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September 2000
Wednesday Night is Showtime!
Checkered Flag Racing in Opa-Lacka, Florida and Thundercross Motorsports Park in Okeechobee, Florida have signed on as sponsors of the KARNAC.com Racin' Talk Radio Show. The show premieres Wednesday, October 4.
Checkered Flag Racing operates a full service race car shop and is a dealer for all major name brand racing equipment. Owner Big Al Styer has been in the race car fabrication business for 25 years, and is very active at the short track speedways in South Florida.
Thundercross Motorsports Park is a fast growing dirt racing facility located at the north tip of Lake Okeechobee. Thundercross has a wide variety of racing shows and motorsports entertainment throughout the year in addition to eight classes of Saturday night dirt short track racing, drawing drivers from all around the state.
KARNAC.com Racin' Talk Radio can be heard every Wednesday night from 7-9 PM, bringing you KARNAC in a whole new light. The show will be heard over the airwaves on WWPR 1490 AM from the Pier in downtown Bradenton, Florida. The Internet broadcasting will begin LIVE on October 18th. A tape of each show will be available on the Internet until our LIVE Internet broadcasts begin later this month. Racin' Talk Radio will feature full interactivity with our KARNAC.com Chat Space, as well as several other features that are so big we must keep them a surprise for you. SARA Series announcer Scott Hawkins and hard charging Rick Anges co-host the show, backed by a solid team of dedicated race fans, to bring you the most dynamic racin' media show Florida has ever seen. Mike Daugherty, longtime NASCAR fan and host of his own daytime talk show is handling the Engineering duties for the show. Hans Nieborg, Editor of KARNAC.com's Southern Short Track, co-ordinates with guests and our interactive Internet elements of the show, and assists with technical issues.
The guest list for the first show on October 4th includes speedway owners from the Sunshine State, motorsports entertainment personalities, some NASCAR surprises and much more.
For more on the show follow this link: Racin' Talk Radio
-Jack Smith
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By Connie Winningham
In 1949, William Myers, a young, 18-year-old boy was stationed and in training at the Army Chemical Center in Maryland. "Nearly every day", he said, " a 1937 Ford with no fenders came racing up and down the road near my barracks". "One day, I saw the car at a local gas station, and I was so intrigued by the car and the speed, I couldn't resist pulling in and finding the man who owned it." The man turned out to be Mr. Bob Wallace.
They talked about the car and racing for a long time that day. Bob asked Bill if he wanted to go to the races with him on Saturday night. Of course he wanted to go, and that's when Bill fell in love with racing. He and Mr. Wallace soon became great friends. "I was eager and hungry to learn all I could about building a racecar", Bill said. "We went to the races every Saturday night for the next two years."
Bill would spend every minute of his off time helping Bob with his car. In 1951, Bill was shipped out to Korea. When he returned in 1952, he went down to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida looking for the nearest racetrack and for anyone who would let him help. He said, "I thought I knew everything there was to know about racing", but found out he had so much to learn. He built a 1937 Ford Coupe sportsman and teamed up with a man who drove the sportsman for him for about six months.
But Bill ended up buying out his part and soon had himself another partner, Herb Madray. Herb owned a salvage yard. "Boy that made for a great pair of racing friends," he said. "We made a great team". Bill added, "Back then, if there wasn't a fight after the races, then it wasn't a good night of racing. Well, Herb got into one of the frays and ended up cutting his hand on some guy's teeth. The wound got infected and it got so bad that Herb couldn't drive the next week." That was the first night I ever raced", he said, "and I fell in love with it".
I asked him to tell me about his first night. He said, "Well, they always put the new guys up front because they couldn't do anything". With a big smile, Bill told me that night he won the heat race and the feature. From there he had RACING FEVER. Soon, he and Herb built a 1939 Hudson Coupe with a 308 Hornet motor. "Back then the motor was way back through the firewall", he recalled. "I stayed in the driver's seat from then on out". They raced at Broward Speedway, Hollywood, and Medley in Hialeah, Hialeah Speedway, Key West at Stock Island, Ft. Pierce, Melbourne, Vero Beach and Golden Gate. I asked him to tell me about one of his most memorable nights in racing. He paused for a few minutes and with a look of regret he told me that the one night of racing that has stayed with him the most is the night his leg got "bummed up". It was a night in 1961 he was racing at Hialeah. He had 21 feature wins in a row between Medley and Hialeah. He was racing in a big 50-lap race when his car just quit. He pulled down into the infield and got out of his car to try and figure what could be wrong. Two cars got tangled up on the track and skidded off the track sandwiching him between them and his car. He spent 11 weeks in traction, 13 months in a body cast, had at least five operations and wore a brace for many, many years.
At 70, 'Grouch', as he has been nicknamed since, sat back with his coffee cup and the look on his face told me how dear these memories are to him. He got his nickname from Herb. The two of them had gone out for a few beers one night and to play some pool. Bill went home early because he needed to get up and go to his mechanics job the next morning. At around 2:00 in the morning, Herb called, waking Bill up asking him if he had made it home Okay. Bill replied, "Yep" and hung up. The next morning, Herb came to the shop and told Bill, "You sure sounded like a grouch on the phone", and from then on, that's what everyone has called him, "Grouch". "As a matter of fact", Grouch declared, "I had a big 8-ball painted on the side of my car - that was my number 8-ball". "I loved to play pool too".
At that time in his career, he had met and was very close with Bobbie Allison and Donnie Allison. "While I was laid up, he said, "The two of them took turns racing my car. Any money that they won, they brought to the hospital and gave to me to help pay the hospital bills". At that time, Grouch said, "Davie was running around in diapers". The grin on his face told me that those are fond memories. "After the first night that Donnie drove the car", Grouch said, "He came to me in the hospital and told me, Grouch, I thought you were a damned good driver, but after driving your car tonight, I believe in that car anyone could win". With pride he said, "That 289 turned 8500 to 8700 RPMs".
