Eddie Grant Big Winner in Antique Mods at New Smyrna Speedway
by Jane Smith
Samsula, Fla (May 24, 2003) Dark clouds seem to surround New Smyrna Speedway but never let go Saturday night. Although the rain had left some big puddles in places, it did not stop the Saturday night action.
The Antique cars were the special event and put on quite a show for the crowd. The cars were divided into stockcars and mods. The #22 Ray Snodgrass was in hot laps for the stockcars and looked really good but did not make the heat or feature race. However, the other 57 Chevy (I think) of Jake Jacobs decided to run with the regular Sportsman division. That added to the show even more.
On the pole for the stockcar division was Tony Layton who lead for the first lap until Rhoda Blackie took over the lead. Jim (Pappy) Wellman then decided it was his turn to lead the pack as he took over the lead from Blackie. Wellman and Blackie continued their lead swap for several laps with Wellman finally in the lead. But it was Eddie Grant who lead the most important lap, the last lap to the checkered flag. Grant took the checkered followed by Jim "Pappy" Wellman, Rhoda Blackie, Jim Work and Tony Layton.
Eddie Grant took the heat win.
Ken Jeffers sat on the pole for the Antique Mods but it was Jim Hoersting who lead from green to checkered to take the win. Joe Wappman and Howard LaBounty did a great job of taking over second from each other and trying to catch Hoersting but that was not to happen. Hoersting took the checkered followed by Joe Wappman, Howard LaBounty, Bill Wendt, and Ray Thomas.
Joe Wappman took the heat win.
Tim Clark had the pole for the Late Modle division and took the lead on the green followed by Brian Bellaw, Timmy Todd, Charlie Mertz, and Paul Schrein. Schrein and Mertz doing alittle spot swapping with Schrein going to fourth and Mertz to fifth. But on lap 9, Mertz takes back fourth and Schrein is put to fifth. One lap later, Schrein finds his hands full of Don Hess who has taken fifth and put Schrein sixth.
Lap 11 was the only caution in the race when the leader Tim Clark got loose and spun coming down the frontstretch hitting the inside pit wall. Clark looked like a shoein for the win but ended his night unexpectedly. On the restart, Bellaw is the new leader and the most important leader as he took the checkered flag followed by Timmy Todd, Charlie Merz, Don Hess, and Paul Schrein.
Tim Clark won the heat race.
Mike Amato had the pole for the Super Stocks feature and took the point on the green followed by Ron Whaley, Jeff Colburn, Butch Pierce, and Charlie Collins. Amato held the point for several laps until Ron Whaley put the pedal down and passed Amato.
The only caution of the race came out on lap 8 when Robbie Gauthier spun in turn 4 coming into the frontstretch hitting the wall. Gauthier was fine but his car was towed into the pits. At the same time, the leader of the race Ron Whaley had to pit turning the lead over to Charlie Collins who had taken second away from Amato.
The race was restarted with Collins in the lead. Collins held tight and took the checkered followed by Mike Amato, Jeff Colburn, Butch Pierce, and Pat Buckley.
Heat winners were Ron Whaley and Jeff Colburn
Since there were so many Sportsman for the feature event, it was extended 5 more laps giving the Sportsmen 20 laps. Ron Lufcy had the pole and took the early lead over Dusty Downer, Chris Pedulat, Steve Redditt and John Nusbaum.
On lap 3, Donny Williams spins in turns l and 2 with fuel leaking from his fuel cell. The race is red flagged and the fuel is burned off the track. Williams goes into the pits, done for the night which is something seldom seen when Williams runs.
The race restarts with Lufcy, Downer, Pedulat, Jim Snyder and Steve Redditt in the top five. Bill Spade then enters the picture first take fifth, then fourth, then third and then first. Spade is the new leader with Pedulat, Downer, Earl Becker and Ron Lufcy in the top five. By lap 11, Lufcy finds himself battling the hard charge of Steve Redditt.
Lap 13, Earl Beckner spins coming off turn 4 into the frontstretch and hits the inside pit wall. Beckner is able to get around the track and have his crew look at the car and returns to the race in the rear of the field. Spade holds the lead on the restart with Pedulat, Downer, Lufcy and Dale Clouser and Steve Redditt going side-by-side for the fifth place spot.
Clouser, who has been missing in action from New Smyrna for awhile, decided that he wants to go forward and forward he goes on a mission first take fourth, then third, then second but runs out of time and laps to try Spade for first.
Spade takes the checkered followed by Dale Clouser, Chris Pedulat, Dusty Downer, and Steve Redditt.
