(7-21-18) Barberville, FL – Even with the skies threatening and a rain shower that passed over the track before racing action was set to kick off, it was not enough to stop the much anticipated return of Late Model action at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” as five classes took the racing surface which included the Late Models, Mini Sprints, Street Stocks, Thunderstocks and Gladiators.
The biggest show of the night went to the Late Model division sponsored by Gary Yeomans Performance Parts. Leading the field to the green flag was Howard Stalls, and veteran David Clegg, who was making only his second start of the 2018 racing season. When the green flag dropped stalls would quickly take the race lead with Clegg settling into the runner up spot with Jason Fitzgerald in tow. As the field completed the first lap, Stalls would extend his lead over the field as Fitzgerald would make his move into the runner up spot when Clegg slipped up and out of the groove as the field began the second lap. Stalls would continue to set the pace, but Fitzgerald would begin to cut into his lead and by the seventh lap make his move to take the top spot. On lap eight a scary moment for Rookie Brenden Smith would stop the racing action. Smith would get too high on the front stretch and ride the guard rail getting into the catch fence. Smith would walk away un-injured, but a 10 foot section of the fence would need to be replaced before racing action could resume.
After the 30 minute long delay, the green flag would drop again. Fitzgerald would lead the field to green, but the man on the move was sixth starting Mark Whitener who would take over the runner up spot on lap 11 and set his sights on race leader Fitzgerald. Whitener’s bid to go back to back in Late Model wins at VSP would come to a crushing end when he would roll the nose on his BWRC Icon #5 on lap 12 and retire by lap 14. This would leave Fitzgerald un-challenged for the win in his Fitz Factory Longhorn #14 crossing the line 4.776 seconds ahead of second place Kyle Vansickle. Third went to Joe Kump followed by Howard Stalls, and Shan Smith.
Unofficial Rundown from 7-21-18
Gary Yeomans Performance Parts Late Models | $2,000 to Win (24 Cars)
Heat 1: Mark Whitener, Jason Fitzgerald, Trever Taylor, Kyle Van Sickle, Rich Pratt, Scott Gray, Michael Whipple, Justin Merry
Heat 2: Jonathan Thomas, David Clegg, John Bledsoe, Donnie Padgett, George Spears, Brenden Smith, John Florkowski, Mikey Kopka
Heat 3: Joe Kump, Howard Stalls, David Cline, Shan Smith, Mark Steube, Bug Rose, Lonnie Byassee
Feature: Fitzgerald, Van Sickle, Kump, Stalls, Smith, Cline, Clegg, Gray, Bledsoe, Merry, Kopka, Padgett, Waldrop, Whipple, Steube, Rose, Florkowski (DNF), Whitener (DNF), Taylor (DNF), Thomas (DNF), B. Smith (DNF), Spears (DNF), Byassee (DNF), Pratt (DNS)
Florida Mini Sprint Action | (9 Cars)
Heat 1: Russ Heider, Robby Hoffman, Trynt Lloyd, David Hall, Don Quinn, Dirk Miller, Connor Borah, Brad Sutton, Carson Canady
Feature: Heider, Hall, Lloyd, Hoffman, Miller, Borah, Sutton, Quinn, Canady (DNS)
Mercedes Benz Vans Born to Run Street Stocks | (10 Cars)
Heat 1: Brian Wooten, Bubba Christian, Alan Peacock, Joe Belkey, Christopher Lovett
Heat 2: David Showers Sr., Jonathan Croson, Landon Lungren, Tuck Trentham, Zach Yakaboski
Feature: Wooten, Showers Sr., Peacock, Christian, Croson, Trentham, Lovett, Belkey, Yakaboski, Lungren (DNF)
Billy Ballew Motorsports Thunderstocks | (14 Cars)
Heat 1: Justin Dubin, Hank Baker, Ron Adams, Jason Gamble, Jim Shaw, Dale Durbin, Freddy Hughes, Erik Mantz
Heat 2: Robert Hicks, Mike Tovet, George Lane, Donnie Birdwell, Jonathan Thomas, John Canary
Feature: Tovet, Gamble, Adams, Lane, Baker, Birdwell, Canary, D. Durbin, Hicks, Mantz, J. Durbin, Thomas, Shaw, Hughes
Crystal Tractor Equipment Gladiator Challenge Series Race #2 | $300 to Win! (14 Cars)
Heat 1: Travis McDonald, Ty McDonald, Dustin Childers, Johnnie Yeomans, Jason Gentry, Wayne Kissam, Robert Kissam
Heat 2: Michael Trotter, Casey Young, Rusty Young, Henry Lanier, Daniel Casey, Billy Barrington, Jeremy Lanier
Feature: Trotter, C. Young, Ty McDonald, Childers, R. Young, H. Lanier, Tr. McDonald, Yeomans, W. Kissam, Casey, Gentry, R. Kissam, Barrington, J. Lanier (DNS)