Written by Ocala Speedway Media

OCALA, FL-  After a few weeks off to rest and allow nature to rain itself out, race fans returned to Florida’s oldest speedway and witnessed 95 cars in four divisions challenge the toughest 3/8ths mile in the southeast.  The Colortyme Modifieds headlined the night with a $1000 to win race that featured a $500 bounty on Jeff Mathews, who has won all but one race in that division in 2010 at Ocala Speedway.  Plus the Amsoil V8 Thunder Stocks, the Mini Stocks, and the Gladiators, were all racing for double points on the night, which made those races doubly important as the 2010 racing season moves into fall and an eventual end.

Ocala Speedway owner Mike Peters has taken note that Jeff Mathews has been less than cooperative about sharing celebration time in Ocala’s victory lane, so with the Colortyme Modifieds lining up for a scheduled $1000 to win race, he added a $500 incentive for someone else to step up and pose for pictures while holding a checkered flag.  That incentive was enough to attract over 30 top modifieds to Ocala, plus prompt some late model heavy hitters to borrow modifieds and get a piece of the action.  Even the area legend, Buzzy Reutimann, could not resist the temptation to come to Ocala and get involved in what could be a $1500 payoff.

Dale Murray held the pole position for the start, but a tangle in turn four on the first lap involved several machines and sent Murray to the pits, which moved Jeff Mathews to the pole position for the second try at getting underway.  But the bounty on Mathews was an excellent motivator, as “The Locomotive” Johnny Collins blasted his way out front along with Kyle Bronson.  And as Mathews tried to reign in those two hot shots, he was forced to contend with a hungry pack of wolves salivating at his back bumper, including Buzzy Reutimann and Jamie Carter.

Ocala Speedway has earned the moniker of the toughest 3/8ths mile in the southeast for a reason, and that reason was more than evident on Friday night.  While the racers were more aggressive thanks to Mike Peters’ $500 bounty on Mathews and the $1000 winner’s check, the track was equally unsportsmanlike to the racers and many wound up leaving on a hook.  Gary Sexton got the worst of it during a spectacular backstretch tangle that rolled his machine against the wall and red flagged the race.  Sexton would walk away to race another day, but his relatively new car will need some serious rehab.  Attrition spread throughout the field, and in the end even Jeff Mathews would fall victim to the rugged racing and fail to finish, which nullified the $500 bounty offer.

Kyle Bronson was the toughest of the tough, not only surviving the race but finishing in front of everyone else for the $1000 win, while Jamie Carter also survived a tough outing, but came home in second place behind Bronson.  Third place went to Wayne Hammond, who was still running strong with one side of his machine totally ripped away, and who had to fight his way from the rear of the field to the top three.  Mark Whitener claimed the fourth spot, and Buzzy Reutimann finished fifth.

The Amsoil V8 Thunder Stocks have run tough races all season, and Michael Stalnaker has had his ups and downs through it all.  But as the season begins to wind down Stalnaker has returned to top form, and found himself in a heated battle for the top spot in Friday’s feature with David Kinsey.  Their tussle was the highlight of another rugged race that saw as many cars drop out as finished, and that featured the night’s other spectacular crash.