Miller and Owens Take First Feature Wins to Open 2006 Season at Putnam County Speedway Park
By Tera Gunter 5-20-06
Putnam County Speedway Park opened the gates under new management for the 2006 season with heated action on the track. The speedway has a carnival atmosphere this year as multiple booths were set up with plenty of treats to satisfy both children and adults. Judging by the packed grandstands, the speedway enjoyed one of it’s largest fan attendances for the grand opening.
The Hobby Stock division had the event of the night with a 40 lap feature and skilled driving by this entertaining division. Danny Miller and Robert Hicks lined up in the front row as Miller rocketed to the lead at the green flag drop with Rick Mayer in hot pursuit. Randy Moody charged from a starting position halfway through the field to challenge Mayer as David Dowling Jr. and Kenny Hall Jr. began a battle with side by side action that would last through nearly half the race. Moody showed his determination after a spin on the backstretch left his car in the air on top of a barrel. Placed to the rear of the field at the restart, Moody charged through the field to duel for position with Dowling and Hall. Losing four positions on lap 20 when he got loose between turns 3-4, Miller regained the lead and held off all contenders as the Putnam County racer rocketed to a jubilant victory ahead of Moody, Dowling, Hall, and Luke Sadler.
The open-wheeled Modifieds proved why they are one of the fan favorite divisions at the speedway as Ken Hale and Sonny Pipkins took the field under the green flag. Kyle Owen of Gainesville, who started 6th, rocketed off to take the lead on the first lap. Not to be outdone, Jason Lowe, Kenny Blair, and Tiny Greene proceeded to entertain the fans as they dueled for the right to challenge Owen. Lowe, a St. Augustine racer, proved to be the stronger of the three, leaving Greene and Blair to duke it out behind him. Owen maintained his lead as a determined Lowe clicked down the laps in pursuit of the leader. Midway through the race, fans gasped to see Lowe’s car sustain a left front broken tie rod and flat tire and figured the 2005 Modified division champion was done for the night. Refusing to give in to the obvious, Lowe dug in his heels and jaws dropped as he closed in behind Owen, while still holding off both Greene and Blair. Owen persevered and the mod squad brought fans to their feet as Owen led Lowe, Greene, Blair, and Steve Persinger to the checkered flag.
Kenny Hall returned to Putnam County Speedway in his former form as he led the Street Stock division under the green flag. Marc Kinley posed an early challenge to Hall’s dominance as he and Hall swapped paint before Tony Lewis surprised Kinley with a move ahead. Tim Dowling moved into position behind Kinley and the battles of the night belonged to Hall, Lewis, Kinley, and Dowling as all four racers dueled. Kinley made a strong move on the front stretch to pass Lewis and closed in on Hall. Two laps later, Kinley passed Hall and appeared to have the car to beat. Kinley gained a strong lead over Hall only to lose that lead five laps later as he got loose out of turn 4, a move that cost him 3 positions by the checkered flag. Hall led Lewis, Kinley, Dowling, and Richard Adams to the finish line.
Late Models took to the track as Tony Lewis and Clyde Herron led under the green flag with Lewis taking the lead. While his car was not legal for this class, David Jones in a super late model joined the field for some seat time. An incident out of turn 3 had fans wondering how many racers would be able to finish as all but one car collided in a wreck on lap 4. William Rose took a short lived lead before Jones passed him with Lewis in hot pursuit. Jones took the checkered flag over Lewis, Jason Pipkins, Herron, Rose, and Billy Costello. Since Jones’ car was not legal, the victory belonged to Lewis.
The Mini Stock and Box Stock divisions ran separate features with Art Souther taking the checkered in mini stocks over Casey Slanton, Shawn Heaney, Ryan Brinson, and Randy Strehle. Dustin Sanders led Mark Comitale and Kevin Hawkinberry to the checkered in the box stocks.
Racing resumes at the speedway on Friday, May 26, 2006 for a Memorial weekend regular show. Visit the speedway’s website at www.putnamcountyspeedway.com for information on weekly racing and upcoming events.
