Halloween and Race Cars, a Perfect Match at Orlando SpeedWorld
by Jane Smith
Bithlo, Fla. (October 31, 2003) It was ghosts and goblins mixed with some hot racing action for Orlando SpeedWorld fans. With points season ending very shortly, tempers were alittle active at times.
Derrick Wood is leading the points for the Bandolero Bandits and took another win Friday night. Starting on the pole, Wood lead the entire race. Spencer Taylor brought out the caution for a spin on the front stretch for the only yellow. On the restart, Wood took the lead and checkered followed by Gerald White Jr., Chad Akins, Josh Williams, and Spencer Taylor.
Derrick Wood took the heat win.
Scott Jarrett had the pole for the Bandolero Young Guns but it was points leader Kevin Henry who took the lead and the win followed by Brandon Thomson and Scott Jarrett.
Scott Jarrett took the heat win.
Michael Seay had the pole for the Mini Stock feature but it was Scott Reeves who took the lead on the green followed by Michael Seay, Sean Bass, Chad Pierce, and R.J. Arnone. The caution comes out for Tim "Missileman" McPhail who lost his engine. On the restart it is Reeves with Seay and Bass going side-by-side for second followed by Pierce and Arnone.
The second caution comes out for R.J. Arnone who has a blown engine and spins in the oil with Dick Laszlo and Bobby Owens also involved. All drivers are fine but Arnone and Owens are done for the night with Arnone done for the year. Laszlo is able to pit and repair the damage and returns to the field.
On the restart it is Reeves, Bass, Pierce, Seay and Rick G. Pierce passes Bass and takes over second. Reeves takes the checkered followed by Pierce, Bass, Seay and Rick G. Tim "Missileman" McPhail took the heat win.
The top three were teched with the No. 30 being disqualified for heads. Owner of the No. 30 was very unhappy and said they were the same heads as Bobby Orr raced with all his Championship year. Just one unhappy moment in a few Friday night. New finishing order after tech was Scott Reeves, Sean Bass, Michael Seay, Rick G. and Dick Laszlo.
The Open Wheel Modifieds saw Shane Held on the pole for their feature event but it was Jerry Symons who took the lead from Held. With no cautions in this feature, it was a battle to catch the No. 66. Symons took the win followed by Jason Boyd, Shane Held, Matt Wheeler, and Scott Millar.
Shane Held took the Modified heat win.
The T.Q. Midgets were the special feature for the night and these guys fly. With no cautions in their feature, it was Jason Willis and Ozzie Goff who put on a great show of swapping the lead back and forth.
Goff had the pole but Willis was able to pass Goff and it was Willis who took the checkered followed by Ozzie Goff, Eric Anderson, Brandon Cagle, and Jack Duffy. These guys put on a great show for the fans!!!
Ronnie Roach had the pole for the Super Late Model feature and lead from green to checkered. Roach quickly jumped to the lead on the green followed by Ricky Wood, Rusty Ebersole, Eric Deffendall, and Mario Hernandez. Tom Root brought out the caution when he spun between turns 1 and 2.
On the restart, it is Roach, Wood, Ebersole, Deffendall, and B.J. McLeod. Deffendall moves to third with B.J. McLeod going with him to fourth and Wood settling in fifth. McLeod puts the pedal down and passes Deffendall for third with Deffendall sliding to fourth.
Lap 17, Deffendall brings out the caution for a spin in turn 2. On the restart it is Roach, Ebersole, McLeod, Wood, and Hernandez. But the yellow is thrown once again when Deffendall and Root get together. Root spins hitting the turns 1 and 2 wall. Root retires with Deffendall continuing.
On the restart, it is Roach, Ebersole, McLeod, Wood and Hernandez. McLeod and Ebersole are doing some close racing with a few little "love taps" in between. McLeod is able to pass Ebersole taking second with Ebersole sliding back to third. McLeod tried but Ronnie Roach was not to be denied this win. Roach took the checkered followed by B.J. McLeod, Rusty Ebersole, Ricky Wood, and Eric Deffendall.
Tempers were alittle hot when the Super Lates came off pit road as Root pulls directly in front of Deffendall causing Deffendall to mess up his front clip. The action continued in the pits with Root and Deffendall doing the old "swing dance". A total unnecesaary "dance" in the pits.
Eric Deffendall took the heat win.
Justin Hall had the pole for the Sportsman feature and took the lead on the green followed by Donnie Smith, Spencer Lemmerman, Cory Kaiser and Charlie Vest. Hall slips back with Smith taking over the lead. Charlie Vest brought out the yellow when he spun on the backstretch slightly touching the turn 3 wall but able to continue. The race restarts with Smith, Lemmerman, Hall, Kaiser and Colgan in the top five.
Danny Shearer brings out the next caution when he spins in turns 1 and 2. Smith holds the point on the restart followed by Lemmerman, Hall, Vest and Joe Adams. Hall spins at the bottom of turns 1 and 2 bringing out the last caution of the race. Smith holds the point on the restart and takes the checkered followed by Spencer Lemmerman, Charlie Vest, Justin Hall, and Joe Adams.
Justin Hall took his first heat win.
Bob Beiler in his No. 44 "Banana Boat" had the pole for the Super Stock feature and quickly took the point over Cory Freed, Andy Nichols, Ron Edwards and Bob Starr. Nichols passes Freed and takes over second with Bobby Woodley moving into fifth. The caution comes out for Ron Edwards and Bobby Woodley when they get together fighting for the fourth place. Edwards spins with both cars sent to the rear for the restart.
