Ocala, FL, August 21, 1999 – Don’t plan your activities around the weatherman. The expected rains never appeared and Ocala Speedway was filled with rumbling race cars.
The Coca-Cola 4-Cylinder Bombers presented a full field tonight. Dave Neiswender (69) sat on the inside pole and Neil Durbin (33) sat on the outside. At the start, Pete Close (11) took a commanding lead and Neiswender slipped in behind him. Durbin (33) hung on to third position for a short way, but Terry Dunbar (72) was determined and he took third position by the second lap. The race was caution free and the leaders got their positions early. The rest of the pack was battling and the display of driving skills was great as the positions were established. Pete Close took the checkered flag and Dave Neiswender took second. Terry Dunbar took home third as Brock Oglesby and Neil Durbin filled out the top five finishers.
The WTRS Pure Stocks came out in full force tonight. Todd Jolley (55) sat on the pole and Mark Mitchell (71II) sat on the outside. The first lap proved exciting as a pile-up in turn one brought out a yellow flag. A double-up restart was called. Jolley held his own on the start and was still leading the pack as they passed the stands the first time. Going into turn one, the leaders got three wide and John Betts (81) came out on top to take the lead. Richard McGlashan (113) held on for second and Jolley sat in third. On lap six, Jason Gamble (21) swooped by Jolley and so did John Cook (17). Mitchell and Jolley were battling for fifth position and on lap nine, things got serious as they got physical coming out of turn two. Jolley hit the wall hard and Mitchell ended up facing the wrong way bringing out a yellow flag that turned red. It took some time to get Jolley’s car off the track, but Mitchell was able to resume racing, albeit in the rear. This first yellow allowed Gamble a shot at Betts and McGlashan who had opened up a very strong lead. The restart only counted one lap though before Gamble and McGlashan tangled in turn one bringing out the last yellow of the feature. John Betts took the checkered flag and John Cook earned second. Dave Dinehart took home third and Chuck Stewart took fourth. Larry Bowden came in fifth.
The Dave’s Towing Hobby Stocks had a full field tonight. Mike Wilson (79) had the pole honors, and Charles Kopach (53) sat on the outside. The first lap wasn’t officially finished when the #57 car took a spin in turn four. A double-up restart was called. Wilson jumped to the lead and Glenn Baum (23) slipped in behind him. Kopach sat in third with David Baxley (64) close behind in fourth. On the second lap, Baxley powered by Kopach, opening a hole for Pete Close (08) to move up also. The yellow flag flew on lap three when a car took spun in turn four. The restart was quick and Baxley had his eye on the second position. Baum held off Baxley’s challenges, and after lap seven another caution flag flew. Car #89 spun in the backstretch out of turn two, but he restarted quickly. Everyone held on to their positions for lap eight, but Baxley found a hole on lap nine and took second position from Baum. Baum still had a hot car though and he upped the pressure on Baxley. They ran very close and on lap thirteen things came apart. Baxley was on the outside coming through turn four as Baum came through on the inside. They bumped and Baxley took a nose-dive into the front stretch wall. The yellow flag was thrown and as Baum passed the scene again, Baxley threw his helmet. Shane Nichols thought to champion Baxley and he tangled with Baum during the caution period. Both drivers were black flagged by Wild Child and sent to the pits. In the words of Wolf Bower, the track announcer, “Come to Ocala Speedway to watch the races and see a hockey match break out”. Time was running out and the officials decided to drop the checkered flag while still under caution. Mike Wilson earned the win and Charles Kopach took home second. Glen Adams moved up and took third with Moose Alderman taking fourth. Rick Benschoter took home fifth.
