossenbacher – San Antonio
12 # 1 Fain Skinner Live Oak
13.#37 James Powell Astor
14.#40 Michael Williams Mims
15.#68 Perry Lovelady Lakeland
16.#14 Mario Maresca Ft. Lauderdale
17.# 6 Mac Johnson Gainesville
18.#10 Eric Black Vero Beach
19.#98 Herb Neumann Jr. Inverness
20.#30 Cyrus Robinson Spring Hill
21.#13 Tom Haselmayer Brooksville
Sportsman Feature – 20 Laps – 14 Cars 1. # 9 Johnny Gann
2. #55 Mike Veltman
3. # 3 Chris Cross
4. #82 Bill Ryan
5. #17x Rex Struble
1st Heat Winner - #3 Chris Cross
2nd Heat Winner - #55 Mike Veltman
Street Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 14 Cars 1. # 2 Travis Nichols
2. # 1 Daniel Webster
3. #55 Ernie Reed
4. #22 Mickey Burns
5. #01 Danny Cretty
1st Heat Winner - #55 Ernie Reed
2nd Heat Winner - #22 Mickey Burns
Mini Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 14 Cars 1. #86 Phillip Joyner
2. #24 Chris Thornton
3. #3 George Neumann
4. #72 Dan Smith
5. #1x Chris Hooker
1st Heat Winner #83 – Tom Giddings
2nd Heat Winner #24 – Chris Thornton
Hobby Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 22 Cars 1. #85 Wes Wilson
2. #01 Curtis Neumann
3. #42 Richie Smith
4. #19 Dean Lawyer
5. #94 Sport Wilson
1st Heat Winner - #70 Curtis Yoamans
2nd Heat Winner – #01 Curtis Neumann
Thunder Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 18 Cars 1. #55 Pat Quick
