OCALA, FL; March 17, 2001 – Ocala Speedway was showing off its green tonight. The St. Patrick’s day crowd was fired up and displaying a definite good cheer. Kid favorites were the “kiddie rides” that were held during the half-time break.
The Junior Cup Cars were first to race. The little guys put on a great show! A few tangles, a yellow flag, some confusion about how to restart, and the first heat ended with Victoria Gentry (60) taking the checkered flag. The race started with Gentry on the pole. Conner Baxley (64) drove a great race to take the lead and the checkered flag. Tyler Holley finished second followed by Victoria Gentry.
The Coca-Cola Four Cylinder Bombers filled the track. After three heats, Pete Close (89) sat on the pole. Close jumped well and took the lead followed by Brock Oglesby (88). These two raced ahead for a couple of laps until Kris Richardson (11) powered up to take the lead from Close. Richardson opened up his lead by a wide margin and got to the wire first. Pete Close finished second followed by Joey Durbin. Bobby Valeo and Joel Eckman finished fourth and fifth.
The WTRS Pure Stocks were fired up for their 35-lap feature. Michael Perry (66) sat on the pole, but he soon gave way to Frank Buchanan (07) who took the lead and held it for some time. Behind Buchanan, Roger Brass (81), Joel Watkins (08) and Moose Alderman were battling hard for position. Buchanan was pushing hard, but then his car appeared to lose power and he slipped back in the pack. Brass took the lead, and Watkins and Alderman were close behind.
The lead changed hands several times as Watkins and Brass fought. Even Watkins and Alderman changed places. Only after a couple of yellows and with just a few laps to go, Watkins and Brass bumped hard in turn one, and Watkins took the lead. Alderman dove through the hole under Brass and took second. Joel Watkins raced to the wire to take the checkered flag. Moose Alderman kept up and took second. Roger Brass held on to take third, followed by Richard McGlashen and Edward England.
The Steven A. Bagen Sportsmen swept out onto the track. Tommy Roberts (44) sat on the pole. Everyone jumped well, but the first lap was not completed before cars got loose in turn four and a full restart was called. Again the start was fast and Roberts claimed the lead. The top drivers behind Roberts were Glenn Baum (23) and Bob Masciarelli (72). Soon Baum claimed the lead, but a couple of laps later, Roberts was out front again. In turn four, things got really tight and with Baum just nose ahead, all three cars bumped and Roberts got loose and spun. Baum, Roberts and Masciarelli went to the rear. This put Mike Wilson (79) in the lead with Charles Kopach (53) in second for the restart. The three in the rear battled hard and each was making headway until a car spun in turn four to bring out another yellow flag. Wilson set a fast pace as Masciarelli and Roberts worked their way back up through the pack. Mike Wilson took the checkered flag, followed closely by Charles Kopach and Tom Posavec.
The Budweiser Modifieds filled the track tonight. Bob Hughes (13) sat on the pole. The first start was bad, so a restart was called. But, this also went bad when one car hit the front stretch wall really hard. A single file restart was called with Hughes leading the way. This was just not the night for Modifieds as the leaders were all caught in a jam as soon as the green flag fell. Johnnie Newsome (31) took some damage and went to the rear with Morgan (46), but Shane Nichols (65) was out for the evening. Hughes retained his pole position and kept the lead for one lap. Michael Jenkins (2) then claimed the point. Two cars spun in turn four again bringing out yet another caution and only two laps completed. Finally, racing began in earnest and Red Vann (32) began to move quickly through the pack from his starting position near the rear.
Another caution though when cars tangled on the front stretch and John Clair took a hard hit in the side. He was not damaged enough to quit, so he restarted in the rear. Soon, Raymond Vann (99) was able to take the point and Red Vann followed close in second. Just when things looked like they were settling in, four cars were fouled on the backstretch where Eddie Kilbury (71) hit the wall. Time was running out, and only seven cars were left to run the race. Raymond Vann led the pack, holding Red back to take the checkered flag. Red Vann finished second just a nose behind, and John Clair finished third.
The Ocala Speedway 2001 season will continue with weekly racing. Next week, March 23rd and 24th, will be a special weekend. There will be back-to-back action both nights, and the Monster Trucks will be in town. Come out every Saturday night during the regular season for the many exciting features. This is high-action racing fun for the whole family.