Beckner Takes Win as Cops Chase Sportsman at SpeedWorld
by Jane Smith
Bithlo, Fla (June 13, 2003) Twenty four qualified, twenty six raced and little did the Sportsman know that cops would be chasing them all the way for 50 laps. The 911 Series joined the 50 lap Sportsman race with lights going and blood flowing and helped make this one of the best shows of the year.
Earl Beckner set fast time with 14.801 followed by Richard Hight at 14.845, Dale Clouser at 14.990, Chris Peludat at 15.003, and Michael Albert at 15.050. When all was said and done, it was Earl Beckner on the pole.
As the green was thrown, it was Richard Hight who took the point on the green followed by Earl Beckner, Dale Clouser, Michael Albert, and Paul Colgan. Mike Soukup brought out the first caution of the night when it car hit the turn four wall hard. Soukup was okay but the car was done for the night.
Hight held the point on the restart but it was not long before the second caution was thrown for the No. 2x who visited the turn one wall. On the restart, it is Hight, Beckner, Colgan, Clouser and Peludat.
Just as the racing was getting hot, there were two wild rides at both ends of the track. In turns 3 and 4, Rob Kasey and Danny Shearer touched putting Shearer in the air, coming down hard, and ending his night.
"I realized I had to brakes and I thought, what?? But then I realized I was in the air and that was why," said Shearer after the race. Shearer was fine but his car will need some tender loving care.
In turns 1 and 2, Chris Peludat, Dale Clouser, and No. 33 had gotten together with Peludat being towed in, Clouser pitting for a bent rim and flat tire only to fade from the race shortly after returning. All drivers were okay.
On the restart, it was Hight, Beckner, Colgan, Doug Samion, and Micheal Albert. Suddenly Hight takes a wild ride spinning in turn 4 while leading and restarts the race in the rear. Beckner takes the point on the restart followed by Colgan, Samion, Albert and Donnie Smith and Bill Love going side-by-side for fifth.
Smith brings out the next caution when he spins coming down the frontstretch restarting the race at the rear of the field. On the restart, Doug Samion slows and obviously is done for the night while running third. Justin Hall brings out the next caution when he spins coming down the frontstretch.
On the restart, it is Beckner, Colgan, Albert, Love and Richard Hight. Hight puts the steam on and takes over fourth putting Love fifth. Paul Colgan and Michael Albert bring out the caution, while running in the top five, in turns 1 and 2 when they take a wild spin. Both restart the race in the rear.
On the restart, Beckner holds the point followed by Michael Albert, Bill Love, Rob Kasey and Ron Lufcy. Lufcy moves to fourth with Donnie Smith coming into view in the fifth place.
Rob Kasey begins to overheat and pulls out of the race with Michael Carr spinning in turns 3 and 4 bringing out the yellow. The announcer announces that his is lap 34 and we are now down to 13 cars.
Beckner maintains the point on the green with Hight, Lufcy, Smith and Albert in the top five. Lufcy breaks and goes in as Bill Love takes over fifth. Donnie Smth brings out the caution once again as he spins on the frontstretch. But before a lap was done, Smith and Steve Wagner bring out the yellow once again as they spun at the bottom of turns 3 and 4.
Beckner holds strong on the restart but it is the second place running car of Richard Hight that brings out the yellow again as he spun on the frontstretch and rejoins the field in the rear.
On lap 46 Justin Hall spun on the bottom of turns 1 and 2 bringing out the caution. Hall had a perfect place to run, in the middle of cop cars with lights beaming. The field realigns with Beckner on the point but sees one more caution before the race goes checkered.
Beckner takes the win followed by Richard Hight, Bill Love, Michael Carr, and Bob Hart.
Josh Williams set on the pole for the Bandolero Bandits and took the lead on the green followed by Derrick Wood, Chad Atkins, Gerald White, Jr., and #02. Wood puts on the heat and passes Williams for the lead and Matt Jarrett does a good safe when he gets loose on the track. But the yellow is flown when Matt Jarrett and Blake Eden get together at the bottom of turns 1 and 2. Jarrett is shaken but fine but takes a trip into the pits in the ambulance. Both cars are towed off the track and the race goes back green.
Wood holds the point on the restart but on the last lap spins giving Chad Atkins the lead and the win. Following Atkins to the checkered was Spencer Taylor, Gerald White, Jr., Derrick Wood, and Josh Williams.
Josh Williams took the heat win.
Young Guns saw Kevin Henry on the pole for their feature event going from green to checkered for the win. Brandon Thompson tried to pass Henry but was never able to get up enough steam. Henry took the checkered followed by Brandon Thompson, Scott Jarrett, Troy Atkins, and Jessica Murphy.
Kevin Henry took the heat win.
Shane Held had the pole for the Open Wheel Modifieds but it was Jason Boyd who quickly jumped to the lead on the green followed by Held, Jimmy Crow, Matt Wheeler, and Dave Riley. Terri Bryant brings out the yellow when she spins on the frontstretch.
