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Rick Anges
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (March 29) - Two days turned into one then turned into three as once again as last year Mother Nature delayed the first race of the season at the reconfigured Golden Isles Speedway for the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series. Unlike last year this year's race was to be a two-day affair.
Day one was a complete wash out as heavy storms moved through in the late afternoon. Although a gallant effort as put forth by Frankie Lloyd and the crew of Golden Isles a second shower was too much and the entire schedule was pushed to Saturday.
Saturday morning weather was worse then Friday as radar showed strong storms with tornados headed straight for the track. But at four o'clock cars rolled out and packed the track in.
Qualifying rolled out for UDLMCS drivers and when it was all said and done "The Professor" Ivedent Lloyd, driving the 07 car of David Clegg, was fastest around the now 3/8 mile Georgia clay. Going out tenth in group number two with a time of 16.472 taking the Zeigler Racing Engines "Fast Time Award". This would also be the new track record for the UDLMCS at the newly shaped G.I.S.
"Racin" Jason Fitzgerald, who made a pretty good name for himself in '08 driving the Bobby Labonte Foundation backed machine, was the fastest out of group two with a second overall fast time of 16.577. Fast time out of group three was Jacksonville native Jeff Henry with a 16.775 time.
As the first heat for the local class rolled onto the track the storms that looked like they would head north slammed onto the track. At 7pm the races were called again and Frankie Lloyd himself was heard saying, "We'll be back here at noon Sunday after church".
The series website www.uniteddirtlatemodels.com kept fans and racers up to date with all the weekends info.
Sunday saw blue skies over the South Georgia Clay and racing resumed with three Heat races that sent six drivers on to the sixty-lap A-Main for the $5,000 winners share of the purse. This would be followed by one B-main with four moving on to the A-main. Two more drivers would get provisional's to make the twenty-four car field.
"Racin" Jason Fitzgerald took the win in Heat one with '08 Champ "the Locomotive" Johnny Collins crossing in second. A winner with UDLMCS at G.I.S. and regular at the Brunswick track "Tallahassee Terror" Tyler Ivey finished third. Brandon Dewitt, Joe Kump and Chuck Chitty also moved on from the first Heat.
A stellar line up graced Heat two. Ivedent Lloyd fans would once again cheer, as he was the winner in the second Heat under the sunny Georgia Sunday afternoon skies. Ocala winner "the Magic Man" Mark Whitener would follow in second; Dillon Wood was in the third spot. Fourth through sixth were Russell Brown Jr., Travis Pennington and Stanton Mills.
Jeff Henry had strong win in the third and final Heat of the day. Brandon Cameron moved to the A in second. Adam Bedenbaugh was third; Jay John son took fourth with Darrell Padgett and Clay Bedenbaugh taking the final feature spots.
The B-main saw thirteen drivers vying for four spots in the prestigious A-main. Ten laps of hard fought racing saw Kyle Van Sickle come out on top. "Sugar Bear" Wayne Shugart was second with Bo Allen and Charlie Williamson moving on to the big dance. Jordan Lockhart and Phillip Cobb would get the provisional's to make the twenty four-car field.
The Professor would raw the number one starting spot with Fitzgerald scooping up the outside of row one. The Magic Man and The Locomotive were the heavy hitters in row two.
Several miscues hindered the start but when the green dropped it was clear the Lloyd had not only figured out David Cleggs ride but also the now tricky track surface. What had started out as a muddy wet track had now turned into a blacked hard track.
Collins and Fitzgerald both gave Lloyd a run for his money early in the race putting several three-car battles for the top spot. It was Lloyd though who pull away during the long green flag runs.
Fitzgerald looked like a shoe in for the second spot when apparent contact with a lapped car caused some steering damage. He would spin running second late in the race sending him to the rear of the field. He would finish twelfth for the day.
A long green flag run was all he needed, as Ivedent Lloyd would make it two out of three wins for the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series at Golden Isles Speedway. Johnny Collins was able to hold off Dillon Wood for second. Mark Whitener was able to hold onto his points lead over Collins with a fourth place run. Jeff Henry ran a solid fifth on the day.
For more info on the series go to www.uniteddirtlatemodels.com
All race are broadcast LIVE over the Internet by www.RealRacinUSA.com
60-lap A-Main Results:
1. Ivedent Lloyd-Zeigler Racing Engines Fast Qualifier
2. Johnny Collins
3. Dillon Wood
4. Mark Whitener
5. Jeff Henry
6. Tyler Ivey
7. Russell Brown Jr.
8. Chuck Chitty
9. Joe Kump
10. Wayne Shugart
11. Adam Bedenbaugh
12. Jason Fitzgerald
13. Bo Allen
14. Stanton Mills
15. Clay Bedenbaugh
16. Jay Johnson
17. Phillip Cobb
18. Brandon DeWitt
19. Brandon Cameron
20. Kyle Van Sickle
21. Darrell Padgett
22. Charlie Williamson
23. Travis Pennington
24. Jordan Lockhart
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