Tracks: Browning two for two in Late Models at Jax Raceways
4 August 1999
By: Donnie Helmly:JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA--The NASCAR Winston Racing Late Model division saw a pair of veterans up front and battling it out for the win in the 30 lap featured event last Saturday night. The event looked like a re play from just a week ago, at the half mile NASCAR sanctioned dirt track.
Former division champion David Browning set fast time in qualifying action once again with current points leader Jeff Godbee setting second fastest, placing the two up front for the start of the 30 lap feature event.
Browning out fired Godbee and took off to the lead, where he would stay, fighting off passing attempts from Godbee to claim his second win in a row. Godbee settled for second, rookie of the year contender Michael Murrer was running a strong third until spinning out on lap 25, allowing Terry Pless to move up to finish third, with Robert McCormick and Buster Delay rounding out the top five. Godbee holds an 84-point lead in the point's chase over Steve Whitener.
The Hobby Stock division continues to be top's when it comes to entertainment value, at Jax Raceways. The ever-popular division kept the crowd on their feet throughout the 20-lap feature event, as the front runners swapped the lead a number of times.
Randy Clark SR. set fast time in qualifying action circling the mile track in 21.69 with his son Randy Clark JR setting second fastest with a 21.92. The start of the race saw the elder of the two out front for one lap, when points leader Eddie Holton took over, but Clark was back to the front the next lap. This set the stage for the entire race, as the two swapped the top position, with Holton leading the most important lap, the final one. Clark settled for second with defending champion Tony Callaway in third, with Clark JR and Bobby Padgett rounding out the top five.
The Open Wheel Modified division saw Kenny Bayless capture his 6th feature event of the 1999 season. Bayless sat on the pole with his brother and teammate Kevin on the outside pole. On the fire of the race, it was Kenny that won the race to turn one and the front spot where he would stay for all 20 laps. Point's leader Bobby Balkcom dropped in the second spot, with Kevin Bayless in third. Kevin would be sidelined on lap six, with mechanical failure, and Steve Whitener moved up to the third spot. Whitener would move up one more spot on lap 16, where he would stay until the checkered flag to finish in the runner up spot, and move Balkcom back to third with Ronnie Ponce and Robert McCormick rounding out the top five.
The Pure Stock division had trouble getting up and running, as the officials were forced to call the event, do to time restraints, before the 15 laps could be completed. Windal Clark led the final 3 laps of the feature and took home the top honors. Last weeks winner Priscilla Yergy crossed the stripe in second, with Mark Whitener in third and Hardy Jarvis and Bill Burkhart making up the top five.
The Florida Mini Sprints took to the mile track and when the checkered flag flew it was Jesse Teed of Orlando taking home the top honors, after taking the lead with just two laps remaining, and holding off Harold Matthews of Jacksonville and John Craddock also of Orlando.
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