Jerry Symons Wins Tommy Patterson Memorial Pro Mod Race at NSS
Samsula, Fla - (April 12, 2003) A perfect star filled night greeted fans and racers at New Smyrna Speedway as the 9th Annual running of the Tommy Patterson Memorial was the main event.
Eighteen of Florida's finest Open Wheel Modifieds journeyed to New Smyrna Speedway for 50 laps of racing action. Also on the card, the Classic Auto Racing Series and Mini Cups.
D.J. Hoelzle of Dunedin, FL set fast time with a 18.6 but after drawing the number 2 pill, Jerry Symons had the pole, Hoelzle on the outside pole. As the modifieds took their parade lap, Jerry Symons slipped out of the number one spot forming the missing man position in honor of Tommy Patterson.
Symons quickly took the point on the green followed by D.J. Hoelzle, Bryan Campbell, Alan McCafferty and Robert Ham. The first caution of the race came out on lap 8 when Steve Gainey of Bradenton, FL spun between turns 1 and 2.
On the restart, Symons held the point but it was the fourth and fifth place cars of McCafferty and Ham doing some really intense side-by-side action. Ham just could not get a good enough run on McCafferty with McCafferty remaining in the fourth place position. Lap 15, the second caution was brought out by Skip Honaker of Titusville, FL who spun in the middle of turns 3 and 4.
The race was then red flagged as Hoelzle was stopped on the track and found to be leaking. Before the race went red, Hoelze went into the pits to his crew's attention. Hoelzle had a slight problem with a seal in the rear end which was fixed but the race was red flagged to do track clean-up and the cars were aligned on the frontstretch.
The race with green again with Hoelzle starting in the rear and Red Vann of Lutz, Fl moving into the fifth place position. On the restart, Ham finally got the move on McCafferty and took over third putting McCafferty fourth and Vann in fifth.
On lap 20, Ham slightly touches the backstretch wall but continue racing with no yellow coming out. Lap 23, Mark Vandevender of Ormond Beach, Fl retires his machine to the pits.
By lap 24, Hoelze has worked his way to the eighth place position from the rear of the field. Jim "Hoot" Flynn retires his machine on lap 26 to the pits. One lap later, Hoelzle moves to seventh and by lap 31, sixth.
Lap 32, Raymond Vann of Westley Chapel, Fl brought out the yellow as he spun on the frontstretch. On the restart, Symons holds the lead with Campbell hot on his heels. Hoelze moves to fourth putting Ham to fifth.
By lap 36, Hoelzle has set his sights on McCafferty who is running third. McCafferty holds but by lap 38, Hoelzle has the third place position with McCafferty in fourth. Campbell is trying high/low but cannot pass Symons. By lap 45, Campbell has his hands full of Hoelzle but maintains his second place position.
Symons takes the checkered followed by Bryan Campbell, D.J. Hoelzle, Alan McCafferty and Red Vann.
Jim Rahman came out on tops of the Classic Autor Racing Series 25 lap event at New Smyrna Speedway. Rahman lead from green to checkers. Rahman, who quickly took the point on the green was followed by Daryl Grief, Ben Booth, Al Hagan, and Joey Strehle. But ly lap 3, Booth had taken over second putting Grief third.
On lap 5, Hagan and Grief get together sending Grief spinning. Bill Posey, trying to avoid the tangle, goes off the track into the grass but hits a pot hole which takes out his radiator and ends his night. Hagan also retires to the pitts, Grief is able to continue.
On the restart, Rahman holds the point followed by Booth, Strehle, Greg Helton, and E.B. Carr. Harvey Ewing moves into the fifth place spot and by lap 7, has taken over fourth putting Helton fifth.
Lap 12 the yellow is thrown when Carr spun on the frontstretch brushing the inside pit wall. Right before the caution, Rahman found his hands full of a hard charging Booth who almost got the lead.
On the restart, the yellow is thrown again for Daryl Grief who spun on the backstretch. Grief retires to the pits for the attention of his crew but returns to the race. Rahman holds the point although Booth was right there on his tail and takes the checkered.
Following Rahman to the finish was Ben Booth, Joey Strehle, Harvey Ewing and Bud Spencer. Jim Rahman and Ben Booth took the heat wins.
Josh Wronkowski lead from green to checkered in the Super Stock 15 lap feature. On lap 1, Ron Whaley and Wally Semron get together in turn 1 and spin rejoining the field in the rear for the restart. But before lap 2 was down, the caution was thrown again for James Smith and Bob Trombley who is in the turn 3 wall. Trombley is down for the night. Smith returns to the track after changing a flat tire.
