49th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Begins

 

New Smyrna Beach, Fla. — For almost half a century short track racers have come to the ½ mile oval a short 15 minute drive south of the world center of racing, Daytona International Speedway, to race 9 nights in a row leading up to the Great American Race, The Daytona 500.  The top class is the Super Late Models.  This event is like no other in auto racing, the champion will have to prove himself over not one race, but a series lasting 9 nights.  To be good one night is something, but to be consistent over 9 nights is a whole different thing.  World Series Champions consist of greats like, David Rogers, Joe Shear, Dick Anderson, Mark Martin, Mike Eddy, Gary Balough, Junior Hanley, Jeff Choquet, Joe Ruttman, Dick Trickle and more.  To be champion of the World Series is truly a test of man and machine.

Short track race fans are used to seeing Harrison Burton, son of NASCAR great, Jeff Burton, show up at the races with 2 cars, a Super Late and a Pro Late Model.  This year Harrison is concentrating on the top class and left the Pro Late model at home.  After a 10 car invert, Burton would start 6^th on night number one of this year’s version of the World Series.  Paul Schaffer Jr. would take the early lead, as Harrison would make is way through the field.  On lap 8, Burton moves to second, as Schaffer extends his lead.  Schaffer holds Burton off for the first 25 laps of this short 35 lap feature.  Burton looks low time after time going into turn one.  With 8 to go, he makes it sticks and takes the lead.  The young second generation driver pulls away in the final laps to take his first Super Late Model victory ever.   Shaffer Jr. finishes second.

 

Last year’s Pro Late Model champion, Spencer Davis starts 7^th, makes his way to 3rd but will not survive Ricky Brooks “room of Doom.”  He gets DQ’d in both the Super Late Model race and later in the Pro Late Model race.

 

Gus Dean starts from the inside of the front row and falls back at the start, giving Schaffer the lead.  The field makes 1 lap before our first caution as Josh Collins spins in turn 2.  On the restart, we don’t even make it through turn 1.  A big crash brings out the red flag.  Car involved include, Garrett Jones, Anthony Sergi, Derek Kraus, Scott Heckert, Derek Griffith, Rogers, Keene, and more.

 

Last month’s Chili Bowl winner Rico Abreu is the first car lapped on the 8 circuit around this brightly lit ½ mile high bank track.  By lap 20 six more cars fall out of the race.  Last year’s champ, Steve Wallace battles North Carolina’s Ryan Moore for 10^th as Majeski  is in a side by side battle with Dippel further up in the top 10.  Dippel wins that battle, finishing 4^th, Majeski  7^th.  Wallace gets 10^th, Moore 12^th.

MORE PHOTOS & FULL RESULTS BELOW

 

This 35 lapper is over early in the night with temperatures in the low 40’s.

1	12	Harrison Burton	35
2	7	Paul Shafer, Jr.	35
3	129	Spencer Davis	35
4	81	Tyler Dippel	35
5	14	Austin Nason	35
6	4w	Bobby Wilberg	35
7	91	Ty Majeski	35
8	45	Joey Mucciacciaro	35
9	56	Gus Dean	35
10	66	Steve Wallace	35
11	77	Zane Smith	35
12	74	Ryan Moore	35
13	18	Jordan Ives	35
14	51	Brandon Oakley	35
15	88	Garrett Jones	35
16	0	Denver Foran	35
17	3	Paige Decker	35
18	9	Derek Kraus	35
19	56	Josh Collins	35
20	8	Dave Garbo, Jr.	35
21	8	Drew Brannon	34
22	20	Anthony Sergi	34
23	24	Rico Abreu	34
24	4	Natalie Decker	24
25	84	Martin Latulippe	16
26	10	Brad May	15
27	112	Steve Weaver	12
28	12	David Green	6
29	9N	Stephen Nasse	6
30	12G	Derek Griffith	1
31	5K	Daniel Keene, Jr.	1
32	29	Brendon Bock	1
33	17T	Chuck Tuck	1
34	11	David Rogers	1
35	72	Scott Heckert	1