After he got back on his feet and back to racing, Grouch and a man named Randy Tissotts went to Alabama and lived with Bobby Allison in Hueytown for about a month until he found his own place. They raced in Birmingham, Montgomery, Chattanooga, Nashville, Huntsville, Ashville, and the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, about 1,000 miles to run that circuit each week. By this time that is how Grouch made his living. "Back then, you could win $200 in a night and that was GOOD money. You didn't need to have a daytime job making $150.00 a week." He explained Bill Myers had the opportunity to also race with Jackie Evans, Jerry Lawtey, Freddy Fryer, Red Farmer as well as Bobbie and Donnie Allison. They all raced in the same class and they all were the best of friends. They raced 5 or 6 nights a week and loved it.
I asked Grouch if he felt like he was a rich man. He gave me a meek grin and said, "I felt good about myself, but more than that, I more so enjoyed my friends and the sport". "It was never about the money", he added solemnly.
He recalled a night in Hollywood when he raced with Ned Jarrett. He said it was the funniest thing. Ned came driving into the pit in his Cadillac with his car on a tow bar, his extra tires and parts in the back seat of that Caddy. Ned was racing for the NASCAR points championship at that time.
He told me about a race in Opelika, a 50-lapper that he would never forget. He was in the lead, he saw the flag come out and after that lap went into the pits his crew came running to the car wanting to know what happened, he said "nothing, that was the last lap right?" they told him that the flag had been the white flag. That was a night he beat himself and came in last. In 1976 in Bronson, his boys Buddy and Ronnie wanted to build a car and race. Ed Harris was building a track here, now known as The Bronson Motor Speedway. They wanted to race badly. Grouch decided to let them try racing and they built a 1956 Ford 302 Late model. The track opened and off to the races they went. Grouch said he went out and tested the car and made some adjustments. "When it came time for the heat race the two boys were arguing about who was going to drive" he said grinning, "not about who wanted to drive, but each one wanted the other one to drive. The heat was called and someone had to go on the track, so I got in and as I got ready to go out, I told them, 'You better make up your minds and be ready for the feature'. When I came in after the heat", he said, "The boys were nowhere to be found". Laughingly he continued, "So I went out and got second in the feature".
At that time, he recalled racing with Louie Quinn, Rodney Brown, Keith Philman, Cecil Lewis, and Donnie Lewis in Bronson. Joe Nemechek, Jimmy Cope, Leroy Porter, Dickie and Wayne Anderson are among the drivers he raced against in Bronson also. He remembered when Eddie King came out with a 6-cylinder thunderbird and won against their V8's. "Boy, we were upset about that" he said.
Grouch has long since hung up his helmet, but he still has his hands in racing in some way or another almost every day. Kevin Durden was a young boy of about 5 or 6 when Grouch first met him. He said that when he got up old enough to race he helped him build a car for Bronson. "Kevin Durden is a driver, to this day, who is hard to beat", he recalled. "That first night he kept getting closer and closer to the wall and I just knew any minute he was going to hit it. Sure enough he did and he bent the A-frame, but Kevin learned from that and has come a long way."
I talked to the #46 Super stock driver, Brody Giddens, who said I'll tell you one thing about Grouch, he can sit in the grand stands, listen to a car when it goes by, and tell a driver just about what he needs to do to make the car run better". "He has done it for me lots of times. "Grouch has forgotten more about racing than many of us will ever know".
Every Saturday night, you will see Grouch on his 4-wheeler driving around talking to drivers and helping the Bronson Motor Speedway Tech man, Rodney Brown, one of the men he used to drive against at Bronson. He sits back and enjoys the sport of racing quietly these days. There isn't much he doesn't know about a racecar and he wants to help anyone who asks him. He is friendly and always has time to talk to anyone. Grouch said that his biggest supporters were his father, the late Vernon Myers and his brother-in-law, Tom Fleming. "If I ever needed anything, tires to someone to help work on the engine, they were there for me". They helped him enjoy a sport that he loved. I believe that is why he is so ready to help anyone at anytime, because he still loves racing so much and without supporters, it is a hard road to race.
It was such a pleasure to write this story. Bill 'Grouch' Myers was so quick to smile when I asked him questions and he remembered parts of his life that seemed so long ago. It was a joy to listen to this part of his story. There is so much that he can tell us about racing. As I drove away, I felt as though I had been actually talking to one of racings few "Silent Legends".
-Connie Winningham
AKA 'Missy'
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| Rollin' with the changes at DeSoto Speedway | A new era began at DeSoto Speedway Saturday night as John Sarppraicone took the helm of the "South's Fastest Short Track." The enthusiasm was evident in the driver's meeting before the races, driver's, crew chief's car owner's and the just the curious on lookers were there just to take a look at the man who will guide DeSoto into the 21st century. Changes were already in place and one of them is the placement of a new Track Director Dick Proulx also Burt Thomas returns to the DeSoto flag stand to wave the flags and make the on track calls. Other things that have changed is the allowance of kids in the pits, parents must make sure to keep their children under close supervision so no one is injured and drivers must make sure to keep their machines under control even in the heat of the moment.
Another change that is sure a crowd favorite is the winners being brought back on the front stretch for interviews, family and friends are also allowed on the track for winners circle pictures. As many questions were being asked in the drivers meeting one in particular caught my attention, an open wheel modified driver asked what would happen at the awards banquet since DeSoto had quit counting points for them. Mr Sarppraicone answered with " The class will be recognized at the banquet even if it has to come out my own pocket." New hope for the speedway seemed evident as everyone I saw walking away from the driver's meeting had what I would call a bit more confidence in the "High Banks" future.
As promised Sarppraicone was hands on all night, from throwing the first green flag of the night to being on the track after each race to congratulate the winners, wearing a head set and keeping track of what was going on.
