“Hollywood” Mike Franklin Jr. Scores 1st DeSoto Win
By Rick Anges
Bradenton, Fl. - As the sun beat down on “The High Banks” of DeSoto Super Speedway drivers of the Turner Tree and Landscape Limited Late Models were having a tough time hooking up to the racing surface in turn four.
It was long time DeSoto driver Steve Gill finding the right combination and taking fast time for the night’s 100-lap feature. Doug Moff, Mike Franklin Jr., Johnny Casady, and Jason Bowser made up the rest of the top five.
Turner Tree and Landscape LLM The roll of the die started the field straight up from qualifying and the action started on the first lap. Pole sitter Gill slipped coming out of turn two nearly spinning in front of the entire field on the backstretch bringing out the first of many yellows on the night. Gill’s night didn’t get any better and ended up finishing sixteenth on the night after a good qualifying run.
Cautions were plenty during the 100-lap event and several front-running cars were involved in altercations on the track including Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Greenwell who was subbing for Steve Arnold. Greenwell had front-end damage on his car early and was able to only come out of the night with and eleventh place run.
Tate Pierce also had his problems as he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The popular driver was involved in several problems on the track and finished fourteenth.
Up front Doug Moff charged out to the front and looked like he would cruise away to the win sometimes gaining a full straightaway advantage over the rest of the field. Mike Franklin Jr. was running in a solid second spot conserving tires. As the laps wound down it was apparent that Moff was having a hard time keeping the handle on his machine as Franklin began closing in on the leader.
The tail end of Moff’s machine began getting loose coming out of turn four and it wasn’t long before Franklin found the line and got around the former champion in the series. Steve Dorer who had qualified mid-pack for the nights race began making his move towards the front and it wasn’t long before he made the pass on the ill handling Moff and set his sites on the leader Franklin.
A late race caution slowed the field and allowed Moff’s tires to cool. He made one last charge at Dorer when the final green came out but after several laps the handle went away again. Moff would drop back and finish eighth on the night.
The final three laps were a barn burner with Dorer all over the leader Franklin. Dorer who looked like he had the better car on the track did everything he could to get around Franklin but each time the leader would slam the door on him.
When the checkers flew it was “Hollywood” Mike Franklin Jr. taking the win. “ I want to apologize to Steve for racing him like that” said Franklin in the winners circle “ but I have been racing at DeSoto for almost twenty years and this is my first win here and I really wanted it.”
Second place Dorer said “ I don’t have any problems with Mike it was a good hard race, we had trouble in qualifying but my team really worked hard this car and we got it right.”
Johnny Casady who finished a solid third place said “ We just stayed out of trouble and it paid off.” Fourth place went to Kevin Ingram and Lonny “The Flash” Miller had a great run in fifth.
Q Auto and Injury OWM The whirlwind that has followed “The Rocketman” Wayne Jefferson since winning the “Leroy Porter Icebreaker 125” Super Late Model race on opening day was one that some drivers would question what was happening.
Jefferson had qualified first if both the last Super Late Model and Open Wheel races and looked like the car to beat in both races only to encounter mechanical problems.
But on this night the Jefferson of old shone through as once he made his way from mid-pack and took the lead he cruised to the win. “I want to dedicate this to my new son Chase and my wife Paula” said Jefferson.
Tommy Younkman has been trying to find the handle on his first year in the Open Wheel class and this week it finally paid off taking the second spot, third went to Mark Nelson, fourth was Brian “DeJaVu” Teeters who recovered from his hood flying up in front of his windshield while leading early in the race and rounding out the top five was Dustin Chisholm.
Clear Channel Bombers In a wild last lap pass Jerome “Slideways” Watland edged out the “Punisher” Mike Crooks to take the win by a fender. Randy Johnson was right there for third. Questions about the front running cars motors were answered in tech as the top three were tore down to the cranks and all were found to be legal. Fourth was “Pistil” Pete Barr and in fifth Robert Blackmore.
DeSoto Truck Series 1 TODD BONTRAGER 2 CLINT SNYDER 3 TODD BLEVINS 4 GRAHAM McCORVEY 5 GARY DEEMER JEFF FIRESTINE DQ
Trailer Super Center Mini-Stocks 1 DEAN BUTRUM 2 TODD FREED JR. 3 JON BAILEY 4 MIKE KERRIVAN 5 ROB STODGELL
Pyramid Employers Pure Stocks 1 TYLER LAU 2 KEN SMITH 3 JOHN BROWN 4 JEFF DUFRESNE 5 JIMMIE BEST
International Contractors Street Stocks 1 CASEY HALL 2 DENNIS WILSON 3 MIKE AMO 4 WILLIAM SLACK 5 ALEX ABBOTT
School Bus Figure 8 1 BRIAN CONRAD (Two in a row) 2 SCOTT BROWN 3 KEITH BRISSON 4 MARK JACKSON 5 ERNEST HELFRICK
