Bithlo, Fla (June 27, 2003) A few sprinkles fell but Orlando SpeedWorld got all heats and features in for June 27th. The only event that was left off the program was the Kids Bike Race which has been rescheduled for July 11th. But two kids, a boy and a girl, went home very happy as they each won a brand new bike from the ticket giveaway on the grandstand side.
Ronnie Roach sat on the pole for the Super Late Model twenty five lap feature but it was Rusty Ebersole who took the point and never looked back. Following Ebersole was Ronnie Roach, Mack Hanbury, Rich Bates, and Greg Brooks.
B.J. McLeod, the last winner two weeks ago, started in the rear of the field but quickly made his way into the top five by passing Brooks, then Hanbury, and settled into the third spot.
Rich Bates brought out the yellow when he spun at the bottom of the frontstretch while running fifth. On the restart, running in the third position, McLeod finds he has no power as he lost his transmission. McLeod pulls into the pits and is done for the night.
Ebersole holds the point on the restart and takes the checkered followed by Ronnie Roach, Mack Hanbury, Rich Bates, and Rick Lyons. Rusty Ebersole took the heat win.
Matt Martin had the pole for the Bandolero Bandits but before a lap was down Chad Akins brought out the yellow for a spin. The field is realigned with Martin on the pole but it is Spencer Taylor who takes the lead followed by Matt Martin, Derrick Wood, Gerald White, Jr., and Chad Akins.
Blake Eden brought out the yellow when he spun on the backstretch. The field realigned with Taylor in the lead. Just as Taylor and Martin are getting pretty serious about the lead, the yellow comes out again as Blake Eden spins on the backstretch. Taylor holds the lead on the green with Martin, Akins, Wood and White Jr. in the top five.
Suddenly Taylor and Martin touch as they are fighting hard for the lead with Taylor spinning. Taylor goes to the rear of the field and the race goes green again with Chad Akins in the lead followed by Derrick Wood, Matt Martin, Gerald White Jr., and Matthew Jarrett.
Martin, who had his dad at the track, tried to get the win but just didn't have enough steam to pass Akins. Akins took the checkered followed by Matt Martin, Gerald White, Jr., Derrick Wood, and Spencer Taylor. Matt Martin won the heat race.
It was Kevin Henry's night as he had the pole and lead from green to checkered in the Bandolero Young Gun division. No cautions at all for this division. Brandon Thompson had to pull out of the race with mechanical problems but it was Henry who took the checkered followed by Jessica Murphy, Troy Adkins, Scott Jarrett, and Brandon Thompson.
Donnie Smith had the pole for the Sportsman event but it was Richard Hight who took the lead on the green followed by Donnie Smith, Cory Kaiser, Glenn Castro, and Michael Albert. Rob Kasye had problems in the heat race and if it was not for Mark Martin lending him a cutting torch and A&M Motorsports working on the car, he would not have made the feature event. But Kasye did a good job of coming from the rear to settle in the third place position.
Hight took the checkered followed by Donnie Smith, Rob Kasye, Michael Albert, and Glenn Castro. Donnie Smith took the heat win and that was his first heat win in the Sportsman division with the feature win coming around the corner anytime.
Eighteen Mod Lites made it to Orlando SpeedWorld with three heats. Mike Belusor sat on the pole for the feature event and was able to hold the lead from green to checkered flag. On the first lap Phil Kranthoff and George Landis slightly touch while running third and fourth. On the next lap, there is a somewhat small pile-up of cars on the backstretch but none are hurt. George Landis is sent to the rear for bringing out the caution.
Belusor holds the lead and takes the checkered followed by Phil Krauthoff, Stan Hope, Zane Davis, and Doug Parlamento. Heat winners were Mike Belusor, Phil Krauthoff, and Ron Towles.
Lee Wagner, who usually runs Orlando's sister track New Smyrna Speedway, ventured to SpeedWorld and found himself on the pole for the Super Stock 15 lap feature. On the green, Ron Whaley takes the point but Bob Wines and Wally Semrow get together in turns 3 and 4 spinning and hitting Paul Hudson's new Super Stock but Hudson's has only minor damage. Wines pits for a new tire and returns to the race only to see smoke come out of his car and retires for the night. Whaley is still holding the point.
Mike Soukup and Shane Held bring out the yellow as they tangle on the frontstretch. Soukup has fender damage and is sent to the pits. Held continues racing but in the rear of the field.
Whaley holds the point on the restart with Wagner, Cory Freed, Bob Beiler, and Ron Edwards in the top five. Freed gets loose coming off turn 3 with Beiler getting by Freed and taking over the second place spot. Wagner has problems and retires into the pits. Whaley holds the point and takes the checkered followed by Bob Beiler, Cory Freed, Ron Edwards, and Robert Ward.
Ron Whaley and Lee Wagner took the heat wins.