The first green flag flew for the Street Stock feature and after some hard close racing Sue Purington emerged the winner for her first feature win in the class with Mark Chapman placing second, Cliff Roberts charged across the line for third spot.
The Mini-Stocks were up next and Jesse Dutilly took his second feature win of the season holding off a hard charging Clay Joseph who made some gallant moves through the field to take the second spot. Syndee Brown brought her car home in third.
Doug Longwell who had a terrifying fiery crash here earlier in the year won the legends feature taking the lead from Jason Reisman near the end of the race. Reisman was second and Duane Briant was third. Chip Gaines drove a smooth race winning the Mod-Mini feature race. Mike Mitrisin battled his way up through the field to finish second and Ronnie Heard Jr rounded out the top three.
Teddy Nelson won the Open Wheel Modified 50 lap feature race on the track but while in tech Steve Hauser jr used the claim rule and tried to buy Nelson's motor for $650, Nelson refused to sell and an altercation insued with Nelson being escorted away by the local Sheriff's department. With Nelson refusing to sell his motor Jimmy Alvis who finished second on the track was declared the winner Hauser "claimed" the second spot and John Grimm held on for third.
Veteran Clyde Cole brought the sleek looking number 17 home the winners trophy in the Sportsman division holding off the charge of a very fast Bill Close. James Knight who led part of the race took the third spot.
Another first time winner came in the last race of the evening as Gary McFall won the Pure Stock feature race. "Cowboy" Howard Higgins was second and Peggy Hurst was third.
With all the changes that were made since the last time the track was ran the show went smooth and the last checkered fell at about 10:30. Even with the front stretch interviews it was a really good paced show that kept the fans in the stands. John Sarppraicone and his family are off to a good start as new owners of the track and seem to have brought the "family" atmosphere back to the speedway that has been missing for so long. With some good hard work and some good promotions DeSoto Speedway will once again shine as the premere Florida Short Track!
Rick Anges
Editor
Florida Stock Car Racing
KARNAC.com
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| A new era begins at DeSoto Speedway | John and Camille Sarppraicone, originally from Long Island, New York, are now the owners of DeSoto Speedway. The announcement was made today that the former NASCAR driver and assistant tech official for the Florida Pro Series takes ownership of the South's Fastest Short Track effective immediately. "This will be a family run business," Sarppraicone said. "I plan to be a hands-on owner and I'll be here five to seven days a week. We're going to start from scratch to bring it back a family atmosphere and have a lot of fun."
Sarppraicone brings extensive experience to DeSoto Speedway, in business and racing. He was in commercial real Estate in New York and he's been around racing since he was eight years old. He raced at Islip Speedway and Riverhead Raceway and in his first year he was voted Rookie of the Year at both tracks. He went on to win the track championship. He has raced extensively in Florida and is well-known to the Super Pro drivers. "I've been looking for a track for about four years," he said. "I had my eye on this track and tried to negotiate a deal two years ago but it fell through."
A family atmosphere is a must for the friendly, hospitable couple. John and Camille have been married 20 years and have two children that will also be involved with DeSoto Speedway. John Jr. is 14, a go-kart racer, and Jacqueline is 16. Changes are already underway for the new track owner. Long time friend, Dick Proulx, will become Track Director and children will be allowed in the pits; if a release is signed and they are accompanied by a parent. "We're also reducing the price of pit entrance to $20," Sarppraicone. "And we're moving the winner's circle back to the grandstand side. Other changes will be coming but we're just taking it one day at a time. The biggest challenge will be filling the stands."
It is a challenge the Sarppraicones are ready to face, eagerly. "I've never been afraid to shake hands," he said. "And you'll probably see me with a little grease or dirt on my hands. I'm hands-on."
Outgoing owner DeWayne Musick voiced his well wishes for the new owners as he turned the track over to the Sarppraicones on Tuesday . "I wish John and his wife all luck in the world and hope DeSoto Speedway continues to be one of the premier racing facilities in the South," he said. "John has a lot of good ideas and is planning on devoting 100% to the speedway. Please show him the support and respect you have to me these last 10 years. I want to thank all the fans drivers, and crews for their support. I especially want to thank all the great employees who I have had the opportunity to spend time with and sincerely appreciate all they have done for me and DeSoto Speedway."
After ten years of operating DeSoto Speedway Musick also closes out his ownership with a note of advice and appreciation. "This is a tough business," he said. "Unlike most other businesses, if you have a bad day you always have tomorrow to recover. When we get rained out, the expenses and associated costs keep running. You must wait until the next Saturday night and hope to have a good turn-out. I know John will insist as I have that safety is our number one concern at DeSoto. This is a fast track and the safety factor cannot be taken lightly. I can only pray that our record continues with no serious injuries for many years into the future." "I also want to thank Earl Savage, who has stepped in this season and really took the bull by the horns and operated the speedway like it was his own. He has done a great job and owe him many thanks...Thanks Earl! "Last but not least, a special thanks to Pat Bianchi. Without her I would have never been able to provide the shows like we have all these years. She is the greatest and I will really miss working with her. You will get to see her as she has agreed to help John and his wife on a limited basis. Stop by and say Hi to her. " Pat, I will miss you!" "Thank you again for many friendships and 10 fun, exciting seasons. Look forward to seeing you at "The South's Fastest Short Track" real soon!
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| It Is Definitely Worth a Try | by Jane Smith
Lately, I have set back and let others do the talking for me. I have listened to drivers from Sunshine to Hialeah speak about this sport that we all love so much. It is not the sport itself that is causing so much pain and unrest, but the cost of having fun today.
When compared to the cost of tires and gas to race say a Late Model maybe twenty years ago, surprisingly it is not that different than today. Twenty years ago you could run Goodyear, Firestone, Hoosier or McCreary tires. Goodyear and Firestone were the most expensive at about $l20.00 each where the Hoosier and McCreary were between $80.00 to $l00.00 and lasted better and were faster for the first three races or so. Gas was about $3.50 a gallon, maybe a dollar different than today. But the biggest difference in making the $750.00 pay off more worth it then was the cost of the engines.
