Ocala, Florida, November 29, 1998 – The racing season at Ocala Speedway closed out in a very big way this beautiful Sunday afternoon! One hundred and two cars lined up on the track three-abreast up to battle it out for the grand prize of $20,000 to the winner of the Ocala Speedway 200 lap Turkey Run Enduro. It was clear from the first lap that this was going to be a brutal race. Drivers from all over the Southeast traveled to Ocala Speedway to lay their personal claim to the winner’s purse.

The race started from a dead stop in turn four and cars were lined up back into turn two. The green flag dropped and Toby Gamble, Ivedent Lloyd Jr. and Kathy Ray were leading the charge. Turns one and two were the hot spots to watch as the racing got underway and cars jockeyed for position. Some drivers took to the edge of the infield to get through the traffic jam, but it wasn’t until turn four that the real fun started.

Early in the race, turn four was where several wrecks occurred, and the cars remained there throughout the race. The front stretch also was a place of obstacles. As the race progressed, the infield became littered with cars.

There were no caution flags during this race. The red flag was dropped at least three times to allow stranded drivers to leave their cars and to make a path in the debris on the track. Otherwise, it was a total free-for-all. No serious injuries were reported but there was an abundance of bruises and other assorted body-whacks.

About two-thirds of the way through the race, the officials turned the drivers around and racing continued around the track in the opposite direction. Thirty-four cars had survived the mayhem and carnage up to the turn-around point. Dennis Maples of Leesburg had held the lead for some laps by this time and he lead everyone into the new direction. Holes in the track debris that had been used by drivers while going to the left seemed to disappear when the racing was reversed. Great driving skill was displayed by all as new paths were found through the empty hulls of stranded cars. Two cars stranded in turn four provided the drivers with some quick decision making – should they go left, or should they go right?

When the checkered flag fell it was a very relieved Dennis Maples of Leesburg in his number 1 car. “It was unbelievable”, said Dennis after the race. Rounding out the top ten finishers were James Hagel Sr. of Sebring, Jeff Fortner of Vidalia, Ga., Mike Peavey of Bloomingdale, Ga., Herb Neumann Jr. of Inverness, Mike Pitts of Auburndale, Garry Flynn of Holly Hill, Ted Filides III of St. Petersburg, Terry Lansing of Tarpon Springs and Matt Scheffler of Auburndale. The cars remaining on the track were either towed or driven back to the pits and everyone celebrated a wonderful afternoon of racing and the end of the 1998 season at Ocala Speedway.

This was the final event of the 1998 season at Ocala Speedway. Next season will be starting soon. Ocala Speedweek is scheduled for February 1999, and the 1999 yearly schedule will be available shortly.

Ocala Speedway 1998 Final Points

Steven A. Bagen Late Model
Position Driver Car # Points
1. Kevin Bryant 54 4910
2. Ronald Lentz 96 4786
3. Butch Dees 02 4757
4. David White 6 4140
5. Lester Stewart 42 3762
6. Roger Damron 76 3544
7. Herb Neumann Jr. 98 2879
8. Kelly Charles 1 2512
9. Kevin Durden 56 2361
10. Larry Osteen 22 2142
11. Harold Rankin Jr. 2 1906
12. Floyd Martin 11 1885
13. Duane Sheldon 92 1876
14. Roy Staines 60 1740
15. David Westrich 38 1452
16. David Christopher 0 1252
17. Tom Carter 4 1099
18. Matt McCullough 10 1089
19. Leo McCullough 86 1054
20. Terry Jackson 89 889
21. Ben Giglio 13 854
22. Richard Appleby 69 644
23. Chip Shell 2x 637
24. Eddie Gainey 8 611
25. Josh Hughes 5 597
26. Ray Ledford 02x 595
27. Phillip Rook 97 589
28. Ivedent Lloyd Jr. 58 560
29. Bubba Norton 81 479
30. John West 5 462
31. Charles Hornbeak 67 426
32. Jeremy Fehrenbach 9 413
33. Jeff Campbell 44 323
34. Keith Zarvel 47 317
35. Mike Eubanks 18 311
36. Toby Gamble 12 296
37. Tate Pierce 76x 286
38. Ryan Crane 4x 280
39. Sam Sessa 54x 278
40. Bob Cournoyer 98x 254

