David Steele wins final 2003 TBARA race at New Smyrna, Champions Crowned
by Jane Smith
Samsula, Fla. (November 9, 2003) Fans got double action Saturday night at New Smyrna as the solar eclipse of the moon hung high over head and plenty of hot racing action was ground level.
The TBARA Winged Sprints made their final appearance of 2003 at New Smyrna Saturday night with alot of hopes on the line. Saturday night's action would determine who the 2003 TBARA Winged Sprint Champion would be. Would it be Keith Butler or Dude Teate??
Mark Gimmler had the pole for their final feature race in 2003. But it would be Scott Adema who jumped to the lead on the green followed by Ray Bragg, Shane Butler, David Steele, and Keith Butler. On lap 4, Wendy Mathis would bring out the yellow as she sat in the turn two wall. On the restart, Adema took the point followed by Bragg, Teate, Shane Butler, and David Steele. But it was a short night for Bragg as he brought out the caution on lap 8 when he suffered mechanical problems and stopped high up towards the wall. Bragg was pushed into the pits and the race went back green with Adema in the lead followed by Teate, Steele, K. Butler, and Wayne Reutimann Sr.
Adema does everything he can to maintain the lead but Steele is too strong and finally takes over putting Adema second, Teate third, K. Buter fourth and Reutimann Sr. fifth.
Wayne Reutimann Jr. brings out the caution on lap 23 when he has bad luck at the bottom of turns 1 and 2. Steele holds the point on the restart and takes the checkered followed by Scott Adema, Dude Teate, Keith Butler, and Wayne Reutimann Sr.
In Victory Lane, it is announced that Dude Teate won the 2003 TBARA Winged Sprints Championship by 1 point over Keith Butler.
Shane Butler, Scott Adema, and Ray Bragg took the heat wins in the TBARA.
Mike Holt had the pole for the visiting Mini Cups but it was Sonny Saxon who quickly jumped to the lead on the green followed by Terry Tullis, David Taylor, Matt Oravets, and Don Saxon. The yellow comes out for Mike Holt and Dan Suggs as they tangle and spin.
On the restart, Matt Oravets takes the lead but it is a short one as David Taylor takes over. But Taylor has a fast moving Doug Smith on his tail and it does not take Smith long to pass Taylor and sail in front. With no further cautions, it is a race to see if anyone can catch Smith but no one can. Smith takes the checkered followed by Don Saxon, Sonny Saxon, David Taylor and Rick Svienna.
Doug Smith and Wendy Kash took the heat wins for the Mini Cups.
Ron Whaley had the pole for the Super Stock feature and quickly jumped to the lead on the green followed by Sean Bass, Robert Skinner, Jeff Colburn, and Dustin Skinner. Colburn is able to pass Robert Skinner for third with Dustin Skinner coming along for the ride and taking fourth and Robert Skinner sliding back to fifth.
Colburn is now hot and heavy on the tail of Bass who is running second. Colburn is able to pass Bass with Dustin Skinner coming along again for second and third with Bass sliding back to fourth. Robert Skinner passes Bass and takes fourth with Jack Lenzen coming in for fifth and Bass settling into the sixth spot.
Coming off four, Bass gets loose and spins it going down the front stretch bringing out the yellow. The field is realigned with Whaley on the point followed by Colburn, Dustin Skinner, Lenzen, and Robert Skinner.
Suddenly coming off the frontstretch going into turns 1 and 2, Dustin Skinner hits the turn 1 wall hard. Skinner is fine but his car is another matter. On the restart, Colburn is able to pass Whaley and take the lead followed by Lenzen, Robert Skinner, and Charlie Collins. Lenzen puts the muscle on Whaley and takes over second as Collins takes over fourth with Robert Skinner sliding to fifth.
Jeff Colburn takes the checkered followed by Jack Lenzen, Ron Whaley, Charlie Collins and Robert Skinner. The Points Championship will be decided this Saturday night as Charlie Collins has a slight lead over Ron Whaley.
Tim "Missileman" McPhail had the pole for the Mini Stock feature and quickly jumped to the lead on the green followed by Ted Vulpius, David Castello, Steve Griffin, and Rex "Boneman" Hollinger.
Vulpius passes McPhail with McPhail going to second. David Castello finds his hands full with Steve Griffin as they go side-by-side for third. Griffin is able to make the move and takes over third with Castello in fourth and Rex Christensen in fifth.