Engines back then were expensive for the time but nothing like they are today. Use to you could build a good Late Model engine for maybe $12,000.00 where as today, that would not build a open wheel modified engine. I was once told that you should never spend over $l500.00 ona Super Stock or Bomber engine but today, some are $5,000.00 and up. Why????
We could blame this on racing, saying that a lot of it is caused by the cheaters and to compete in the sport, you need to out cheat the next person so the cost of building an engine keeps going up. But what happens when it gets to a point that no one can afford to race????
Take for example, one of our traveling series. I was told by one of the drivers that it cost him $700.00 for 15 laps once (that was new tires, gas, hauling, pit entrance,etc.) and the purse was $1,000.00 to win so even if he had won, he would not have come out very good. Not too many everyday racers can afford this, they are just average people like you and me who race on a budget. Yes, you can say if they can't afford it, then they should not race but that could knock out more guys than you realize.
Just to say raise the purses, that is not the solution. Maybe the solution is to stop and think about what we are doing. Maybe the local tracks need to make it cheaper for these guys to race and keep the expensive cars more for the traveling series. This way, the classes could be fairer which everyone does complain about and the purses could come up from the car counts rising because the cost of racing will lower.
But who says the world is round and the grass is green and maybe it is a pipedream to ever find a solution to local track racing. Maybe we are just born to complain but never find any solutions because we like to complain. But there are those of us who do sincerely love our tracks and the guys who work their butts off to bring you local track racing and really do want to help. Maybe what we need is someone from every track, both dirt and asphalt, to all come together and try to work out a plan to help racing, to help the guys who do the racing, and help eac hother.
It is definitely worth a try.
-Jane Smith
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By Robin Meiser
In the past month, the Charlotte County Speedway road warrior division has had to bury two of its heroes, Paul Pojafsky and Ron Dushek, Jr. Both were very special men with a great sense of humor and hearts as big as all outdoors. Hidden inside those big hearts were time bombs ticking, waiting to explode.
And explode they did, while both of these wonderful men were navigating four wheel vehicles. Scary, isn't it? It had to be even scarier for Paulie's 10-year old daughter, Kelsey, who was with her dad in his vintage El Camino when he suffered a massive heart attack. With wisdom and fortitude far beyond her years she was able to stop the vehicle and turn off the motor, thus avoiding further injury to her or anyone else driving during the torrential downpour. Paul was about my age, his early forties.
Several weeks later the outstanding competitors in the road warrior division gave up their winnings and raced in memory of Paul Pojafsky. They then took their helmets into the grandstands where our racing family gave from the bottoms of their pockets to Robin and Kelsey Pojafsky. Among those walking through the stands were both the senior and junior Ron Dusheks. It was an emotional evening for all but little did we know what was in store for us a scant two weeks later.
The week after the Pojafsky Memorial race, the road warrior division was unable to race due to rain and curfew. On September 2, they were slated to run two 20-lap feature races. The first race was relatively uneventful, won by Terry Price, which fit with my philosophy that I have proved over and over again "when you do good things, good things happen." You see, the week before he had stood in the hot sun for several hours asking each of his fellow competitors to donate their winnings to the Pojafsky family.
It took several restarts to get the second feature going, I was working on getting my press release ready when the caution flag came out and my fellow officials in the tower fell silent. I looked up and saw a four car crash in Turn Two. The red flag came out and I made my way to the door as one of the spotters called for the safety team to assist with Ron Dushek, Sr. At the gate was Ron's wife, Evelyn, frantically trying to get to the other side of the track. I asked her to stay where she was and I would let her know as soon as I knew anything and I made my way to Turn Two. Evelyn came shortly behind me, which I would have done in the same situation.
I didn't have a radio that night so I was thrown for a loop when I reached Turn Two and saw our safety team working so hard, administering CPR to Ron. Standing beside them, looking like lost little boys, were Ronnie, Jr., also a competitor in the road warrior divison; as well Lil' John Hanuschik and Big Al Welling racing compatriots who are married to Ron's nieces, DeeDee and Christine. As Evelyn and the girls sat crying on the pit wall, I tried to comfort Ronnie while all the other officials in the area tried to help with Ron. In our minds was one united thought "Breathe, Ron, breathe."
The ambulance came and took Ron to the hospital while DeeDee and Christine helped their Aunt Evelyn to her car. I followed shortly behind and arrived at the hospital where I waited with the family for word on Ron. Needless to say, we had another unfortunate outcome and I have never been through anything so tragic in my own life as what that family experienced that night. Those of us that were with them, had no idea what to do or say so we just held them in our arms, trying to silently comfort them in their despair.
I think it hit me so hard because I lost my own only beloved little brother when he was 22 years old from heart failure. He was running in a marathon when he experienced chest pains and sat on the side of the road. The paramedics approached, asking if he needed help and he said "I am going to finish this race if it kills me." With that, he stood up, slumped to the floor and died. The paramedics worked on him for an hour, so they say, not wanting to give up on one so young. I don't know, I wasn't there, I lived a thousand miles away so maybe in my own way when Ron died I relived my own tragedy through them.
I do not write these words to bring further sorrow to the Dusheks. Heaven knows, Evelyn, Ronnie, Sharon, Ronda, Lewis and the other family members have enough of their own. I do not want to bring back painful memories for Kelsey or Robin Pojafsky. I love all of these people, as do our entire racing community. It is because of this, I write these words.
This goes out to all of "my drivers" and yes, I am possessive, you are all my drivers although I share you with the rest of our staff and officials at Charlotte County Speedway who are also possessive and feel the same way, whether you want to believe that or not. You are also "our pit crews" and "our fans" and we hope you feel the same about us. Isn't that what a family is all about? Please, I beg you from the bottom of my heart to listen to what I am about to say.
