Lee Scrape Wins Rain Delayed FSCA Season Opener at Albany!!

[FSCAGal]

By: Tera Gunter
4-19-08

With the April 5th season opener at Volusia washed out by Mother Nature, Florida Sprint Car Association racers were highly anticipating the race at Albany to open the 2008 season. Fifteen racers showed up but with mechanical difficulties besetting the Pickett brothers, 13 started the feature race.

Tommy Denton showed his mettle in the first heat race, leaping to the lead on lap 2. Dan and Larry Pickett exited the heat race with ride issues, and after a restart, Denton took the checkered flag with a wide margin 8 laps later. In the 2nd heat race, Lee Scrape and Barry McCance entertained with side by side racing before McCance found himself in the turn 1 wall. Brett Cole quickly moved up to challenge Scrape and after a caution on lap 5 for Otto Scrape, Lee exited the track. Cole took the checkered flag in the heat race and the stage was set for the feature.

Mike McCance took the initial lead in an action packed feature before a caution found McCance at the rear of the field and Gene Machuga in the lead. Barry McCance snatched the lead from Machuga as a hard charging Lee Scrape flew up to challenge Barry McCance for the lead. After a caution for an incident out of turn 1 involving Machuga, Scott Anderson, and Al Kaluzniak, Anderson was towed off and Barry McCance once again fended off challenges from Scrape with Denton and Cole hot on Scrape’s heels. Scrape used turn 4 to his advantage 2 laps later to snatch the lead from McCance bringing Denton with him. Cole passed McCance on the back stretch and the remainder of the race became a battle of wits between Scrape, Denton, and Cole.

Scrape held on to his lead with Denton closing in multiple times. Cole placed pressure on Denton and the race leaders gained ground over the field, navigating through the lapped sprinters. Denton continued to pressure Scrape while fending off challenges from Cole until Denton did a 360 on the backstretch coming out of turn 2 giving Scrape a few seconds of breathing room. Denton skillfully pulled himself out of the spin but it cost him as Cole took up the 2nd position. A restart after a caution tightened the field back up and Cole used the restart to his advantage by snagging the lead from Scrape on the backstretch. Cole, Scrape, and Denton provided edge of the seat action to the fans as they dueled for the lead. Scrape once again used turn 4 to his advantage as he overcame Cole on lap 22 and Denton pushed past Cole on the backstretch of lap 23. Three laps later, a jubilant Lee Scrape took the checkered with Denton, Cole, Barry McCance, and Otto Scrape rounding out the top five.

The FSCA will be back in action on May 3rd at the fast ½ mile Volusia Speedway Park. For more information and results, visit www.racefsca.com.