Article by Track Staff/Dustin Carter
( Videos are Property of Florida Racing Connection)
Florida LM"S
9-13-16) Barberville, FL The racing season is reaching the home stretch, the temperatures are still hot in Florida, and the racing action is still even hotter at Volusia Speedway Park on Saturday Nights. This past weekend saw the Youngs Enterprises Iron Man Series Race #4 take center stage for the V8 Thunderstocks along with the Gary Yeomans Performance Parts Gladiators running for $300 to win as well. Supporting these two classes on Saturday saw the Advanced Medical Labs Late Models and the Florida Late Model Series making its second appearance to VSP in 2016.Click read more for results and more videos
First up on the night found the Florida Late Model Series making another stop at the half mile oval and this time it was Jeremy Knoll and Caleb McGillivray on the front row when the green dropped. McGillivray would use the high side to inch ahead of Knoll on the opening lap, but Trevor Taylor used a huge run to bolt to the lead, but also made contact with McGillivray sending him spinning in front of the field. Amazingly no one would make severe contact with McGillivray's #154 Mastersbilt, but the #8E of Johnny Allen would spin around to avoid contact bringing out the races first caution. Since no laps were completed, the race would have a complete restart and it was McGillivray and Knoll once again leading the field to the green flag. This time the field would get through the first turn without any issues and McGillivray would get the lead off turn two. Taylor, who drivers a Rocket Chassis, used the high line to jump into the runner up spot down the backstretch and then the lead coming off turn four to lead the races opening lap. From then on the race went along without any issues until lap 12 when Tom Fiebelkorn would bring out the races second caution. This would allow McGillivray, Phillip Cobb, and Shan Smith to catch back up to a dominate Trevor Taylor. When the race continued it was Taylor jumping out to another big lead over McGillivray, but it was Smith now on the move taking the runner up spot away from McGillivray. Taylor would continue to lead, but Smith would track down the #7T and take over the lead with just five laps remaining. The caution would fly again on lap 21 this time for Sonny Thompson's slow moving #75 bunching the field back up for another dash to the finish. When the green dropped Smith would continue to lead, but Phillip Cobb would get around Taylor for the runner up spot. Coming to three laps to go Taylor would get back around Cobb's #03, but loose the handle on his machine spinning in front of the field collecting a hard charging Johnny Allen from the features tail. The race would restart one more time with three laps remaining as Smith would once again pace the field and continue to lead over Cobb and Allen. Allen would slip past Cobb with two laps to go, but had nothing for Smith who went on to win his third feature of the year at VSP. Allen would finish second followed by Cobb, McGillivray, and Joey Haslauer. *Allen would fail post race inspection. Final Order: Smith, Cobb, McGillivray, Haslauer, and Knoll.
Late Models
Late Models
Next up found the Advanced Medial Labs Late Models taking the track with Kyle Chappell and Kyle Van Sickle starting on the front row. When the green flag dropped it was a drag race into turn one between Chappell and Van Sickle, but it was Chappell finding the moisture on the low line to slip by Van Sickle on the opening lap. Chappell would extend his lead as the race worked through the first few laps and Van Sickle would end up slipping back through the field as Phillip Cobb would march to the front over taking second place. On lap seven the field would slow or Jeremy Knoll, who also race the Florida Late Model
Series event the race before, as he would experience mechanical issues in his #7K. When the race resumed Chappell would lead, but this time Cobb would be right behind him not letting the Snow Brothers #66 of Chappell out of his sight. The leaders would catch the tail end of the field just past half way and Chappell would use lapped traffic to extend his lead over Cobb as points leader Travis Staats had moved into the third spot followed by Howard Stalls as Van Sickle slipped to fifth. The final caution came out on lap 15 when Megan Rae's #11M Rocket came to a stop in turn three and four. Chappell would nearly clip the stationary Rae, but would slip by and continue to lead at the caution with no damage. When the race resumed it was all Chappell as Cobb just could not get close enough to make a move for the lead as Chappell would win his first Late Model Race of 2016. Cobb would come home in second followed by a hard charging Howard Stalls, Travis Staats, and front row starter Kyle Van Sickle
V8 Thunderstocks The final race of the evening saw the Gary Yeomans Performance Parts Gladiators take the green flag with an all female front row as Jamie Sullivan and Ashley Eng would pace the field. On the initial start it was a free for all as Sullivan would get the jump on Eng and three wide action all the way back to sixth into turn one. When the field came out of the second turn it was Dustin Carter on the move coming from his fourth place starting spot overtaking Eng for second on the backstretch and then Sullivan for the lead off turn four using the high line. As Carter extended his lead, Sullivan would setting into the runner up spot uncontested with Eng falling back through the field. Jimmy Dean was among the races early chargers as he would challenge Sullivan for the runner up spot just past the races halfway point. The man on the move was Steve Ramos, who blew a tire in his heat race and had to start last on the grid moving up through the field. Ramos moved into fourth getting around Eng on lap nine and went to work on Dean for third by lap ten. As the race hit the five to go marker, Carter had a huge lead on the field, but the caution would fly as second place Sullivan would have a flat right front tire bringing out the races loan caution flag. On the restart Carter would have Dean and Ramos right behind him and Dean would challenge for the lead on the restart, but Carter was too strong running the high line and went on to win his sixth feature win of 2016. At the line it was an exciting battle between Dean and Ramos as Ramos would get the runner up spot by inches over Dean. Ashley Eng would come home in fourth and also took home an extra $100 from car owner Rickey Lowe as a incentive for finishing in that position. Dustin Baxter, making his first start of 2016, rounded out the top five.
