IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

August 29, 2004 FSCR Anderson Wins Citrus Florida Pro 100 by Larry MacMillan (Inverness, Fl. 8/28/04) With a four week delay due to rain, the Florida Pro Series returned to Citrus County Speedway to complete the race scheduled for July 31st. Series point leader Rich Pratt was fast qualifier in time trials on the 31st with a 13.610 second run followed by the winner of the race last time out Herb Neumann Jr. at 13.642 seconds on his home race track. On the pill draw, the two fast qualifiers started 7th & 8th when the green fell, chasing John Chance, Wayne Anderson, Jim Smith, Doyle Boatwright and Kevin Finney on the pole and brother Brian on the outside pole. Only 16 of the original 19 cars were able to make it back for the race. Brian Finney took the point when the green dropped on the 100 lap main. The first caution came out after lap one when Ryan Foster made a 270 degree turn on turn one. The next green flag went for 15 laps when Perry Lovelady spun on turn four. On the restart local driver Danny Johnson lost power and retired to the pits. Brian continued to lead with brother Kevin chasing him and trying to hold off Herb Neumann Jr. in a side by side battle when Neumann lost it on turn four in lap 43, putting him to the back of the pack a lap down for the restart. Meanwhile Wayne Anderson was waiting for the break to come when Brian Finney started losing his brakes pushing him to the outside. Anderson made it by Kevin and Brian on lap 47 and then it was all over but the celebration in Victory Lane with Wayne Anderson scoring his second Florida Pro win of the season. Anderson said he was really happy to be in the Winner’s Circle after racing in Pensacola Friday night in the same race car and having to make the trip back to Wildwood for repairs so he could make this race. Celebrating with him was runner up Kevin Finney followed by series points runner up Jim Smith, point leader and fast qualifier Rich Pratt and John Chance. Rounding out the top 7 were Tal Etheridge in the black #8 out of Georgia and Gary Grubbs who was back in a short track car for the third time after a 7 year layoff. Six other divisions made for a season record number of 148 race cars in the pits for Saturday night action at Citrus County Speedway. The Florida Open Wheel Lites brought in 19 cars with Billy Gise out of Port Orange locking in his first Citrus County Speedway win over Rick Lundeen, Mike Belusar, Ron Towles and Erik Powell taking the top five spots. Heat winners were Mark Landis in his first Citrus appearance and Rick Lundeen who loves this track with several wins under his belt. Super Stocks came ready for business with a 27 car field when the green flew. J.D. Goff took the point in the early going and battled with fifth starter Frank Buchanan who took only a few laps before putting the pressure on the leader. The field was plagued by caution flags due to the heavy traffic and visiting racers who were unfamiliar with Citrus 3/8ths mile causing the race to be reduced from 20 to fifteen laps because of time restrictions. When the checkers flew Frank Buchanan won his first race of the season being chased by J.D. Goff, Scott Hendrickson, Bob Masciarelli and Dusty Bouchard. Buchanan and Rick Kase took the heat wins. It was all Steve Griffin over the 18 car Mini Stock field in his new ride that he inherited from David Curry. The only car that had anything for him was point leader Jim Curry who finished right on his tail pipe when the checkers flew. Dan Smith managed to move from ninth to third followed by George Neumann and Mike Lawhorn. Neumann and Smith picked up the heat wins. Thirty six Hobby Stocks necessitated twin features for the divisions with Tommy Smith coming from 18th to win his 6th of the year in the first feature. Cody Moore inherited a second place finish after Tim Anderson weighed in too light in post inspection. Todd