Griffin is on the move to the front as he passes McPhail for second. Going down the frontstretch Castello runs over McPhail's car causing McPhail to slide backwards to correct his hurt car. Vulpius takes the win and secures the 2003 Mini Stock Championship. Following Vulpius to the checkered was Steve Griffin, David Castello, Tim "Missileman" McPhail and Rex Christensen.
Bobby Blake won the 2003 Open Wheel Modified Championship but it was Jason Boyd who took the last win of the 2003 season for Mods. Boyd sat on the pole and lead from green to checkered, with no cautions, followed by Rob Underwood, Mark Vandevender, Bobby Blake and Scott Millar.
Late Models raced for "double" points with Tim Clark on the pole for their last feature of the 2003 points season. But it was Jason Boyd who took the lead on the green and as they say, "never looked back". Clark did a great job of trying to catch Boyd but just couldn't quite do it. Following Boyd on the start was Clark, Don Hess, Chad Pierce, and David Green.
Boyd takes the checkered for his second win of the night followed by Tim Clark, Don Hess, Chad Pierce and Wade Lynn. Brian Bellaw won the 2003 Late Model Championship, a second consecutive championship for Bellaw in Late Models. Twenty five Sportsman, with some of the 911 Racing drivers also in the field, came to race in the Homer Gordon 50 Lap Sportsman feature. On the pole was Ron Lufcy but it was Cory Kaiser who jumped to the lead on the green followed by Lufcy, Donnie Williams, Mike Trocki, and John Emerson (owner of the #09e Sportsman driven by Dusty Downer).
Chris Peludat brought out the caution on lap 1 when he hit the turns 3 and 4 wall. Peludat was fine but his car was done for the night. Also going out was Dale Clouser with a blown head gasket. Kaiser holds the point on the restart followed by Williams, Trocki, Lufcy, and Emerson.
Williams, in his famous driving style we have missed, passed Kaiser and took over the lead with Kaiser falling to third and Trocki moving into second. Lap 6 sees the caution to come out for Joe Gerrard.
On the restart, Trocki takes over the lead followed by Williams, Emerson, Kaiser and Richard Hight (the 2003 Orlando SpeedWorld Sportsman Champion). Lap 15, Kaiser brings out the caution as he spins at the top of turns 1 and 2. Paul Colgan spins avoidng Kaiser and is given back his spot since it was Kaiser who brought out the caution.
Trocki holds the point on the restart followed by Williams, Emerson, Hight, and Lufcy. On lap 19, Bob White and Brian Dula bring out the caution when they spin in turn 4. Trocki holds the point on the restart with Williams in second.
Lap 21, Brian Dula takes a visit to the turns 3 and 4 wall but is fine. Trocki once again leads the way followed by Williams, Emerson, Hight, and Lufcy on the green. Lap 26, Emerson is able to pass Williams taking over second. Two laps later, lap 28, Kaiser brings out the yellow for a spin. Trocki leads the way on the green followed by Emerson, Hight who has taken third from Williams and Ron Lufcy. Lap 33 sees some side-by-side action from Trocki and Emerson who are really going strong. This is Emerson's first time to drive his own car and is doing a really great job. Emerson gets the move and takes over the lead followed by Trocki, Hight, Williams, and Lufcy.
On lap 38, Kaiser brings out the caution as he spins in turns 3 and 4. Bill Love's engine blows and collects Emerson as he has nowhere to go. The race has to be red flagged for track clean-up from Love's engine.
With Emerson out, Trocki takes backover the lead on the green followed by Hight, Williams, Lufcy and Paul Colgan. On lap 42, Kaiser and Donnie Williams get together in turn 3 with Williams done for the night after a great come-back run. Trocki holds the point on the green followed by Hight, Lufcy, Colgan, and John Nusbaum. Mike Trocki takes the checkered for the Homer Gordon Sportsman 50 lap feature followed by Richard Hight, Ron Lufcy, Paul Colgan, and John Nusbaum.
In Victory Lane, Trocki presents the winning trophy to Homer Gordon's mom.
Randy Kough had the pole for the Strictly Stock feature but it was Theresa Trombley who took the lead on the green followed by Farris Crews, Tim Edmundson, Roger Ladieu, and Jason Clarette. Farris Crews is able to pass Trombley and takes over the point as Trombley slides to third with Edmundson coming in second. The got hot and heavy at it and by lap 7, it is Jason Clarette on the point followed by Crews, Edmundson, McCreary and Trombley. Edmundson passes Crews for second with McCreary taking over third and Crews settling into fourth. Jason Clarette takes the checkered followed by Tim Edmundson, Todd McCreary, Farris Crews, and Theresa Trombley.