Budweiser Modified
Position Driver Car # Points
1. Chuck Burkhalter 30 5638
2. Matt Carroll 21 4838
3. Justin Tilton 10 4602
4. Dr. Loren Thornton N8 4207
5. Chris Tedder 13 3978
6. Shaun Kart 96 3754
7. Rick Brewer 9 3663
8. Tate Pierce 8 2485
9. Frank Polly 34 2397
10. Tom Bailey 24 2101
11. Jeff Bagent 94 1898
12. Rob Akoury 1a 1831
13. Robert Ray 9 1657
14. Kevin Durden 56 1554
15. Sal DeFranco 241 1522
16. Kevin Hoover 28 1446
17. Jamie Tinkham 25 1412
18. E.J. Wise 7 1374
19. Red Vann 32 1221
20. Dennis Maples 6 1173
21. J.W. McNeal 44 1135
22. Patrick Williams 27 1018
23. Danny Pingston 1 850
24. Scott Grossenbacher 33 840
25. Johnnie Newsome 92 829
26. Ed Brown 01 809
27. Brent Jordan 33 787
28. Wes Burton 92 753
29. Mark Hembree 01 739
30. Kelly Lawrence 11 701
31. Dwayne Dempsey 6 680
32. Scott Pruitt 29 675
33. David Reutiman 00 671
34. Jamie Burrows 11b 598
35. Joey Spivey 2 584
36. Barry Willoughby 74 578
37. Bobby Dixon 205 572
38. Rex Williams 88 546
39. Jerry Symons 66 544
40. Billy Mowery 55 528

Bumper to Bumper Hobby Stock
Position Driver Car # Points
1. Alan McCafferty 32 5686
2. Len Owens 04 5488
3. Mike Wilson 79 5264
4. Moose Alderman 55 4922
5. Shane Nichols 65 4872
6. Charles Kopach 91 4484
7. Jim Carpenter 11 4382
8. Brian Hutcheson 66 4034
9. Kathy Ray 63 3922
10. Skynyrd Shettleroe 17X 3817
11. Glenn Baum 23 3432
12. Mike Davis 50 3135
13. Ted Novinger 102 3104
14. Rick Benschoter 57 2424
15. Thadd Cross 45 2420
16. Eddie Kilbury 71 2236
17. Tim Quick 97 2181
18. Thomas Hodge 44 2156
19. Dwight Spradling 26 2147
20. John Smith 2 1918
21. Hank Stewart 30 1880
22. Merv Jackson 18 1855
23. Chris Waldron 58 1616
24. Scott Levesque 113 1392
25. Don Winne 60 1341
26. Carl Wood 02x 1324
27. Estle Morrow 98 1323
28. Steve Peters 483 1139
29. Buck Hedburg 28 1054
30. Steve West 78 1036
31. Mark Rider 16 1023
32. Mike Soares 7x 947
33. Richard Durbin 72 887
34. David Baxley 64 874
35. Chris Naftzger 171 863
36. Keith Roberts 31 842
37. Floyd Martin Jr. 111 840
38. Richard Holland 1 778
39. Steve Revis 3 738
40. Robert Meyer 122 712