The Budweiser Modifieds filled the track with entries. Rick Hall (15) sat on the inside pole and Red Vann (32) sat outside. Hall took the lead and Gary Southard (39) pulled into second position. Vann settled into third. Hall was under intense pressure from Southard and he finally gave way during lap five. As the leaders were coming through turn one of lap six, they encountered lapped traffic and things got messy as the pack came through turn two. At least five cars were involved and the yellow flag that flew quickly turned red. Did someone mention that there was a demolition derby scheduled for tonight? Scott Grossenbacher (09) was able to drive his car to the pits, but Loren Thornton (N8) and Bob Hughes (13) had to be towed. E.J. Wise (7) was also involved and pitted. The restart had Southard in the lead with Vann close behind. Joey Spivey (2) moved up into third position and Justin Tilton (10) sat in fourth. Chuck Burkhalter (30) who had been trailing the first few laps now found himself in a position to better his place. By lap eight Burkhalter was fourth and by lap twelve, he had gained third. Lap fourteen came under caution when Spivey’s car began smoking and he was black-flagged. The track crew checked the track for oil, but not much clean-up was required so the restart came quickly. Southard ran away with the rest of the feature, leaving Vann and Burkhalter to battle for second. Vann held off the challenges. Gary Southard took the checkered flag with room to spare. Red Vann fought hard and earned second. Chuck Burkhalter took third after giving everything he had. Justin Tilton rolled in fourth with Scott Millar taking fifth.
The Steven A. Bagen Late Models brought out a full field of cars tonight at Ocala Speedway. Roy Staines (60) sat on the pole and Ed Sartori (50) sat on the outside after an inversion was drawn. Staines took the lead and Chuck Burkhalter (30) moved up to second. Herb Neumann (98) was very close behind for third and Roger Damron (76) was pushing his bumper. The pack raced in this very tight formation for seven laps and then a yellow flag flew because the #69 car spun on the front stretch. Burkhalter proved his mettle on the restart by taking the lead from Staines. As Staines was shaking his head trying to figure out what happened, Neumann and Damron also got by. Rich Pratt (0) was making his presence felt, and he put some pressure on Damron and finally got passed him. For several laps, the leaders were again in tight formation, linked like a freight train. After lap nineteen, a yellow flag was thrown when there was a big pile-up in turn four. Did somebody mention that demolition derby again? Staines pitted his car, and so did Steve Dorer (0r). Dorer returned to finish. The next lap came under yellow also when the #9 car slide into the infield coming through turn four. The final start came and Burkhalter was still leading. Neumann was very tough and never let Burkhalter have a spare inch. Pratt was also close in and if the track had allowed the drivers to open the cars wide up, any of the top three could win. The turns require skill and each driver had a full measure of that so places didn’t change. Chuck Burkhalter took the checkered flag with Herb Neumann taking second. Rich Pratt earned third and Roger Damron took fourth. Dave Westrich came in fifth.
As a treat tonight, Ocala Speedway hosted a Pro Figure Eight race. The field was fourteen cars big and the excitement was high. For most figure eights, there are no caution flags, but tonight was the exception. The second lap was just finishing when David Baxley (64), (how did he fix that car after the Hobby Stock feature?!), started into the crossroads and got fully whacked by Hugh Sumlar (18). Baxley landed hard and rolled into the flagpole, giving it good shake on its foundation. The 64 car was a total mess. Sumlar was also out of the race. The cars regrouped and several more laps were run. Mike Soares (the Bear 17) got tangled in the tire inside turn one and #17 stalled in the crossroads. After watching the cars try to get by them and miss the debris on the track, the officials threw a red flag to clear things up before anyone got hurt. The excitement never let up as Shane Nichols (65) and Jason Gamble (21) fought hard for first position. Each had the lead at some point and watching the daredevils come through the crossroads was enough to give many fans a big case of the butterflies. As the feature wound down, Shane Nichols was leading and he took the checkered flag. Jason Gamble took second and Paul Gladin came in third some length back. Kenny Thornton came in fourth and Rick Hart took fifth.
The final feature of the evening was a big crowd pleaser. A $1000 to win Demolition Derby was set and nineteen cars showed up. The action packed event is hard to describe but one move stands out. The “frog car” made a slick move and raced past a car to take aim with a backwards smash. He then drove very fast backwards and landed in a huge pile of cars at mid-track. He took himself out of the feature with that move but it was spectacular. The cars were tough and many held together of some time. A red flag flew though when the 007 car caught fire and the driver had to leap for safety. The whole race was stopped as the fire was quickly contained by the track safety crew. They used a lot of fire extinguishers and the race was held up until a fire truck arrived with a back-up water supply. The burned car was removed and the race resumed with three cars still running. A winner had to be determined and it came down to two cars. These two battled hard in a metal to metal tug-o-war. Finally, the winner was determined and Mark DeWaine driving the black station wagon took home the prize.
Don’t miss any of the Ocala Speedway racing season. Next week, Saturday August 28th, there will be no racing at Ocala Speedway. September 4th there will be full schedule of racing plus the Mini-Cup Nationals and a Radio Celebrity race.
