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SOUTHERN
SHORT TRACK RACING NEWS
| IVEDENT LLOYD HEATS UP HENDRY COUNTY |
By Rick Anges
Clewiston, Fl. On a tough weather weekend the sun came
out on Hendry County Speedway for the running of the
second annual Ponce DeLeon Classic. The Homes of Merit
United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series were on hand
for the second race of the season. The $5,000 to win
$250 to start drew over forty cars to compete for the
28-car fifty-lap feature.
Plenty of media coverage for the race, including
“Bubba the Love Sponge” from 102.5 The Bone in Tampa
brought out a good crowd of fans. Bubba had a rough
time of it in his heat race and was unable to make the
feature but still had a good showing. For the second
time in a row the race was broadcast “Live” over the
Internet by Real Racin’USA (realracinusa.com)
Six heat races set the top eighteen for the fifty-lap
feature. The racing in the heats was just a taste of
the wild racing that would come later in the evening.
One of the best races of the evening as Mark Whitner
and Jeff Matthews battled for the third transfer spot
with Whitner taking it by a bumper at the stripe.
Transfers from heats:
HEAT-1.Ryan Mitchell, Bobby Alexander, Ted Erskine
HEAT-2.Josh Peacock, Bill Howard, Brian Bernhardt
HEAT-3.Shan Smith, Adam Bedenbaugh, Tommy Evanoski Jr.
HEAT-4.Ivedent Lloyd, Keith Nosbisch, Jeff Choquette
HEAT-5.Johnny Collins, Jeff Conyers, Roger Crouse
HEAT-6.Wallace Peacock, Shane Williams, Mark Whitner
Two B-Mains were needed to fill the next six spots.
Marshall Austin won the first of the B-Mains but a
flat during the feature would leave him with a
nineteenth place finish. Kent Corbin, the winner in
the second B-Main faired better as he was able to
finish in the tenth spot in the feature.
Transfers from B-Mains:
B-Main 1-Marshall Austin, Jeff Matthews, Kevin Mills
B-Main 2-Kent Corbin, Johnny Allen, Evan Becton
The 28 cars lined the entire front stretch and into
turn four. The heat winners were are given the
challenge of going to the rear of the field and if
they were to win would get an extra $1,500 making the
winners share a cool $6,500. Although it was tempting
to several none accepted.
As always the heat winners drew pills to determine
their inversion. Josh Peacock drew the number one pill
with 2007 National Late Model Champion Johnny Collins
pulling the outside front row pill. Ryan Mitchell and
Wallace Peacock would make up row two with defending
Ponce DeLeon Classic Champ Shawn Smith and “The
Professor” Ivedent Lloyd.
The first of many yellows came out before lap one
could be completed. Just like the first lap at Ocala
in almost the same spot, Wallace Peacock would get out
shape going into turn four causing everyone behind him
to take evasive action. Shawn Smith and Ryan Mitchell
would be just two of the cars that went around. A
complete restart put everyone in their original
starting spots.
Johnny Collins took the early lead with Josh Peacock
right on his back bumper. The racing behind was two
and three cars wide on the little bullring of Hendry
County. Collins looked like he would be the man to
beat but after an extended caution period with just
four laps in the books Collins looped it in turn two
collecting Wallace Peacock. Both cars exited the
speedway after getting back under way.
Ryan Mitchell would assume the lead after Collins
exit. Josh Peacock would move up to second followed by
Shan Smith, Ivedent Lloyd, and Keith Nosbisch in the
top five. Local favorite Jeff Choquette would exit the
speedway on lap nine. Choquette had contact with the
front stretch wall earlier in the race.
Ryan Mitchell and Josh Peacock would put a show on for
the fans as the duo battled for the lead. Eventually
Mitchell would check out and expand his lead until a
caution bunched the field back up. On the restart
Mitchell would bobble coming out of two allowing
Peacock to get by, but a yellow before the leaders got
back to the line would nix the pass. Lloyd would
eventually get by Peacock for second, but by this time
Mitchell had extended his lead to a full straightaway
lead.
A yellow would bunch the field and on the restart
Lloyd would put the pressure on Mitchell for the lead
but would be able to start once again extending his
lead. Then, out of turn four Mitchell would go around
bringing out the yellow. Mitchell would be sent to the
rear of the field. With that the lead would go Ivedent
Lloyd with nineteen laps to go.
Peacock would challenge Lloyd for the top spot be
Lloyd would show everyone why they call him “The
Professor” as adapted to the drying surface and roar
to the win. “I knew the Peacock and Smith were on
American Racers and if I waited the Hoosiers would
come in and they did,” said Lloyd in the winner’s
circle.
Following Lloyd, Peacock took the second spot, third
was Shan Smith, fourth went to Jeff Conyers and fifth
Roger Crouse.
The next race for the United Dirt Late Model Challenge
Series will be April 5th at EastBay Raceway Park
www.uniteddirtlatemodels.com
Finishing Order:
 1 - 21 Ivedent Lloyd Jr.
2 - 21 Josh Peacock
3 - 17ss Shan Smith
4 - 42 Jeff Conyers
5 - 32 Roger Crouse
6 - 48 Bill Howard
7 - 12 Jackie Nosbisch
8 - 10 Johnny Allen
9 - B69 Brian Bernhardt
10 - 7c Kent Corbin
11 - 97 Justin Choquette
12 - xxx1 Shane Williams
13 - 7w Mark Whitener
14 - 00 Billy Costello
15 - 15 Evan Becton
16 - 5m Ryan Mitchell
17 - 33 Jeff Mathews
18 - 0 Bobby Alexander Jr
19 - 42 Marshal Austin
20 - 45 Michael Cherry
21 - 26E Tommy Evenosky Jr
22 - 26B Adam Bendenbaugh
23 - 101 Keith Nosbisch
24 - 01 Kevin Mills
25 - P1 Wallace Peacock
26 - 70 Jeff Choquette
27 - 5c Johnny Collins
28 - 444 Ted Erskine
Rick Anges
Real Racin' USA
"Racing Talk Radio the way it's meant to be....."
Tuesday Nights 7-9 pm
Only on the Real Racin'USA Internet Networks
www.realracinusa.com
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