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Ivedent Lloyd Outguns Shane Williams In Classic Duel
KARNAC Staff Report
Ivedent Lloyd (21) and Shane Williams battled for nearly 30 lap; fans loving it.
The United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series arrived om May 3rd at North Florida Speedway, near Lake City, F., for race number five of fifteen scheduled events in 2008. The previous four races drew over forty cars for each event with a season high of forty-nine at Eastbay Raceway Park. With another big race just up the road in Georgia it was anybody’s guess how many would pass through the pit gates. That question was answered just after the drivers meeting as Adam Giles was name number forty on the competitors sign in sheet to keep the streak going of at least forty cars per event.
The cars hit the tough 3/8 mile North Florida Speedway for qualifying for the fifty lap $300 to start $3,000 to win feature in five groups. This would determine the starting order for the Heat Races. Only a handful of drivers were able to crack into the eighteen second bracket and it was no surprise to most that is was “The Professor” Ivedent Lloyd, taking the Zeigler Racing Engines Fast Time Award, cruising around the North Florida dirt with a 18.536 second time.
Transfers to the A-Main would be made by taking the top three from each Heat. The group would come from the top three in two B-Mains. Six more would be added from provisionals from qualifying, points and one track pick totaling a field of twenty-seven cars.
The ten lap Heats were mini-features of their won as the drivers ran full throttle for ten laps knowing the top three would move on. Josh Peacock, who finished second in the features at Eastbay and Hendry County looked strong in his win in heat one, second place went to Russell Brown with third going to “Showtime” Shan Smith.
Heat race two went to Shane Williams followed by Marshall Austin and Jeff Hunter. Lloyd took the win in heat three with Eastbay winner Johnny Collins second third was “The Real Deal” Keith Nosbisch. Brandon DeWitt led the way in the fourth heat. Jay Johnson and Adam Bedenbaugh would also move on to the feature. The final heat transfer spots went to Wayne Shugart, Kent Corbin and Roger Crouse.
It took four tries to get the first B-Main under way but when they got it all sorted out they went all out with Bill Howard taking the win with Evan Becton and Dusty Cone moving on to the A-Main. It was Jackie Nosbisch across the stripe first for the second B-Main followed by Ryan Mitchell and Richard Ferry.
B Main Winners
Mike Combs of Southern Style Motorsports joined Tommy's Towing and Ziegler Racing Engines as sponsors for the event billed as the North Florida State Championship. The 50 lap feature was exciting for the North Florida Speedway crowd from lap 1 until the checkered flag waved. The fastest drivers were offered an extra $2000 if the would start (and win) from the rear, but none accepted promoter Ken Kinney's offer.
Richard Tipton, North Florida Speedway's flagman, dropped the green and Jash Peacock led the field into the tight number one turn followed by veteran Wayne Shugart. By the time the second caution flag came, Ivedent Lloyd had moved up to third place behind Peacock and the new leader, Shane Williams. On lap 22 Lloyd moved by Peacock and the stage was set for a showdown at North Florida Speedway.
Shane Williams held off Lloyd lap after lap, Lloyd trying the high side and then back down low. Lloyd would often get his nose under the Williams machine but it wasn't until lap 48 that he was finally able to make it stick. Russell Brown, Jr (Valdosta, GA) got a lot of attention as he battled his way through the field to take third behind Williams and Lloyd.
After the race Ken Kinney said "I thought they (owners Phil and Liz Guadagno were two of the most hands on owners I have met this year, directing in the pits, lining up cars, Liz working in the tower on scoring and timing, they are very committed to the racers." The United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series returns to North Florida Speedway on September 6 for the "Battle at the Border". "I look forward to working with them in the future, they have made a lot of improvements, and have more planned."
Choquette was Rookie of the Race and Hard Charger. Kevin Mills earned the HArd Luck Award by tearing up his car in a one car spin into the wall.
The next event on tap for the series is what promises to be a spectacular at Ocala Speedway on Friday June 5. This will be the first time the Powell Memorial is run on dirt. Coverage of the Powell Memorial begins on Real Racin' USA Inside Florida Racing show, Monday June 26.
Video Presentations of the UDLMCS races this year are on the front page of Real Racin' USA, and include both interviews with the stars of the series as well as the heats and features at each event.
East Bay Raceway Park late model racers hold dwon the top three spots in the Points Race to date, led by Roger Crouse.
The United Dirt Late Model Series web site is www.uniteddirtlatemodels.com
Top 20 Points: Roger Crouse Jackie Nosbisch Keith Nosbisch Shan Smith Mark Whitener Marshal Austin Jeff Mathews Johnny Collins Shane Williams Bill Howard Ivedent Lloyd Jr Justin Choquette (R) Adam Bendenbaugh Josh Peacock (R) Jay Johnson Evan Becton (R) Kent Corbin Billy Costello Jeff Conyers (R) Russell Brown Jr.
The ten lap Heats were mini-features of their won as the drivers ran full throttle for ten laps knowing the top three would move on. Josh Peacock, who finished second in the features at Eastbay and Hendry County looked strong in his win in heat one, second place went to Russell Brown with third going to “Showtime” Shan Smith. 
