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From Deep in 18 Car Field,
Watts Finishes 5th
Five Straight for Conrad
in Legends Action
at Orlando SpeedWorld
by Dave Westerman, OrlandoSpeedWorld.org
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3/28/04
Photos (n/a)
Current
Stats
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New starting procedures for the RE/MAX
Legends Cars didn't deter Patrick Conrad from taking
his fifth consecutive victory Saturday night at Orlando
Speedworld.
After winning his heat, the young
Clermont driver started on the inside of row three for
the 25 lap feature. Wesley McLeod led lap one but caution
was out immediately as James Rodriguez and Bobby Byars
tangled and hit the wall in turn one. Both cars were
done for the night.
Jeremy Colangelo took the lead on
the restart only to see the caution out again as originally
pole sitter Darin "T-Bone" Coker spun in turn one.
Colangelo continued to hold the lead
as Conrad moved into second spot by the end of lap four.
The two young drivers, who grew up racing Quarter Midgets
against each other, ran nose to tail for several laps
before Conrad made the pass for the lead on lap eleven.
Colangelo stayed on Conrad's bumper
the remainder of the distance but Conrad held on to
remain undefeated for 2004. Colangelo was second for
the third race in a row with brothers Kevin and Kory
Abbott third and fourth. Sam
Watts came from deep in the 18 car starting
field to finish fifth.
RE/MAX Legends heats were won by Conrad
and Colangelo.
The Florida Mini Cup Racing Association
brought 18 cars to the speedway and put on quite a show.
Wes Thompson put his Chris Fontaine Challenge machine
ahead of early leader Doug Smith and held off Terry
Tullis for the win in a race that went 25 laps green
to checker.
Smith came home third in front of
Carlos Gonzales and David Taylor.
Thompson and Terry Tullis won the heats.
It was a brother act at the head of
the FWRA Modified Lite feature. Mark Landis of Delray
Beach slipped by early leader Wild Bill Burback on lap
four but had older brother George Landis right behind
him.
The only caution of this 25 lap run
was for Burback who uncorked an engine in turn one on
lap 18 spreading oil and pieces of metal all over the
race track.
Once the field returned to green,
no one had anything for the Landis brothers as Mark
took the win followed by George with Dan Berry coming
home third. Phil Krauthoff and Stan Hope were fourth
and fifth.
Mark Landis and Burback won the Mod
Lite heats.
The always competitive Pro Challenge
cars put on quite a show including a pretty nasty wreck
in turn one that saw Tim Hart's car towed from the track
after collecting a spinning Mark David.
Ken Watts led the opening ten laps
in his truck before Todd Currier sped past and led the
remainder of the way in his Ford Taurus bodied car.
Another brother act, Rob and Brad
Sanders, took second and third. Mark David drove a great
race to come back from his earlier incident to finish
fourth followed by Howard Brennan in fifth.
Pro Challenge heat races were won
by Currier and Brennan.
It was a great race in the Bandelro
Young Guns feature as 13 year old Chelsea Schillig passed
early leader Brandon Thomson and went on to win her
second straight feature event. Scott Jarrett came home
second followed by Derrick Wood, Thomson and Matthew
Jarrett. Great Grampa Dave Jarrett was the top finishing
"Outlaw." Schillig also won the heat.
Gerald White, Jr. topped both the
heat and feature in relatively easy fashion to win for
the third consecutive week in Bandelero Bandits action.
Ryan Rust, Blake Eden and Donovan Ponder trailed White.
Greg Bruce drove his Ford Escort to
the Hurricane win, his third of the year, and, although
the class runs only for trophies, was presented $62
cash in victory lane raised by the fans. "The car only
cost me $100 to put on the track, so now it's almost
paid for!" said Bruce.
Brian Bleau came home second followed
by A.J. Flywheel, Red Buttz, and "Raybo."
Action continues next Saturday at
7PM as the Modified Lites and Pro Challenge cars will
be back along with the RE/MAX Legends, Bandeleros and
Hurricanes. As always, grandstand admission is just
five dollars or you can get a free admission coupon
by stopping in at Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts of Taft
in South Orlando.
Legends Results
Orlando Speedworld - 3/27/04
1. Patrick Conrad #2
2. Jeremy Colangelo #05
3. Kevin Abbott #98
4. Kory Abbott #5
5. Sam Watts #73
6. Wesley McLeod #22
7. Darin Coker #00
8. Johnny Sabo #5X
9. Brandon Thomson #29
10. Derrick Wood #33jr.
11. Mike Fazio #38
12. Dion Hinsky #4
13. Mike Verhaagh #7
14. Bob Wilson #27W
15. Doug Hall #55
16. Kyle Dombeck #20
17. James Rodriguez #19
18. Bobby Byars #22A
Reproduced
with permission.
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