Sheltra Wins Twin Late Model Features, Tovet Wraps up Hobby 100
By Tera Gunter
Patrick Sheltra of Indiantown,Fl. ,won both Late Model 50 Lap features Saturday.
With the regular season winding down, Putnam County Speedway scheduled action packed two-day weekends for October 27-28, and November 3-4. Inclement weather Friday night that put an early halt to the evening’s events after two heat races and a kid’s costume contest featuring trick or treating on the front stretch with the racers.
With the remaining heats and Friday’s feature shows re-scheduled for Saturday, along with Saturday’s regularly scheduled features, the speedway had a full card of events to satisfy fans of all ages. Late model top guns and thrilling three and four wide racing in both the late model and hobby stock features ensured the grandstands remained packed until the end.
Patrick Sheltra, a 20 year old dynamo from Indiantown, Florida, made a dominating first appearance at the speedway. Doing triple duty this weekend, Sheltra fielded entries in the twin 50 lap late model features as well as the Halloween Hobby 100 feature. David Crews of Jacksonville led a 21 car field in the first half of the first late model feature event with Lawton Minchew in second before Sheltra asserted his dominance. Swinging high, Sheltra used the outside groove to his advantage, passing Crews out of turn two.
Crews settled into second with Bill Howard in third. In thrilling action, battles blazed behind the race leaders and wrecks decimated the field. Sheltra, a former NLMS Rookie of the Year, led Crews, Howard, NLMS multi-champion Ivedent Lloyd, and Jason Davis to victory lane.
Fans worried about the car count for the second 50 lap late model feature needn’t have worried as 25 late models lined up with Robby Barris and Tate Singler in the front row. Barris ran a strong feature, taking the lead from Singler in turn 4.
Barris, a late model and modified racer out of Ocala, Florida, led three quarters of the late model feature with Sheltra in his shadow. Sheltra made his move around Barris and by lap 38, Sheltra placed a good lead over the rest of the field. Despite challenges placed on him, Barris maintained his position behind Sheltra.
As the laps ticked down, Barris gained on Sheltra and in a move that almost worked, made a last lap bid to wrest the lead from Sheltra. Sheltra led Barris, Steve Whitener, Brandon Cameron, and Bill Howard under the checkered flag.
Thirty two hobby stocks showed up for the Halloween Hobby 100 and after two consolation races for those who didn’t earn a position in the main event, Grady Christian took the lead over Michael Tovet and David Dowling, Jr. in a 24 car field feature race that saw multiple wrecks and blazing tempers. The race leaders dueled for position with Christian fending off challenges from Tovet, who in turn, defended himself from Dowling.
Patrick Sheltra once again proved a force to be reckoned with as he moved up into contention to challenge the race leaders. Sheltra overcame Tovet and set off after Christian. Tovet settled in and wisely bided his time as the battle for position between Christian and Sheltra blazed ahead of him.
To the fans dismay, hard racing between Christian and Sheltra resulted in racers crashing into the front stretch retaining wall. The ensuing flared tempers resulted in both being disqualified. Tovet took the lead at the restart and maintained his lead as the field shuffled behind him.
Mike Tovet of Altoona, Fl. won the Halloween Hobby Stock 100 feature
Tovet took the checkered over Shane Williams, Mike Tripp, Dowling, and Alan Peacock.
Racing resumes this weekend with modified qualifying, heat races, late model, and street stock features on Friday night and the Madd Mod 75 lap feature event Saturday night along with modified consolation races, hobby stock, mini stock, and box stock features. For additional information, call the speedway at 386-649-5210, or visit www.putnamcountyspeedway.com.