Boyd holds the point on the restart but before you know it, Crow and Held make contact while fighting for the second spot with both spinning and rejoining the field in the rear. The race is restarted with Boyd, Wheeler, Riley, Dicandio and Held in the top five.
Glen Bradley pulls out of the race and Boyd obviously slows while leading with Dale Riley taking over the point. Once again Crow and Held bring out the caution when they spin on the frontstretch going to the rear once again.
Riley holds the point on the restart with Lynn Dicandio in second, Matt Wheeler, Shane Held and Jimmy Crow. Riley takes the checkered for his first win of the year at SpeedWorld followed by Dicandio with his best finish so far this year, Matt Wheeler, Shane Held and Jimmy Crow.
Jason Boyd took the heat win.
Dick Laszlo had the point for the Mini Stock feature and lead until Tim "Missileman" McPhail passed Laszlo. Sean Bass, who had hit the wall earlier found out that he had a loose radiator hose, ran home repaired the car and made it back for the feature. One determined racer for sure.
McPhail took the checkered with Dick Laszlo, Mike Williams (doing a great job in his new Mini Stock), Sean Bass and Randy Blakeslee. Jim Mattheus joined the Mini Stock fun tonight as he tested the No. 18 for Amanda Touchuk and found Mini Stocks are definitely not Super Lates.
Tim "Missileman" McPhail took the heat win.
Ronnie Roach returned to racing action with his No. 14 Super Late Model and sat on the pole for their feature. But Roach obviously had something break on the first lap and was out of the race with Ricky Wood taking the point followed by B.J. McLeod, Eric Deffendal, Rusty Ebersole and Timmy Todd.
Wood finds his hands full of McLeod on his tail with McLeod making the move for the point. Wood is stuck in the middle as McLeod leads and Ebersole is now in third looking for second. Ebersole passes Wood and sets his sight on McLeod.
McLeod and Ebersole run each other clean with Ebersole easing up and McLeod pulling away. This was some very good clean, close racing with McLeod taking the win followed by Rusty Ebersole, Ricky Wood, Eric Deffendall, and Timmy Todd.
Rusty Ebersole and Ricky Wood took the Super Late Model heats.
Robert Ward lead from green to checkered in the Strictly Stock division only to be dq'd in tech with the win going to Barry Parks. Following Parks to the checkered was Bobby Woodley, Robert Benton, Greg Bruce, and Richie Laszlo.
Bobby Woodley took the heat win.
Next Friday night, June 20, SpeedWorld will welcome the Legends and Classic Cars along with Open Wheel Modifieds, Sportsman, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks and Strictly Stocks. The Super Late Models will be off for the Sunbelt 200 lap race at Lakeland's USA International.
Official Race Results
BANDOLERO BANDITS
1. #60 Chad Atkins 2. #15 Spencer Taylor 3. #38 Gerald White, Jr. 4. #33 Derrick Wood 5. #6 Josh Williams 6. #74 Eric Salvesen 7. #02 8. #9 Matt Jarrett 9. #17 Blake Eden
BANDOLERO YOUNG GUNS
1. #9 Kevin Henry 2. #54 Brandon Thompson 3. #97 Scott Jarrett 4. #14 Troy Atkins 5. #40 Jessica Murphy 6. #26 Blake Dircks
SPORTSMAN 50 LAPPER
1. #3 Earl Beckner 2. #23 Richard Hight 3. #2 Bill Love 4. #41 Michael Carr 5. #2x Bob Hart 6. #0 Wade Hatcher 7. #48 Steve Wagner 8. #50 Justin Hall 9. #31 Paul Colgan 10. #27 Chuck Wagner 11. #29 Michael Albert 12. #48x Donnie Smith 13. #07 Ron Lufcy 14. #75 Rob Kasey 15. #38 Joe Boccip 16. #04 Doug Samion 17. #8 Sean Winne 18. #30 Dale Clouser 19. #28 Chris Peludat 20. #77 Danny Shearer
SUPER LATE MODELS
1. #78 B.J. McLeod 2. #47 Rusty Ebersole 3. #33 Ricky Wood 4. #26D Eric Deffendall 5. #25 Timmy Todd 6. #44 Greg Brooks 7. #4 Rick Bates 8. #5 Rick Lyons 9. #45 Mack Hanbury 10. #112 Scott McKinley 11. #6 David Hart 12. #14 Ronnie Roach 13. #-7 Bobby Lyons
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED
1. #05 Dave Riley 2. #20 Lynn Dicandio 3. #97 Matt Wheeler 4. #55 Shane Held 5. #89 Jimmy Crow 6. #2x Jason Boyd 7. #08 Terri Bryant 8. #4 Glen Bradley
MINI STOCKS
1. #7 Tim "Missileman" McPhail 2. #07 Dick Laszlo 3. #32 Mike Williams, Jr. 4. #28 Sean Bass 5. #77 Randy Blakeslee 6. #18 Amanda Touchuk
STRICTLY STOCKS
1. #27w Barry Parks 2. #98 Bobby Woodley 3. #14 Roger Benton 4. #4u Greg Bruce 5. #07 Richie Laszlo 6. #40 John Zimmerman
