After some close races and hard luck 16 year old B.J. McLeod drove one of hell of a race Saturday night to take the Pro-Late Model feature at DeSoto Speedway.....

With 15 of the 23 cars qualifying in the 14 second range you could tell this was going to be one heck of race. Starting on the front row was #61 Jimmy Cope and alongside of him was the #7 of Darryl Shelnut. Cope jumped out to the early lead with a great start as he would all night long but it was the racing behind him that was action packed!

B.J. McLeod moved up into second bringing with him the #37 of a very fast James Powell. #00 Dickie Anderson meanwhile was battling on the outside groove slipping and sliding running in the fifth spot . The first caution came when #12 Jeff Emory lost it coming out of turn four and the #01 of Jeff Wogoman who has had his share of bad luck at DeSoto lately ran over top Emory's machine, Wogoman's car was to badly damged to continue but Emory came back out after a visit to the pits, having to remove the entire front end of the car making it look more like a modified then a late model.

When the green dropped it was Cope with fast start pulling out to a three car length lead B.J. McLeod,Powell,Anderson and Shelnut were nose to tail running for the second spot. After a few laps Anderson had gotten by Powell and he and B.J. McLeod were battling Cope for the lead but Cope held the low line forcing both McLeod and Anderson to try the outside groove if they wanted the front spot.

Anderson ran side by side with Cope with B.J. McLeod staying low with Cope, Anderson slipped coming out of four allowing Shelnut up to take the third spot but Anderson wasn't giving up the spot that easy bump drafting Shelnut coming out of four taking the spot and bringing along with him a hard charging #72 Mike Franklin jr.

While the heated action was taking place up front former track Open Wheel champ and crowd favorite Lee Collins in the familiar #89 was slicing and dicing his way through the field looking strong on only his second Pro Latemodel race of the year using the high groove moving up into the top five. Franklin looking to get by the cagey veteran Anderson dove hard into the turn but went a little to deep on the charge spinning out in cloud of smoke bringing out the caution and sending him to the rear of the pack.

Another awesome restart by Jimmy Cope left B.J. McLeod and Anderson battling again for the second spot but within a few laps the duo had caught up with the streaking #61 again Cope held the low line forcing the #00 and #78 to try the high line B.J. McLeod slipped and allowed Anderson to regain the second spot. Anderson was working Cope hard when out of turn two Anderson tapped him and sent him spinning infront of the field being collected by the #38 of Shane Sawyer ending Copes charge for the checkers with just fifteen laps to go Anderson was sent to the rear field leaving B.J. McLeod with the lead and Lee Collins second.

Collins gave it all he had on the restart getting a low line run on B.J. but the kid had the horsepower to hold him off and take a well earned victory on the high banks, Collins came home with the second place trophy, Anderson in typical fashion was able to make his way back through the field to take third, fourth went to #34 Ricky Carlton, Richard Till #53 rounded out the top five.

#98 Lonny Miller battled his way up from mid pack to take the win in the Sportsman class holding off #41 Gus Coorssen, #1 Jerry Rogers took third, fourth was #97 Brian Teeters and fifth #86 Jeff Anderson.

The Street Stock feature saw a first time winner as #99 Brent Louiso was able to hold off a fast Bruce Sherwood in the #05, #8 Rich Clouser won the melee for third #4 Ronnie Allen survived for fourth and Dennis Wilson jr. #42 ended up in the fifth spot.

Mod-Mini was won by a very fast Mike Mitrisin #98, second place went to last weeks winner Matt Watts #3, #77 Lee Davis came across third, #8 Kenny Hawkins fourth and #73 Shawn Williams held on for fifth.

A young Todd Freed #97 may not have won the feature in the Mini-Stock race but he showed some smooth driving skills and held on to a solid second place finish just behind the #70 of Tony Elrod jr.. Jesse Dutilly #30 crossed the start finish line third, #14 Jon Bailey fourth, Arlin Pope #98 took fifth.

