2025 Season Opener

Race Results Review – March 15, 2025 | Ocala Speedway

Ocala Speedway’s 2025 season roared to life with a thrilling opener that delivered on all fronts—tight competition, standout performances, and plenty of surprises across every division.

Late Models: Lloyd Sets the Bar Early

Local favorite Ivedent Lloyd dominated the Late Model field with a near-perfect performance. Fastest in hot laps (16.911 sec), Lloyd rocketed from his pole position to claim the feature win, fending off hard-charging Christian Augspurger and Kevin Strife. With sharp lap times and clean execution, Lloyd sent a clear message: he’s the one to beat this season.

Open-Wheel Modifieds: Geary’s Grit Prevails

Seth Geary impressed by backing up a heat win with a strong feature performance. Starting P2, Geary made smooth, decisive moves and held off Jason Garver, who climbed from P11 to finish a close second. Despite Wade Olmsted clocking a blistering hot lap of 15.240 seconds—the fastest of the night—he couldn’t convert that pace into a podium. Consistency trumped raw speed here, and Geary was clinical.

3/4 Modifieds: Hopke’s Clean Sweep

There was no touching Dalton Hopke in the 3/4 Modifieds. He swept both heats and then dominated the feature with the fastest lap of the race. His car looked dialed in from the first lap of hot laps through to the checkered flag. Behind him, Paul Shead and Ethyn Hwan put in strong runs, but it was clear Hopke was in a league of his own.

Gladiators: Quiet Class, Strong Finish

Though light on prelim data, the Gladiator feature didn’t disappoint. Wayne Kissam took home the win after a clean and well-managed drive, with Favian Hunter and Nathan Rhoades rounding out the podium. This class showed solid driving fundamentals, even if it lacked the drama of some other races.

Crown Vic: Avis Overcomes the Odds

The Crown Vic division saw Jnathan Avis rise from a third-place starting spot to take the win. He posted the fastest feature lap in the class and looked comfortable throughout. Dakota Weiss, who led in the heats, settled for second in the main, followed by James Erickson in third. For a class known for surprises and wildcards, this race was relatively clean but entertaining.
Overall Takeaway

The 2025 season at Ocala Speedway is off to a competitive and exciting start. Veterans like Lloyd and Hopke proved they’re still elite, while younger drivers like Geary showed they’re ready to challenge the old guard. Lap times were tight, heats were well-contested, and the features delivered exciting finishes.

If this opener is any indication, race fans are in for a high-stakes, high-speed season at Florida’s oldest dirt track.

Late Model A‑Feature (20 laps)

Finish Start # Driver Hometown
1 1 721 Ivedent Lloyd Ocala, FL
2 4 35 Christian Augspurger West Palm Beach, FL
3 8 25 Noah Carpenter Spring Hill, FL
4 10 23K Korbin Minchew Pierson, FL
5 5 24 Jimmy Morey Ft. McCoy, FL
6 16 6S Colin Strife Zephyrhills, FL
7 19 51X Harley Hughes Silver Springs, FL
8 11 23L Lawton Minchew Pierson, FL
9 14 4 Billy Boyd Jr. Riverview, FL
10 7 19 Waylon Haynes Dover, FL
11 2 46 Kevin Strife Zephyrhills, FL
12 15 36H James Haynes Dover, FL
13 17 3 Cale Gilbert Ocala, FL
14 18 0 Billy Boyd Sr. Riverview, FL
15 13 12D Tim Dowling Turkey Creek, FL
16 9 07 David Clegg Bunnell, FL
17 3 02 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL
18 12 102 Jason Pope Plant City, FL
DNS 6 74 Jason Garver Starke, FL

Open‑Wheel Modifieds A‑Feature (8 laps)

Finish Start # Driver Hometown
1 2 7G Seth Geary Gibsonton, FL
2 11 27 Jason Garver Starke, FL
3 1 25 Greg Belyea Stirling, ON
4 14 99 Wade Olmsted DeLeon Springs, FL
5 8 61 Ronnie Soltis Ocala, FL
6 4 5 Jarrett Hughes Keystone Heights, FL
7 7 75 Ronnie Chance St. Augustine, FL
8 6 69 Brodie Bernhardt Clearwater, FL
9 12 49 Randy Shields Seffner, FL
10 3 47 Billy Howard Apollo Beach, FL
DNS 5 33 Bryan Bernhardt Clearwater, FL
DNS 9 39 Rob Giffen Ocala, FL
DNS 10 5D Jerome Dippel Ocala, FL
DNS 13 11Z Zane Oedewaldt Eustis, FL

3/4 Modifieds A‑Feature (15 laps)

Finish Start # Driver Hometown
1 1 H1 Dalton Hopke Jacksonville, FL
2 3 859 Paul Shead Deland, FL
3 2 57 Ethyn Hwan Deland, FL
4 5 5 Chase Cooke Orlando, FL
5 6 9 Logan Malone Palm Coast, FL
6 7 29 Nathyn Hwan Deland, FL
7 4 188 Josh Panetti DeLand, FL
8 8 21 Dakota Cleland Rincon, GA
9 12 41B Bo Bass Eustis, FL
10 10 45 James Williams The Villages, FL
DNS 9 55 Robert Brynteson Daytona Beach, FL
DNS 11 59 William Inabnett Pierson, FL

Gladiators A‑Feature (15 laps)

Finish Start # Driver Hometown
1 4 07 Wayne Kissam Wimauma, FL
2 8 06 Favian Hunter Lake City, FL
3 6 88 Nathan Rhoades Pierson, FL

Crown Vic A‑Feature (15 laps)

Finish Start # Driver Hometown
1 3 26 Jnathan Avis Beverly Hills, FL
2 1 134 Dakota Weiss Brooksville, FL
3 4 66 James Erickson Citra, FL
4 7 5 James Warden Ocala, FL
5 17 71 Austin Dunham Seminole, FL
6 16 34 Michael Gabel Dunnellon, FL
7 14 09 Breydon Roberts Bronson, FL
8 11 14 Billy Marlin Ocala, FL
9 18 56L Eric Laurange Satsuma, FL
10 15 43 Jackson Fowler Sr. Brunson, FL
11 12 08 Willie Edge St. Augustine, FL
DNS 9 35 Chris Yeomans Altoona, FL

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