Jake Jacobs joined this field with his antique stockcar and proved that "older" does not always mean slower, The #J2 came in ninth and put on a great show of side-by-side racing. No holding back on his part, this guy was really racing. Congratulations to him and hope he joins the show again.
Bill Spade and Donny Williams won the heat races.
David Hite had the pole for the Open Wheel Modifieds but it was Skip Honaker who took the lead on the green and lead for the first five laps followed by Brad May, Matt Wheeler, Bobby Blake and Jim "Hoot" Flynn. On lap 6, May took over the lead with Honaker falling to second.
May, who was recently married, lead the rest of the race taking the checkered followed by Skip Honaker, Matt Wheeler, Bobby Blake and Jim "Hoot" Flynn.
Jim "Hoot" Flynn and Brad May won the heat races.
Tim "Missileman" McPhail had the pole for the Mini Stock feature and jumped to the lead on the green followed by Chris Jones, Rex Christensen, Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulipus and Bob Delmastro.
Vulipus powered his way pass McPhail and took over the point and as they say, "never looked back". Vulipus took the checkered followed by Tim "Missileman" McPhail, Rex Christensen, Chris Jones, and Bob Delmastro.
Tim "Missileman" McPhail took the heat win.
Justin Marjuand had the pole for the Strictly Stock feature but it was Kerry Payne who jumped to the lead on the green followed by Robert Ward, Jerry Hovencamp, Justin Marjuand and Steven Metts. Ward and Payne do alittle dancing and Ward is on top of the pack but Payne decides he wants to lead and comes back to the point. Payne holds on to take the checkered followed by Robert Ward, Jeremy Hovencamp, Jusin Marjuand, and Barry Parks.
Barry Parks took the heat win.
Next Saturday, May 31, all FASCAR divisions will be racing both heats and features at New Smyrna Speedway. Grandstands open at 6 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
ANTIQUE STOCKCARS
1. #8 Eddie Grant 2. #10 Jim "Pappy" Wellman 3. #134 Rhoda Blackie 4. #39 Jim Work 5. #11 Tony Layton
ANTIQUE MODS
1. #1 Jim Hoersting 2. #29 Joe Wappman 3. #11 Howard LaBounty 4. #71 Bill Wendt 5. #73 Ray Thomas 6. #3 Ted Gray 7. #63 Ken Jeffers
LATE MODEL
1. #77 Brian Bellaw 2. #25 Timmy Todd 3. #7 Charlie Mertz 4. #64 Don Hess 5. #74 Paul Schrein 6. #48 Mark Smith 7. #8 Tim Clark
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIEDS
1. #00 Brad May 2. #2 Skip Honaker 3. #97 Matt Wheeler 4. #75 Bobby Blake 5. #57 Jim "Hoot" Flynn 6. #7 Mark Vandevender 7. #9x David Hite 8. #31 John Zidek 9. #l Jim Coverdale 10. #9 Art Kunzeman 11. #51 Chad Pierce DNS
SPORTSMAN
1. #15x Bill Spade 2. #30 Dale Clouser 3. #28 Chris Pedulat 4. #09 Dusty Downer 5. #1 Steve Redditt 6. #07 Ron Lufcy 7. #2 Bill Love 8. #70 John Nusbaum 9. #J2 Jake Jacobs 10. #55 Jim Snyder 11. #48 Cory Kaiser 12. #28x David Myer 13. #6 Bruce McGonigal 14. #3 Earl Beckner 15. #111 Donny Williams 16. #18 Brian Dula
SUPER STOCK
1. #23 Charlie Collins 2. #2x Mike Amato 3. #3 Jeff Colburn 4. #57x Butch Pierce 5. #34 Pat Buckley 6. #72 Adam Boltemier 7. #10 Ron Paradise 8. #2 Ron Whaley 9. #01 Robbie Gauthier 10. #45 Mike Soukup 11. #1 Bob Trombley 12. #57b Brent Brown
MINI STOCKS
1. #71 Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulipus 2. #7 Tim "Missileman" McPhail 3. #v3 Rex Christensen 4. #20 Chris Jones 5. #33 Bob Delmastro
STRICTLY STOCKS
1. #11X Kerry Payne 2. #27 Robert Ward 3. #39 Jerry Hovencamp 4. #6 Justin Marjuand 5. #27x Barry Parks 6. #99 Gordon Haech 7. #13 Ralph Jones 8. #18 Dominic Barbabo 9. #37 Steven Metts 10. #88 Nick Boley
