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MIKE SMITH TOPS 35-LAP SPORTSMAN RACE AT ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD
It was Family Night at Orlando SpeedWorld Friday and a nice crowd got to see
some really good racing action from start to finish.
The headline event of the evening was a 35-lap, $750 to win Sportsman race
that attracted a nice field of 16 cars. Unfortunately, three would not make
the feature race start beginning with Jason Foster who broke in warm-ups.
Noah Cornman also had problems with his car during practice and he was unable
to fire up for his heat race while Dale Clouser, a name that had not be seen
in action here in some time, fell out of his heat race and did not start the
feature.
Mulberry's Brandon Morris and Orlando veteran Andy Nichols split the pair of
heat race victories and started on the front row for the nightcap. Morris
moved to the early lead but had Mike Smith right on his bumper. The pair
raced nose-to-tail until the first caution flag of the race was thrown for a
spinning Justin Starr in turn two. On the restart, Smith took over the top
spot and proceeded to start pulling away from the field. Yellow flag number
two came out on lap 17 as Aaron Williamson pulled his smoking cart to the
infield while riding in a solid third position.
Smith continued to set the pace as the field was slowed twice more - on lap 24
when Roger Blevins came to a stop on the track, and then again on lap 27 for a
double spin in turns three and four by Starr and Ron Gustafson. After the
final caution, Morris' car seemed to come to life again and he did all he
could do to unseat Smith from the lead but to no avail as Smith took the
victory and the big payday.
Morris took the checker in second with Daniel Conlin, Jr. third after a good,
steady run. Sandy Lee made a late charge to get fourth while Nichols took
fifth. Junior Beckner came back from a mid-race flat tire to take sixth and
was trailed at the finish by Scott Garrity, Blevins, Starr, Gustafson, Scott
Jarrett, Williamson and Bobby Mobley.
Shane Sutorus picked up a ride in one of the "Old School Racing" team Ford
Thunderbirds and led every lap in winning the Strictly Stock feature race
after winning the second heat. Sutorus held off the always-fast Ford Probe of
Neil Kirby to take the victory with Charles King, Sr. a distant third in a
Chevy Cavalier. Luis Guillen, Jr. was fourth and Sutorus' teammate Megan
Matheny was fifth. Rounding out the top ten were first heat race winner
Warren Howie, birthday boy Bomber Bill Loomis, Eddie Moran, Jamie Sullivan and
Austin Carr.
Ricky Solomon, Jr. led all the way in the Four Cylinder Stock feature, despite
being challenged by a host of other drivers lap after lap in what was the best
race of the night. Even a late-race altercation couldn't slow Solomon's
Saturn station wagon as he took the win over a hard-charging Paul Cornelius at
the drop of the checker. Third went to Troy Gregory with Kendra Gregory
fourth and Crash Tyner fifth. Dano Winnett, John Gross, Eric Hodge, Ray
Rivers, Damien Kwaak and Briar Winnett completed the finishers. Charles King,
Jr. and Zach Curtis were unable to start the feature. Heat race wins were
taken by King and Solomon.
Colton Bramlett took his third Bandolero feature win of the season over heat
winner Sam Cornman and Katy Froelich while David Owen was the Legend Car
winner.
Orlando SpeedWorld will have no regular Friday night stock car action until
May 30th. Hot Import Nights will be held next Friday and Saturday, May 16-17
with the Spring Crash-A-Rama slated for Saturday night, May 24th.
It was Family Night at Orlando SpeedWorld Friday and a nice crowd got to see
some really good racing action from start to finish.
The headline event of the evening was a 35-lap, $750 to win Sportsman race
that attracted a nice field of 16 cars. Unfortunately, three would not make
the feature race start beginning with Jason Foster who broke in warm-ups.
Noah Cornman also had problems with his car during practice and he was unable
to fire up for his heat race while Dale Clouser, a name that had not be seen
in action here in some time, fell out of his heat race and did not start the
feature.
Mulberry's Brandon Morris and Orlando veteran Andy Nichols split the pair of
heat race victories and started on the front row for the nightcap. Morris
moved to the early lead but had Mike Smith right on his bumper. The pair
raced nose-to-tail until the first caution flag of the race was thrown for a
spinning Justin Starr in turn two. On the restart, Smith took over the top
spot and proceeded to start pulling away from the field. Yellow flag number
two came out on lap 17 as Aaron Williamson pulled his smoking cart to the
infield while riding in a solid third position.
Smith continued to set the pace as the field was slowed twice more - on lap 24
when Roger Blevins came to a stop on the track, and then again on lap 27 for a
double spin in turns three and four by Starr and Ron Gustafson. After the
final caution, Morris' car seemed to come to life again and he did all he
could do to unseat Smith from the lead but to no avail as Smith took the
victory and the big payday.
Morris took the checker in second with Daniel Conlin, Jr. third after a good,
steady run. Sandy Lee made a late charge to get fourth while Nichols took
fifth. Junior Beckner came back from a mid-race flat tire to take sixth and
was trailed at the finish by Scott Garrity, Blevins, Starr, Gustafson, Scott
Jarrett, Williamson and Bobby Mobley.
Shane Sutorus picked up a ride in one of the "Old School Racing" team Ford
Thunderbirds and led every lap in winning the Strictly Stock feature race
after winning the second heat. Sutorus held off the always-fast Ford Probe of
Neil Kirby to take the victory with Charles King, Sr. a distant third in a
Chevy Cavalier. Luis Guillen, Jr. was fourth and Sutorus' teammate Megan
Matheny was fifth. Rounding out the top ten were first heat race winner
Warren Howie, birthday boy Bomber Bill Loomis, Eddie Moran, Jamie Sullivan and
Austin Carr.
Ricky Solomon, Jr. led all the way in the Four Cylinder Stock feature, despite
being challenged by a host of other drivers lap after lap in what was the best
race of the night. Even a late-race altercation couldn't slow Solomon's
Saturn station wagon as he took the win over a hard-charging Paul Cornelius at
the drop of the checker. Third went to Troy Gregory with Kendra Gregory
fourth and Crash Tyner fifth. Dano Winnett, John Gross, Eric Hodge, Ray
Rivers, Damien Kwaak and Briar Winnett completed the finishers. Charles King,
Jr. and Zach Curtis were unable to start the feature. Heat race wins were
taken by King and Solomon.
Colton Bramlett took his third Bandolero feature win of the season over heat
winner Sam Cornman and Katy Froelich while David Owen was the Legend Car
winner.
Orlando SpeedWorld will have no regular Friday night stock car action until
May 30th. Hot Import Nights will be held next Friday and Saturday, May 16-17
with the Spring Crash-A-Rama slated for Saturday night, May 24th.
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