Scott Lockwood
BRADENTON – Saturday night's 25-lap LKQ Pick Your Parts Autoparts Pure Stock feature looked like it would end up as an all-Best family podium at the end of the night.
But when the checkers finally flew after a crash filled event, it was Palmetto's Chad Cummings spoiling the Best's party in collecting his first feature win of the season.
Kyle Best grabbed the early lead with Duane Best and Jimmie Best in tow. Jimmie Best got by brother Duane for second on lap three. Kyle Best kept the lead until the handling started to slip away about 10 laps into the event.
Jimmie Best Took the lead on lap 12. Less than two laps later trouble broke out in the front of the field when Jimmie Best spun in front of the field in turn four As Best spun around he was hit hard by Kyle Best, ending the night for both drivers.
Duane Best inherited the lead with Cody Allen, who started deep in the field, up to second and Chad Cummings third. Dennis Wilson went from fourth to second on the restart. Caution flew again one lap later for the stalled car of Bobby Mobley in turn four.
On the restart, Best and Wilson got together heading into the first turn, sending Best hard into the turn one wall. Wilson returned to the track after quick repairs, but the wreck meant that the Best's wound up with three damaged race cars instead of a sweep of the podium
Cummings assumed the lead on the restart. Wilson up from fifth to third on the restart. For the the final 10 laps, Wilson tried to get by Nick Malverty for second, but neither driver had anything for Cummings over the closing stages of the race as he went on to his first win of the season.
Malverty finished second with Wilson third. Malverty was later disqualified for being found too light in tech, handing the runner-up spot to Wilson and third to Brian Hillyer.
The J.D. Byrider Open Wheel Modifieds were also on hand for a 25-lap event. The race started as a three-way battle between polesitter Joey Logan, Dalton Nelson and L.J. Grimm at the green flag. Three laps in, contact between the lead cars sent Grimm to the lead and eventually forced Logan to the pits with a flat left rear tire.
Cody Stickler, winner the last time out for the modifieds, kinifed his way through the field and found himself in the lead by lap six. On a restart Grimm and Stickler spent several laps running side by side for the lead, with Grimm eventually getting the advantage.
Right before the race's halfway point, Stickler and Nick Hernandez got together going down the back stretch but amazingly kept their cars off the wall. Hernandez came out of the contact in second place and set his sights on Grimm. For several laps Hernandez stayed right on Grimm's bumper, but couldn't make the pass.
With two laps to go, Hernandez made contact with Grimm, causing him to spin out. Officials sent Hernandez to the rear as a result of the incident.
On the final restart, Stickler lined up to the outside of Grimm on the front row. The duo were in a near dead-heat coming to the white flag and stayed that way for most of the final lap. Stickler made the inside line work over the final two turns and beat Grimm to the line in a photo finish. Nelson finished third.
In other action Saturday night, Aaron Williamson took the win in the 25-lap Take Aim Gun Range Sportsmen class; Ronnie Robinson took the win in the Mini Stock feature; Darren Bass won the Dwarf Car feature; Darin Coker took the victory in the Legends main event; and Dustin Wilson took the win in the Rookie 4 feature.
Next week, the Joey Coulter Pro Truck Series makes its return to Desoto Speedway. Street Stocks, Cowboy Cadillacs, Mini Stocks, Bombers, Rookie 4's and Modified Minis will also be on the night's card of racing.
7-19-2014
DESOTO SPEEDWAY RACE RESULTS
Open Wheel Modified...
1. 99 Cody Stickler Pinellas Park
2. 25 L.J. Grimm Seffner
3. 94 Dalton Nelson Pinellas Park
4. 37 Nick Hernandez Palmetto
5. 59 John Inman Dover
6. 45 Joey Logan Bradenton
7. 8 D.J. Hoelzle Palm Harbor D.N.S.
Sportsman
1. 13 Aaron Williamson Lakeland
2. 56 Brandon Morris Mulberry
3. 51 Roger Blevins Eagle Lake
4. 35 Greg Krom Sarasota
5. 12 David Williamson Lakeland
6. 9 Brooke Storer Zeypherhills
7. 4r Rick Reed Punta Gorda
8. 29 Bobby Mobley Eagle Lake
9. 75 Johnathan Heidenthal Myakka City
10. 73 Mark Peterson Sarasota DNS
Pure Stock
1. 80x Chad Cummings Palmetto
2. 46 Dennis Wilson Bradenton
3. 26 Brian Hillyer North Port
4. 29x Bobby Mobley Eagle Lake
5. 3 Duane Best Parrish
6. 98 Cody Allen Lehigh
7. 63 Kyle Best Parrish
8. 67 Jimmie Best Sarasota
9. 74 Paul Huffstutler Bradenton
10. 0 Jimmy Castleberry Bartow
11. 29 Nick Malverty Spring Hill DQ
12. 16 Johnny Allen D.N.S.
Mini Stock
1. 05 Ronnie Robinson Bradenton
2. 73 Randy Johnson Bradenton
3. 91 Jessica Ostrovskis St. Pete
4. 3 Sherry Best Myakka
5. 99 Johnny Marra Port Charlotte
6. 67 T.J. Tanner
7. 75 Bobby Huffstutler Bradenton
8. 42 Richard Edwards Auburndale
9. 7 Roy Healey
10. 71 Brandon Duchscherer Auburndale
11. 23 Kenny Gibson Venice
12. 98 Chris Larson Zephyrhills D.N.S.
Legends
1. 00x Darin Coker Palm Beach Gardens
2. 5 Seth Adams Mulberry
3. 8 Donovan Ponder Orlando
4. 99 Kyle Capobianco Spring Hill
5. 19 Keith Sinkula Palm City
6. 15 David Flail Bradenton
7. 8c Joey Langis
8. 27w Bob Wilson St. Pete
9. 9 Mitch Verhaagh Bonita Beach
10 01 Doug Hall St. Pete DNS
Dwarf Cars
1. 25 Darrin Bass Coco
2. 77 Larry Hubbard III. Cape Coral
3. 26 J.D. Cordon Eustis
4. 21 John Atherton Cape Coral
5. 7 Ray Gonzales
6. 33 Roger Richmond Port Charlotte
7. 11 Ray Gonzales
8. 17John Bailey Sarasota
9. 2 Larry Hubbard Jr. Cape Coral
Rookie 4
1. 42 Dustin Wilson Bradenton
2. 68 Jesse Hidenthal
3. 67 Jimmy Best Sarasota
4. 7 Kristen Milthaler North Port
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