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Bo Hartley Back On Top, Wins At Speedworld
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By Dave Westerman
Bo Hartley is joined in victory circle by his dad Sonny Hartley after winning the TBARA feature Friday at Speedworld
After waiting out a brief drizzle late in the afternoon that actually was welcomed after a sweltering day, Orlando Speedworld played host to the Tampa Bay Area Racing Association Sprint Cars for the second Annual Bob Luscomb/Billy Yuma Memorial plus a big $750 to win Super Stock event sponsored by World Class Stone and Tile.
Twenty-five Sprint Cars made the trip to Speedworld with a trio of heat races going to veteran Stan Butler, 2006 TBARA Champion Bo Hartley, and 2007 Rookie of the year candidate D.J. Hoetzle. The field would be reduced by one during the heats as Michael Smith's car suffered engine woes during the warm-up session for his heat and he would not make the feature race start.
After the traditional "missing man" formation in honor of Bob Luscomb and Billy Yuma, two of the pioneers of the TBARA, and the four-wide parade lap to salute the fans, the field was set for action.
Richard Waddell had the pole slot with Hartley outside of him. Hartley was making just his second start of the year in the car that he won the TBARA crown with the previous year.
Hartley had run off and left everybody in his heat race and he wasted little time building up a big lead after the drop of the green flag in the feature. Action was slowed on lap four as Hoetzle spun to bring out the first yellow. Hartley immediately took off again only to see the second, and final, caution of the race tossed on lap seven as Jimmy Alvis spun in turn two.
Once the green flag unfurled again, Hartley simply got lost being slowed only by lapped traffic as he built his lead over Kipp Beard to a full straightaway at times. Meanwhile, fans were focusing their sights on several drivers moving forward after starting well back in the field.
Eighth starter Stan Butler managed to work his way to third spot but another veteran, Wayne Reutimann, Sr., making a rare start this year in Don Heckman's car was one of the guys everybody was watching as he used his years of experience to work his way from 13th on the grid to challenge Butler in the late going. Dave Steele, who started 12th but got a horrible start and fell back in the early laps, put on his usual show for the fans as he diced his way up behind Reutimann.
With no cautions to slow his pace, Hartley took the victory well ahead of Beard with Stan Butler, Reutimann and Steele right together at the finish with rookie Brian Gingras coming home a solid fifth. Beard's second place finish was his best since returning to racing action this year.
But it was Hartley and his crew enjoying a jubilant victory lane celebration. Nobody seemed to enjoy things more than Bo's dad, semi-retired Sprint Car veteran Sonny Hartley, who was good friends with both Luscomb and Yuma. The elder Hartley actually raced Bob Luscomb-built cars for many years, winning a track championship at Sunshine Speedway in Pinellas Park in one of them.
TBARA Orlando Speed World, August 31, 2007
1)3X Bo Hartley; 2) 66 Kipp Beard; 3) 18 Stan Butler; 4) 22 Wayne Reutimann Sr.; 5) 91 David Steele; 6) 99 Brian Gingras; 7) 19 Keith Butler; 8) 68 Troy DeCaire; 9) 14 Shane Butler; 10) 51 Mark Gimmler; 11) 0 Dude Teate; 12) 79 David Slawiak; 13) 21B Larry J Brazil Jr; 14) 55 Tommy Nichols; 15) 47 Richard Waddell; 16) 29 Gary Gimmler; 17) 80 Wendy Mathis; 18) 41 Steve Heisler; 19) 15 D.J. Hoelzle (DNF); 20) 21 Jim Alvis (DNF); 21) 44 Bill Pettijohn (DNF); 22) 4D Brian Maddox (DNF); 23) 5 Blaze Martin (DNF); 24) 41D Mickey Kempgens (DNF)
The 9X driven by Michael Smith was unable to start the feature race.
HEAT 1
1) 18 Stan Butler
2) 47 Richard Waddell
3) 55 Tommy Nichols
4) 91 David Steele
5) 0 Dude Teate
6) 80 Wendy Mathis
7) 41D Mickey Kempgens
8) 44 Bill Pettijohn
9X Michael Smith - DNS
HEAT 2
1) 3X Bo Hartley
2) 99 Brian Gingras
3) 19 Keith Butler
4) 51 Mark Gimmler
5) 22 Wayne Reutimann Sr.
6) 29 Gary Gimmler
7) 4D Brad Davis
8) 79 David Slawiak
HEAT 3
1) 15 D.J. Hoelzle
2) 68 Troy DeCaire
3) 66 Kipp Beard
4) 21B Larry Brazil Jr.
5) 21 Jim Alvis
6) 41 Steve Heisler
7) 5 Blaze Martin
8) 14 Shane Butler
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