Rahman Gets Back on Track with Wire to Wire New Smyrna Classic Win
by Dave Westerman
Defending Classic Auto Racing Series champion Jim Rahman of Clermont led every lap he raced in Saturday night at New Smyrna Speedway but it wasn't as easy as it looked.
Rahman started the evening with a dominating win in the first heat race but began to notice a drop in oil pressure and was wondering if his engine would last the 20-lap feature distance.
Deland's Ben Booth took the lead from Bill Posey on lap two and raced to a convincing victory in heat two to set up a Rahman-Booth front row for the start of the feature.
Rahman was quick on the gas as the green flew with Booth dropping into third behind Daryl Grief. Booth passed Grief on lap three but already found himself well behind Rahman, who was also beginning to notice the water temperature gauge beginning to rise as well as the falling oil pressure.
On lap five, Al Hagan got into the back of third-running Grief with Grief spinning in turn three. Bill Posey dove low off the banking to miss Grief and encountered a severe low spot that caused his car to go for a wild ride that destroyed the radiator, putting the hard luck Posey on the sidelines for the remainder of the evening. Hagan also retired with an engine problem while Grief continued at the back of the field.
Rahman got a big jump on Booth as the race restarted with Joey Strehle moving into third. Booth's car got better each lap and he was right on Rahman's rear bumper by lap ten.
Caution flew again on lap 12 as Greg Helton spun in turn four while running fifth. Frank Conrad spun trying to avoid Helton and slid backwards into the frontstretch wall. Both cars returned to action but Conrad parked his machine soon after with a broken axle.
On the restart, Daryl Grief got in trouble again coming out of turn two, sliding to a stop at the back side entrance to the pit area. Grief's car was undamaged and he took a second trip to the rear of the field.
The remaining eight laps were all run under green with Booth dogging Rahman's every move. the defending champ was up to the task however, taking the win by less than a car length over Booth.
Rahman said keeping his concentration was a big factor in winning this one. "The oil pressure was dropping, the water temperature was going up, and I had Ben Booth on my tail. How much more can I guy ask for?," said Rahman after the race.
Booth's second place finish earned him his second consecutive Door Operating Systems Rookie of the Race award.
Joey Strehle drove a solid race, running mostly by himself, to claim third money while Harvey Ewing came from 12th starting spot after engine trouble in his heat to get fourth. Orlando Speedworld winner Bud Spencer, relegated to the rear of the field under the new handicapping system, steadily marched his way to fifth at the finish after starting 14th.
E.B. Carr had another steady run claiming sixth at the end with George Hall, Jr., George Hall III, Daryl Grief, and Greg Helton rounding out the top ten.
Fans were treated to an interesting situation when David "Fudd" Nunes showed up at the track while the cars were under caution from the lap 12 incident. Nunes, who had been stuck in traffic on Interstate 4 for two hours while an accident was being cleared, made it on the track just in time and although 12 laps down with no chance of finishing any better than last place. "I still earned my points," he said.
The Classic Auto Racing Series is right back in action next Friday night at Ocala Speedway.
OFFICIAL FINISH - NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY - 4/12/03:
1) Jim Rahman, Clermont #5 2) Ben Booth (R), Deland #12 3) Joey Strehle (R), Lake Mack #42 4) Harvey Ewing, Brooksville #17 5) Bud Spencer, Palm Harbor #7 6) E.B. Carr, Okeechobee #90 7) George Hall, Jr., St. Petersburg #32 8) George Hall III, St. Petersburg #9 9) Daryl Grief, Deland #1 10) Greg Helton, Orange City #3 11) Randy Grief, Orlando #88 12) Sharen Ewing (R), Brooksville #16X 13) Frank Conrad, Ft. Pierce #90X 14) David Marsh, Orlando #X 15) Al Hagan, merritt Island #6 16) Bill Posey (R), Rockledge #00 17) David Nunes, Orlando #21
