David Steele Opens TBARA Sprint Season With Win at Citrus County Speedway
By Larry MacMillan
It was another banner night at Citrus County Speedway’s second race of the season featuring the TBARA Winged Sprint Cars plus four local divisions.
The TBARA Winged Sprint cars put their 800 horsepower rockets through their paces in 3 heats and a 30 lap main event that saw 27 of 29 cars that came to race. Unofficial stop watch times during warm ups saw some of the heavy hitters running in the low 12 second mark which converts to 100 mph plus on the straight chutes.
Larry Brazil led the first 8 lap heat from flag to flag over a 9 car field. Outside pole sitter Shane Butler took the point on the green flag to win the second heat over the next 9 car line up. Pole sitter Dude Teate locked onto the point from the get go and no one was able outrun him to the checkers in the third heat.
Mark Gimmler won the pole slot for the 30 lap main with 1st heat winner Larry Brazil on the outside winning the drag race to turn 1 & 2 to set the early pace with 4th starter Blaize Marlin hot on his rear nurf bar and David Steele coming out of his 3rd starting spot to lock onto the front two.
A couple of early caution flags came out for minor spins and one crash within the first 15 laps with the front three seeing Brazil, Steele and Marlin running in that order. On the restart into lap 16 David Steele put the hammer down and it was all over but David raising his hand in Victory at the checkered flag to take the first TBARA win of the season.
Larry Brazil held out for 2nd followed by Blaize Marlin, Dude Teate, Shane Butler and defending 2007 Champion Troy DeCaire. The fans certainly satisfied their need for speed with this fast division coming into the 2008 season with a new management team.
TBARA Winged Sprint Feature – 30 Laps – 27 Cars Feature: 1. 91 Dave Steele; 2. 21B Larry Jay Brazil, Jr; 3. 5 Blaze Martin; 4. 0 Dude Teate; 5. 18 Shane Butler; 6. 68 Troy DeCaire; 7. 1X John Anderson; 8. 51 Mark Gimmler; 9. 56D Jeff Van Duesen; 10. 0z Joe Liguori; 11. 9 Michael Smith; 12. 88 Frank Neill; 13. 35 Rod Anderson; 14. 16 Ben Fritz; 15. 41 Steve Heisler; 16. 99X Tim Buchanan; 17. 21T John Gilbertson; 18. 21M Derrin Miller; 19. DJ Hoezle; 20. 1B Brian Maddox; 21. 79. Dakota Stevens; 22. 5s Steven Sinwald; 23. 44 Bill Pettijohn; 24. 3x Bo Hartley; 25. 55 Tommy Nichols; 26. 47 Richard Waddell; 27. 27 Sonny Hartley; 28. 21 Jim Alvis.
Heat1 1. Brazil; 2. Nichols; 3. Hoezle; 4. Heisler; 5. J Anderson; 6. S Hartley; 7. Liguori; 8. R Anderson.
It was another banner night at Citrus County Speedway’s second race of the season featuring the TBARA Winged Sprint Cars plus four local divisions.