IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

August 30, 2004 FSCR MERCER WINS COORS LIGHT/BLIZZARD SERIES 100 AT FIVE FLAGS By Tony Martin Eddie Mercer has started on the front row in all four Blizzard Series 100s for Super Late Models at Five Flags Speedway, setting the fastest qualifying time for three of those events. Fast Eddie has had the dominant car and has led many laps but has been unable to stay up front to the checkered flag. During the July Snowball Derby qualifying race, he led 93 of the scheduled 100 laps but finished second behind hometown racing rival Scott Carlson. Friday nights Coors Light 100 was different as Mercer led only a handful of laps including the one that counted most. The final lap. With his victory in the fourth of the five-race series, Eddie has put himself in position to claim the points title and the provisional Snowball Derby start that goes with it. The start of the race didnt look promising for Mercer as Shane Hmiel, J.R. Norris, and David Hole all rocketed around the polesitter on the first lap. After the race he explained, "There were cars that wanted to race harder than I wanted to so I just let them go." Hmiel looked like the man to beat as he stretched out his lead with Norris appearing to be the only one able to mount a challenge. Donald Long, who started eighth in the 24-car field quickly moved to fourth place and joined Mercer and Scott Carlson as they passed a struggling David Hole on the 34th lap. Hole, who won the second Blizzard series race and was tied with Mercer in the points going into the race, was off the pace all night and finished 15th. The Cummins, Georgia driver will also earn a provisional start in the December 5 classic if he can maintain the 10-point margin he now has over Ryan Crane. On the 47th lap, the caution flag flew for Stanley Smith whose car caught fire after an oil line came loose. He drove into his pit stall where the blaze was quickly extinguished. During the caution period, Mercer made two pit stops allowing his crew to swap his front and rear tires. He rejoined the field at the rear as the remainder of competitors stayed on the track. Wes Loyd was on the move after the restart and after Long got by Norris for the second spot on lap 68, he did likewise putting himself in third place at the 74 lap mark. By the 80th circuit, Long was applying heavy pressure to race-long leader Hmiel while Mercer worked his way up to 4th. Hmiel was relegated to third place on the 91st lap as the Pensacola pair of Long and Mercer scooted by. Three laps later, Long got into a lapped car in the 1st turn and by the time he got down the backstretch his right front tire went flat causing him to tag the turn 3 wall. He was able to continue but was now out of the hunt. Under the ensuing caution period, all the lead lap cars pitted for fresh right side tires and after the lap-104 restart, Fast Eddie and Hmiel were able to pass Crane who had passed on the opportunity to pit. Another caution set up a green-white-checkered flag finish after Arkansas teenager Ryan Foster spun in turn 3. On the final restart, Hmiel showed his strength as he challenged Mercer on the outside of turns 1 & 2. Mercer was able to hold him off for a two-car length victory. Carlson, who has two Blizzard Series wins, followed in third. Ryan Crane had his hands full as two former Snowball Derby winners; Wayne Anderson, and Charlie Bradberry sandwiched him in for a three-car wide photo finish. Anderson prevailed over Crane and Bradberry for the fourth spot. Bradberry started last because he was unable to make it for the originally scheduled race that was rained out the week before. The rest of the field had qualified at that time. Twelve cars finished on the lead lap making for a very competitive race. Hmiel who is a regular on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was most complimentary in his post-race interview telling the crowd, "I got beat by the best here; Eddie Mercer. Boy, what a place this is! Well be back for the Snowball Derby and well get that one." In other racing action, former Super Late Model champion, Ricky Brooks won the Modified feature over Sammy McMullen and Tim Goldsby. Randy Thompson beat points leader Joel Lesley, Jr., in the Bomber division as Eddie Mercers brother Stevie finished third. Jimmy Hardin won his third straight Spectator feature over Mike Austin and James Ziniewicz. The historic speedway will continue its celebration of "Five Decades of Speed" with fireworks next Friday night along with a special thirty-lap feature for the Bomber division. The Super Stocks, Modifieds, and Spectators will join the "Crunch Bunch" in heat and feature racing. Happy Hour pricing will be in effect with those adults arriving before 7:00 p.m. admitted for $5. The regular price of admission is $7. For more information go to www.fiveflagsspeedway.com or call 944-8400. COORS LIGHT 100 RESULTS FIVE FLAGS SPEEDWAY 8/27/04 1. Eddie Mercer 2. Shane Hmiel 3. Scott Carlson 4. Wayne Anderson, 5. Ryan Crane 6. Charlie Bradberry 7. Ronnie Sanders 8. Wes Loyd 9. J.R. Norris 10. Grant Enfinger 11. Donald Long 12. Ryan Foster 13. Keith Thorpe 14. Brandon Vaughn 15. David Hole 16. Ken McFarland 17. Roger Reuse 18. Ron McDonald 19. Dwayne Buggay 20 Greg Young 21. Stanley Smith 22. Lorenzo Benton 23. Mike Cook 24. Jesse Lucio Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! news@karnac.org or send a letter to the editor!