Ocala Speedway ended its regular racing season in grand fashion Friday night, November 21st with the 2003 awards Banquet at the Yankees Ramada Banquet Hall in Ocala. Trophies were awarded to the top drivers in each division with plenty of cash handed out as well.

By Dave Westerman After a full season of ASA racing

by Dave Westerman Perfect Fall weather greeted a large crowd

Ocala Speedway closed out its 51st regular season of racing in style on a Halloween Friday night which included trick-or-treat for the kids going car to car during intermission and a surprising end to the second half points championship in the Steven A. Bagen Super Late Models.

The final points night for the WIND-FM Classic Rock Modifieds turned out to be extremely interesting Friday night at Ocala Speedway as Raymond Vann finally put it all together for his first win of the season and one of the Gerstner brothers walked off with the second-half points championship, just not the one everyone was expecting to win it.

Scott Grossenbacher of nearby San Antonio, making just his third regular season start of the year, slipped by an opening lap crash that ultimately claimed the top three cars in points and sped to his first Steven A. Bagen Super Late Model win at Ocala Speedway Friday night.

Bartow’s Tommy King was perfect in FASTRUCK competition Friday night at Ocala Speedway although his Ford Truck looked less than perfect as it sat in victory lane following one of the wildest finishes ever seen here.

It was a night for Ocala Speedway’s Four Cylinder Stock drivers to have a chance at some big money, and in the end it was Justin Durbin finding his way to victory lane and a prize of $1,000 in a class that normally pays $100 to win on a regular Friday night.

Great weather and a great field of cars welcomed fans to Ocala Speedway Friday night with the main attraction being the 50-lap, $1,000 to win J.R. Wilbanks Memorial for the K-Country 93.7 FM Street Stocks. Rookie Street Stock driver A.J. Schreier surprised everyone by setting fast time at 17.807 seconds followed by Mike Wilson’s 17.820and the 17.841 of “Speedy” Pete Close, Jr.

Jacksonville’s Johnny Collins and local favorite Rich Pratt were among the big winners as Ocala Speedway wrapped up a big two-day show that saw plenty of action and excitement for the fans who packed the track both nights. The National Late Model Series dirt-track Late Models were back at Ocala Speedway racing “topless” and were blistering the track in their qualifying efforts Friday evening.