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By LOGAN NEILL
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 29, 2001
Last season's final night of racing at Citrus County Speedway featured a championship battle between points leader Wes Wilson and Ernie Reed Jr.
Though Reed managed to outdrive Wilson to the checkered flag that night, Reed lost the title by a mere 12 points. It was like getting close enough for a taste of something special but never close enough to take a bite. The same might be said for this season, except Reed at least has left his teeth marks. Last week, a second-place finish enabled the 28-year-old Lecanto driver to pass Travis Nichols into the Street Stock points lead. The best part about it, says Reed, is he's just getting started.
"It's good to be in the points lead right now because things tend to get better for us in the second half of the year," Reed said.
He cites two reasons for his optimism. One is attrition. As last year's season wound down, many of his toughest rivals went belly-up in the final weeks, moving Reed from sixth to second in points. Secondly, Reed thinks his car gets faster when the weather cools down.
"I don't know exactly why that is," he said. "But it just seems to handle better when it's cold out. Hopefully, I'll have the fastest car in the fall."
In a division known for tough competition, Reed has developed a reputation for speed and consistency. However, he says the latter probably plays the most important role when it comes to scoring championship points.
"You can drive as hard as you want, but if you're getting DNFs (Did Not Finish) every third or fourth week, you end up working twice as hard to stay in the points," Reed said.
With three feature wins and more than six top-three finishes, Reed has worked hard at keeping his T.J. Michaels/Charles Pope Cellular/Duke & Duke Remodeling-sponsored racer among the best. He credits much of the No. 55's durability to the constant attention of his crew.
Help comes from family and friends. His father, Ernie Sr., a longtime car builder, keeps the engine of Reed's machine in top form. Teammate Dean Lawyer crafted most of the recent bodywork, and Dave Veltman provides valuable expertise in suspension setup.
WHAT: Short-track stock car racing in the Sportsman, Street Stock, Hobby Stock and Street-Legal Junker classes, as well as kids rides and the Bobby Clark RV Sales and Service Late Model 30-lap feature.
WHEN: Saturday. Gates open at 4 p.m. The first heat race is at 6:30.
LATE MODEL: 1. Herb Neumann, Jr. (447), 2. Dale Sanders (413), 3. Tim Sharrone (374).
SPORTSMAN: 1. Mike Veltman (551), 2. Rex Struble (461), 3. Chris Hooker (459).
STREET STOCK: 1. Ernie Reed Jr. (510), 2. Travis Nichols (505), 3. Mike Bell (485).
MINI STOCK: 1. Frank Coleman (468), 2. Kevin Harrod (457), 3. John Coleman (453).
HOBBY STOCK: 1. Richie Smith (599), 2. Roy Perkins (499), 3. J.D. Goff (484).
FIGURE 8: 1. Bob Hage (264), 2. Robbie Hage (248), 3. Peanut Higgenbotham (234).
STREET-LEGAL JUNKERS: 1. Stuart Madison (516), 2. Jerry Hoover (432), 3. Allen Turner (424).