The Coca-Cola 4-Cylinder Bombers presented a full field tonight. Dave Neiswender (69) sat on the inside pole and Neil Durbin (33) sat on the outside. At the start, Pete Close (11) took a commanding lead and Neiswender slipped in behind him. Durbin (33) hung on to third position for a short way, but Terry Dunbar (72) was determined and he took third position by the second lap. The race was caution free and the leaders got their positions early. The rest of the pack was battling and the display of driving skills was great as the positions were established. Pete Close took the checkered flag and Dave Neiswender took second. Terry Dunbar took home third as Brock Oglesby and Neil Durbin filled out the top five finishers.
The WTRS Pure Stocks came out in full force tonight. Todd Jolley (55) sat on the pole and Mark Mitchell (71II) sat on the outside. The first lap proved exciting as a pile-up in turn one brought out a yellow flag. A double-up restart was called. Jolley held his own on the start and was still leading the pack as they passed the stands the first time. Going into turn one, the leaders got three wide and John Betts (81) came out on top to take the lead. Richard McGlashan (113) held on for second and Jolley sat in third. On lap six, Jason Gamble (21) swooped by Jolley and so did John Cook (17). Mitchell and Jolley were battling for fifth position and on lap nine, things got serious as they got physical coming out of turn two. Jolley hit the wall hard and Mitchell ended up facing the wrong way bringing out a yellow flag that turned red. It took some time to get Jolley’s car off the track, but Mitchell was able to resume racing, albeit in the rear. This first yellow allowed Gamble a shot at Betts and McGlashan who had opened up a very strong lead. The restart only counted one lap though before Gamble and McGlashan tangled in turn one bringing out the last yellow of the feature. John Betts took the checkered flag and John Cook earned second. Dave Dinehart took home third and Chuck Stewart took fourth. Larry Bowden came in fifth.
The Dave’s Towing Hobby Stocks had a full field tonight. Mike Wilson (79) had the pole honors, and Charles Kopach (53) sat on the outside. The first lap wasn’t officially finished when the #57 car took a spin in turn four. A double-up restart was called. Wilson jumped to the lead and Glenn Baum (23) slipped in behind him. Kopach sat in third with David Baxley (64) close behind in fourth. On the second lap, Baxley powered by Kopach, opening a hole for Pete Close (08) to move up also. The yellow flag flew on lap three when a car took spun in turn four. The restart was quick and Baxley had his eye on the second position. Baum held off Baxley’s challenges, and after lap seven another caution flag flew. Car #89 spun in the backstretch out of turn two, but he restarted quickly. Everyone held on to their positions for lap eight, but Baxley found a hole on lap nine and took second position from Baum. Baum still had a hot car though and he upped the pressure on Baxley. They ran very close and on lap thirteen things came apart. Baxley was on the outside coming through turn four as Baum came through on the inside. They bumped and Baxley took a nose-dive into the front stretch wall. The yellow flag was thrown and as Baum passed the scene again, Baxley threw his helmet. Shane Nichols thought to champion Baxley and he tangled with Baum during the caution period. Both drivers were black flagged by Wild Child and sent to the pits. In the words of Wolf Bower, the track announcer, “Come to Ocala Speedway to watch the races and see a hockey match break out”. Time was running out and the officials decided to drop the checkered flag while still under caution. Mike Wilson earned the win and Charles Kopach took home second. Glen Adams moved up and took third with Moose Alderman taking fourth. Rick Benschoter took home fifth.
The Budweiser Modifieds filled the track with entries. Rick Hall (15) sat on the inside pole and Red Vann (32) sat outside. Hall took the lead and Gary Southard (39) pulled into second position. Vann settled into third. Hall was under intense pressure from Southard and he finally gave way during lap five. As the leaders were coming through turn one of lap six, they encountered lapped traffic and things got messy as the pack came through turn two. At least five cars were involved and the yellow flag that flew quickly turned red. Did someone mention that there was a demolition derby scheduled for tonight? Scott Grossenbacher (09) was able to drive his car to the pits, but Loren Thornton (N8) and Bob Hughes (13) had to be towed. E.J. Wise (7) was also involved and pitted. The restart had Southard in the lead with Vann close behind. Joey Spivey (2) moved up into third position and Justin Tilton (10) sat in fourth. Chuck Burkhalter (30) who had been trailing the first few laps now found himself in a position to better his place. By lap eight Burkhalter was fourth and by lap twelve, he had gained third. Lap fourteen came under caution when Spivey’s car began smoking and he was black-flagged. The track crew checked the track for oil, but not much clean-up was required so the restart came quickly. Southard ran away with the rest of the feature, leaving Vann and Burkhalter to battle for second. Vann held off the challenges. Gary Southard took the checkered flag with room to spare. Red Vann fought hard and earned second. Chuck Burkhalter took third after giving everything he had. Justin Tilton rolled in fourth with Scott Millar taking fifth.
