Gunfight at an OK Corral
Florida Open Wheel Lites returned to Auburndale Speedway last night. It has been three or four years since their last appearance. Auburndale is tight; a small paperclip, not much bigger than a corral. With fourteen cars on hand, action was guaranteed.
The first heat hinted at the fireworks to follow. Front row starter, Jeff Ripley, flew to the front and stayed there. John Bailey was in hot pursuit looking, but not finding, for a way to get around Ripley. No one else was close.
The second heat set the stage. Bill Gise, starting at the back, went THREE wide in turn two and was leading after the first lap. He stayed there. Roger Wolfe took second his new Wolfe built pickup.
So three gunslingers took the track, with Roger Wolfe co starring. At Auburndale, you fly down the straight and then, somehow, have to slow down enough to do a U-turn. It took three tries before someone up front did not tap, and loop, someone else. When the field did take off, Ripley clung the front with Bailey and Gise in hot pursuit. Bailey stuck to Ripley. Gise, did not like the prospect of third place, so he, incredibly, worked the outside. Eventually, Bailey and Gise touched hard enough to send both spinning across much of turn four. They collected themselves and took the restart from the back, a shame for them, but a treat for the folks in the stands. They got to watch Gise, Max Howe, and Bailey claw their way through most of the field.
From then on, Ripley had clear sailing. The question then being, who could coax their car around fast enough to keep Gise & Co. behind them at the checker. A happily surprised Phil Krauthoff, took second, and the ever smiling Roger Richmond took third.
1- Jeff Ripley Raptor Mod/ ZX-12
2- Phil Krauthoff Leader Mod/ 1043 GSXR 1000
3- Roger Richmond Jaxport Coupe/ ZX-12
4- Bill Gise Comp-Pro Mod/ ZX-12
5- Max Howe Pro clipped Davis pickup/ mondo 12
6- John Bailey Pro Sedan/ ZX-12
7- Roger Wolfe Wolfe Pickup/ '06 R1
8- Rick Lundeen Daytona Coupe/ 1250 Hayabusa
9- Jason Stout Jaxport Coupe/ GSXR 1000
10- Jeff Wolfe Wolfe-Pro Sedan/ GSXR 1000
11- Ray Gonzalez Comp-Pro Mod/ GSXR 1000
12- Jason Kellogg Davis Sedan/ GSXR 1000
13- Dave Kellogg Daytona Sedan/ GSXR 1000
14- Sonny O'Sullivan Buxport Mod/ ZX-10
