IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

June 28, 2009 Schedule Figure 8 School Bus Races and They Will Come by Larry MacMillan (Inverness, Fl. June 27) Despite some very threatening weather, the drivers and the fans made their way to Citrus County Speedway for the second appearance of the year for the Figure 8 School Bus races and a rained out Street Stock make up race plus four regular division races for the point championship and a special new introduction for the 4 Cylinder Streets in their first Figure 8 race. Fortunately Mother Nature was feeling accommodating and the races went off without a hitch and plenty of action in all divisions. The Street Stock rainout make up race took to the track to kick off the night and it looked like it was going to be Jay Witfoth’s night to dominate as he came from the back end of the 8 car 20 lap first feature to rocket to the point and onto Victory Lane for his 3rd feature win of the season. Herb Hoefler followed in the tire tracks of Witfoth on his way to the front of the pack followed by Dr. Mark Fallows to finish in that order when the checkered flag flew. Rounding out the top five were pole sitter Kenny May and Carl Glaum. Jay Witfoth came right back to dominate the first of two heats in preparation for their second feature of the night with another win while point leader Mark Fallows made it a flag to flag win in the second heat. In the regular feature race Richie Smith rocketed from his 3rd starting position to the point to log his 3rd feature win of the season in the Street Stock division. Jay Witfoth gave him all he had in the attempt to make it two feature wins for night but had to settle for second followed by Mark Fallows, Herb Hoefler and David Foster to round out the top five. Eleven Sportsman racers entered their 8th race night of the season and got a surprise from new driver L.J. Grimm in the 11 car lineup rolling to the point from his outside pole position to the point to lead the way to Victory Lane from the green flag to the checkers. Point leader Bobby Ervien launched from his 10th position to put the heat on in the final laps but had to settle for a second place finish keeping him 1 point on top of the point ladder over 3rd place finisher Joey Catterelli. Rounding out the top five were Ernie Reed and Tom Posavec. Grimm also took the win in the second heat and Ernie Reed took his first heat win of the season in the first heat. Another first time winner made his way to Victory Lane in the Curry Roofing Mini Stock 10 car battle with Jesse Henley starting 3rd and avoiding an early wreck that took out point leader Clint Foley in his effort to log his 6th win in week 13 of their season. Richie Powers took over the driver’s seat in his son Mark’s racer and looked like he may have a winner on his hands but had to settle for second chasing Henley to the start finish line. Pole sitter Chris Harvey managed to hang in the top five throughout the 20 lap main event with a 3rd place finish followed by 5th starter Mike Lawhorn and James Ellis locking down 5th at the checkered flag. The only heat win went to Richie Powers in his first race in quite awhile. It was another familiar late charge from defending Mike Scott Plumbing 4 Cylinder Street Champion Richard Kuhn that put him into the win column for the 5th time this season. Seventeen cars took the green flag with Brian Scalise setting the early pace. Nathan Florian moved from 3rd to the point in their extended 25 lap feature with an extra purse added from Nathan’s sponsor Neon Leon’s Zydeco Steak House but Kuhn motored from his 14th starting spot to over take the front of the field in the late laps before making the pass for the win over Florian who settled for second. Sonya Heater avoided several crashes to make her way from 12th to 3rd when the checkers flew followed by new comer Greg Valdes in his first outing and Phil Edwards locking down 5th. Kuhn also won the first heat and Brian Scalise picked up the win in the second heat. Only seven of the fourteen 