The Steven A. Bagen Late Models brought out a full field of cars tonight at Ocala Speedway. Roy Staines (60) sat on the pole and Ed Sartori (50) sat on the outside after an inversion was drawn. Staines took the lead and Chuck Burkhalter (30) moved up to second. Herb Neumann (98) was very close behind for third and Roger Damron (76) was pushing his bumper. The pack raced in this very tight formation for seven laps and then a yellow flag flew because the #69 car spun on the front stretch. Burkhalter proved his mettle on the restart by taking the lead from Staines. As Staines was shaking his head trying to figure out what happened, Neumann and Damron also got by. Rich Pratt (0) was making his presence felt, and he put some pressure on Damron and finally got passed him. For several laps, the leaders were again in tight formation, linked like a freight train. After lap nineteen, a yellow flag was thrown when there was a big pile-up in turn four. Did somebody mention that demolition derby again? Staines pitted his car, and so did Steve Dorer (0r). Dorer returned to finish. The next lap came under yellow also when the #9 car slide into the infield coming through turn four. The final start came and Burkhalter was still leading. Neumann was very tough and never let Burkhalter have a spare inch. Pratt was also close in and if the track had allowed the drivers to open the cars wide up, any of the top three could win. The turns require skill and each driver had a full measure of that so places didn’t change. Chuck Burkhalter took the checkered flag with Herb Neumann taking second. Rich Pratt earned third and Roger Damron took fourth. Dave Westrich came in fifth.
As a treat tonight, Ocala Speedway hosted a Pro Figure Eight race. The field was fourteen cars big and the excitement was high. For most figure eights, there are no caution flags, but tonight was the exception. The second lap was just finishing when David Baxley (64), (how did he fix that car after the Hobby Stock feature?!), started into the crossroads and got fully whacked by Hugh Sumlar (18). Baxley landed hard and rolled into the flagpole, giving it good shake on its foundation. The 64 car was a total mess. Sumlar was also out of the race. The cars regrouped and several more laps were run. Mike Soares (the Bear 17) got tangled in the tire inside turn one and #17 stalled in the crossroads. After watching the cars try to get by them and miss the debris on the track, the officials threw a red flag to clear things up before anyone got hurt. The excitement never let up as Shane Nichols (65) and Jason Gamble (21) fought hard for first position. Each had the lead at some point and watching the daredevils come through the crossroads was enough to give many fans a big case of the butterflies. As the feature wound down, Shane Nichols was leading and he took the checkered flag. Jason Gamble took second and Paul Gladin came in third some length back. Kenny Thornton came in fourth and Rick Hart took fifth.
The final feature of the evening was a big crowd pleaser. A $1000 to win Demolition Derby was set and nineteen cars showed up. The action packed event is hard to describe but one move stands out. The “frog car” made a slick move and raced past a car to take aim with a backwards smash. He then drove very fast backwards and landed in a huge pile of cars at mid-track. He took himself out of the feature with that move but it was spectacular. The cars were tough and many held together of some time. A red flag flew though when the 007 car caught fire and the driver had to leap for safety. The whole race was stopped as the fire was quickly contained by the track safety crew. They used a lot of fire extinguishers and the race was held up until a fire truck arrived with a back-up water supply. The burned car was removed and the race resumed with three cars still running. A winner had to be determined and it came down to two cars. These two battled hard in a metal to metal tug-o-war. Finally, the winner was determined and Mark DeWaine driving the black station wagon took home the prize.
Don’t miss any of the Ocala Speedway racing season. Next week, Saturday August 28th, there will be no racing at Ocala Speedway. September 4th there will be full schedule of racing plus the Mini-Cup Nationals and a Radio Celebrity race.