Do not let what happened to Paul and Ron, happen to another one of us, if we can avoid it. Please, go get a physical and an EKG. Maybe if heaven is with us on this, some wonderful doctor will read this and hear our plight and give all of our drivers physicals and EKG's before the next racing season. Every night before I go to bed, I pray to God to help me say this the right way and help us find a way to avoid any more tragedy in our "family".
I have personally known six men this year in their mid-50s and YOUNGER who have died from massive heart attacks this year. Most were not aware of a heart problem. All have left grieving family and friends behind asking "Why?"
All youth sports teams, high school teams (including cheerleading) and professional sports require participants to have a physical every year before competition begins. You may not like what I am going to say here but all stock car tracks should do the same in unity so that drivers can't go to another track simply because they don't require a physical..
Yes, a good physical exam costs good money but think about it, the money you spend on a set of racing tires could be spent on a physical and it could keep you alive long enough to compete in your next race. Racing wives and girlfriends, nag your men until they go get a physical or buy them one for their birthday but while you are at it, make sure you make an appointment for yourself because heart attacks kill many women in this age bracket too. Racing parents, do the same, insist that your child whether a minor or adult have a physical but also do them a favor and have one yourself. I wish my father had, he might still be alive today and I could hug him and say "I Love You, Dad."
Please forgive me if I have struck too close to home and know I say what I say because of my love of our sport and our family. We do not need to lose anyone else if it can be avoided and many heart attacks can. So please, make an appointment today with your family physician, it may save your life or the lives of others, as well.
-Robin
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| Dirt Modified Association Set to Race At Volusia Speedway Park | A new dirt racing series featuring modifieds is getting underway with the first race in Florida at Volusia Speedway Park set for the end of this month. 
Organized under the name Southeast Dirt Modified Association, the new series is the creation of Floridians Gary Gross and Jerry Morgan and will be modeled closely upon the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) and United Midwest Promoters(UMP) rules.
It is described by Gross as a "new organization to further the advancement of dirt modified racing in the area from south Florida to mid Georgia". The Association is not actually a sanctioning body, but is a means of setting up a method for interested dirt modified drivers, car owners, and promoters to work together to bring affordable modified dirt racing to the South.
This class of competition has been in a catch 22 situation the last couple years as tracks will not schedule races with worry of not having enough cars show up to race and car owners can't invest in new equipment because they have no commitment from the tracks to schedule races and give the class a chance to grow.
The organizers conducted studies before starting the organization asking almost every dirt track in the area if they were interested in having open wheel modifieds on their schedule and the tracks unanimously agreed they would like modifieds as a regularly weekly class or a special event class if only enough cars would show up to put on a good show.
That response brought on the formation of the organization to get the drivers and car owners a way to unite and in the future show strength in numbers to the track owners. With the promise of races from the tracks the task now is to get car owners and drivers registered with the organization and committed to attending the initial events.
Gross says " we have received interest all the way from car owners who have had their cars parked since St. Augustine paved in 1997, to drivers in lower classes of competition who want to move up, to late model drivers who have been priced out of running competitively and want to move down."
These dirt modifieds as they have been run in Florida usually follow the exact safety and construction rules of the IMCA and UMP national organizations but add a 2500 lb. minimum weight rule, allow up to 8" of rear spoilers, and allow quick change rear ends. Gross explains "With the unity offered by our orgaization we can set the standards for these type rules so car owners no longer have to guess if they will be legal at any particular track."
The organization would like to see enough cars built located close enough to each track for each track to add the dirt modifieds as a regularly weekly class of competition and also to put together a series of better paying races for those who have the means and the time to travel.
On October 29th Volusia Speedway Park will host the first Florida event in a 25 lap feature race. The series needs 20 cars to assure the race goes off as planned. Advance registrations are being requested by the Southeast Dirt Modified Association.
Oglethorpe Speedway in Savannah, Georgia has scheduled a race for dirt open wheel modifieds on Saturday night October 14th. If they get good enough response at that race they are considering adding modifieds to their big race already scheduled two weeks later. 
Gross is a veteran of the St. Augustine and Volusia speedways, as well as Eldora.
Full information on that race plus more details about the Southeast Dirt Modified Association can be found at the web site address http://www.wwwp.com/mods Interested parties may also call Jerry Morgan in St. Augustine at 904-824-8410 weekdays or Gary Gross in Daytona at 904-788-9449 anytime to answer questions . Or questions and comments can be e-mailed to mods@wwwp.com.
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 by Sean Scampton
The Thrill Ride at Sunshine "Action" Speedway, driven by Billy Mowery, has been a favorite among spectators in the stands, especially those lucky enough to acquire a winning ticket. To some, it seems just as valuable as a winning lottery ticket. Numerous people have been winners and have experienced the sheer excitement of a typical driver's night at Sunshine.
Clara Mae, you all probably know her. If you've been to East Bay, Sunshine, or any of the other tracks in the county, you've probably bought a 50/50 ticket from her. She is one of Pinellas County's biggest race fans. She travels from track-to-track selling respective 50-50 tickets. She obviously loves selling tickets and watching the brave men battle each lap on the track. But unfortunately, Clara Mae has never been able to enjoy the raw adrenaline rush that all racers, no matter the age, feel on the track. She's been on the track before, in Thrill Rides, but not at Sunshine. And it was, needless to say, much different.
On August 26th, Marsha Moctezuma, Vice President of the S.S.R.A. and wife of Bobby "Zeebo" Moctezuma, won a ride on the Thrill Ride. However, she decided that the Thrill Ride didn't sound like a very good idea that night.
"I was hot, tired, and didn't feel like getting in a fire suit," said Marsha that night. But since Marsha didn't want the ticket, who would get it? Marsha decided that the best person to give the ticket to was Clara Mae.
