IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

April 17, 2005 FSCR Murphy tops Late Models, Yoakam claims Mini Stock win at New Smyrna Speedway by Jane Smith Samsula, Fla. (April 16, 2005) Inspite of the coolness of the night, there was plenty of action at New Smyrna Speedway with the 50 lap Super Stock race and Late Models, Modifieds, Mini Stock, Strictly Stock, and Pro Trucks. The Strictly Stock division was the first feature of the night with Greg Dame on the pole and winning from the pole. Dame took the early lead and never let go inspite of a number of drivers trying for that number one spot. Nick Boley made a great attempt coming up the field but was just short of reach leader Dame. Boley finished second with Ray Tanguay in third, Jose Rivera in fourth and Tim Logue in fifth. Greg Dame took the heat win. Alli Owens had the pole for the Late Model feature but it was David Gibbs in the No. 47 who jumped to the early lead followed by Owens, Rusty Ebersole, Robert Andercheck and Jeremy Fitch. Andercheck takes over third from Ebersole as Mike Murphy moves into fifth. The caution comes out for Alli Owens and Troy Atkins. Owens got tapped in the rear going into turn 3 and spun with Atkins hitting Owens and then the wall. Owens hurt her elbow but other than that both drivers were fine. Both cars were towed into the pits and the race went back green with Gibbs on the point followed by Andercheck, Murphy, Fitch and Ebersole. Fitch passes Ebersole for fourth as Murphy is looking to pass Gibbs for the lead. Gibbs holds strong but in the end, Murphy had the better car and took over the lead and the checkered followed by David Gibbs, Robert Andercheck, Jeremy Fitch and Rusty Ebersole. Rusty Ebersole and Mike Murphy took the heat wins. Ron Whaley had the pole for the Super Stock 50 and quickly jumped to the lead over George Spears, Jason Foster, Pat Buckley and Faris Crews. Buckley puts the heat on Foster and takes over third. Suddenly Spears finds his hands full of Buckley as they go side-by-side for the second position. Buckley finally makes the move, it sticks and he takes over the second spot. Spears develops some mechanical problems and has to retire for the night as well as Mike Hendrix who had worked his way to fifth. It is now Whaley, Buckley, Foster, Wronkowski and Crews. By this time, Whaley has lapped the whole field up to the fifth placed car of Crews. The caution comes out for Bruce McGonigal Jr. and Jonathan Rowe who have spun on the backstretch. The race goes back green as Whaley gets a good start again for the point followed by Wronkowski, Buckley, Foster and Crews. Buckley puts the heat on Wronkowski and takes over second as Whaley takes the checkered over Buckley, Wronkowski, Foster and Crews. In tech, the top three cars were dq'd giving the win to Jason Foster followed by Faris Crews, Ed Barber, Bruce Wingate and Jonathan Rowe. Mark Broat had the pole for the Mini Stock feature but it was Ben Cutler Jr. who took the point on the green followed by Steven Simpson, Ted Vulpius, David Castello and Pat Wells. Vulpius takes over second as Simpson slides backwards with Castello in third, Wells in fourth and Robbie Yoakam in fifth. Castello now puts the heat on Cutler and is able to take over the lead. Vulpius then puts the heat on Cutler and passes Cutler for second as Yoakam and Wells tags along for third and fourth sliding Cutler to fifth Yoakam then puts the heat on Vulpius and takes over second setting his eyes on the leader David Castello. Castello and Yoakam do some great side-by-side racing but in the end, Yoakam is able to take over the point with Castello in second. Yoakam takes the checkered followed by David Castello, Ted Vulpius, Pat Wells, and Ben Cutler, Jr. David Castello took the heat win. Pro Trucks saw Ron Dubeau on the pole but it was Marty Wolf who took the lead over Dubeau, Dalton Zehr, Charlie Collins, and Tim Bagnalt. Dalton puts the pressure on Dubeau and takes over second as Collins follows thru for third with Dubeau settling for fourth. Then Bagnalt puts the heat on Dubeau and takes over fourth with Dubeau in fifth. Suddenly Wolf finds himself being challenged by Zehr who has a very strong truck. Zehr finally makes the move, it sticks, and Zehr takes over the lead followed by Wolf, Collins, Bagnalt, and Bill Stacy. Stacy moves into fourth with Dennis Gardner in fifth. Charlie Collins brings out the caution when he spins in turn 1. The race goes back green with Zehr, Wolf, Stacy, Gardner and Bagnalt in the top five. Collins works his way back into fifth as Dalton Zehr takes the checkered followed by Marty Wolf, Bill Stacy, Dennis Gardner, and Charlie Collins. Dalton Zehr won the heat race. The final feature of the night were the Open Wheel Modifieds with Jerry Symons on the pole. Symons quickly jumped to the lead over Chuck Burkhalter, Ted Helmes, Skip Honaker and Rob Underwood. A little mixing around as Underwood passes Honaker and Helmes and takes over third. The Honaker repasses Helmes and takes over fourth as Helmes settles into fifth. With no cautions in this 15 lap feature, Symons glides to the checkered followed by Chuck Burkhalter, Rob Underwood, Skip Honaker, and Ted Helmes. Jerry Symons took the heat win. OFFICIAL RESULTS NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY - APRIL 16, 2005 LATE MODEL 1. #26 Mike Murphy 2. #47 David Gibbs 3. #90 Robert Andercheck 4. #11 Jeremy Fitch 5. #23 Rusty Ebersole 6. #4k Amanda Gogel 7. #48 Mark Smith 8. #7 Carey Watson 9. #78 Mark Miller 10. #44 Mark Lavine 11. #22 Alli Owens 12. #14 Troy Atkins OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED 1. #98 Jerry Symons 2. #51 Chuck Burkhalter 3. #09 Rob Underwood 4. #2 Skip Honaker 5. #61 Ted Helmes 6. #9 Art Kunzeman 7. #56 Ken McCracken 8. #34 Bobby Blake 9. #21 Mike Dahm 10. #2x Jimmy Winks SUPER STOCK 50 1. #49 Jason Foster 2. #8 Faris Crews 3. #123 Ed Barber 4. #210 Bruce Wingate 5. #5 Jonathan Rowe 6. #60 Bruce Muh 7. #22 Bruce McGonigal Jr. 8. #71 Mike Hendrix 9. #29 James Adams 10. #18 George Spears 11. #2 Ron Whaley DQ'D 12. #34 Pat Buckley DQ'D 13. #21 Josh Wronkowski DQ'D 14. #99 Gene Vitello DNS 15. #8 Henry Rader DNS MINI STOCK 1. #8 Robbie Yoakam 2. #34 David Castello 3. #71 Ted Vulpius 4. #23 Pat Wells 5. #83 Ben Cutler, Jr. 6. #07 Steven Simpson 7. #69 Anthony King 8. #6 Mark Broat 9. #11 Pug Puglisi PRO TRUCKS 1. #5 Dalton Zehr 2. #9 Marty Wolf 3. #32 Bill Stacy 4. #11K Dennis Gardner 5. #07 Charlie Collins 6. #47 Tim Bagnalt 7. #11 Ron Dubeau 8. #7 Bill Morris 9. #6 Bobby Snodgrass STRICTLY STOCK 1. #67 Greg Dame 2. #88 Nick Boley 3. #007 Ray Tanguay 4. #73 Jose Rivera 5. #75 Tim Logue 6. #68 Alvin Morris 7. #15 Mike Wofford 8. #99 Gordon Houck 9. #48 P.J. 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