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 |