Thomson takes Legends - Steinman over Outlaw Mods at SpeedWorld
By Dave Westerman
There were no weather problems this week as Orlando Speedworld's regular Saturday competitors played host to the visiting Outlaw Modifieds, Florida Cracker Classics, and the Daytona Antique Auto Racing Association.
With 22 RE/MAX Legends signed in, three heats were needed to set the starting grid for the 25 lap feature. Taking the preliminaries were Andy Logan, Kory Abbott and Brandon Thomson.
Chelsea Schillig would have the pole for the main event with Thomson on the outside pole slot. Thomson took off like a rocket at the drop of the green and would never be headed in this one. There was only one caution flag for a lap 11 tangle as impressive newcomer Jim Smith tangled with the lapped car of Alex Kempf while Smith was running in fourth spot.
First heat winner Logan dropped out early as Abbott took up the chase of Thomson but the 16 year old driver from St. Cloud finished up a solid weekend but ending Abbott's win streak at three. Thomson also came home second in the Legends feature on Friday night and posted a third place in Friday's Sportsman feature in his first ever start in that class.
Abbott took the runner-up spot on this night while Schillig has yet another solid run for third over Matt Bowers and Masters Division top finisher Mike Verhaagh. Mike's brother Mitch Verhaagh finally had some decent luck and showed he can get the job done too coming home sixth with Shaughn McCormick, Troy Mahrt, Eric Eichelberger and Jimmy Rodriguez completing the top ten. Rounding out the finishers were Dalton Bergman, Mark Bibeau, Smith, Wild Willie Wilson, Kempf, Steve Turbeville, Tim Harris, Gary Verdier, Mike Fazio, Jimmy Norman (who actually ran quite well after his horrible accident the night before until his car fell out with mechanical troubles), Logan and Tim McCormick.
The Outlaw Modifieds made their third and final appearance with heat wins going to Mike Endee and Craig Sherar.
Ric Mills grabbed the early lead from the pole only to see the caution out after lap one was completed for Mike Bean's car which was spilling fuel. Track crews had just found a gas cap on the track and after putting one and one together, secured the cap on Bean's fuel cell so he could return to action. Unfortunately, the young driver who won here the last time the Outlaw Mods were in town, would end up dropping out shortly thereafter and finished last in the rundown. Mills held the lead for one more lap before Sherar took over the top spot.
Meanwhile, Robbie Bean, who started dead last in the field after having problems in his heat, methodically worked his way to the front, passing Sherar for the top spot on lap 15. That would be the only lap Bean would lead however. Cliff Steinman had shadowed his every move as Bean moved to the point.
Once Bean was in front, Steinman simply drove by into the lead and streaked away to the win. Bean maintained his point lead with his runner-up finish while Sherar held on for third over Mike Endee and Billy Campbell. Phil Brigham, Bobby Dayton, Mills, Ric Voisey, Robert Campbell, Tom Meyer, Raymond "Superfrog" Jones and Mike Bean completed the finishing order.
After taking a couple of months off, many of the Florida Cracker Classics drivers had to do some wrench-turning just to make their feature race. David Nunes topped heat number one but Brad Neuberg blew an engine to end his night early. A big wreck at the start of heat two put Ron Gustafson out for the night while Jim Rahman and Jeff wright had to make hasty repairs before the main event.
Norm Agostinho went on to win heat two, then grabbed the lead at the drop of the green for the feature. Rahman got loose on the back stretch and spun, getting tagged by the car of John Smith. Rahman restarted but would drop out fairly early while Smith pitted to change a flat tire and also returned to action.
Agostinho maintained the lead once again only to see Greg Helton go spinning in turn two after his car broke an axle.
From that point the race would go green to checker with Agostinho holding off a determined Jeff Wright for the win, his second of the year.
Nunes drove home third while Smith held on for fourth with a car that was "toed out about three inches." Tommy Kirk was fifth with Rahman, David King and Helton rounding out the finishers.
Mark Hooven and Gerald White, Jr. completed sweeps of the weekend Bandelero action. After winning their respective races on Friday night, both took the top position again on Saturday.
Hooven led the Bandit field to the checker but got a pretty good challenge all the way from Harrisburg, NC visitor Stephen Bergh. Donovan Ponder came home third over Nicholas Baluch, Zach Harris, Coty Bibeau, T.J. Kirk and Shawn Hooven.
White again dominated the Young Guns action, leading all the way to take the victory over Kristina Baluch, Gerald Campbell and Kyndall Antley.
Veteran Don Stives, who now lives in Homossasa, took the win in the DAARA Stock Car class out-running Cory Lane's Dodge Dart Late Model. Gig Smith, Keith Grant, Eddie Grant and Gary Lane trailed. The DAARA Sprint Car feature went to Roy Campbell with a last lap pass to take the win over Jay Yahnke, Jack Sapp and Sue Yahnke while Jerry Paquin took the Midget match race over Kenny Coleman.
Gary Thomas claimed his first Speedworld win in the Hurricane feature holding off a fast-closing Rob Reynolds. Spank Carr came home third over Dave Thompson and Josh Fleming.
Quarter Midget graduate Logan Bordeau also won for the first time at Speedworld driving his sharp-looking Mustang to the Junior Stock win over Austin Carr and Kyle Dombeck.