Beiler still holds the lead on the restart followed by Nichols, Freed, Sean Bass and Jeff Wright. The caution comes again when Bass spins and is sent to the rear for the restart. Beiler holds the point again on the restart but the yellow comes out again for Bob Starr who has spun at the bottom of turn 3 and Paul Hudson who has spun on the bottom of the frontstretch.
On the restart Beiler holds the point but finds his hand full when Nichols challenges him and takes the lead. Nichols takes the win followed by Jeff Wright, Bobby Woodley, Cory Freed and Bob Beiler.
In tech, it was found that the driver of the No. 66 was not Andy Nichols but Bobby Owens with Owens being dq'd for not being Andy Nichols. The finishing order changed with Jeff Wright being given the win followed by Bobby Woodley, Cory Freed, Bob Beiler and Bob Starr in the top five.
Bob Beiler and Cory Freed took the heat wins.
The Strictly Stock put on a caution free feature with Farris Crews on the pole. Crews quickly jumped to the lead on the green followed by Eric Hodge, Richie Laszlo, Donald Springer, and Bobby Crites, Jr.
With no cautions it was a all-out battle for position. Bobby Crites Jr was able to pass Crews and take over the lead as Crews slide backwards with Richie Laszlo taking over second followed by Eric Hodge, Ricky Salomon Jr. and Donald Springer. But it was Richie Laszlo who took the checkered for yet another win followed by Eric Hodge, Ricky Saloman Jr., Bobby Crites Jr., and Donald Springer.
In tech, Hodge was disqualified changing the finishing order to Richie Laszlo, Ricky Salomon Jr., Bobby Crites Jr., Donald Springer and No. 44 (our unknown station wagon).
Richie Laszlo took the Strictly Stock heat win.
Our newest class, the Hurricanes, saw Greg Bruce take the checkered followed by Ralph Jones, No. 1, Tommy Cartwright, and Eric Ripley. Greg Bruce took the heat win.
Next Friday night, the Pro Modifieds race for 50 laps with all FASCAR divisions racing.
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD - OCTOBER 31ST
BANDOLERO BANDITS
1. #33 Derrick Wood 2. #38 Gerald White Jr. 3. #60 Chad Akins 4. #6 Josh Williams 5. #15 Spencer Taylor 6. #17 Blake Eden 7. #8 Donovan Ponder
BANDOLERO YOUNG GUNS
1. #9 Kevin Henry 2. #54 Brandon Thomson 3. #97 Scott Jarrett
T.Q. MIDGETS
1. #25 Jason Willis 2. #1 Ozzie Goff 3. #15 Eric Anderson 4. #10 Brandon Cagle 5. #1B Jack Duffy 6. #4 Teddy Durfee 7. #3 Joey McKinney 8. #26 Paul Huffstutler 9. #19 Kevin Alford 10. #25R Allen Eashe 11. #7 Denny Clark 12. #18 Tim Shivley 13. #17 Buster Fessel 14. #33 Kenny Busch 15. #72 Scott Petoy
SUPER LATES
1. #14 Ronnie Roach 2. #78 B.J. McLeod 3. #47 Rusty Ebersole 4. #33 Ricky Wood 5. #26 Eric Deffendall 6. #5H Mario Hernandez 7. #4 Rick Bates 8. #19 Tom Root 9. #5 Rick Lyons
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIEDS
1. #66 Jerry Symons 2. #2x Jason Boyd 3. #55 Shane Held 4. #97 Matt Wheeler 5. #20B Scott Millar 6. #4 Glen Bradley 7. #20 Lynn Dicandio
SPORTSMAN
1. #48 Donnie Smith 2. #6 Spencer Lemmerman 3. #26 Charlie Vest 4. #50 Justin Hall 5. #62 Joe Adams 6. #77 Danny Shearer 7. #48x Cory Kaiser 8. #31 Paul Colgan
SUPER STOCK
1. #50 Jeff Wright 2. #98 Bobby Woodley 3. #12 Cory Freed 4. #44 Bob Beiler 5. #05 Bob Starr 6. #28 Ron Edwards 7. #17 Sean Bass 8. #22 Eddie Moran 9. #20 Justin Reynolds 10. #7 Cara Wells 11. #721 John Bennett 12. #08x Paul Hudson 13. #66 Bobby Owens (DQ'D FOR WRONG DRIVER ENTERED)
MINI STOCKS
1. #21 Scott Reeves 2. #28 Sean Bass 3. #10 Michael Seay 4. #61x Rick G. 5. #07 Dick Laszlo 6. #88 R.J;. Arnone 7. #72 Bobby Owens 8. #18 Amanda Tonchuk 9. #7 Tim "Missileman" McPhail 10. #30 Chad Pierce DQ'D
STRICTLY STOCK
1. #07 Richie Laszlo 2. #19 Ricky Salomon Jr. 3. #B2 Bobby Crites, Jr. 4. #66 Donald Springer 5. #44 6. #8x Farris Crews 7. #00 Eric Hodge DQ'D
HURRICANES
1. #4U Greg Bruce 2. #13 Ralph Jones 3. #l 4. #70 Tommy Cartwright 5. #8 Eric Ripley 6. #4P Clyde Hudson
