As fate would have it, a pleasant, early September evening at Charlotte County Motorsports Park eventually turned into lightning, thunder and rain.
The good news was that most of the races were completed before the precipitation came Saturday night.
The bad news was that two races were postponed after the 9:45 p.m. soaking.
Both the Outlaw Street Stock 50-lapper and the Figure 8 Boat Race will be made up this coming Saturday night, Sept. 8.
With threatening weather moving into the Punta Gorda area, the Outlaw Modifieds were lucky to get in their 35-lap feature. The skies opened up just after the checkered flag fell.
The race came down to the top two drivers in the Outlaw Modifieds point standings. The No. 2 man in points -- Cliff Steinmann -- jumped out to an early lead. Points leader Doug Hopper worked his way through traffic and closed in on Steinmann. The two stayed 1-2 up to the checkered.
It was the third victory of the season for Steinmann, the defending series champ.
Tom Giddings was third, while John Parrish raced hard from the back of the pack for fourth. Parrish won the previous Outlaw Modified race at DeSoto.
Two-time series champion Raymond Jones charged to the top five but his 41 Toyota bowed out on lap 11.
Outlaw Modifieds -- open wheel four-cylinder machines -- will race two more times at CCMP this year.
The Super Stock feature provided excitement with three guns going at each other.
Ryan Pancoast kept his 47 car in front for the first 15 laps with Brian Richardson and Codey Benoit breathing down his back. The floodgates finally opened on lap 17 when Pancoast's car slipped up the track. Richardson and Benoit moved up. Benoit pushed Richardson to the checkered flag but came up just short.
Two of the top runners in Thunder Trucks were taken out early in that division's 25-lap feature.
Ray Jayne led the first five laps but had to retire with transmission trouble -- very similar to two weeks prior.
Mike Bialecki, one of the all-time Thunder Truck hotshoes, had his night ruined when he was spun out by James Wright. Track officials ruled the takeout was intentional and handed Wright a two-week suspension.
Richard Dupont took the checkered ahead of runnerup Randy Kile.
Shane Leonard ran away with the Road Warrior feature ... for a while. As the race wound down to the final laps, Dan Benoit closed in and made a race of it. Leonard hung on in the 18 car. Placing third was Dan Burtrum. Bob Waltz Sr. returned to racing in his son's old car, but the 8 Ball couldn't keep up with the front-runners.
Charlotte County Motorsports Park Results for Saturday September 1, 2007
Outlaw Modiefied 1) 23- Cliff Steinman 2) 15- Doug Hopper (Heat Winner) 3) 83- Tom Giddings 4) 9- John Parrish 5) 1- Steve Quick 6) 69- Ric Voisey 7) 2- Zack Rudd 8) 04- Tom Meyer 9) 91- Roy Campbell 10) 6- Frank Hurst 11) 77- John Gilbert III 12) 63- Allen Gregory 13) 56- 14) 28- Robbie Bean 15) 12- Mike Bean 16) 22- Ric Mills 17) 41- Raymond Jones (Heat Winner) 18) 52- Antonio Gonzalez
Thunder Trucks 1) 43 -Richard Dupont 2) 21- Randy Kile 3) 67 -Chester Lusk 4) 01 -Ray Lang 5) 8 -Mike Bialecki 6) 9 -Ray Scott 7) 34 -Curt Mays 8) 35 -Ray Jayne 9) 20 -Tom Corlough 10) 6- James Wright (DQed Unsportsman like conduct)
Desoto Champ Carts 1) 08- Rannce Williams Lithia (Heat winner) 2) 07- Ryan Williams Lithia 3) 77- Phil Harp Clear Water 4) 78- Dave Barber Inglis 5) 57- Mike Portman Leigh Acres (Heat winner) 6) 18- Greg Edwards Thonotnsasa 7) 75- David Harp Clearwater 8) 6- Travis Miller North Port 9) 93- Chris Portman Cape Coral 10) 2- Tim Hughs Inglis 11) 9- Antonio Gonzalez Cape Coral 12) 76- Sylvia Bailey Lakeland 13) 16- Wayne Miller North Port
Outlaw Street Stock and figure Boat Races will be run next week due to rain
