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fans in the state." -Orlando Sentinel
Photographer Rick Warren (RicksDarkRoom.com) caught the action at North Florida Speedway
Lake City, Fl. (5/02) “The Magic Man” Mark Whitener lived up to his name taking the checkers at East Alabama Motor Speedway after breaking a motor the night before at Penton Raceway. The win would be his second of the season and back-to-back for the Alabama Clash for the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series.
Whitener would come to North Florida Speedway looking to make it two wins in a row and a total of three in ’09. The North Florida State Late Model Championship defending champion coming in to the race was “the Professor” Ivedent Lloyd piloting the David Clegg machine. Lloyd has several wins under his belt including a UDLMCS trophy from Golden Isles. Jason Fitzgerald come into the race as the point leader for the series.
The fans were once again out in force to witness the “Stars and Cars” of the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series.
All the drivers had a tough time hooking up to the track in qualifying. The top four would be locked in from time. Ivedent Lloyd was Zeigler Racing Engines fast qualifier with a trip around the 3/8-mile track with a time of 17.698. The Nosbisch brother would follow in the second and third spots with Jackie 17.714 and Keith with a time of 17.774. Whitener’s 17.836 would lock him into the A-main as fourth fastest.
Three Heat races would move four drivers from each race on to the 50 lap A-Main. Clay Bedenbaugh took the win in the first heat followed by Dillon Wood in second, third Brandon DeWitt and Jason Fitzgerald fourth.
Tyler Ivey was the winner in Heat #2, with ’08 UDLMCS Champion Johnny Collins second, third across the stripe Jay Johnson with Russell Brown Jr. making the feature with a fourth place finish.
John Kellum won the final Heat of the evening; Brandon Cameron was second, third Joe Kump and fourth Travis Rhoden.
The Dough Boy Signs B-Main would place five more drivers into the twenty four-car line up for the Feature race. Kevin Durden ran a superb race in only his second run with UDLMCS taking the win; Shane Williams finished second, third was Billy Costello, Shan Smith fourth and fifth Seth Caudill. Dave Barber, J.O.Nobles and Clay Bedenbaugh would be the final drivers to get in on provisional’s.
The top six drivers drew pills for starting spots. Adam Bedenbaugh would draw the pole position and Keith Nosbisch occupy the outside of the front row. The second row was Ivedent Lloyd and Tyler Ivey. Jackie Nosbisch and Mark Whitener made up the third row.
Keith Nosbisch jumped out to the lead and at times put a full straight away lead on second place Bedenbaugh. Bedenbaugh meanwhile had his hands full with Lloyd until the Professor slid high in turn four. Lloyd had his problems and struggled to a twelfth place finish.
Several cautions would bunch the field and put Bedenbaugh on the back bumper of the hard charging Nosbisch. The two battled for the top spot. Bedenbaugh made several runs on the inside of Nosbisch but the cagey veteran was able to hold him off. Then on lap twenty-eight Nosbisch slowed on the backstretch with a flat left rear tire.
As the yellow came out Bedenbaugh was involved in wreck in turn four heavily damaging his car. Although both drivers would return they would finish sixteenth and seventeenth sixteen laps down.
Mark Whitener is your winner at NFS
Whitener would inherit the lead and never look back as went on to take his second in a row and third of the season. “We got a bad draw on the start but these guys have put a really strong car under me,” said Whitener in the winner’s circle. John Kellum stayed out of trouble and had a solid second place run. Dillon Wood came from eighth to finish third, Russell Brown Jr. started fourteenth and finished fourth with Johnny Collins rounding out the top five.
HEAT #1 Finishing Order 1) CLAY BEDENBAUGH 2) Dillon Wood 3) Brandon Dewitt 4) Jason Fitzgerald 5) Shane Williams 6) Jason Barber 7) J.O.Nobles 8) Bobby Clark
HEAT #2 Finishing Order 1) TYLER IVEY 2) Johnny Collins 3) Jay Johnson 4) Russell Brown Jr 5) Kevin Durden 6) Shan Smith 7) Chuck Chitty
HEAT #3 Finishing Order 1) JOHN KELLUM 2) Brandon Cameron 3) Joe Kump 4) Travis Rhoden 5) Billy Costello 6) Seth Caudell 7) Shawn Taylor 8) Clay Bedenbaugh
Dough Boy Signs B-Main Finishing Order 01) KEVIN DURDEN 02) Shane Williams 03) Billy Costello 04) Shan Smith 05) Seth Caudell 06) Jason Barber
A-MAIN START FINISH CAR# DRIVER 1. 7 5w Mark Whitener 2. 4 41K John Kellum 3. 8 26W Dillon Wood 4. 15 00B Russell Brown Jr. 5. 9 5c Johnny Collins 6. 14 7F Jason Fitzgerald 7. 12 J1 Jay Johnson 8. 21 1C Seth Caudill (Hildebrand Jewelers Hard Charger) 9. 17 56D Kevin Durden (Dough Boy Signs B Main Winner) 10. 18 0 Shane Williams 11. 13 J17 Joe Kump 12. 3 07 Ivedent Lloyd (Ziegler Racing Engines Fast Qualifier) 13. 6 12 Jack Nosbisch 14. 20 17 Shan Smith 15. 19 00C Billy Costello 16. 2 101 Keith Nosbisch 17. 1 26B Adam Bedenbaugh 18. 22 56B Dave Barber 19. 5 47 Tyler Ivey 20. 10 22B Brandon Cameron 21. 11 2 Brandon DeWitt 22. 23 18JO J.O. Nobles 23. 16 02 Travis Rhoden 24. 24 6 Clay Bedenbaugh
Next up for series is May 15th at Oglethorpe Speedway and Screven Motor Speedway May 16th. Both races are 50 lap $3,000 events.
For more information on the UDLMCS go to www.unitedirtlatemodels.com
All races are broadcast LIVE at www.realracinusa.com
