2013 Track Champions Crowned at Desoto Speedway

BRADENTON - The final night of regular racing action of the 2013 season saw champions crowned unofficially for Desoto Speedway's classes of racers, including some who took full advantage of double points offered across the board to win their respective classes.

In Pro Truck action, Chad Chastain of Alva needed a win and a finish of no better than third by Brett Huber. Huber of Venice grabbed the lead early in the 25-lap feature and appeared to be setting sail for the win before a caution for debris bunched up the field and allowed Chastain to close on his rear bumper. Huber and Chastain raced each other hard for several laps, with Chastain getting to the lead with about six laps remaining. He would go on to win the race, but Huber's runner-up finish allowed him to win the 2013 Pro Truck season title by just two points over Chastain, the younger brother of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver and former Desoto competitor Ross Chastain.

Coming into Saturday night's racing, Joey Azzata held a 56-point advantage over Keith Sinkula in the Legends points race. Azzata was absent Saturday night, meaning Sinkula needed to win the race and take the 60 points available for winning the race to take the title. Sinkula started last in the field in the 20-lap race, but passed Darin Coker for the lead as the field completed the fifth lap of the race. Coker stayed in Sinkula's tracks for the duration of the event, but it was Sinkula sitting in the winner's circle with both the race and champion's trophies at the end of the night.

In other action Saturday night, James Dellea of Port Charlotte needed to just finish ahead of Chris Loney to win the Road Warrior title. Jeff Firestine led the first 21 laps of the 25-lap main event before a mechanical failure sent him to the infield and Dellea to the lead. Dellea went on to win both the race and the championship, and celebrated by doing a dual nose-to-tail burnout along the front stretch wall with teammate Richard Nelson, who finished second to Dellea in the race.

In the Pro 4 division, Randy Johnson took advantage of a mechanical problem by points and race leader Ronald Robinson with just a handful of laps left in the 20-lap feature. As Robinson began slowing after just taking the lead from Jessica Ostrovskis on lap 16, both Ostrovskis and Johnson got by and battled for the lead. Johnson got by Ostrovskis coming to the white flag and went on to win the race. Robinson's mechanical issues proved costly, as his third place finish gave the season title to Robinson.

Sherry Best saw her amazing season in the Rookie 4 division come to an end with another feature win and the season championship, while James Widner finished off his championship season in the Junk Yard Dogs division with a feature win. In the 25-lap Street Stock feature, Bill Vandevender got by brother Stuart with just a few laps remaining to take the win. Bill was not able to pass the tech inspection which turned the win back over to his brother Stuart Vandevender from N. Ft. Myers. Duane Best was the champion in that class for 2013.

Ric Mills won the Cowboy Cadillac feature, but it was John Pummell Jr. walking away with the season championship. John Parrish was the feature winner in the Outlaw Modified event. That series does not race for points at Desoto Speedway.

Other track champions whose season had already concluded prior to Saturday night included Joe Boyd in Super Late Model; Steve Arnold in Open Wheel Modifieds; and Aaron Williamson in the Late Model Sportsman division.

Up next for Desoto Speedway is the Crash n' Bash night on Dec. 28. The night will feature school bus figure 8 racing, a demolition derby, flag pole racing, reverse races and more.

Desoto Speedway Results 12-7-2013

Rookie 4
1. 3 Sherry Best  Myaka City
2. 67 Jimmie Best
3. 11 Zack Rogers Clearwater
4. 41 Marina Petty Venice
5. Caylee Lombardi Sarasota

Pro 4
1. 73 Randy Johnson Bradenton
2. 91 Jessica Ostrovskis St. Pete
 3. 05 Ronnie Robinson Bradenton
4. 67 D.J. Tanner Venice
5. 99 Johnny Marra Cape Coral

Road Warrior
1. 81 James Dellea III Port Charlotte
2. 80 Richard Nelson Port Charlotte
3. 98 Cody Allen Lehigh
 4. 57 Mark Petty Venice
5. 44 Rick Hess Port Charlotte
6. 26 Brian Hillyer North Port
7. 97Chris Scott Nakomis
8. 99 Jeff Firestine Venice
9. 33 Chris Loney Naples

Legends
1. 19 Keith Sinkula Palm City
 2. 00X Darin Coker West Palm
3. 99 Kyle Capobianco Spring Hill
4. 7 Mike Verhaagh Ft. Myers
5. 26 Joey Langis Coral Spring
6. 65 Gary Bursey Canada
7. 15 David Flail Bradenton
8. 01 Devin McLeod Zephyrhills

Pro Trucks
1. 36 Chad Chastain Alva
2. 64 Brett Huber Venice
3. 40W J.R. Welden Sarasota
4. 75 Ricky Bullard Jr. Arcadia
5. 21 Randy Leonard Lake Placid
6. 2X Gerald Campbell Sebring

Junk Yard Dogs
 1. 5 James Widner Myaka City
2. 171 Dalton Ellis Myaka City
3. 85 Ron Sorenson Jr. Pinellas Park
4. 65 Casey Rounds St. Pete
5. 8 Josh Widner Myaka City
6. 01 Aaron Widner Myaka City
7. 99 Michael Hart St Pete DNS

Street Stock
1. 36 Stuart Vandevender N. Ft Myers
2. 2 Bobby Fischer Naples
3. 3X Duane Best Myaka City
4. 50 David Blanchard Bradenton
5. 19 Jim Middendorf Naples
6. 80 Richard Nelson Port Charlotte
 7. 7 Blaine Baer Port Charlotte
8. 10 Tim Miller Bradenton
9. B1 Cody Benoit Lehigh
10. 33 Billy Vandevender N. Ft Myers Dqed in Tech
11. 71 Darren Ellis Myaka City Dqed in Tech
12. 98 Cody Allen Lehigh DNS

Cowboy Cadillacs
1. 22 Ric Mills Arcadia
2. 86 John Pummell Jr Arcadia
3. 5 Ed Snyder North Port
4. 80 Richard Nelson Port Charlotte DNS

Outlaw Modifieds Merle Caswell Memorial
1. 9 John Parrish
 2. 26 Mike Endee
3. 10 Kevin Campbell
4. 22 Jim Leferene
5. 61 Paul Richards Sr.
6. 5 Kevin Endee
7. 00 Cliff Wilman
8. 51 Mark Patton