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| Thursday, November 9, 2006 | |
| DERRICK WOOD GETS FIRST FLORIDA CRACKER CLASSICS WIN AT SPEEDWORLD | By Dave Westerman
The Florida Cracker Classics wrapped up their 2006 season Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld with the youngest driver in the field coming home a winner for the very first time.
There was plenty of wild action in the heat race that saw John Smith expertly work his way to the front to take the win.
Feature race action got started on the pace lap when pole sitters Tommy Kirk and Bill Posey locked horns in turn two causing Kirk to have to go to the pits to replace a flat tire. With the inside row moving up a position, that put young Derrick Wood on the pole and he immediately took charge with Posey settling into second. Kirk returned to the race but he was two laps down.
Caution flew on lap three as Jeff Wright looped his mount in turn four. Meanwhile, heat winner Smith took his car to the pits with mechanical troubles. He would return several laps later but would not be a factor.
Meanwhile, Posey, Norm Agostinho and a resurgent Wright were beginning to put the pressure on Wood until Tommy Kirk spun on lap 12. The trio, expecting a caution flag to come out, all backed off. However, no yellow flew and Wood was long gone before his challengers could get back up to speed.
Wood, who raced here in both the Bandeleros and Legends Cars, took his first ever "big car" win in style and was joined in victory lane by his dad, many time Speedworld champion Ricky Wood.
Posey was happy to come home second after a tough day. "I probably had the worst handling car I ever brought to a race track," said Posey. "My crew changed everything but the body between the heat and feature and it finally hooked up, so I'm happy with second," he said.
Agostinho crossed the stripe in third followed by Wright and Ron Gustafson. Rounding out the top ten were Andrew Gustafson, Brad Newburg, Kirk, Doug Johnson and Smith.
| Agostinho gets Third Win of the Year in Cracker Classics at SpeedWorld | by Dave Westerman
 The Florida Cracker Classics were back in action Friday night at Orlando Speedworld as an extra addition to the weekly FASCAR Stock Car race program.
Due to the large number of races to be run, it was a "features only" night as the Classics got set to go for 20 laps of action with Tommy Kirk on the pole for the start.
Kirk wasted little time in setting the pace as the remainder of the field jockeyed for position behind him.
Things came to a quick halt on lap four as Brad Norburg, driving Simeon Spagnuolo's coupe while his own car is out of action, slammed into the front stretch wall at the flag stand. Norburg was OK but the car was a mess.
Kirk had his hands full on the restart as Norm Agostinho dove under him going into turn one and grabbed the lead bringing Jeff Wright with him. Wright, who had just come off a third place performance in the nights Sportsman feature, was looking to make it back to back Cracker Classic wins but Agostinho had his car working perfectly in the bottom groove and led the remaining distance to claim his third FCC win of the year.
Wright was a very close second while John Smith worked his way into third spot on lap ten but was too far behind the leaders to close without the aid of another caution flag which never came. Kirk held on for fourth while Ron Gustafson was fifth just ahead of Florida State senator Bill posey who was making just his second start of the year in his Charlie Crist for Governor Special.
Jim Rahman battled an ill-handling car to seventh with David Nunes, Andrew Gustafson, Doug Johnson and Norburg rounding out the finishing field.
The Florida Cracker Classics conclude their 2006 season on Saturday night, November 4th at Orlando Speedworld.
| John Smith becomes 6th Different Florida Cracker Classics Winner | By Dave Westerman
Six races - six faces... that's the continuing story of the 2006 Florida Cracker Classics racing season as John Smith of Orlando drove his "World's Oldest Chevelle" to the win Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld. In six races this season, there have now been six different winners.
Smith got things off to a good start by taking the heat race and led lap one of the scheduled 20 lap feature before pole sitter Danny Shearer, making just his second start of the year, got back out front.
Caution flew on lap four as rookie driver Brad Norburg spun in turn four and was clipped by Greg Helton. Norburg continued while Helton drove to the infield for a lap before re-entering the race.
Norburg had problems again two laps later as he spun in his own oil going into turn one after something broke in the engine. The red flag was displayed as track crews cleaned up the bottom groove of turn one and Norburg's car was towed to the pits.
Shearer continued to lead on the restart but Smith was working the high groove and forged ahead going into turn three. Shearer was trying to hang on, but got loose and spun in turn four starting a wild crash. 2005 FCC Champion Jim Rahman hit the turn four wall very hard trying to avoid things and was out of the race along with the cars of Norm Agostinho and Rodney Eary.
At this point there were only five cars left on the track and Speedworld officials decided to cut the race to ten laps. Smith had no trouble leading the final three circuits as he took an easy win over Ron Gustafson and Shearer. For Gustafson, it was his best career finish. Dee Napier, back in a race car after several years, drove Simeon Spagnuolo's car to fourth spot while Helton rounded out the top five. Agostinho, Rahman, Norburg, Jeff Wright and Eary were credited with sixth through tenth.
The Florida Cracker Classics will now take a planned two month "Summer vacation," returning to action on September 2nd at Orlando Speedworld
FLORIDA CRACKER CLASSIC RACE RESULTS
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