Next Saturday night, November 14, the FASCAR Goodyear Challenge Late Models will race their last race of 2003 for the Championship. Along with the Goodyear will be Super Lates, Sportsman, Super Stock and Strictly Stock. The Open Wheel Modifieds and Mini Stocks concluded their 2003 season on November 8th.
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS NOVEMBER 8TH
TBARA WINGED SPRINTS 1. #96 David Steele 2. #2 Scott Adema 3. #68 Dude Teate 4. #19 Keith Butler 5. #99 Wayne Reutimann Sr. 6. #22 Doug Hevron 7. #79 David Slawiak 8. #29 Gary Gimmler 9. #18 Shane Butler 10. #7 John Gilbert Jr. 11. #51 Mark Gimmler 12. #33 Lee Cipray 13. #00 Wayne Reutimann Jr. 14. #33c John Sambor 15. #0 Ben Fritz 16. #66 Ray Bragg 17. #3 Ricky Burnett 18. #6F Bill Pettijohn 19. #80 Wendy Mathis
MINI CUPS 1. #17 Doug Smith 2. #44 Don Saxon 3. #55 Sonny Saxon 4. #15 David Taylor 5. #1 Rick Svrianna 6. #2 Matt Cravets 7. #36 Mike Holt 8. #05 Wendy Kash 9. #29 Dan Suggs 10. #8 Terry Tullis 11. #98 Wes Thompson 12. #43 Larry Falino
LATE MODEL 1. #15 Jason Boyd 2. #8 Tim Clark 3. #64 Don Hess 4. #57 Chad Pierce 5. #28 Wade Lynn 6. #23 David Pletka 7. #47 David Green 8. #21 Mark Stevenson 9. #8x Jacob Warren 10. #77 Rob Kayse Jr. 11. #7 Charlie Merz 12. #48 Mark Smith 13. #19 Josh Schmidt 14. #82 Davis Allen
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED 1. #2x Jason Boyd 2. #09 Rob Underwood 3. #7 Mark Vandevender 4. #75 Bobby Blake 5. #20 Scott Millar 6. #1 Victor Vanlacker 7. #0 Steve Thornburg
HOMER GORDON SPORTSMAN 50 LAPPER 1. #46 Mike Trocki 2. #23 Richard Hight 3. #07 Ron Lufcy 4. #31 Paul Colgan 5. #70 John Nusbaum 6. #51 Ed Kennedy 7. #12 David Williamson 8. #6 Bruce McGonigal 9. #38 Joe Poccia 10. #111 Donnie Williams 11. #48 Cory Kaiser 12. #13 Aaron Williamson 13. #09 John Emerson 14. #2 Bill Love 15. #18 Brian Dula 16. #5 Lonnie Cole 17. #3 Earl Beckner 18. #0 Wade Hatcher 19. #2w Bob White 20. #4 Eddie Thornton 21. #330 Joe Gerrard 22. #21 Jim Snyder 23. #15x Billy Spade 24. #30 Dale Clouser 25. #27 Chris Peludat
SUPER STOCK 1. #3 Jeff Colburn 2. #211 Jack Lenzen 3. #2 Ron Whaley 4. #23 Charlie Collins 5. #50 Robert Skinner 6. #17 Sean Bass 7. #21 Josh Wronkowski 8. #38 Randy Jones 9. #21y Jim Dyson 10. #31 Rich Linder 11. #4 Tim Morton
MINI STOCK 1. #71 Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius 2. #3 Steve Griffin 3. #1 David Castello 4. #7 Tim "Missileman" McPhail 5. #v3 Rex Christensen 6. #5 Alan Baker 7. #38 Ben Hutto 8. #61x Rick Gamache 9. #85 Rex "Boneman" Hollinger
STRICTLY STOCK 1. #21 Jason Clarette 2. #66 Tim Edmundson 3. #40 Todd McCreary 4. #8x Farris Crews 5. #8 Theresa Trombley 6. #28 John Polty 7. #10 Roger Ladieu 8. #21x Mike Oahm 9. #73 Jose Riveria 10. #667 Randy Kough 11. #13 Ralph Jones