#22 Doug Carroll was the winner in the Pure Stock Division keeping the big Dodge of "Cowboy" Howard Higgins #7 behind him at the start finish line.#20 Greg Banach third, #3 Peggy Hurst fourth and fifth Gary Flynn #56.

"Rockin"Rodney Davis #89 won the pro-figure 8 race...........From Bradenton....Rick Anges

Results 4/1

PRO LATE MODELS
1. #78 B.J. MCLEOD, WAUCHULA
2. #89 LEE COLLINS, IMMOKALEE
3. #00 DICK ANDERSON, WILDWOOD
4. #34 RICKY CARLTON, HOMOSASSA
5. #53 RICHARD TILL, BARTOW
6. #56 WENDELL OVERSTREET, CLEARWATER
7. #98 DAVID BRINSON,
8. #2 RANDY FOX, FT MYERS
9. #72 MIKE FRANKLIN,
10. #33 SCOT WALTERS, NAPLES


SELECTIVE HR SOLUTIONS
SPORTSMAN
1. #98 LONNY MILLER, BRADENTON
2. #41 GUS COORSSEN, SARASOTA
3. #1 JERRY ROGERS,
4. #97 BRIAN TEETERS, PALMETTO
5. #86 JEFF ANDERSON, BRADENTON
6. #21 JAMES CARTER, BRADENTON
7. #11 JOE SHAVER, ARCADIA
8. #03 BARRY CARLSON, LARGO
9. #09 MIKE WODARSKY,
10. #89 JIMMY COOK, SARASOTA


EXPRESS PERSONNEL SERVICES
STREET STOCK
1. #99 BRENT LOUISO, SARASOTA
2. #05 BRUCE SHERWOOD, BRADENTON
3. #8 RICH CLOUSER, GRANT, FL
4. #4 RONNIE ALLEN,
5. #42 DENNIS WILSON JR, BRADENTON
6. #9 BEN KELLY, NORTH PORT
7. #51 CLARENCE SMITH, SEBRING
8. #19 JOEY BARNES, BRADENTON
9. #65 MIKE JOHNSON, SARASOTA
10. #2 DAVID DICK, PARRISH


CONTEMPORARY CABINETRY &
CLOSET CONCEPTS PURE STOCK
1. #22 DOUG CARROLL, SASAROTA
2. #7 HOWARD HIGGINS, ARCADIA
3. #20 GREG BANACH, BRADENTON
4. #3 PEGGY HURST, SARASOTA
5. #56 GARY FLYNN, PALMETTO
6. #7 TROY BUCKLES,
7. #57 TROY DAVIS, BRADENTON
8. #6 DANNY ANDERSON, BRADENTON


MANATEE LUMBER
MODIFIED MINI
1. #98 MIKE MITRISIN, BROOKSVILLE
2. #3 MATT WATTS, DADE CITY
3. #77 LEE DAVIS, LAKELAND
4. #9 KENNY HANKINS, LAKELAND
5. #73 SHAWN WILLIAMS, KATHLEEN, FL
6. #7 STEVE MARTIN, PINELLAS PARK
7. #31 GREG LUECKE, ST PETERSBURG
8. #O3 JOHEL CHAVES, FT MEADE
9. #4 SHANE COOK, DADE CITY
10. #17 JOHN COHEE, ST PETERSBURG


Q AUTO & INJURY ATTORNEYS
MINI STOCK
1. #70 TONY ELROD JR, KATHLEEN
2. #97 TODD FREED, BRADENTON
3. #30 JESSE DUTILLY, BRADENTON
4. #14 JON BAILEY, ST. PETERSBURG
5. #98 ARLIN POPE, BRADENTON
6. #17X SYNDEE BROWN, BRADENTON
7. #22 SHANE WHITBECK, SARASOTA
8. #9 JEANNE WHITTED, SARASOTA
9. #35 GREG KROM, SARASOTA
10. #92 JEFF GUILBAULT, PALMETTO