Clara Mae would go out that night on the track for her Thrill Ride, driven by Billy "the Kid" Mowery. When asked how she felt before actually entering the track in the car, Clara Mae commented, "I felt kind of excited. There was a feeling sitting in the pits waiting to get on the track."
The crowd was cheering unsubmissivly for Clara Mae. "I enjoyed the ride very much. I highly recommend it! I was really disappointed when it was over. I didn't want it to end." Who would??
When she exited the vehicle, everyone, including the S.S.R.A. members who were working, applauded her. It's quite easy to see that not only the drivers are fan favorites at Sunshine!
-Sean Scampton
Related news: Mike Hinegardner's First Win!
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| Charlotte County Honors One of their Own | Punta Gorda, FL - For the second time in a month, the Lee's Auto Repair Road Warrior division raced in honor of one of their fallen comrades, Ron Dushek, Sr. (Fort Myers) who passed away on September 2 of heart attack. Dushek's son, Ron, Jr. who also races in the division filled the outside row with his cousin, Big Al Welling (Cape Coral), and Lil' John Hanuschik (Cape Coral) behind in the second row during the Missing Man Formation tribute to the senior Dushek.
"Tipover" Terry Price (Punta Gorda) took the 29th lap first, followed by David Doherty (Fort Myers) and points leader, Mike Lebeau (Port Charlotte). Ron, Jr. (Lehigh Acres) came out after the white flag was dropped to take the victory lap in honor of his father. Turning his dad's car around, he did a "Polish Victory Lap" in the style of past Winston Cup Champion, Alan Kulwicki.
The entire division donated their winnings to the Dushek family, and drivers passed the helmets during intermission to further assist the family with expenses. Joe Bossey (Englewood) and Wayne Wilson (Fort Myers) were the heat winners.
The third leg of the Budweiser Open-Wheel Modified 6-Pack series took place with Wayne "Rocket Man" Jefferson (Pinellas Park) taking fast time, but it was Butch Yoakam (Pinellas Park) and Bill Davis (Wauchula) who started in the front row for the 50-lap race. Yoakam led with Dwayne Dempsey (St. Petersburg) hot on his tail.
As Dempsey attempted to pass Yoakam halfway through the race, his engine expired bringing out the caution flag and moving Joe Winchell (Davie) into second position. A controversy shortly thereafter caused Tommy Schnader (Largo) to be disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct for hitting the car of Doug Moff (Fort Myers) intentionally while the caution flag was out.
Winchell took the lead on the 40th lap, taking Kevin Williams (Port Charlotte) and Moff with him, while Yoakam went back to fourth. As Winchell took the checkered flag for the win, Williams and Moff finished second and third; Yoakam spun over the finish line to finish fourth and Davis was fifth. Winchell also took a "Polish Victory Lap" in honor of Dushek. After the race was over, John Anderson (Clearwater) was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct after entering another car's pit in an aggressive manner.
Danny Yates (Cape Coral) dominated Big Wheels Mini-Stocks feature race taking the win, after also taking a heat win earlier in the evening. Impresssive rookie driver, Johnny Allen (Lehigh Acres), finished second followed by Billy Ray, Jr. (Port Charlotte) finished third. Frank Welch (North Fort Myers) took the second heat win.
Points Leader Chuck Sweet (Port Charlotte) took an early lead in Clear Channel Pure Stocks feature race but was soon passed by Bill Vandevender (Cape Coral) and Elbert Butts (Arcadia). In his best race in his young racing career Vandevender had a half-straightaway field as Butts held off Sweet to finish second while Vandevender took his second-ever feature win, as well as a heat victory. Vandevender took a "Polish Victory Lap" in Dushek's memory, as well. Sweet also took a heat win.
Trouble began in the Cat Country Limited Late Models before the green flag actually flew as Points Leader Glenn Morris (Bokeelia), Kent McLean (Lehigh Acres) and Stuart Vandevender (Fort Myers) had a racing incident, ending Vandevender's hopes for a second win for the evening in his family. Johnny "Action" Jackson led the way but as the laps wound down Rusty Hillman (North Fort Myers) starting gaining on him until he was right on Jackson's back bumper with ten laps to go in the 50-lap race. Jackson held off Hillman for his first feature win of the year. Smokin' Joe Sumasky (Lehigh Acres) finished a distant third. Johnny "Action" Jackson (Ellenton) and Glen Morris (Bokeelia) took home heat trophies.
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| James Powell III Wins in Florida Pro Series | Ellisville, FL (September 2, 2000) James Powell III, driving Mark Cowherd's familiar #37 A Natural Difference Skin Care Products late model, held off a hard charging Mac Johnson to win the 125 lap Florida Pro Series event at Columbia MotorSports Park Saturday night. Powell became the series only two-time winner of the year having previously won the FPS event at Columbia MotorSports Park in May.
Powell was driving a new Hamke Chassis Chevy Monte Carlo out of the Gilbert Allen Racing stable and it proved to be very good early in the race. "I could turn the wheel and drive wherever I needed to at the beginning of the race" said Powell who was quite pleased with the outcome. "We brought the old car up here in case the new one didn't shake out just right and Friday night the old car was significantly faster. We talked it over after practice and came out here this morning and made some changes to the new car that really paid off. It still didn't practice as good as the old car but we wanted to race the new one so that's what we did."
The race lineup was set according to FPS points due to off and on rain on Saturday. In fact, it was very questionable whether or not the race would be run at all on Saturday night. Bert Ashleman and his Columbia MotorSports Park crew did a good job of getting the track and pit area racable and moved the FPS event up in the schedule to give it a better chance of getting in.
The 'points' lineup put Shane Russ on the pole and Rick Carlton on the outside and left contenders such as Powell, Jimmy Cope, Wayne Anderson, Jon Kay, Shane Sawyer and Mac Johnson back in the pack of 19 starters. Powell moved quickly into third place and took the lead about lap 70.
