Veteran wins track's biggest purse

By LOGAN NEILL

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 5, 2000

INVERNESS -- A rain-slickened track forced a one-day postponement of Citrus County Speedway action Saturday night. But for Late Model veteran Dick Anderson, the wait was well worth it.

By winning Sunday's 75-lap Late Model shootout, Anderson walked away with $3,300, believed to be the largest single purse in track history. The Wildwood driver and former Citrus County Speedway operator, whose last win on the quarter-mile circuit came a decade ago, made it look easy. Drawing the top starting slot, Anderson barreled ahead with the rest of the 18-car field in tow.

The warm track temperatures contributed to the high attrition that claimed 10 starters. However, Anderson's No. 34 machine seemed perfectly dialed in to capture the flag-to-flag victory.

Despite posting the fastest qualifying time of 13.710 seconds, points leader Mike Bresnahan had to fight hard from his 10th starting spot. While he didn't challenge Anderson, Bresnahan, who won the "Hard Charger" award, managed to dislodge Robert Etling from second late. Bresnahan won $2,950. Third place went to John Lovelady, who finished ahead of Mike Franklin Jr. Etling held on to finish fifth.

Sportsman division veteran John Gann took advantage of Robbie Yoakam's mechanical troubles to capture his second win of the season. Yoakam, who led the first 10 laps, was sidelined with an ailing engine, leaving Gann to take the lead. Meanwhile, David Dollar found himself the beneficiary of Jim Smith's DNF to capture second ahead of Alan Struble. Fourth place went to Johnny Sanders with Travis Nichols finishing fifth.

Mini Stocker Mark Sowell inched his way toward the points lead by taking the win in the 25-lap feature. The win was Sowell's fourth of the season and helped to move him within 12 points of George Neumann. Second place went to Billy Smith, who finished ahead of Kevin Harrod, John Coleman and Frank Coleman.

In Street Stocks, it was Wayne Lewis's dramatic pass of Dean Lawyer that allowed him to post his second win in the 25-lap feature. Meanwhile, Lawyer made it a four-way battle for second, beating out Ernie Reed, Wes Wilson and Mike Bell.

Richie Smith made his second Hobby Stock win an emotional one by dedicating the victory to his 9-month-old niece, Halley Benson, who died earlier in the week. Smith topped a 20-car field, followed by J.D. Goff, Mike Ruff, Chris Hooker and James Teague. Scott Knight led a 13-car field to his first Figure 8 victory of the season. Knight, a veteran of the division, cruised comfortably to the finish line. Tim Henault earned second ahead of Robert Aaron, Robbie Hage and Curtis Yoaman.

Steve Burdett finished ahead of Jeff Franker and Roy Blotz to take his third Street-Legal Junker win of the season.

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