On the restart, it is Wronkowski, Jeff Colburn, Ted Head, Ron Whaley, and Brent Brown. By lap 4, Brown is overtaken by Semron and finds himself in the sixth position with Semron fifth.
The race remains green for the rest of the 15 laps with Josh Wronkowski taking the win followed by Ron Whaley, Ted Head, Jeff Colburn, and Wally Semron.
Mini Cup cars saw the #17 win from green to checkered followed by #44, #15, #05 and #14. No names were available.
Ted Vulipus had the pole for the 15 lap Mini Stock feature but it was Tim "Missileman" McPhail who took the lead on the green followed by Vulipus, Rex Christensen, Troy Kruse and Bob Delmastro.
Vulipus was able to get up steam and take over the point putting McPhail to second. With no cautions, Vulipus took the win followed by Tim "Missileman" McPhail, Rex Christensen, Troy Kruse, and Bob Delmastro.
Cory Kaiser set on the pole for the Sportsman 15 lap feature but it was Ron Lufcy who took the point on the green followed by Mike Trocki, Kaiser, Danny Shearer, and Dale Clouser. Joe Adams spins in turns 3 and 4 but is able to continue quickly enough that no caution was thrown.
By lap 5, Bill Spade has moved into third and the machine of Ron Lufcy slows and retires to the pits after his good run and lead. The lead is then turned over to Mike Trocki followed by Spade, Shearer, Jim Snyder, and Cory Kaiser.
Lap 9, Dale Clouser retires his machine to the pits with mechanical problems. The race remains green for the rest of the laps with Mike Trocki taking the win followed by Bill Spade, Jim Snyder, Danny Shearer, and Cory Kaiser.
Mike Wafford set on the pole for the Strictly Stock feature but it was James Smith Sr. who showede the field the way to the checkered. No cautions were thrown with Smith Sr. taking the win followed by Ed Rockhold, Barry Parks, Mike Wafford, and Steven Metts.
April 19th, all FASCAR divisions will run plus a V-8 Demo Derby.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Tommy Patterson Memorial Pro Mod 50 Laps
1. #66 Jerry Symons, New Smyrna, Fl 2. #5 Bryan Campbell, Mt. Verde, Fl 3. #8 D.J. Hoelzle, Dunedin, Fl 4. #32x Alan McCafferty, Clermont, Fl 5. #32 Red Vann, Lutz, Fl 6. #00 Robert Han, Ormond Beach, Fl 7. #75 Bobby Blake, Eustus, Fl 8. #96 Matt Wheeler, New Smyrna, Fl 9. #2 Skip Honaker, Titusville, Fl 10. #01 Steve Gainey, Bradenton, Fl 11. #1 Andy Saffioti, Port St. Lucie, Fl 12. #lx David Castello, Ormond Beach, Fl 13. #99 Raymond Vann, Westley Chapel, Fl 14. #4b Alan Bruns, Clermont, Fl 15. #47x Wally Patterson, Scottsmoor, Fl 16. #47 Robert McElheny, Lithia, Fl 17. #57 Jim "Hoot" Flynn, Orlando, Fl 18. #7 Mark Vandevender, Ormond Beach, Fl
Sportsman
1. #46 Mike Trocki 2. #15x Bill Spade 3. #55 Jim Snyder 4. #77 Danny Shearer 5. #48 Cory Kaiser 6. #51 Ed Kennedy 7. #6 Bruce McGonigal 8. #30 Dale Clouser 9. #07 Ron Lufcy 10. #83 Ken Rogers 11. #62 Joe Adams
Mini Stock
1. #71 Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulipus 2. #7 Tim "Missileman" McPhail 3. #v3 Rex Christensen 4. #6 Troy Kruse 5. #33 Bob Delmastro 6. #43 Tom Rose
Super Stock
1. #21 Josh Wronkowski 2. #2 Ron Whaley 3. #92 Ted Head 4. #3 Jeff Colburn 5. #2x Wally Semron 6. #23 Charlie Collins 7. #57R James Smith, Jr. 8. #91 Todd Drescall 9. #01r Robbie Gauthier 10. #0lx Chuck Smith 11. #8 Bob Trombley 12. #57B Brent Brown 13. #1y Joe Arnold
Strictly Stocks
1. #65 James Smith, Sr. 2. #64 Ed Rockhold 3. #27 Barry Parks 4. #15 Mike Wofford 5. #37 Steven Metts 6. #13 Ralph Jones 7. #18 Domenick Bobado 8. #99 Gordon Houch 9. #2 Daryl Woodbury
