|
By Rick Anges
Bradenton, Fl.
The night before the Daytona 500
has traditionally become the
opening night for DeSoto Super
Speedway. School Bus Figure 8’s
and the TBARA Winged Sprints are
the featured events.
TBARA
The winged
sprints of the Tampa Bay Area
Racing Association rolled in
twenty six cars strong for their
first of eight scheduled races
around the “High-Banks” of
DeSoto Super Speedway. This
would be the fourth race of the
young 2007 for the sprinters
with three different winners.
Dave Steele was the first
winner at Citrus County Speedway
with Troy DeCaire and Keith
Butler following up with a pair
of races during World Series of
Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway.
The chilly
weather didn’t keep the fans
from standing and cheering as
the field performed the
signature “Four Wide” Salute to
the fans. Ben Fritz and 2006
Champion Bo Hartley took the
green from the front row.
Hartley immediately jumped out
to the lead and dominated the
rest of the race never being
challenged, at one point having
a full straight away lead over
the field. Hartley would take
the checkers but the story
didn’t end there.
Behind him the
“Super Man” Dave Steele
who started in the twelfth
position wowed the fans as he
maneuvered his way through the
pack and up into the second spot
but he would be declared the
winner after Hartley was DQ'd in
the post race tech inspection.
Second would be Keith Butler,
third was 06 Rookie of the Year
Michael Smith, fourth went to
Stan Butler and fifth Shane
Butler.
The
thirty lap feature was over in
just under seven minutes. Heat
winners were Ben Fritz, Kipp
Beard and Bo Hartley.
TBARA Desoto Super Speedway,
February 17, 2007
HEAT 1
1) 16 Ben Fritz
2) 9X Michael Smith
3) 21 Jim Alvis
4) 91 Dave Steele
5) 0 Dude Teate
6) 7 John Gilbert Jr.
7) 88 Frank Neill
8) 32 Stephen Darvalies
The 14 driven by Richard Burnett
did not make the start of the
heat race.
HEAT 2
1) 66 Kipp Beard
2) 5W Randy Woodall
3) 68 Troy DeCaire
4) 51 Mark Gimmler
5) 29 Gary Gimmler
6) 47 Richard Waddell
7) 98F Kevin Feeney
8) 4 Brian Gingras
The 1 driven by Steven Bradley
did not make the start of the
heat race.
HEAT 3
1) 96 Bo Hartley
2) 41 Shane Butler
3) 19 Keith Butler
4) 18 Stan Butler
5) 21B Larry Brazil Jr.
6) 39 Charles Ladner
7) 55 Tommy Nichols
8) 44 Bill Pettijohn
FEATURE
1) 91 Dave Steele; 2) 19
Keith Butler; 3) 9X Michael
Smith; 4) 18 Stan Butler; 5) 41
Shane Butler; 6) 21 Jim Alvis;
7) 68 Troy DeCaire; 8) 0 Dude
Teate; 9) 66 Kipp Beard; 10) 21B
Larry J Brazil Jr.; 11) 29 Gary
Gimmler; 12) 7 John Gilbert Jr.;
13) 5W Randy Woodall; 14) 39
Charles Ladner; 15) 32 Stephen
Darvalies; 16) 55 Tommy Nichols;
17) 98F Kevin Feeney; 18) 88
Frank Neill; 19) 4 Brian Gingras;
20) 16 Ben Fritz (DNF); 21) 51
Mark Gimmler (DNF); 22) 47
Richard Waddell (DNF); 23) 44
Bill Pettijohn (DNF) |