Meanwhile, Mac Johnson began to work his way through the field and took over the second place spot. Johnson began to put the pressure on Powell, finally getting under him coming off of turn four. Third running Rick Carlton dived to the bottom making it three wide going into turn one. Carlton spun off the bottom of the track bringing out the caution flag which put Powell back in front. On the restart Johnson once again began to dog Powell, looking for an opening but Powell was determined to hold the bottom racing line.
"My car got loose later in the race and I couldn't drive through the corners the way I could earlier. Mac was getting through the corners very well so I had to hold my line and give him the outside" said Powell after the race. "Mac was determined to try to pass underneath and gave me a few shots trying to loosen me up but never tried the outside line. It was his if he wanted to give it a try. That last lap he knocked me sideways coming off turn four but I wasn't going to lose the race on the last lap. I kept my foot in it and beat him to the line."
Officials said the outcome wasn't in doubt but Powell won it by less than a foot. It was definitely the closest Florida Pro Series finish that anyone could remember.
-by Jack Bacon
COMPLETE FINISH OF FLORIDA PRO SERIES 125 Columbia Motorsports Park, Lake City, Fla., showing finishing position, driver and laps completed.
1. James Powell III 125;
2. Mac Johnson 125;
3. Jimmy Cope 125;
4. Wayne Anderson 125;
5. Jonny Kay 125;
6. Rick Carlton 125;
7. Rich Pratt 125;
8. James "Doc" Batson 125;
9. Tom McCann, Jr. 124;
10. Al Beckleheimer, Jr. 123;
11. Jeff Emery 112;
12. Eddie Gainey 105;
13. Tuffy Hester 67;
14. Scott Grossenbacher 53;
15. Shane Sawyer 37;
16. Shane Russ 29;
17. Herb Hoefler23;
18. Roy Crain 21;
19. Todd Kuntze
Current Points:
1 34 Rick Carlton 408 (1)
2 8 Shane Russ 395
3 48 Jonny Kay 391 (1)
4 0 Rich Pratt (R) 390
5 37 James Powell II 341 (2)
6 12 Jeff Emery ((R) 331
7 16 Tom McCann (R) 329
8 3 Todd Kuntze 302
9 09 Scott Grossenbacher (R) 302
10 61 Jimmy Cope 273 (1)
11 88 Travis Kittleson (R) 243
12 93 Rob Partelo 230
13 97 Kent Bissell 218
14 38 Shane Sawyer 209
15 6 Mac Johnson 202
16 4 Doc Batson 185
17 84 Wayne Anderson 178
18 80 Brian Finney (R) 161
19 72 Justin Drawdy 158
20 1 John Sendo (R) 148
( ) Denotes Feature Win
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| Benefit For Shaun Farr Set for East Bay Raceway | 
On July 15th, 18 year-old Shaun Farr, a rising star in the popular Tampa Bay Area Racing Association Winged Sprint Series, was seriously injured in a crash at Florida Speed Park in St Augustine. Shaun was taken to Shands Hospital in Jacksonville, where he fought for his life in the Intensive Care Unit for many weeks. After a stay in another facility near St. Augustine, Shaun was moved to Tampa General Hospital in mid-August, where his recovery continues.
Shaun Farr was raised by his grandparents George and Martha Rudolph. We're told his grandfather has stayed by Shaun's side nearly all the time since the accident. Shaun was the 1999 T.B.A.R.A. Rookie of the year, having run only a few races in 1998. The youngster was having a fine sophomore season in the popular sprint car series, and showed much promise according to observers of the series.
The weekend after the accident, race fans statewide donated many thousands of dollars to the Shaun Farr Trust Fund set-up to help the family deal with the medical bills and ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.
T.B.A.R.A. President Don Rehm has been busy the past two weeks organizing the benefit for Shaun, which will be held September 10th at East Bay Raceway, near Tampa Florida. There is no charge for admission for the event, however there is a $5.00 donation for the planned barbecue.
Besides a car chow, celebrity dunk tank, and other activities the benefit will include a racing memorabilia auction with all proceeds going to The Shaun Farr Trust Fund.
A partial list of items to be auctioned off at the benefit includes:
Four C/O Bilstein Shocks
a top wing
certificate to Jarrett/Favre Driving Adventure valued at $325.00,
Dave Blaney Amoco autographed Wall Clock, Amoco Cap, Pullover jacket
Rusty Wallace Miller Lite race day crew shirt
autographed by team members
Two Complete (shirts & pants) Junior Johnson / Budweiser race day crew uniforms (1984-85) Neil Bonnett # 12 Car 2 tickets for the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Disney World in Orlando
Autographed T-Shirts from Jack Hewitt, Bill Wilburn, 2000 K-ville Nationals, Mark Kinser, Dean Jacobs
Framed Pictures of Vintage Fla. Sprint cars,
Year 2000 Framed Picture of Sprint Cars at Orlando
Autographed Helmet TBARA Drivers & Owners
Diecast cars & trucks of:
Frankie Kerr
Johnny Herrera
Foyt / Conseco
Steve Kinser
Ernie Irvan
Mark Kinser
Jeremy Mayfield
Ted Christopher
Jeff Gordon
Four 18 inch inflatable GOODYEAR Blimps
Three Golf Umbrellas
Three Golf Packets (Balls and towel)
Three-CSX Locomotive models
Two Mag flashlights (big)
Many more items are expected to be added to the auction this coming week.
East Bay Raceway is off Route 41 just south of Tampa on US #41 (Tamiami Trail). Race fans coming from I-75 can take the Apollo Beach exit, then North on 41.
For more information on the event and to donate items for the auction, contact Don Rehm at 813-677-7326. Updates on Shaun's condition and progress can be found on the T.B.A.R.A. web site.
