Tracks: Rudder takes two; Dunkin takes first at Auburndale Speedway
10 August 1999
By Larry VergonAuburndale, FL: Twin 25 lap features were on tap in Modified Mini Stock this week at Auburndale, and in a departure from normal, they qualified for starting positions. Twenty cars attempted to win the pole position, with Eugene Davidson the quickest, with a time of 15.748 around the tight quarter mile oval. At the end of two exciting races, Mike Rudder had taken both wins and received a bonus for the double. Rudder has now won nine features, in a season that is just past half way.
In the first feature, Davidson started on the pole, with Rudder on the outside of the first row. Davidson and Rudder battled for several laps, with Rudder finally taking command. A late race caution bunched the field for the restart, putting Davidson right behind Rudder, and the two drivers swapped the lead twice in the last two laps, with Rudder in front at the finish and Davidson second. Chuck Frazier was third, after starting in seventh; Tony Davidson was fourth, up from ninth at the start; and Tim Reynolds started twelfth and finished fifth.
The second feature lineup had the top three from the first feature inverted, with the rest starting as they finished the first. This time, Rudder took the lead on lap 2 and opened up a large lead, until a caution on lap 18 bunched the field, with Jason Rendell in second, and Davidson in third. On the restart, Rendell and Davidson took turns trying to get around Rudder, but Rudder was not to be denied. Wayne Weaver, the points leader, who had problems in the first feature and lined up fourteenth, had quietly worked his way through the field and was able to get by Davidson to take second. Davidson was third, Chuck Frazier finished fourth, and Michael Seeright came home fifth, with Rendell falling to sixth.
Dave Dunkin has had several top five finishes this season in Limited Late Model Sportsman, but finally got the feature win that had eluded him. Dunkin started the 25 lap Feature on the outside of the second row and used the outside groove to pass Keith Simpson before a lap two caution; and Von Pope after the restart, taking the lead on the fifth lap. Dunkin then showed the rest of the field that he was the best in class this night, by taking a three quarter lap margin of victory as the race ran caution free the rest of the way. Pope was second, with Thomas Poff, Robbie Storer, and Ollie Harbin in a nose to tail freight train the rest of the race. None made the mistake the other was looking for, and all were so evenly matched, none could get around the other, and that was the way they finished. Dunkin also won his heat race with the second heat win to Westley Bass.
The Street Stock 25 lap feature was won by Chuck Steele, his first of the season. Steele started on the pole and led all 25 laps. Steele had opened up a sizeable lead by half way, then the lead started to diminish as he was being caught by the rest of the field. A caution bunched the field with seven laps to go, and Steeles chances for victory appeared to be in jeopardy, but he was able to hold on for the win. Ron Lofquist was second, using the outside groove to move up from a tenth place start, followed by Richard Hight, James Wright III, and Billy Jones. Heat race winners were Lofquist and Hight.
The V8 Pure Stock 15 lap feature had another first time winner as Jason Todd drove from a tenth place start to take the lead, and the win, with three laps to go. Rick Bacon had gone to the lead early from his eighth place start, but faded at the end to finish third. Josh Haranda was second, after starting sixth, Bob Gorsuch came from twelfth to finish fourth, and Mike Peace was fifth. Troy Lacey and Bacon took the heat race wins.
In 4 Cylinder Pure Stock, Timmy McKenzie couldnt believe his eyes as he started down the backstretch late in the race and saw the first and second place cars almost stopped out near the retaining wall. They had tangled in the second turn and McKenzie blew by them for his third feature win of the season. McKenzie had worked to be in position to capitalize on their misfortune, as he came from ninth at the green, to be in third when the leaders got in trouble. Chris Narramore finished second, after starting seventh, Matt Craig made a late race pass to take third, and Mark Soule and Scott Taylor rounded out the top five. Narramore won the heat race.
The Classic Race Cars returned to Auburndale for their second of three appearances this season and had another first time winner, as Dan Hammerbeck took the feature win. "Grandpa" Mo Davenport, who is 70 years young, was second, followed by Jim Rahman, Rodney Eary, and David Nunes. Davenport got his first ever feature win at Auburndale earlier this season. The heat race wins went to Rahman and Hammerbeck.
Next Saturday, August 14th, Auburndale will be closed as we will all be at USA International Speedway for the Florida Pro Late Models, SARA Late Model Sportsman, and SARA Modifieds. Action returns to Auburndale, August 21st with the Limited Late Model Sportsman Coca Cola 100, Modified Mini Stocks, Street Stocks, Four Cylinder Pure Stocks, and Pure Stock V-8s.
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.