Downs, Bobby Taylor, Dean Lawyer and John Zuidema took the top five spots. It was a flag to flag win for Rusty Bremer in the second 18 car feature. Another light weigh in decided second place when John Hughes was D.Q.’d and Richie Smith picked up the spot. Bill Ryan survived a heat accident, making repairs, and managed a third place finish. Alvin Williamson and Curtis Neumann took the balance of the top five spots. Heat winners were Cody Moore after John Hughes D.Q., Curtis Neumann and Dean Lawyer. Young 14 year old D.J. Macklin pulled off a wire to wire win for his first feature win ever holding off a hard charge by 17th starter Steven Steindurf in the race for the flag. Twenty fourth starter Lee Keller worked his way through traffic to pick up a third place finish over Michael Bocija and point leader Jerry Hoover. Heat wins went to Steindurf, John Donahue and Wayne Heater who blew up in a run for the lead in the feature. Dan Sanderson had the 4 Cylinder Bomber Winner’s Circle all to himself in both the heat and the feature runs. Rick Fort moved into second in their point race with a second place finish over Mike Curry, Rusty Adams and Clark Pittsley. Next Saturday night the Late Models take the spot light again in a “Triple 50” race night. Three Late Model 50 lap features, run back to back with a 10 minute delay and three different elevating purses. They will qualify in time trials for the first race. Added to the program will be the Figure 8’s, the Sportsman 40, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Thunder Stocks and 4 Cylinder Bombers. Citrus County Speedway Results 8/28/04 Florida Pro Late Model 100 – 16 Cars 1. #84 Wayne Anderson – Wildwood 2. #180 Kevin Finney – Merritt Island 3. #32 Jim Smith – Inverness 4. # 0 Rich Pratt – Ocala 5. #61 John Chance – Inverness 6. #8E Tal Etheridge – Sylvester, Ga. 7. #47 Gary Grubbs – Brooksville 8. #27 Tommy Stire - Miramar 9. #98 Herb Neumann Jr. – Inverness 10.#10 Ryan Foster – Lowell, Ark. 11.#8x Perry Lovelady – Lakeland 12.#57 Doyle Boatwright – Starke 13.#80 Brian Finney – Merritt Island 14.#8F Michael Faulk – High Springs 15.#1X Daniel Webster – Brooksville 16.#96 Danny Johnson – Crystal River Florida Open Wheel Lite Feature – 20 Laps – 19 Cars 1. # 21 Billy Gise – Port Orange 2. #04 Rick Lundeen – Jacksonville 3. #82 Mike Belusar 4. #01 Ron Towles – Jacksonville 5. #28 Erik Powell – Middleburg 1st Heat Winner - #22 Mark Landis 2nd Heat Winner - #04 Rick Lundeen Super Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 27 Cars 1. #07 Frank Buchanan 2. #37 J.D. Goff 3. #3 Scott Hendrickson 4. #72x Bob Masciarelli 5. #47 Dusty Bouchard 1st Heat Winner – 07 Frank Buchanan 2nd Heat Winner #2 - Rick Kase Mini Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 18 Cars 1. #00 Steve Griffin 2. #20 Jim Curry 3. #72 Dan Smith 4. # 1 George Neumann 5. #44 Mike Lawhorn 1st Heat Winner - #1 George Neumann 2nd Heat Winner - #72 Dan Smith 1st Hobby Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 18 Cars 2nd Hobby Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 18 Cars 1. #42 Tommy Smith 1. #5X Rusty Bremer 2. #12 Cody Moore 2. #142 Richie Smith 3. #00 Todd Downs 3. #33 Bill Ryan 4. #66 Bobby Taylor 4. #09 Alvin Williamson 5. #47 John Zuidema 5. #01 Curtis Neumann 1st Heat Winner #12 Cody Moore 2nd Heat Winner #01 Curtis Neumann 3rd Heat Winner #19 Dean Lawyer Thunder Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 25 Cars 1. #14 D.J. Macklin 2. #0X Steven Stinedurf 3. #21 Lee Keller 4. #4X Michael Bocija 5. #30 Jerry Hoover 1st Heat Winner - #0X Steven Stinedurf 2nd Heat Winner - #26 John Donahue 3rd Heat Winner - #71 Wayne Heater 4 Cylinder Bomber Feature – 15 Laps – 5 Cars 1. #7 Dan Sanderson 2. #43 Rick Fort 3. #9 Mike Curry 4. #67 Rusty Adams 5. #64 Clark Pittsley Heat Winner - #7 Dan Sanderson Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! news@karnac.org or send a letter to the editor!