[SIZE=“6”]Scofield Back on Top at Desoto [/SIZE][B]
By Rick Anges
Bradenton, Fl. The “Hoosier Cup” All American
Challenge Series returned the “High Banks” of DeSoto
Super Speedway for their 125 feature. David Pollen Jr.
came into the night’s race a mere five points ahead of
two-time champion Jeff Scofield.
Pollen has had some very good runs in the AACS staying
constant and out of trouble to stay on top in the run
for the $10,000 share of the points fund but the
crafty Scofield has made a serious charge back up in
the points to take a stab at an unprecedented third
championship.
B.J. McLeod made a triumphant return to DeSoto by
taking a convincing win in the last race. He backed
that up on this Saturday night by taking fast time for
the event. Behind him was Justin Larson who only the
week before had taken fast time at USA Speedway in the
third leg of the Triple Crown. Third on the grid was
Scofield, fourth was David Wilson and fifth went to
“Big Daddy” Dave Pletcher.
The front row was inverted by the roll of the die
putting Larson on the front row. The action started
early as points leader Pollen, who qualified eleventh,
got together with J.R Garcia going into turn three.
Pollen clipped the wall hard ending his night before
it had even begun relegating him to a nineteenth place
finish and dropping him from the points lead. Garcia
was able to continue finishing eleventh on the night’s
action.
Up front the battle was hot and heavy as Larson was
leading but Scofield was applying the heat in the
second spot. Lap after lap Scofield was making his
prescience known, as he would drop low and high trying
to get the line around Larson. Each time the leader
would slam the door on him.
Scofield was able to get under Larson going into one
when the two made contact sending Larson spinning in
turn two. The cal from the flag stand was that Larson
had pinched him off in the turn sending the youngster
to the rear for bringing out the caution. Larson would
later have to pit under green for a tire going down
but would battle back for a tenth place finish.
Scofield meanwhile would check out and go unchallenged
for the rest of the race. McLeod ran a solid second
place run with David Wilson taking the third spot. The
race was for the fourth spot with Robert “ShowTime”
Yoho taking the spot from Billy Bigley Jr.
Finishing Order
Pos Driver Car #
1 JEFF SCOFIELD 07
2 B.J. McLEOD 78
3 DAVID WILSON 83
4 ROBERT YOHO 00
5 BILLY BIGLEY, JR 28
6 DAVE PLETCHER 74
7 STEVE DORER 10
8 JIMMY COPE 61
9 PERRY BROWN 22B
10 JUSTIN LARSON 88X
11 J R GARCIA III R 0
12 JOHN SPADAVECCHIA JR 8X
13 RONNIE SKIPPER R 32
14 ERIC “RICK” KASE 85
15 AARON ZARTMAN 72
16 JOE BOYD 5
17 MIKE FINN 6
18 JAMES GLOVER 70
19 DAVID POLLEN, JR 88
Points Standings
Pos Driver Hometown Points Behind
1 JEFF SCOFIELD- PLANT CITY FL 1440 Leader
2 DAVID POLLEN, JR- TAMPA FL 1349 -91
3 STEVE DORER- LAKELAND FL 1308 -132
4 RONNIE SKIPPER-R LAKELAND FL 1164 -276
5 JOHN SPADAVECCHIA JR- COCONUT CREEK FL 1162 -278
6 DAVE PLETCHER- NEW PORT RITCHEY FL 1146 -294
7 ROBERT YOHO- PINELLAS PARK FL 1118 -322
8 WAYNE JEFFERSON- PINELLAS PARK FL 1076 -364
9 JAMES GLOVER- PINELLAS PARK FL 947 -493
10 DAVID WILSON- SARASOTA FL 724 –716
School Bus Figure 8
Ernest Helfrick had his handsful in the 25 lap School
Bus Figure 8 feature with Veteran and former Sunshine
Champion Art Calkins battling him hard for the
majority of the race for the top spot. With three laps
to go Calkins, who was subbing for his brother Wayne
who was racing in Indy, lost a radiator hose in a
cloud of steam. He still ran hard but it was Helfrick
once again coming out on top. Calkins was second,
third went to Brian Conrad, fourth was Greg Roberts
and fifth Robert Coon.
Finishing Order
Pos Driver Car #
1 ERNEST HELFRICK 4
2 PAT CALKINS 14X
3 BRIAN CONRAD 4Q
4 GREGORY ROBERTS 1UP
5 ROBERT COON 8UP
6 MARK JACKSON 25
7 CHRISTOPHER DODSON 21
8 JAMES VOLK 76
9 BUD HOWELL 57X
10 MICHAEL GAMACHE 05
Manatee Lumber Bombers
Pos Driver Car #
1 SCOTT DAWLEY 74
2 JEFF FIRESTINE-M-TKS 93
3 RICK GERMONY 8
4 DEAN BUTRUM 32
5 STEVE ELDER 42
6 JOHN STEWART 02
7 CLIFF MITCHELL 17
8 JEFF TAYLOR 70
9 MICHAEL CROOKS 33
10 JOSEPH "J R " WELDEN 40
11 MARK BOXELL 88
12 LOU RUSSELL 3
13 JERRY TETTING 39
14 SHANE YODER 1Y
15 SAMMY COGHILL 22
16 CLINT SNYDER-M-TKS 15X
17 KEN SMITH 11
18 KENNY GIBSON 23
Mod-Minis
Pos Driver Car #
1 GLENN KELLEY 16
2 DUSTIN PEREZ 62
3 MASON LOVE 70X
4 MITCHELL WEBB 6
5 RICK PARTRIDGE 0
6 CHRIS ZIMMERMAN 29
7 JOE GAGEN 1
8 THOMAS ZIMMERMAN 29X
9 STEPHANIE MELLO 9X
Q Auto and Injury Open Wheels
Pos Driver Car #
1 WAYNE JEFFERSON 1
2 RALPH BOWMAN 2
3 MARK NELSON 11
4 CHET SENOKOSSOFF 61
5 BRUCE RIGGIO 75
6 BARRY CARLSON 3
7 RICHARD SHEPHERD 30 DQ
International Contractors Street Stocks
Pos Driver Car #
1 GREGORY KROM 35
2 ALEX ABBOTT 17
3 JOEY BARNES 19
4 JAMES NANNEY 6
5 WAYNE DOVE 18
6 JONATHAN HEIDENTHAL 27X
7 MIKE AMO 10X
8 DEREK LUCAS 88
9 GUS COORSSEN 74X
10 DENNIS WILSON 42
11 CHARLES “CHUCKY” RAMSEY 99
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