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It was a beautiful Central Florida evening for week number 4 of the Whelen All American Series at New Smyrna Speedway. The Pro Late Models, Super Stocks and Rodizio Grill Bombers were all in action as well as a classic car show and spectator races! All 3 divisions put on amazing races and it was arguably the best all around night of racing of the young season so far.
The Pro Late Models would be the first feature event of the night and another stout field of 14 cars took the green flag. Dylan Smith in car 24 Monte Carlo had the pole but got roughed up a bit in turn 1 and would slip back in the field. Carter Stokes in the Skinner Racing 33 car established the early lead. Due to a poor pill draw some of the stronger cars had to start further back in the pack. Brad May and Michael Lira, were two of those drivers and spent much of the early part of the race trying to get to the front. The race was clean and green for well over half the event, until a spin in turn 3 by the 10 of Matt Montineri brought out the yellow. During the spin Montineri's car slide back up the race track right in the path of Blaise Hetznecker. Blaise tried everything he could to miss the Montineri's drivers door and absolutely pummeled the outside wall instead, destroying the right side of his brand new race car. Thankfully Blaise was alright after the incident! On the restart Carter Stokes chose the outside giving Brad May a chance to wrestle the lead away. The two drivers traded paint for a few laps and almost wrecked a time or two and put on a heck of a show for the lead! But in the end, it was Carter Stokes narrowly taking the checkers over Brad May and Michael Lira. This was Carter's first ever win at New Smyrna!
Pro Late Model Top 5:
1 33 Carter Stokes
2 9 Brad May
3 57 Michael Lira
4 11 Robert Strader
5 10 Matt Montineri
Up Next on the card were the Super Stocks for their 3rd event of the young season. Preston Hunt, winner of the 50 lapper a few weeks ago, had the pole. Hunt was looking to go for two in a row but he had some tough challengers this week. Bobby Holley, Garrett Hill and David Gould (making his first start of the year) all battled him hard for the top spot. The racing for the lead was extremely entertaining in this one and was by far the most competitive Super Stock race of the season. Things got real interesting late in the race as the leaders; Hill, Hunt and Holley went three wide in turn 1. There was just not enough room and the three cars all bounced off each other resulting in Preston Hunt nailing the wall hard in turn number 1. The car would not come to rest until about half way down the back stretch, but the driver was ok! Bobby Holley also received a bit of damage in this one too but his crew was able to get him back in the race (and he finished 4th). Hill escaped with the lead and would lead for a bit after the restart, but his touch 2016 continued as his car shut off on him off turn 2 with just a few to go. This gave the lead to David Gould, who was able to hold off a late charge from the 23 of Ed Barber and the 17 of John Hodge. This was Gould's first win in his first start of the year!
Super Stock Top 5:
1 16 David Gould
2 23 Ed Barber
3 17 John Hodge
4 56 Bobby Holley
5 63 Dale Howard
The Rodizio Grill Bombers would wrap of the evenings activities with a 20 lap contest. A nice field of 10 cars took the green flag, one of the best turns outs of the season! Greg Bruce in the number 8 Saturn stormed to the lead early and opened up a huge lead over the rest of the competition. As the field strung out near the midpoint of the race only Megan Matheny's Old School Racing machine was still in the same zip code as Bruce. Just after half way, a spin in turn 4 by the 21X of Mac McDonald brought out the yellow. As the race resumed it appears Bruce was going to drive off and easily claim his second victory of the season. But with two laps to go Bruce's car shuddered off turn 2 and Megan Matheny made a hard charge for the lead in turn 3. Bruce was able to hold her off and pulled away a bit coming to the white flag. As the two leaders rushed down the back stretch it didn't appear as if Matheny would be able to get around Bruce, but Matheny stayed in the gas as Bruce's car showed smoke out of turn four coming to the checkered.
Matheny seized the opportunity and jumped to the outside and the two drivers came across the finish line side by side in electrifying fashion! Matheny would claim the victory by the slimmest of margins at the approval of the crowd. If the race was just 19 laps long Bruce would of been in victory lane but the little Saturn just didn't last. This was Megan's second official victory of the year as she was declared the winner of the Tim Cordel memorial race on opening night after Wes Railing failed tech. The Rodizio Grill Bomber division is growing and putting on some fantastic races this year and it will only get better as the season progresses. The thrilling finish really put a cap on an overall excellent night of racing!
Bomber Top 5:
1 24 Megan Matheny
2 8 Greg Bruce
3 46 Joe Rock
4 00 Matt Thornton
5 03 Aaron Overman
Next week we welcome the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series to the high banks of New Smyrna, for their first of two events at the track this year. These cars whip around the speedway almost two seconds faster than a Super Late Model and is sure to be a show you won't want to miss! Also in action are the Mod Minis, Rodizio Grill Bombers and the always exciting American Auto Sportsman division. The Sportsman drivers will once again be chasing Patrick Thomas, in order to claim the bonus cash from American Auto. You will not want to miss any of the action!
