(4-21-18) Barberville, FL – Saturday night marked the the seasons first make up event of the year which featured the Allen Plumbing & Allen Tractor Service Iron Man Series Race which was rained out in March. Mother Nature decided to take it easy on the “Worlds Fastest Half Mile” as the skies were partly cloudy with seasonable temperatures for another great night of racing.
First up on the night saw the Daytona Sportswear Modifieds as new comber Maverick Varnadore and Dylan Browning led the field to the green flag with Varnadore taking the early lead with Browning settling in the runner up spot. Varnadore would open up to nearly a straightaway lead at one point as Buzzie Reutimann was working his way from his fourth starting spot to the front. By the mid way point Reutimann had just worked his way into the runner up spot as the caution would come out. This would bunch the field back up allowing Reutimann to make an effort at taking the lead. Varnadore and Reutimann would battle for the second half of the race in and out of lapped traffic. Reutimann would get as close as the door of Varnadore’s #4, but could not make the pass for the lead as Varnadore would go on and win in his first race at VSP. Reutimann came home second followed by Browning, Garret Stewart, and Jamie Carter rounded out the top five
Next up on the racing docket went to the much anticipated Allen Plumbing & Allen Tractor Services Iron Man Series Race #1. Starting on the front row found Kent Corbin on the pole with David Showers Sr. along side him. As the two raced into the first turn it was Showers Sr. on the outside jumping to the early lead with Corbin in second. Showers would open up a sizable lead over Corbin, but it was David Showers Jr. making a charge to the front to challenge his father that had the crowed on their feet. By the mid-way point Showers was now on the bumper of Showers Sr. and the two began to race side by side. As the two Showers’ raced for the lead fast qualifier Hayden McCormick had worked his way into the third spot with Ron Adams in tow. The field would be slowed just past the half way point for a scary incident involving Kent Corbin among others. Corbin would get the worst of the incident as he would end up on his roof rolling one complete turn. Safety crews would be on the scene quick and Corbin walked away from the hard crash. When racing resumed so did the battle for the lead. The two Showers raced side by side once again, but in the end it was Showers Sr. taking home the $750 pay day. Showers Jr. was second followed by McCormick, Adams and Dustin Turnage Jr.
After victory lane celebrations it was the Going Butts BBQ Mini Stocks taking the green flag with front row starters Robert Schrunk and Chris Thomas leading the field to green. Thomas would take the early lead but it was Billy Dukes coming from his sixth place starting spot to take the third spot before the first lap was complete. On the ensuing lap Dukes would make a bold three wide pass for the race lead and never look back from that point on winning by nearly the entire length of the half mile track. Jim Nichols would come home in second, Thomas third, Michael Ridgeway Jr. fourth, and Schrunk rounded out the top five.
The last event on the night went to the Triple D Equipment Gladiators with 18 cars taking the green flag. On the front row it was Stephen Kramer and Erik Mantz leading the field to the green. Kramer would get the early jump, but the men on the move were sixth starting Billy Barrington and eighth place starting Henry Lanier. Both drivers would use outside power moves to take the top two spots before the first lap was completed moving Kramer to third and Todd Latour to fourth. The race would go nearly non stop as Barrington and Lanier would run nose to tail battling for the races top spot. While the battle for the lead heated up so did two time winner Michael Trotter and his #86 whom started at the rear of the field. Trotter would power move his way into the third spot with just five laps to go. While Trotter was moving forward Barrington had checked out from the rest of the field opening up nearly a five second lead over Lanier. In the end it was all Barrington with Lanier taking second by just .009 over a hard charging Trotter. Johnny Yeomans was fourth with Erik Mantz rounding out the top five.
Unofficial Rundown from 4-21-17
Daytona Sportswear Modifieds | (13 Cars)
Heat 1: Jamie Carter, Seth Geary, Steve Shead, Charlie Phillips, Mike Phillips, Larry Mott, James Strehle
Heat 2: Buzzy Reutimann, Dylan Browning, Maverick Varnadore, Larry Burkins, Garret Stewart, Paul Shead
Feature: Varnadore, Reutimann, Browning, Stewart, Carter, Burkins, Geary, C. Phillips, M. Phillips, Shead, Strehle, Shead, Mott (DNS)
Allen Plumbing & Allen Tractor Iron Man Series Race #1 | (21 Cars)
Overall Fast Qualifier: Hayden McCormick @ 21.323
Heat 1: David Showers Jr., Hayden McCormick, Dustin Turnage Jr., William Fisher, Roger Wren, George Lane, Donnie Birdwell, Michael Tovet, James Parish, Jessie Brown (DNS)
Heat 2: David Showers Sr., Kent Corbin, Joe Belkey, Ron Adams, Robbie Hager, Ron McReary, Hank Baker, Curt Spencer, RJ Glaser, Dustin Turnage Sr.
Feature: Showers Sr., Showers Jr., McCormick, Adams, Turnage Jr., Hager, Parish, Fisher, Turnage Sr., Wren (DNF), Corbin (DNF), Tovet (DNF), McCreary (DNF), Baker (DNF), Birdwell (DNF(, Lane (DNF), Spencer (DNF), Glaser (DNF), Belkey (DNF), Brown (DNS), Hicks (DNS)
Going Butts BBQ Mini Stocks | (6 Cars)
Heat 1: Billy Dukes, Michael Rideway Jr., Jim Nichols, Chris Thomas, Robert Schrunk, Robert Anderson
Feature: Dukes, Nichols, Thomas, Ridgeway Jr., Schrunk, Anderson
Triple D Equipment Gladiators | (18 Cars)
Heat 1: Michael Trotter, Billy Barrington, Jason Tovet, Dustin Childers, Erik Mantz, Nathan Rhoades, Casey Feaster, Brian Schrunk, Dustin Higdon
Heat 2: Johnnie Yeomans, Todd Latour, Jason Gentry, Stephen Gramer, Henry Lanier, Gerald Corbett, Dave Ladrie, Corey Phillips, Angela Anderson
Feature: Barrington, Lanier, Trotter, Yeomans, Mantz, Latour, Tovet, Childers, Rhoades, Feaster, Gentry, Kramer, Schrunk, Corbett, Higdon, Phillips, Ladrie, Anderson