IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

February 10, 2008 David Steele Opens TBARA Sprint Season with Win at Citrus County Speedway by Larry MacMillan It was another banner night at Citrus County Speedway’s second race of the season featuring the TBARA Winged Sprint Cars plus four local divisions. Street Stocks opened their season with a 19 car field, plus Mini Stocks were back with a 17 car field, Pure Stocks came in bunches with 33 cars registered requiring 4 heats and a B-Main qualifier to set a 25 car starting field. The V-8 Thunder Stock Rookies were back with 18 drivers in their 20 lap feature. The TBARA Winged Sprint cars put their 800 horsepower rockets through their paces in 3 heats and a 30 lap main event that saw 27 of 29 cars that came to race. Unofficial stop watch times during warm ups saw some of the heavy hitters running in the low 12 second mark which converts to 100 mph plus on the straight chutes. Larry Brazil led the first 8 lap heat from flag to flag over a 9 car field. Outside pole sitter Shane Butler took the point on the green flag to win the second heat over the next 9 car line up. Pole sitter Dude Teate locked onto the point from the get go and no one was able outrun him to the checkers in the third heat. Mark Gimmler won the pole slot for the 30 lap main with 1st heat winner Larry Brazil on the outside winning the drag race to turn 1 & 2 to set the early pace with 4th starter Blaize Marlin hot on his rear nurf bar and David Steele coming out of his 3rd starting spot to lock onto the front two. A couple of early caution flags came out for minor spins and one crash within the first 15 laps with the front three seeing Brazil, Steele and Marlin running in that order. On the restart into lap 16 David Steele put the hammer down and it was all over but David raising his hand in Victory at the checkered flag to take the first TBARA win of the season. Larry Brazil held out for 2nd followed by Blaize Marlin, Dude Teate, Shane Butler and defending 2007 Champion Troy DeCaire. The fans certainly satisfied their need for speed with this fast division coming into the 2008 season with a new management team. Tim Quick lived up to his name as the Street Stocks got into their first race of the year. Starting 6th in his heat he wasted no time going to the front to let the rest of the field know he was going to be the man to beat with the 2nd heat win. They drew pills for starting positions in their first feature of the point season. Rick Shahid won the pole in his first Street Stock ride and had trouble keeping his car out of trouble. Quick came off the outside pole and he went to the front after a side by side battle with Shahid for a couple of laps. Quick set the pace all the way to the checkers with 8th starter Larry Welter Jr., making his way through heavy traffic for a second place finish. Tim Alexander came in a borrowed car and moved from 9th to 3rd over 15th starter Todd Downs and 11th starter Jason Murphree rounding out the top five. Pete Close won the first heat and was on his way towards the front when he got caught up in a minor crash, sending him to the rear on the restart and wound up with an 8th place finish from his 9th starting spot. Mini Stocks saw Clint Foley shine again with his first win of the season from his 12 starting spot and taking the win in the second heat after a second place finish to Robbie Yoakam last week putting him in the early point lead. It looked like it was going to be another Yoakam, Neumann, Foley shoot out in this 20 lap venture only to see Neumann and Yoakam get taken out of the action in the very early going. Todd Haught took the win in the first heat and came off the outside pole with a strong run to finish second. Mike Lawhorn started 90th and made a last lap pass off turn four to lock down third over Kevin Harrod and rookie Peter Nelson who ran a very solid race after moving up from the 4 Cylinder Bombers. The Pure Stock division has seen 38 drivers make the Citrus County scene in the past two weeks and 32 put on quite a show Saturday night. Wild Bill Ryan has that brand new racer of his dialed in to make his way to another championship this season. Last week he took the first win of the season with a starting position up front. This week 15th to Victory Lane was the only road map Ryan needed for his second win in a row and leads his team mate Chad Markland by 16 points early in the season. John Drye moved from his 7th starting spot to hold a temporary lead but had to settle for second when the checkers flew. Aaron Welter worked his way from 10th to third over Markland and Jesse Veltman who had to recover from a mid race caution flag infraction to finish fifth. Todd Brown, Veltman and Eric Gelman locked in the heat wins. More Thunder Stock Rookie drivers are being added to the lineup each week and 18 made the show for this second week of the season. Dustin Swearingen capped off a second place finish last week and locked down a win this week. He made his way to the front from his 11th starting spot to take his first win ever. Cotee Clark who is in his second year of racing locked down 2nd from his 7th starting position. Jon Brown rolled out of 10th to finish third over 9th starter Alexander Wilder and 15th starter Lawrence Wilder. It would appear that the whole Wilder family has a ride of some sort at the speedway. Next Saturday night it gets back to a full race card of all point division racers featuring the Open Wheel Modifieds, the Pro Figure 8’s, Sportsman, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, 4 Cylinder Bombers and V8 Thunder Stock Rookies. Citrus County Speedway Results 2/9/08 TBARA Winged Sprint Feature – 30 Laps – 27 Cars 1. #91 David Steele – Tampa – 1st Season Win 2. #21B Larry Brazil – Tampa 3. # 5 Blaize Marlin – Valrico 4. # 0 Dude Teate – Leesburg 5. #18 Shane Butler – Bushnell 6. #68 Troy DeCaire – Tampa 7. #1X John Anderson – Largo 8. #51 Mark Gimmler – Palm Beach Gardens 9. #56d Jeff Vendees – Englewood 10.#0Z Joe Liguori – Indianapolis, In. First Heat Winner - #21B Larry Brazil Second Heat Winner - #18 Shane Butler Third Heat Winner - #0 Dude Teate Street Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 19 Cars 1. #97 Tim Quick – Lecanto 2. #58 Larry Welter – Bronson 3. #63 Tim Alexander – Floral City 4. #00 Todd Downs – Homosassa 5. #95 Jason Murphree –Homosassa 1st Heat Winner - #86 Pete Close – Ocala 2nd Heat Winner - #97 Tim Quick Mini Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 17 Cars 1. #7 Clint Foley – Dunnellon – 1st Season Win 2. #09 Todd Haught – Eustis 3. #44 Mike Lawhorn – Clermont 4. #34 Kevin Harrod – Floral City 5. #20 Peter Nelson- Crystal River 1st Heat Winner - #09 Todd Haught 2nd Heat Winner - # 7 Clint Foley Pure Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 25 Cars (32 Registered) 1. #33 Bill Ryan – Bushnell – 2nd Season Win 2. #39 John Drye – Inverness 3. #80 Aaron Welter – Bronson 4. #34 Chad Markland – Inverness 5. #55 Jesse Veltman – Crystal River 1st Heat Winner - #157 Todd Brown – Lake Panasoffkee 2nd Heat Winner - #55 Jesse Veltman 3rd Heat Winner - #93 Tim Wilson 4th Heat Winner – #153 Eric Gellman – Citra V8 Thunder Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 18 Cars 1. #11 Dustin Swearingen – 2. #39 Cotee Clark – New Port Richey 3. #57 Jon Brown – Lake Panasoffkee 4. #14 Alexander Wilder – Inverness 5. #28 Lawrence Wilder - Inverness Have an opinion on this story? 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