Ocala, FL, April 1st, 2000 – Ocala Speedway was jammed with spectators. A special wheelchair race was held with the WTRS Sunshine Boys competing for the March of Dimes.
The Junior Cup Cars raced during halftime. A new car joined the ranks of the regulars tonight. Confusion set in when the new driver realized he didn’t know where to go. In the end, Connor Baxley, driving the 64 car, won the checkered flag. Mariah Berry finished second and the new guy will try again next week. More drivers are scheduled to join in the fun as this new division grows.
The Coca-Cola 4-Cylinder Bombers filled their card. Rick Fort (2) had the pole and Robert Oxendine (7) sat on the outside.The first start was yellow flagged when the 9v car spun on the backstretch. A double up restart followed and Oxendine jumped out front. Oxendine held his lead throughout the feature although he was pushed early on by Bobby Valeo (8) and then Jeff Oglesby (88x). Chauna Johnston (43) looked strong in third position for most of the feature. A yellow flag stopped the race just as the last lap was starting. With the green/white flag flying, Robert Oxendine took the checkered flag. Jeff Oglesby came in second and Chauna Johnston finished third. Devin Hughes and Rick Fort filled out the top five.
The WTRS Pure Stocks were out in force. Dave Dinehart (79) sat on the pole and Moose Alderman (7) sat on the outside. Alderman jumped hard and took the lead. Dinehart settled into second and Richard McGlashan (113) slipped into third. Within three laps, Edward England (00) had moved up into fourth and John Betts (81) gained fifth. The feature was clean but the excitement was high as the top three were always close and fighting hard. Moose Alderman won out and took the checkered flag. Dave Dinehart finished second and Richard McGlashan took third. Edward England and John Betts brought home fourth and fifth.
The Dave’s Towing Street Stocks were out for battle in large numbers. Tom Posavec (01) sat on the pole and Dave Baxley (64) sat on the outside. Posavec started well but Baxley was hot tonight and Baxley took the lead early. Mike Wilson (79) was running well in second and Eddie Kilbury (71) drove third. This feature was free of yellow flags and went very quickly. On lap nine, Kilbury was able to find the hole in Wilson’s armor and take second position. Dave Baxley took the checkered flag running away. Eddie Kilbury earned second place and Mike Wilson took third. Shane Nichols and Tom Posavec finished fourth and fifth.
The Mini Cup Cars packed the track tonight at Ocala Speedway. These little cars are great fun to watch. A yellow flag flew after the eighth lap when a car spun through turn two. Doug Smith took the lead on the fourteenth lap and finished out front.
The Budweiser Modifieds came next on the card. Red Vann (32) sat on the pole and Gary Sexton (41) sat on the outside. Vann was well on his way to the win but a yellow flag flew after the fourth lap when Johnny Newsome (31) spun on the backstretch. Red Vann regained his lead and raced to the wire. Gary Sexton finished second and Alan McCafferty came in third. Scott Grossenbacher and Raymond Vann filled out the top five.
The Steven A. Bagen Late Models roared from the pits. Butch Dees (20) sat on the pole and Roger Damron (76) sat on the outside. Dees took the early lead, but the race was slowed by a yellow flag as lap two was getting started. Augie Burtram (58) spun through turn one. Dees regained his lead but he only held it for two more laps. Damron slipped by and as he did, Kevin Bryant (54) also slipped past Dees. One more yellow flag flew when Thadd Cross (45) coasted to a stop in turn one and had to be pushed off the track. Roger Damron held on to take the checkered flag. Kevin Bryant came in second and Butch Dees finished third. Augie Burtram worked his way back into fourth and Ronald Lentz finished fifth.
The Outlaw Winged Sprints were in town tonight. Dave Pletcher (75) sat on the pole and Bobby Rose (56) sat on the outside. The first lap wasn’t completed when Shane Butler (18) crashed into the backstretch wall and flipped upside down. He was ok and his car was righted and pushed to the infield. A double-up restart was called. Again, a yellow flag was thrown when Kipp Beard (91) smacked the wall in turn three. Again, a double-up restart was called. This time when the yellow flag flew, it wasn’t for an accident, but because the start was bad. The next start went without a hitch with Rose in the lead. On lap five, Bo Hartley (3x) grabbed his chance and took the point. Positions were shifting continuously behind the leader, but the racing was quick until after the thirteenth lap when the final yellow flag was thrown. This time, Stan Butler (91) found himself in the wall of turn three. Hartley maintained his lead but Dude Teate (0) was on a serious tear, working his way up through the ranks. Teate managed to take the point on lap twenty one. Keith Butler (19) was also moving up, and he got by Hartley two laps later. Dude Teate took the checkered flag. Keith Butler finished second and Jim Childers finished third. Bo Hartley came in fourth and Wayne Reutimann took fifth.
The Ocala Speedway 2000 season continues with weekly racing. April 8th, will feature a full regular program with the Pro Figure Eights and the Dwarf Cars as guests. Another special event for this night is the $500 to win Lawnmower Race. Come out every Saturday night during the regular season for the many exciting features. This is high-action racing fun for the whole family.