The second stop on the SARA BMD Title Loans Late Model Sportsman series proved just how tough and competitive the racing would be all year long as rookies battled with seasoned veterans in St. Petersburg at Sunshine Action Speedway. Thirty-six cars would attempt to make the twenty-five car field, with the top sixteen locked in through qualifying and the remainder through two consi races and provisionals. The favorite going into the 100 lap event had to be the 1999 SARA Late Model Sportsman Series Champion Dwayne Dempsey, who has two Sunshine Action Speedway track championships to his credits, and had turned more laps than perhaps all other drivers combined at the 1/3 mile facility.

Dempsey would show his dominance during qualifying when he turned a 14.318 to capture the Fast Qualifier Award. Rookie driver Richard Kelley would qualify second, Jeff Scofield in third, another highly rated rookie driver, Michael Faulk in fourth, and last weeks winner at USA International Speedway Joe Boyd in fifth. After pills were drawn for the top ten qualifiers, Bobby Beauchemin would start on the pole, and Joe Boyd on the outside row one. Rookie David Logan would start third and short-track veteran, Wayne Morris in fourth. The two other rookies, Kelley, Jr. and Faulk would take the starting grid in fifth and sixth position.

This Saturday night at Sunshine Action Speedway would belong to Bobby Beauchemin.He would hold the lead on the initial green flag, and would carry the Dent Wizard Chevrolet to his first ever SARA Late Model Sportsman victory. The best racing of the night would be the battle for second. Wayne Morris would work his way around Logan to take second and Boyd and Scofield would settle in to third and fourth. That's when the action started. Morris began to loose his brakes and had to slow up and just hold his line around the bottom of the track. Boyd and Scofield would take turns trying to get around Morris for second place. Meanwhile, Dempsey would take the #7 Pontiac behind pit wall due to a fluid leak.
All the racing for second place, allowed not only Beauchemin to check out with the lead, but it also allowed Michael Faulk, David Logan, Richard Kelley, Jr., and Scott Bramlett, who took the controls of the Richards Motorsports Chevrolet usually driven by Mike McCreary, Jr., to hang in for the battle at the finish.
With laps winding down in the race, Boyd had to try and make the move on the outside of Morris, who, although had little or no brakes, continued to hold his line on the bottom of the track. Boyd would get the run off turn two and get side-by-side with Morris for several of the final laps. Scofield would get the nose of his Chevrolet underneath Morris who continued to battle both drivers at the same time. Finally, contact between Scofield and Morris caused Morris to slide up into Boyd, spinning the SARA point leader out of the race. The finish would come down to a two-lap shoot out, but Beauchemin would hold off Morris and win his first ever SARA Late Model Sportsman race. Morris would hang on to second, Scofield in third, Michael Faulk in fourth, and David Logan in fifth.


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1 161 M Bobby Beauchemin
2 56 M Wayne Morris
3 07 M Jeff Scofield
4 36 M Michael Faulk
5 1X M David Logan
6 8 M Scott Bramlett
7 61 M Richard Kelley, Jr.
8 79 M Clint Slaggy
9 23 M Mike Abbott
10 3 M Jimmy Castleberry
11 5 M Joe Boyd
12 40 M Eddie Miller
13 16 M Eddie King
14 63 M Chris Lawrence
15 21 M Robbie Storer
16 22 M Larry O'Steen
17 11 M Marlon Lynn
18 77 M Tony Amico
19 2 M Chip Shell
20 06 M Brian Hutcheson
21 12 M Mitch Hawk
22 7 M Dwayne Dempsey
23 77X M Richie Anderson
24 96 M Michael King
25 47 M Chris Fontaine

FAST QUALIFIER-$100.00
#7 Dwayne Dempsey Time - 14.318 Speed 62.862
1/2 WAY LEADER
#161 Bobby Beauchemin
HOT RODGERS HARD CHARGER AWARD
#40 Eddie Miller
TOP ROOKIE
#36 Michael Faulk
Total # of Cautions/Laps 8 Cautions - 24 Laps

-Scott McAllister

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