LAKE CITY, FL (9/9) - North Florida Speedway survived two rain delays and one power outage to deliver a five-division program to the fans who braved the elements last Saturday night. The track officials did an outstanding job in twice converting a mud bog back into a race track throughout the night.
Tim Dowling took the lead in the Limited Sportsman feature and was in total control of the event until the unlucky seventh lap when his #55 suddenly dropped out with an electrical failure. Brian Scott picked up where Dowling left off with the lead but had some challenges along the way. Chadd Brinkley made hard contact with the front stretch wall on the 11th lap and the severity of the wreck - which was felt in the stands and the scoring tower - mandated a red flag condition. Brinkley was in his car for several minutes as he worked his way through a concussion, but eventually was able to leave his car and was fortunate to escape serious injury. This was the final race of the night and due to the lateness of the hour, the event was called. Initially the race was declared incomplete and was going to be rescheduled, but upon further review, the decision was made to call the race complete and pay according to the finish on the last completed lap. Brian Scott was declared the winner followed by Johnny Whitely, Gary Palmer, David Ponton, and Brinkley in that order.
Nick Reid led the Street Stock feature for approximately 100 yards before Dean Sands blew him and everyone else away by taking the lead on the first turn of the first lap and leading every lap to pick up victory #14. Dewey Hall made the only other pass of the race when he got by Reid a few laps later. At the pay window, the order read Sands, Hall, Reid, T.C. Broadway, and Richard Reed.
The Hobby Stocks got in only two laps of their feature before the lights went out in turns three and four. Just as the lighting problem had been resolved the skies opened up and delayed the show for a little over an hour. When the green flag dropped again Scotty Nolan raced away from a strong field of cars and took an impressive win. John Ward made a strong charge through the field but had nothing for the leader and had to settle for second. Timmy Roach was third with William Martin fourth and Heath Walker fifth.
Pure Stocks saw a race break out during a wrestling match. With more scraps and feuds than a Wrestlemania card could hold, officials were kept busy during every lap of this brawl. Somehow enough green flag laps were scored to declare a race had taken place and Gerald Lewis, who was one of the very few who stayed away from the piledrivers and flying chairs, earned his second win of the year. Jesse Sullivan also escaped largely unscathed to take second. Beyond those positions, carnage and pestilence followed. The survivors for third through fifth were Dean Jarvis, Dean Mathison, and Clay McRae.
Mini Stocks finally got to run a race that had been rained out weeks ago. Steven Bennett took the lead on the first lap and soon established his own area code as he easily outran his competitors. A good three-way battle for second kept the fans entertained as Joey Brinson did battle with Freddie Daniels and Justin Carney. The race ran with very few incidents and the finishing order read Bennett, Daniels, Brinson. Carney, and James Conway.
Mini Sprints and Sprint Cars join the Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, and Pure Stocks this Saturday night at North Florida Speedway. For more information check out www.northfloridaspeedway.com.