Next Day Signs Pure Stock
Position Driver Car # Points
1. Dave Dinehart 79 5017
2. Larry Bowden 77 4835
3. Don Beasock 89 4716
4. John Betts 81 4671
5. Bobby Carter 99 4592
6. David Walls 35 4464
7. Mark Mitchell 71 4052
8. Clare Bower 92 3405
9. Chuck Stewart 8 3276
10. Pete Portera 24 2776
11. Paul Gladin 9 2654
12. James Blackmer 90 2355
13. Neil Matson 47 2350
14. Richard McGlashan 13 2276
15. Glen Adams 11 1769
16. Tom Carter Jr. 112 1758
17. Joe Anaskevich 50 1666
18. Paul Fletcher 94 1431
19. Augie Burttram 58 1328
20. Ron Bews 4x 1184
21. Andy Horne 83 1174
22. Steve Wilkerson 28 1004
23. Doug Bush 88 985
24. Travis Mattson 47 705
25. Margaret Morgan 23 665
26. Tray Isgette 22 653
27. Jack Pate 69 643
28. Jamie Portera 24x 542
29. Dale Rodgers 6 536
30. Billy Pace 65 514
31. Greg Helt 2 435
32. Tim Sharpe 7 431
33. Carlos Thompson 51 397
34. Bill Thomas 63 286
35. David Kidd 03 282
36. Earl Russell 85 276
37. John Krell 111 272
38. Joe Brogan 63 272
39. Frank Roberts Jr. 74 151
40. John Ripley 8 151

Coca-Cola 4-Cylinder Bomber
Position Driver Car # Points
1. Wayne Wallace 31 5033
2. Ashley Cassles 2 4546
3. Bruce Teague 63 4458
4. Don Beasock Jr. 89 3647
5. J.T. Shettleroe 17 3329
6. Pete Close 86 3222
7. Kenneth Watkins 35 3167
8. Chuck Rush 99 3029
9. Todd Jolley 55 2642
10. Leon Anglin 58 2381
11. Steve Spencer 95 2261
12. Tom Posavec Jr. 5 2256
13. Cliff White 19 1922
14. Lissa Needham 4 1694
15. David Castello 6 1567
16. Matt Connelly 007 1462
17. Jeff Hatcher 5 1450
18. David Jones 9 1182
19. Mark Rice 3 1172
20. Adam Neusbaum 36 994
21. Butch Dillon 1 991
22. Chris Byle 3 902
23. Cristy Lee 86 822
24. Al Sanville 24 818
25. Kara White 101 747
26. Don Milam 50 717
27. Wolf Bowers 4 715
28. Gary Cooper 24c 695
29. Shane Helt 20 693
30. Earl Sites 15 624
31. Jamie Coffman 3 606
32. Terry Dunbar 72 578
33. Shane Nichols 12 453
34. Rick Murphree 56 417
35. Sondra Spradling 26 413
36. J.R. Miller 70 318
37. Charlie Schmid 12t 317
38. George Richards 94 308
39. Ernie Williams 2x 288
40. Linda Thurman 1 280

Pro Figure 8
Position Driver Car # Points
1. Robert Ray 63 2432
2. Alan McCafferty 2 2223
3. Len Owens 8 1971
4. Charles Kopach 91 1756
5. Robert Carter 99 1212
6. Ted Novinger 102 921
7. Tom Carter Jr. 112 748
8. Eddie Kilbury 71 731
9. Mike Soares 7X 580
10. Pete Portera 24 575
11. Danyel Isgette 21 505
12. Greg Helt 2x 480
13. Josh Hughes 5 474
14. Larry Isgette 22 435
15. David Chastain 44 314
16. Robert Aarons 98 314
17. Shane Nichols 65 314
18. Thadd Cross 45 311
19. Glenn Waas 59 311
20. Mark Wilkins 8 310
21. Chuck Burkhalter 16 309
22. Ron Bews 4x 308
23. Floyd Martin Jr. 111 308
24. Paul Gladin 9 302
25. Dwight Spradling 26 300
26. Jack Pate 69 296
27. Brian Hutcheson 66 296
28. Phillip Rook 97 295
29. Kathy Ray 9 286
30. Scott Stagg 32 154
31. Margaret Morgan 23 151
32. T.J. Sharrone 59 151
33. Wendell Gill 04 148
34. Glen Adams 11 148
35. Joe Anaskevich 50 145
36. David Walls 35 145
37. Richard Holland 1 145
38. Vince Benvenuto 22 143
39. Cliff White 19 141
40. Tim Quick 97 139