The final race of the evening found the Youngs Enterprises Iron Man Series running Race #4 in the six part mini series for the V8 Thunderstocks. With $1200 to win on the line it was David Showers Jr. and David Shower Sr. leading the field to the green flag. Showers Jr. would get away with the early lead, but it was Alan Peacock on the move on the high side from fourth working on Sr. for the runner up spot. The first start did not last long as defending race winner, Dustin Turnage Jr., would get loose and spin in front of nearly half the field collecting Ben Hutto with hard contact. Both drivers would drive away, but with severe damaging ending both drivers night early. The race would have a complete restart as Showers Jr would once again take the early lead and once again Peacock would use the outside line to mount a charge to the front getting around Sr. for second before the first lap. Scotty Kay Jr. was also on the move from his eighth place starting spot cracking the top five by lap two and working for more. Showers Jr. would begin to stretch his lead over the field until a lap four caution waived for Dalton Strehle who spun in the middle of one and two. When the green flag dropped again Showers Jr would once again beat the field to the line, but Peacock would use a strong run on the high line to stay right on the back bumper of the #118. As the field clicked off the sixth lap the field would be slowed once again, this time for John Thorpe in the #114 machine for a flat right rear tire. Showers Would get the jump again on the initial start, but Peacock would use another strong run on the high side to finally overtake the lead coming off turn four. The race would get real interesting as Showers Jr. would slip to third with a three way fight for the top spot as Showers Sr. would stick his nose up front. The two would then make contact allowing Brian Morgan to find his way into the third spot. The action would continue on for several laps as Peacock would lead one lap, then Showers Jr. Peacock would still lead at the half way point by two car lengths over Showers Sr. as Scotty Kay Jr. began to work on Showers Jr. for the third spot. Peacock would have some issues with just 10 laps to go allowing Showers Sr. to slip by as well as Showers Jr and Kay moving the #15 back to fourth. As the laps clicked away so did the gap between first and second with Showers Sr. jumping out to a commanding lead and never looking back winning his second Iron Man event of 2016. Scotty Kay Jr. would come home in second after an epic battle with Showers Jr. Peacock and Morgan rounded out your top five.
VSP will be back in action this Saturday night as the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series makes another stop at the half mile track in Barberville with $3,000 on the line. Supporting the event will be the Allen Plumbing Hobby Stocks, Revolution Racing V8 Thunderstocks and the Gary Yeomans Performance Parts Gladiators. The PIT GATE and the DRIVE THRU open at 4:30pm sharp and the MAINGATE will open at 5:30pm. THE DRIVERS MEETING will take place around 6:45pm followed by HOTLAPS and RACING at 8:00PM!
We hope to see everyone at the tack this coming Saturday Night!
Advanced Medical Labs Late Models - (12 Cars)
(Heat #1) Kyle Van Sickle, Davey Cline, Travis Staats, Megan Rae, Ray Price, Michael Ridgeway Jr.
(Heat #2) Kyle Chappell, Phillip Cobb, Jeremy Knoll, Howard Staals, Hamp Conley, Bug Rose
(Feature/25 Laps) Chappell, Cobb, Stalls, Staats, Van Sickle, Cline, Coney, Price, Ridgwway Jr, Roe, Knoll, Rose
Florida Late Model Series / Limited Late Models - (18 Cars)
(Heat #1) Trevor Taylor, Caleb McGillivray, Shan Smith, Phillip Cobb, Sonny Thompson, Adam Bennett, Mark Evans, Lisa O'Connor
(Heat #2) Joey Haslauer, Jeremy Knoll, Spud Lockwood, Johnny Allen, John Westbrook, Tom Fiebelkorn, Noah Cornman, Jimmy Waldrop
(Feature/25 Laps) Smith, Cobb, McGillivray, Haslauer, Knoll, Evans, Bennett, Westbrook, Cornman, Fiebelkorn, Taylor (DNF), Oconnor (DNF), Thompson (DNF), Thomas (DNF), Thomas (DNF), Lockwood (DNF), Waldrop (DNF), Hupp (DNF), Allen (DQ'ed)
Youngs Enterprises Iron Man Series Race #4 - (15 Cars)
(Overall Fast Qualifyer) David Showers Sr. - 21.654
(Heat #1) Showers Sr., Dalton Strehle, David Showers Jr., Scotty Kay Jr., Ben Hutto, John Thorpe, Brian Shrunk, David Cloer
(Heat #2) Alan Peacock, Brian Morgan, Dustin Turnage Jr., Tim Hughes, Craig Montesi Jr., Matt Schloss, Todd Haught
(Feature/25 Laps/$1200 to Win) Showers Sr., Kay Jr., Showers Jr., Peacock, Morgan, Monteis Jr., Strehle, Schrunk, Hughes, Schloss, Haught, Cloer, Thorpe (DNF), Hutto (DNF), Turnage Jr. (DNF)
Gary Yeomans Performance Parts Gladiators- (14 Cars)
(Heat #1) Ashley Eng, Jimmy Dean, Dustin Higdon, Dustin Baxter, James Strehle, Robbie White, John Baxter
(Heat #2) Jamie Sullivan, Dustin Carter, Casey Feaster, Robert Young, Jason Tovet, Terry Lowe, Steve Ramos
(Feature/15 Laps/$300 to Win) Carter, Ramos, Dean, Eng, D. Baxter, Higdon, J. Baxter, Feaster, Tovet, White, Sullivan, Strehle, Young, Lowe
