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fans in the state." -Orlando Sentinel
The biggest Putnam County Speedway rival in the Hobby Stock division that has been going for generations starts on the front row. Chad Scranton and Davis Miller Jr. who fathers used to race together in the past at Putnam County Speedway.
As they take to the track for a 15 lap main event starting 10 cars. Miller took the lead early after finishing 2nd in his heat race, with David Dowling Sr. following and Chad Scranton waiting for a mistake from Miller who won his heat race, or Dowling. By the time lap 5 came Miller Jr. in the #21 ford mustang had a ˝ straight lead on the 66 of Dowling and 18 f Scranton.
As they battle for 2nd and 3rd place. Fourth, fifth, sixth place had a race of the own with 11 of Jody Wells, 12 of Luke Sadler and 41 of Ron Frank. Ron Frank took 4th place from wells in the 11 automobile. Miller looses tire on lap 11 which put him on the hook and into to the pits. The 66 of Dowling took the lead over with 4 laps remaining with a 3 rd place finish in the heat race. Chad Scranton finishes 2nd with Ron Frank there to take home 3rd place.
The talk of the night and the most heated discussions fly as the mini stock division starts there 15 lap main event with Jay Farris in the #33 on the pole after winning his heat race. Jamie Farris, son of Jay Farris, starts on the outside pole where is he finished 2nd to his dad in the heat race.
The green drops and Jay Farris takes the lead but finds himself having car problems which sends him back to 9th place. Jamie Farris took the lead with Justin Carney in the 57 in 2nd with Michael Bagley Jr. in 3rd after finishing 3rd in his heat race. As the caution comes out Carney finds himself back to the 4th spot with the 09 of Josh Leth taking the 3rd spot.
When the green comes back out for the 2nd time the 34 of Farris takes a 3 car length lead of over the 09 of Leth. Once Leth got out of any danger he started to walk Farris down. By the time lap 6 was her the 09 of Leth and the 34 of Farris are bumper to bumper. On lap 8 Farris finds himself scraping the wall coming out of turn 4. Leth takes the lead from Farris as he falls back to 2nd spot. Leth know with a 3 car length lead on Farris. Farris has trouble, Carney in the 57 and Michael Bagley Jr. takes the 2nd and 3rd spots.
It left with Farris with a 4th place finish. The top 3 minis went to tech as required, they were Disqualified for being illegal. Bill Fisher the tech man called the 4th, 5th, 6th place car to tech where they were also found illegal. Bill Fisher called the last 2 cars to tech hoping to declare one of them the winner finds himself disqualifying them. Which left no one winning the mini stock division.
The 3rd main event of the night was the sportsman with Jacky Bennett on the Pole and last weeks feature winner Kevin Mills on the outside pole. When the green comes out Bennett and Mills who are 2 very close friends at the track and away from the track get excited on the start and bump with Mills scraping the wall. David Ham the flagman says no start and declares a complete restart. Marc Kinley takes 2nd from Mills early in the race after his 2nd place finish to Bennett in the heat race. Mills on his back bumper waiting for him to make a mistake. By the time lap 2 came mills got underneath Kinley. While they battle for 2nd and 3rd Bennett takes a 2 ˝ car length lead over Mills. Caution comes out for a 2nd time on the 61 of Lisa O’Connor. The field gets a chance to bunch back up. Bennett waiting for Mr. Ham to throw the green gets a jump on Mills and Kinley. Richard Adams in the #23 running fourth and Chad Scranton sitting in 5th spot, the top 5 finds themselves starting to run into slower traffic. Bennett holds the lead from Kinley as he takes 2nd from Mills. Mills finishes 3rd. Adams in the 23 finished 4th and Scranton in the 18 finishes 5th.
The class with the most horse power and suspension of the night takes the green for there 20 lap main event with Josh Sanford in the #23 who won the 2nd heat race. Joe Willis starting on outside pole after running 2nd in the heat race to Mike Tripp who had fuel pump problems and would not make the main event. They go down into turn 1 & 2 with Sanford and Willis battling for 1st and 2nd. While Garland Spangler is right there waiting for the mess up. Sanford on lap 3 gets loose and push’s up the track with Spangler there to fill the whole to take over 1st place. With Willis breaking a left rear shock spins out in turn 4 and does not finish the race. Spangler gets a 2 car lead on Sanford. After 20 laps of close racing. Garland Spangler gets his first racing win. Spangler dedicates the win to David Vandavander who passed away last year. Sanford finishing 2nd, the 18 finishing 3rd and the #11 of Ronnie Newsome finishing 4th.
With the smallest engines and the least amount of horsepower the 4 cylinder bombers start the last main event of the night for 15 laps. Starting on the pole the 32 of James “jumping Jim” Shaw who also won his heat race. With Art Souther in the 21 automobile on the outside pole. Who also who his heat race. As the green comes out the 6 car of Shawn Pawlak takes the lead over with the #32 of James “jumping jim” Shaw with the #20 of Casey “sponge bob” Feaster right there taking 2nd. As Shaw holds off the #11 of Sullivan in the 4th who had a bad run in his heat race. Caution. Green comes back out
Pawlak finds that the 20 of Feaster and the 11 of Sullivan is on his bumper battling for 2nd. The 11 of Sullivan takes 2nd over Feaster on lap 14. The 6 of Pawlak takes the win with Sullivan and Feaster finishing 2nd & 3rd. But Pawlak who blew his engine in the 6pac automobile drove his dads car and started in his original starting spot got disqualified for not telling the officials about the car change and not starting on the tail of the field.
After a great night of racing with 53 cars on hand. Putnam County Speedway’s 2nd race of the season is in the book. We the drivers and the management of the track welcome you and invite you to come down and enjoy a great night of racing.