The Pro Late Models would be the first feature event of the night and another stout field of 14 cars took the green flag. Dylan Smith in car 24 Monte Carlo had the pole but got roughed up a bit in turn 1 and would slip back in the field. Carter Stokes in the Skinner Racing 33 car established the early lead. Due to a poor pill draw some of the stronger cars had to start further back in the pack. Brad May and Michael Lira, were two of those drivers and spent much of the early part of the race trying to get to the front. The race was clean and green for well over half the event, until a spin in turn 3 by the 10 of Matt Montineri brought out the yellow. During the spin Montineri's car slide back up the race track right in the path of Blaise Hetznecker. Blaise tried everything he could to miss the Montineri's drivers door and absolutely pummeled the outside wall instead, destroying the right side of his brand new race car. Thankfully Blaise was alright after the incident! On the restart Carter Stokes chose the outside giving Brad May a chance to wrestle the lead away. The two drivers traded paint for a few laps and almost wrecked a time or two and put on a heck of a show for the lead! But in the end, it was Carter Stokes narrowly taking the checkers over Brad May and Michael Lira. This was Carter's first ever win at New Smyrna!
Pro Late Model Top 5:
1 33 Carter Stokes
2 9 Brad May
3 57 Michael Lira
4 11 Robert Strader
5 10 Matt Montineri
Up Next on the card were the Super Stocks for their 3rd event of the young season. Preston Hunt, winner of the 50 lapper a few weeks ago, had the pole. Hunt was looking to go for two in a row but he had some tough challengers this week. Bobby Holley, Garrett Hill and David Gould (making his first start of the year) all battled him hard for the top spot. The racing for the lead was extremely entertaining in this one and was by far the most competitive Super Stock race of the season. Things got real interesting late in the race as the leaders; Hill, Hunt and Holley went three wide in turn 1. There was just not enough room and the three cars all bounced off each other resulting in Preston Hunt nailing the wall hard in turn number 1. The car would not come to rest until about half way down the back stretch, but the driver was ok! Bobby Holley also received a bit of damage in this one too but his crew was able to get him back in the race (and he finished 4th). Hill escaped with the lead and would lead for a bit after the restart, but his touch 2016 continued as his car shut off on him off turn 2 with just a few to go. This gave the lead to David Gould, who was able to hold off a late charge from the 23 of Ed Barber and the 17 of John Hodge. This was Gould's first win in his first start of the year!
Super Stock Top 5:
1 16 David Gould
2 23 Ed Barber
3 17 John Hodge
4 56 Bobby Holley
5 63 Dale Howard
The Rodizio Grill Bombers would wrap of the evenings activities with a 20 lap contest. A nice field of 10 cars took the green flag, one of the best turns outs of the season! Greg Bruce in the number 8 Saturn stormed to the lead early and opened up a huge lead over the rest of the competition. As the field strung out near the midpoint of the race only Megan Matheny's Old School Racing machine was still in the same zip code as Bruce. Just after half way, a spin in turn 4 by the 21X of Mac McDonald brought out the yellow. As the race resumed it appears Bruce was going to drive off and easily claim his second victory of the season. But with two laps to go Bruce's car shuddered off turn 2 and Megan Matheny made a hard charge for the lead in turn 3. Bruce was able to hold her off and pulled away a bit coming to the white flag. As the two leaders rushed down the back stretch it didn't appear as if Matheny would be able to get around Bruce, but Matheny stayed in the gas as Bruce's car showed smoke out of turn four coming to the checkered.
Matheny seized the opportunity and jumped to the outside and the two drivers came across the finish line side by side in electrifying fashion! Matheny would claim the victory by the slimmest of margins at the approval of the crowd. If the race was just 19 laps long Bruce would of been in victory lane but the little Saturn just didn't last. This was Megan's second official victory of the year as she was declared the winner of the Tim Cordel memorial race on opening night after Wes Railing failed tech. The Rodizio Grill Bomber division is growing and putting on some fantastic races this year and it will only get better as the season progresses. The thrilling finish really put a cap on an overall excellent night of racing!
Bomber Top 5:
1 24 Megan Matheny
2 8 Greg Bruce
3 46 Joe Rock
4 00 Matt Thornton
5 03 Aaron Overman
Next week we welcome the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series to the high banks of New Smyrna, for their first of two events at the track this year. These cars whip around the speedway almost two seconds faster than a Super Late Model and is sure to be a show you won't want to miss! Also in action are the Mod Minis, Rodizio Grill Bombers and the always exciting American Auto Sportsman division. The Sportsman drivers will once again be chasing Patrick Thomas, in order to claim the bonus cash from American Auto. You will not want to miss any of the action!