IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

March 11, 2008 Ivedent Lloyd Heats-up Hendry County By Rick Anges Clewiston, Fl. On a tough weather weekend the sun came out on Hendry County Speedway for the running of the second annual Ponce DeLeon Classic. The Homes of Merit United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series were on hand for the second race of the season. The $5,000 to win $250 to start drew over forty cars to compete for the 28-car fifty-lap feature. Plenty of media coverage for the race, including Bubba the Love Sponge from 102.5 The Bone in Tampa brought out a good crowd of fans. Bubba had a rough time of it in his heat race and was unable to make the feature but still had a good showing. For the second time in a row the race was broadcast Live over the Internet by Real RacinUSA (realracinusa.com) Six heat races set the top eighteen for the fifty-lap feature. The racing in the heats was just a taste of the wild racing that would come later in the evening. One of the best races of the evening as Mark Whitner and Jeff Matthews battled for the third transfer spot with Whitner taking it by a bumper at the stripe. Transfers from heats: HEAT-1.Ryan Mitchell, Bobby Alexander, Ted Erskine HEAT-2.Josh Peacock, Bill Howard, Brian Bernhardt HEAT-3.Shan Smith, Adam Bedenbaugh, Tommy Evanoski Jr. HEAT-4.Ivedent Lloyd, Keith Nosbisch, Jeff Choquette HEAT-5.Johnny Collins, Jeff Conyers, Roger Crouse HEAT-6.Wallace Peacock, Shane Williams, Mark Whitner Two B-Mains were needed to fill the next six spots. Marshall Austin won the first of the B-Mains but a flat during the feature would leave him with a nineteenth place finish. Kent Corbin, the winner in the second B-Main faired better as he was able to finish in the tenth spot in the feature. Transfers from B-Mains: B-Main 1-Marshall Austin, Jeff Matthews, Kevin Mills B-Mains 2-Kent Corbin, Johnny Allen, Evan Becton The 28 cars lined the entire front stretch and into turn four. The heat winners were are given the challenge of going to the rear of the field and if they were to win would get an extra $1,500 making the winners share a cool $6,500. Although it was tempting to several none accepted. As always the heat winners drew pills to determine their inversion. Josh Peacock drew the number one pill with 2007 National Late Model Champion Johnny Collins pulling the outside front row pill. Ryan Mitchell and Wallace Peacock would make up row two with defending Ponce DeLeon Classic Champ Shawn Smith and “The Professor” Ivedent Lloyd. The first of many yellows came out before lap one could be completed. Just like the first lap at Ocala in almost the same spot, Wallace Peacock would get out shape going into turn four causing everyone behind him to take evasive action. Shawn Smith and Ryan Mitchell would be just two of the cars that went around. A complete restart put everyone in their original starting spots. Johnny Collins took the early lead with Josh Peacock right on his back bumper. The racing behind was two and three cars wide on the little bullring of Hendry County. Collins looked like he would be the man to beat but after an extended caution period with just four laps in the books Collins looped it in turn two collecting Wallace Peacock. Both cars exited the speedway after getting back under way. Ryan Mitchell would assume the lead after Collins exit. Josh Peacock would move up to second followed by Shan Smith, Ivedent Lloyd, and Keith Nosbisch in the top five. Local favorite Jeff Choquette would exit the speedway on lap nine. Choquette had contact with the front stretch wall earlier in the race. Ryan Mitchell and Josh Peacock would put a show on for the fans as the duo battled for the lead. Eventually Mitchell would check out and expand his lead until a caution bunched the field back up. On the restart Mitchell would bobble coming out of two allowing Peacock to get by but a yellow before the leaders got back to the line would nix the pass. Lloyd would eventually get by Peacock for second but by this time Mitchell had extended his lead to a full straightaway lead. A yellow would bunch the field and on the restart Lloyd would put the pressure on Mitchell for the lead but would be able to start once again extending his lead. Then, out of turn four Mitchell would go around bringing out the yellow. Mitchell would be sent to the rear of the field. With that the lead would go Ivedent Lloyd with nineteen laps to go. Peacock would challenge Lloyd for the top spot be Lloyd would show everyone why they call him “The Professor” as adapted to the drying surface and roar to the win. “I knew the Peacock and Smith were on American Racers and if I waited the Hoosiers would come in and they did,” said Lloyd in the winner’s circle. Following Lloyd Peacock took the second spot, third was Shan Smith, fourth went to Jeff Conyers and fifth Roger Crouse. The next race for the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series will be April 5th at EastBay Raceway Park www.uniteddirtlatemodels.com Finishing Order: 1- 21 Ivedent Lloyd Jr. 2- 21 Josh Peacock 3- 17ss Shan Smith 4- 42 Jeff Conyers 5- 32 Roger Crouse 6- 48 Bill Howard 7- 12 Jackie Nosbisch 8- 10 Johnny Allen 9- B69 Brian Bernhardt 10- 7c Kent Corbin 11- 97 Justin Choquette 12- xxx1 Shane Williams 13- 7w Mark Whitener 14- 00 Billy Costello 15- 15 Evan Becton 16- 5m Ryan Mitchell 17- 33 Jeff Mathews 18- 0 Bobby Alexander Jr 19- 42 Marshal Austin 20- 45 Michael Cherry 21- 26E Tommy Evenosky Jr 22- 26B Adam Bendenbaugh 23- 101 Keith Nosbisch 24- 01 Kevin Mills 25- P1 Wallace Peacock 26- 70 Jeff Choquette 27- 5c Johnny Collins 28- 444 Ted Erskine All photos by ricksdarkroom.com Have an opinion on this story? 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