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Race Reports
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Matt Kurtz wins Sprints at North Florida Speedway
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The Top Gun Sprints made their first visit of 2009 to the North Florida Speedway in Lake City on Saturday June 26, 2009. There were 23 cars at the track to give fans three heat races and a 25 lap feature race.
The heat races are lined up using a pill pull system, and Amanda Ferguson in the 21A had the pole for the start of the first heat race, but the 17D of Bruce Durden came through from his fourth place starting position to take the race lead at the start and held on to take the race win. Local man T.W. Parkinson had the pole for the start of the second heat race in the 04 car, and took the initial race lead.
The 56 car of Allen Kaluzniak spun at turn two on lap 4 bringing out the caution flag, The race quickly got back to green but just one lap later the red flag was brought out when Tony Agin in his 38 car got sucked up into the wall coming out of turn four and rolled his car half way down the front straightaway, coming to a stop just under the flag stand. Tony was OK, but the car was not so lucky, ending his night of racing.
Once the car had been cleared off the track and the remaining cars were pushed back off, the race got back to green, The 04 held the lead until lap 7 when he was passed by Matt Kurtz in the 92 car who went on to take the heat win. The third heat saw the 3 of Otto Scrape on the pole. On the first turn of the first lap, the27 of Troy Knowles and the 02 of Gene Lasker came together bringing out the caution flag and making for a full restart. On the restart, the 02 of Gene Lasker came from seventh position to take the lead on the first lap. The 9 car of Tim Grubaugh spun on lap 2 bringing out another caution, followed by the 19 of Keith Butler who spun out between turns one and two on lap 5 bringing out the third and final caution of this 8 lap heat race.
While the caution flag was still out for the 19 car with just 4 laps complete, the race leader, Gene Lasker in the 02, pulled off the track and out of the race, handing the lead to Otto Scrape in the 3 car who held on to it to take the heat win.
Using a passing points system to line up the feature race and a four car inversion, Rich Alexander in the 8 car had the pole for the start of the feature race, with Bruce Durden in the 17D car on the outside. After the hot laps, the 02 of Gene Lasker pulled off the track and out of the event while the rest of the field got lined up and performed a four wide parade lap for the fans.
The race got underway and Bruce Durden took the race lead from his outside pole position. Larry Pickett in the 77 car was the first retirement from the race on lap 2, while the leaders started to catch up to the back marker traffic as early as lap 4. T.W. Parkinson retired the 04 from the race on lap 5. Keith Butler in the 19 car brought out the caution flag on lap 9 when he spun between turns three and four, and the 83 driven by Mark Ruel Jr. ran into the stranded car. The 83 was not able to rejoin the race.
The 19 was able to restart the race, but only ran another 3 laps before pulling out of the race. With lots of lapped traffic in the mix, Bruce Durden was still in the lead with Matt Kurtz in the 92 car running at his rear in second position and looking for that gap to take the lead. On the last lap, the 92 took the lead coming out of two, only to lose it back to the 17D on the back straightaway and then take it again between three and four, taking the win on the last turn of the race. Bruce Durden in the 17D finished in second place, followed by Ryan Partin in the 14, Otto Scrape in the 3, with Rich Alexander in the 8 car finishing out the top 5.
Top Gun Sprints
North Florida Speedway, June 26, 2009
Heat #1
1) 17D Bruce Durden (Jacksonville, FL)
2) 8 Rich Alexander (Tampa, FL)
3) 50 Rick Byerly (Wesley Chapel, FL)
4) 6 Mike Schroder (Southwest Ranches, FL)
5) 21A Amanda Ferguson (Montverde, FL)
6) 83 Mark Ruel Jr. (Jacksonville, FL)
7) 30 D.J. Peeples (Wesley Chapel, FL)
The 83B of Bob Auld from Largo, FL finished in third place but was disqualified for not going to the scales after the heat
Heat #2
1) 92 Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL)
2) 14 Ryan Partin (Orlando, FL)
3) 56 Allen Kaluzniak (Jacksonville Beach, FL)
4) 47 Scott Anderson (Callahan, FL)
5) 04 T.W. Parkinson (Lake City, FL)
6) 38 Tony Agin (Fort Myers, FL)
The 77 of Larry Pickett from Callahan, FL did not start the heat race and the 43 of Gene Machuga from St. Mary’s, GA broke the rear end and did not start the heat race.
Heat #3
1) 3 Otto Scrape (Jacksonville, FL)
2) 99 Danny Jones (Land O’Lakes, FL)
3) 27 Troy Knowles (Gibsonton, FL)
4) 19 Keith Butler (Riverview, FL)
5) 9 Tim Grubaugh (Silver Springs, FL)
6) 11D Ashlynn Durden (Jacksonville, FL)
7) 02 Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL)
Feature
1) 92 Matt Kurtz; 2) 17D Bruce Durden; 3) 14 Ryan Partin; 4) 3 Otto Scrape; 5) 8 Rich Alexander; 6) 6 Mike Schroder; 7) 99 Danny Jones; 8) 27 Troy Knowles; 9) 56 Allen Kaluzniak; 10) 21A Amanda Ferguson; 11) 9 Tim Grubaugh; 12) 50 Rick Byerly; 13) 30 D.J. Peeples; 14) 11D Ashlynn Durden; 15) 47 Scott Anderson; 16) 19 Keith Butler; 17) 83 Mark Ruel Jr.; 18) 04 T.W. Parkinson; 19) 77 Larry Pickett
The 83B of Bob Auld, 02 of Gene Lasker, 43 of Gene Machuga and 38 of Tony Agin did not take the start of the feature race.
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Whitener Backs It Up at North Florida Speedway
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By Rick Anges
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
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TRACK FACTS:
High-Banked 3/8 mile very fast clay oval
Location: Lake City, Florida
CLASSES:
Florida Modifieds, Late Models, Pure Stocks,
Street Stocks, Mini Stocks
Saturday Nights at 7pm
Gates open 4:00pm
DIRECTIONS:
I-75 to exit 414 ...north on 41 appx 6 miles turn onto Roxanne Ave (look for race track sign)
CONTACT:
386-754-8800
North Florida Speedway
287 SE Race Track Lane
Lake City, Fl. 32025
Owner:Phil & Liz Guadagno
Web Site: NorthFloridaSpeedway |
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2000 Division Champions:
Florida Modified: Jimmy Singletary
Late Model Sportsman: Gary Palmer
Limited Late Model: Randy Merwin
Street Stock: Chip Owen
Pure Stock:Floyd Martin, Jr. |
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