Contributions to the Trust Fund should be made to:
Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union
P.O.BOX 11904
Tampa, FL. 33680-9987
The account number is #4041100
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| Charlotte Racing Community Mourns Loss of Road Warrior | The following press statement was issued by Charlotte County Speedway officials Sunday afternoon:
[Punta Gorda, Florida - Charlotte County Speedway staff and management joins the local stock racing family in mourning the loss of Ron Dushek, Sr. of North Fort Myers who died while racing in the road warrior division of apparent natural causes on September 2, 2000. The racing program at the Speedway was cancelled after paramedics transported Mr. Dushek to Charlotte Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead by doctors. The Charlotte County Medical Examiner's office will perform an autopsy on Mr. Dushek. The emergency room physician who examined Mr. Dushek told family members there was no sign of physical injury or trauma to Mr. Dushek. Mr. Dushek is survived by his wife, Evelyn and four children including his son Ron Dushek, Jr. who was racing in the same division as his father when the incident occurred.]
Also this afternoon the Charlotte County Sheriff's Department Communications Officer confirmed that the cause of death was at this point being considered to be from natural causes unrelated to a racing accident. The Charlotte County Medical Examiner's office will
make their determination Monday or Tuesday of next week.
-KARNAC.com Staff Report
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| HOMETOWN BOY WINS COMEBACK RACE | By Jane Smith
Derrick Kelley, one of the hometown favorites at USA International, won last night over David Pletcher's #51 by a horsehair. Kelley, making his first return appearance in the Hooter's Pro Cup series in four races, came back with a new car number and a determination to win. David Pletcher, racing race by race because of lack of sponsorship, also was determined to show his stuff. Between the two, fans saw one heck of a finish to a race that had 14 cautions in all and two red flags. Hal Goodson sat on the pole with the young Brian Vickers on his outside and Mario Gosselin right on his bumper. The order "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines" was given and Goodson took the lead for the first lap when the first caution came out on lap 2 because of a massive pile-up in turn 2.
The race was then red flagged on lap 4 of the first caution for driver assistance and track clean-up. The race was restarted on lap 8 with Goodson, Vickers, Gosselin and Plemons in the front pack. On lap 11, Vickers took the lead but only for 3 laps when Gosselin took over on lap 14. Gosselin began building a comfortable lead when the second caution flag came out on lap 29 when the #l9 of Don VanDen Brink went around on the backstretch. The race was restarted on lap 33 with Gosselin, Plemons, Vickers, Goodson and Woods in the top five positions. Gosselin kept building his lead leaving the rest of the pack when caution 3 came out on lap 46 for a tangle on the backstretch but all cars were able to continue. The track was checked and the race was restarted on lap 54 when the caution came out on lap 55 for the #84 of Shane Huffman's spin coming out of turn 2.
Racing resumed on lap 61 with Gosselin leading. Lap 67 saw caution #5 for a tangle betweem turns l and 2 with Huffman, Gill and Lindley. The track was once again cleaned and the race resumed on lap 73 until lap 79 when caution 6 came out for Lindley's spin on the backstretch. The race restarted on lap 84 until lap 90 when caution 7 came out for the #79 of Dave Craddock's spin. Lap 95 racing restarted with Gosselin,
Plemons, Goodson, Agnew running up front. Caution 8 came out on lap 125 which gave the drivers their halfway pit stops. During this period, we lost the #9 of Brown, the #78 of McLeod and the leader of the first half of the race, the #16 of Gosselin. This left the #15 of Plemons in the lead with Christian, Puryear, Kelley, and Rector running up front. The race resumed on lap 134 until lap l39 when caution 9 came out for Charlie Ford and the #14 which went into the backstretch pit wall with a little nudge from someone. Once again the track crew cleaned the track and the race resumed on lap 146 with Plemons still leading.
On lap 151, Vickers jumped into the lead, taking it over from Plemons, with Christian, Woods, Kelley and Puryear in hot pursuit. Then on lap l55 Woods jumped into second taking over Christian. Lap 157 sees caution 10 for Billy Morris and Dave Craddock who are in turn 2 wall. Gill is able to race the leader back to the start-finish line and gets one of his 3 laps down back. The race resumes and on lap 165, Woods takes the lead position from his friend, Vickers. On lap 171, Kelley moves into third with Christian and Puryear behind him. Caution 11 comes out on lap l74 when the #77 of Rector goes around in turn 2. Out of the 44 cars that began, only 28 are left at this point. Lap 181 sees the restart and on lap 182 Kelley goes into second with thunder coming from the stands. Lap 185 sees Gill get back his second lap overtaking the leader to do so. Lap 191 it is Woods in the lead, Kelley second, Puryear, Pletcher and Goodson. Lap 196 sees the "Young Gun" of Woods with mechanical problems and the lead goes to Kelley with thunder and glee from the stands. Caution 12 comes out on lap 220 when the #0l of Lindley goes around and the #30 of Mart Nesbitt has a wall visit. During this time the leader of the race, Derrick Kelley, reports to his crew that he does not feel well.
The drivers have been in their cars racing hard now for almost 3 hours. The heat is getting to them so the race is red flagged and all drivers are given water and checked to make sure that they can continue safely. One of the wisest decisions I have seen made in a long time. With drivers refreshed, as much as you can refresh an oven, the race resumes on lap 226. Caution 12 comes out on lap 229 when four cars try to go four wide down the front stretch but can't. Racing resumes lap 231 until the last caution of the race comes out on lap 235 when three cars pile up on the back stretch. The track crew once again does a fine job cleaning up debris and the race resumes on lap 243 with 13 cars left on the lead lap. Kelley maintains the lead but Pletcher puts a hot, hot charge on the leader trying everything he knows and has in his car to get the lead. But, Kelley holds on and wins his comeback race by a HORSEHAIR. And Pletcher showed that he has the right stuff and sponsors should knock on his door soon. A very long race but a very good race and one that the fans won't forget.
by Jane Smith
[correction:Shane Huffman, was not involved in the lap 67 incident with the #5 and the #01]
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