4 Cylinder Streets that signed up for the 10 lap Trophy Dash Figure 8 trial run showed up to take the green flag for this new experience. Travis Nichols wasted no time from his 5th starting position to take the point and the win over the 7 car field followed by Nathan Florian, Richard Kuhn Greg Valdes and Mike Ogren. If enough interest is shown in the 4 Cylinder Street division Figure 8 and the fans like it enough it may become a monthly feature September 19th. Still in the testing and research faze as of this race. Twenty four busses were signed up for the 20 lap School Bus Figure 8 races. They were split into 2 groups and the fans got plenty of intersection action that brought on the ooohs and ahhhs in the close passes through the intersection that saw several crashes and one over turned bus when 2nd race leader Dustin Aaron was crashed in the intersection. Mike Camache led most of the way from his pole starting position in the first race, lost the lead momentarily and regained it in the final 5 laps and took the win over Jay Seykora, Dwayne Fults, Gene Camache and John Drye. In race two Dustin Aaron took the early lead and led most of the way until the crash in the intersection. They set the bus back up on all wheels and it went on to race the final laps but Richard Dinkins took the win and was in the running most of the 20 laps. Mike Hinde in his 2nd School Bus race ever wound up finishing second followed by Justin Cretty, Big Kenny and Ryan O’Neal rounding out the top five. The School Bus races are scheduled for their 3rd appearance in October. Citrus County Speedway will take the weekend off on July 4th in deference to the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona. Two fans won pairs of tickets to that race Saturday on a ticket draw courtesy of Todo Frampton and Coca Cola. The speedway goes back into regular action on Saturday July 11th with the Open Wheel Modifieds, Sportsman, Curry Roofing Mini Stocks, Pure Stocks, V8 Thunder Stocks and the Mike Scott Plumbing 4 Cylinder Streets, plus the Fantastic Super Modified Figure 8’s and the American Mini Cup Series. Have a great 4th of July. Citrus Co. Speedway Results 6/27/09 Sportsman Feature – 20 Laps – 11 Cars 1. #725 L.J. Grimm - ? – 1st Season Feature Win 2. #88 Bobby Ervien – St. Petersburg 3. #15 Joey Catterelli - Pinellas Park 4. #55 Ernie Reed – Lecanto 5. #01 Tom Posavec – Dunnellon 1st Heat Winner - #55 Ernie Reed 2nd Heat Winner - #725 L.J. Grimm NAPA Auto Parts Street Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 8 Cars Rainout Make up Race 1. #4 Jay Witfoth - Beverly Hills – 3rd Season Win 2. # 5 Herb Hoefler – Floral City 3. #007 Mark Fallows – Crystal River 4. #10 Kenny May – Spring Hill 5. #09 Carl Glaum – Crystal River NAPA Auto Parts Feature – 20 Laps 15 Cars 1. #42 Richie Smith – Hernando – 3rd Season Win 2. # 4 Jay Witfoth – Beverly Hills 3. #007 Mark Fallows – Crystal River 4. # 5 Herb Hoefler – Floral City 5. #91 David Foster – Wildwood 1st Heat Winner - #4 Jay Witfoth 2nd Heat Winner - #007 Mark Fallows Curry Roofing Mini Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 10 Cars 1. #62 Jesse Henley – Homosassa – 1st Season Win 2. # 9 Richie Powers – Hernando 3. #51 Chris Harvey – Belleview 4. #44 Mike Lawhorn – Claremont 5. #98 James Ellis – Brooksville Heat Winner - #9 Richie Powers Mike Scott Plumbing 4 Cylinder Streets Feature – 25 Laps – 17 Cars 1. #47 Richard Kuhn – Ocala – 5 Season Wins 2. #26 Nathan Florian – Homosassa 3. #71 Sonya Heater – Homosassa 4. #13 Mike Ogren – Spring Hill 5. #21 Phil Edwards – Crystal River 1st Heat Winner - #47 Richard Kuhn 2nd Heat Winner - #24 Brian Scalise – Lutz 1st Figure 8 School Bus Feature – 2 Laps – 12 Buses 1. #96 Mike Camache 2. #85 Jay Seykora 3. #00 Dwayne Fults 4. # 05 Gene Camche 5. # 6 John Drye 2nd Figure 8 Bus Feature – 20 Laps – 12 Buses 1. # 2 Richard Dinkins 2. #69 Mike Hinde 3. #64 Justin Cretty 4. # 5 Big Kenny 5. # 3 Ryan O’Neal Have an opinion on this story? 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