The Pro Challenge Cup cars saw the No. 20 of Dale Hovre on the pole for their feature event. These cars put on a great show always and they did the same at SpeedWorld. Hovre was able to hold the lead on the green but it did not take Mike Lago much time at all to pass Hovre and take over the lead.
Mark David and John David brought out the yellow when they spun on the backstretch while running fourth and fifth. The field was realigned with Lago taking the point and the checkered followed by Tim Hart, Howard Brennon, Dale Hovre, and James Rodriquez. Dale Hovre took the heat win.
Josh Hermann had the pole for the Mini Stock feature and took the lead on the green but as he and Sean Bass were going side-by-side for the lead, they touched causing them to spin on the backstretch. Both were sent to the rear with the lead being turned over to Randy Blakeslee. Blakeslee, who has had a problem with handling, finally looks like he is getting a hold on the problem and was looking good Friday night.
Tim "Missileman" McPhail was able to pass Blakeslee and take the lead followed by Sean Bass, Dick Laszlo, Josh Hermann and Randy Blakeslee. Blakeslee slips high but does a very good save and keeps the car off the wall. McPhail takes the win followed by Sean Bass, Josh Hermann, Dick Laszlo, and Randy Blakeslee.
It was the 4 cylinder strictly stock that sat on the pole and lead from green to checkered. Greg Bruce was able to hold off Russ Noyes and his 8 cylinder to take his first Strictly Stock win. Following Bruce across the checkered was Russ Noyes, Richie Laszlo, Roger Benton and Donald Springer.
Orlando SpeedWorld will have July 4 off due to the Pepsi 400 running at Daytona International. Please join our sister-track New Smyrna Speedway on July 3rd for the Clyde Hart Sunbelt Super Late Model Memorial plus Sportsman, Super Stock, Mini Stock and Strictly Stock.
Happy July 4th from Orlando SpeedWorld
OFFICIAL RESULTS
BANDOLERO BANDITS
1. #60 Chad Akins 2. #2 Matt Martin 3. #38 Gerald White, Jr. 4. #33 Derrick Wood 5. #15 Spencer Taylor 6. #18 Ryan Rust 7. #17 Blake Eden 8. #9 Matthew Jarrett
BANDOLERO YOUNG GUN
1. #9 Kevin Henry 2. #26 Jessica Murphy 3. #14 Troy Adkins 4. #97 Scott Jarrett 5. #54 Brandon Thompson
SUPER LATES
1. #47 Rusty Ebersole 2. #14 Ronnie Roach 3. #45 Mack Hanbury 4. #4 Rich Bates 5. #5 Rick Lyons 6. #44 Greg Brooks 7. #112 Scott McKinley 8. #78 B.J. McLeod 9. #-7 Bobby Lyons
SPORTSMAN
1. #23 Richard Hight 2. #48 Donnie Smith 3. #75 Rob Kayse 4. #29 Michael Albert 5. #83 Glenn Castro 6. #48x Cory Kaiser 7. #50 Justin Hall
PRO CHALLENGE
1. #25 Mike Lago 2. #10 Tim Hart 3. #56 Howard Brennan 4. #20 Dale Hovre 5. #11 James Rodriquez 6. #5 Mark Brown 7. #24 Mark David 8. #28 John David
MODIFIED LITES
1. #82 Mike Belusor 2. #2 Phil Brauthoff 3. #8 Stan Hope 4. #74 Zane Davis 5. #3 Doug Parlamento 6. #77 Bin Burbeck 7. #33 Robert Coandel 8. #5 George Landis 9. #22 Mel Goodwin 10. #00 John Godwin 11. #20 Mike Landis 12. #44 Don Berry 13. #96 Wayne Declerc 14. #0 Bill Molenaar 15. #49 Rick McFarland 16. #01 Ron Towles 17. #68 Mick Shadid
SUPER STOCK
1. #2 Ron Whaley 2. #44 Bob Beiler 3. #12 Cory Freed 4. #28 Ron Edwards 5. #28x Robert Ward 6. #71 Brian Anderson 7. #47 Shane Held 8. #17 Lee Wagner 9. #1 Coy Riddle 10. #22 Andy Nichols 11. #2x Wally Semrow 12. #08x Paul Hudson 13. #45 Mike Soukup 14. #7b Bob Wines
MINI STOCKS
1. #7 Tim "Missileman" McPhail 2. #28 Sean Bass 3. #98 Josh Hermann 4. #07 Dick Laszlo 5. #77 Randy Blakeslee 6. #88 R.J. Arnone 7. #75 Kirby Sisk
STRICTLY STOCKS
1. #4u Greg Bruce 2. #4 Russ Noyes 3. #07 Richie Laszlo 4. #14 Roger Benton 5. #66 Donald Springer 6. #6 Ray Bo
