Ocala, FL, February 12, 1999 – Pleasant breezes, cool temperatures and hard running cars made for a perfect evening at Ocala Speedway! The third night of Speedweek 1999 was underway!
Friday night of Speedweek 1999 featured a full race schedule with variety enough for most any race fan.
Coca-Cola 4 Cylinders
Coca-Cola 4 Cylinders hit the track first tonight. Gary Hotalen was in the number 312 on the pole. Cliff White in the 18 car was outside. Jeff Hatcher in the number 5 car is a familiar face here and he made a great showing tonight. He quickly gained the lead and opened up the distance between himself and the rest of the pack. Jeff Hatcher was the winner tonight with Pete Close in the 86 car coming in second. Cliff White in the 18 car was third with Terry Dunbar and Matt Conley taking fourth and fifth.
WTRS Pure Stocks
WTRS Pure Stocks placed a full field on the track tonight. John Mamph in the 94 car held the pole and Richard McGlashen in the 113 car sat beside him. Drivers were hot tonight and showed off their skills to the delight of all. The pack was tight and no cautions fell for the entire 10-lap feature. Positions changed repeatedly with Larry Bowden in the 77 car gaining the lead on lap 5 only to give it up to Mark Mitchell in the 71 car by the next lap. John Betts in the 86 car climbed into third by the seventh lap. Mark Mitchell took the checkered flag with Larry Bowden close behind for second. John Betts claimed third with Richard McGlashen and John Mamph bringing home a close-packed field.
Dave’s Towing Hobby Stocks
Dave’s Towing Hobby Stocks came in full force tonight. Alan McCafferty in the 32 car held the pole with Mike Wilson in the 79 car beside him. Old rivalries returned as McCafferty and Wilson battled for the lead. They pushed to hard in turn 2 on lap 10 and Wilson spun, bringing out the first yellow flag. Both drivers were sent to the rear. Eddie Kilbury had been close behind them in the 71 car and now he found himself leading the pack. Another caution flag flew in lap 11 when number 17 spun in turn 4. A final caution came out, changing to red as Bill Sanders hit the front wall. Eddie Kilbury held onto first and took home the win. Moose Alderman second with David Baxley in third. Mike Davis was fourth and fifth was Shane Nichols.
Dwarf Cars
The Dwarf cars were burning rubber tonight. Speeds were high and the top skills of the drivers were apparent. The entire 20-lap feature was caution free. Greg Rinat in the 27tx car sat the pole to start with Rick Lundeen in the 04 car on the outside. By lap 3, Kelly Rass Jonesborough, TN in the 01 car had pulled into the lead, and he continued to stretch that lead all the way to the checkered flag. Rick Lundeen of Jacksonville pulled in for second with Tom Buckingham of Morristown, IN close behind. Back in fourth was Dan Berry and fifth was Greg Rinat.
Pro 4 Modifieds
The Pro 4 Modifieds kept the track warm as a chill wind blew. Steve Quick in the 1 car started on the pole and J.R. Gorman in the 9vt car sat on the outside. Drivers found positions early on and then they kept up a hot pace. Quick and Gorman kept their starting positions and the rest jockeyed for spots. Dave Hodgkinson held on to third until lap 16 when he slowed drastically and took his car to the pit. The feature was caution free until lap 18 was completed. A yellow flag fell when a car dropped fluid down the front straightaway. Restart came with a green flag and then the white flag. Steve Quick of Hialeah, FL took home the win and J.R. Gorman of Randolph Center, VT claimed second. Back in third it was Cliff Hodgkinson with Carl Cormier and Randy Sands following close behind.
Classic Cars
The Classic Cars roared onto the track. Bill Bollinger in the 2 car had pole position and Russ Myers in the 77x had the outside. These guys were serious tonight! Bollinger and Myers fought for the lead every lap. The cars behind them were close-packed and also fighting hard. A yellow flag flew on lap 6 when a car spun in turn 4. Battle resumed quickly and by lap 8 William Brown II in the 88 car was getting noticed. Another yellow flag came out on lap 15 but the restart was quick and Bollinger still had the lead. As the leaders were coming around turn 4 to the finish, Myers and Bollinger spun together and the caution was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Bollinger was missing a rear tire and had to be towed. Myers went to the rear, leaving Bill Brown II or Mt. Airy, MD to claim the checkered flag. Ed Yates of Orlando came in second, followed by Bill Brown Sr., Jerry Pownall and Josh Freeman.
Action American Trucks
The Action American Trucks were the final feature here at Ocala Speedway tonight. Al Neuman sat the pole to start and Grynawizz held the outside. Grynawizz took the lead quickly and although the battle was hard, he managed to hold on. The feature saw four yellow flag thrown, mostly for debris on the track, and racing was resumed quickly each time. Kenny Phillips was making his presence felt throughout the race and behind him Eddie Meter, Todd Bontrager and Dennis Rockenhus were jockeying for places. Grynawizz took the checkered flag with one of the three trucks entered in this feature by this team. Kenny Phillips of Wakeman, OH was charging hard but he had to settle for second place. Eddie Meter, Todd Bontrager and Dennis Rockenhus brought home the top five places
Saturday night, February 13 at Ocala Speedway will be the last night of Speedweek 1999. A full card of racing with all divisions plus a 100 lap Modified race is on tap to close out a great Speedweek. Don’t miss this exciting event!