Johnny Gilbertson (22) leads the pack as the TBARA Sprint Cars compete at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on Friday. Photo by Fastrax Photos/Tom Wilsey/Loxley, AL
The deck was stacked against Johnny Gilbertson.
His long days led to longer nights at his Central Florida home getting his winged sprint car ready for Friday at Five Flags Speedway.
Once Gilbertson reached Pensacola, Florida, his problems continued with a backup car that a teammate drove.
Gilbertson, though, erased all the nightmares with a wire-to-wire victory in the Tampa Bay Area Racing Association winged sprints 30-lap feature.
The race, which featured a pair of cautions, was wrapped up in 16 minutes, 34 seconds. That is moving.
“We almost didn’t come,” the 35 year old said. “We near about pulled the plug because it was raining so bad down there and we heard there was a 70 percent up here tonight.
“I’m glad we came.”
Johnny Gilbertson picked up his first win on pavement at 5 Flags Speedway Friday night. Photo by Fastrax Photos/Tom Wilsey/Loxley, AL
It certainly was the understatement of the night.
Gilbertson held on, impressively, when it looked like he was destined to surrender his lead late in the race.
Sprints legend Dave Steele was providing serious pressure, but with five laps to go he lost a cylinder and finished a disappointing 11th out of the 17-car field.
It was just what Gilbertson, a three-time dirt winged sprint champion, needed to coast home for his first pavement victory.
“I thought I was a sitting duck,” Gilbertson admitted. “I was so nervous. I feel like racing against (Steele) means you’ve beat the best. I would’ve liked the opportunity, but trust me that day will come.”
He’ll enjoy this day for a while.
Gilbertson started on the pole after fast qualifier Todd Fayard set the field with a dice roll that netted a eight-car invert.
None of the sprints broke 14 seconds, as they had done last March when Brian Gingras set the track record of 13.885 seconds.
Fayard came the closest, though, turning a 14.077-second lap.
The concession stands were not a popular place when the winged sprint cars torched the half-mile asphalt oval.
Gilbertson built a sizable lead from the outset until the first caution came out with 10 laps complete.
Steele turned on the afterburners, and was on the bumper of Shane Butler for second.
Gilbertson still led, but it was not comfortable any longer.
Butler started second and eventually finished second, but that wasn’t before he had a couple good looks at the lead.
Butler, the defending TBARA champion and current points leader this season, also continued to have some wonderful passing sequences with Steele for the second spot.
“I think we had (Gilbertson) passed,” Butler said. “I could see him working his tires pretty hard. I have a first and second this season. I have no complaints.”
The overflowing crowd had nothing to whine about either.
Sportsmen
Chris Nielsen (85), Jim Pokrant (07), and Randy Thompson (red car) fight for position in the sportsmen feature at 5 Flags Speedway. Photo by Fastrax Photos/Tom Wilsey/Loxley, AL
Steve Buttrick readily confesses he doesn’t do much to his No. 33 sportsmen.
It’s easy to see why.
Buttrick, the defending track series champion, won for the fourth time this season.
The Cantonment driver started on the pole after Brannon Fowler set an eight-car invert for the 19-car field.
“If Brannon cannot roll an eight, we might have a different finish up here,” Buttrick joked. “I didn’t mean to get into him over there in the corner.”
Fowler finished third to maintain his lead in the points race after several series contenders had lots of trouble.
Jim Pokrant was one of those. He finished 11th and was on pit row late in the race because of a wreck he sustained with Marty White.
Bombers
Curtis Faircloth proved Friday he can win from anywhere on the track.
Kenny Bullard (97) and Robert Balkum (B52) race side by side during Friday's Bomber feature. Photo by Photo by Fastrax Photos/Tom Wilsey/Loxley, AL
Feeling hopeless weather generally is a channel consequence associated with materials abuse. It is now known that, for most of the men, impotence issue in men is influenced by a great variety of factors including internal and external. This is why the space character is a not a good choice. Do not make extra delay because it is high time! Make your order right away! Precautions to be taken A hour preceding sex in light of the fact that that it has longer determination level in the male body . The series points leader jumped the opening green flag and was pushed to the tail end of the 15-car field.
That didn’t stop him from maneuvering back up front and claim his sixth victory of the season.
“I don’t know what happen at the start of race,” Faircloth said. “I thought I saw everybody go, and they put me in the back for whatever reason. But we didn’t let that stop us.”
What did stop Faircloth, though, came in post-race technical inspection when another driver put in a $1,000 claim on Faircloth’s motor.
Faircloth refused to surrender it and received an immediate disqualification for the evening, forfeiting the victory.
That pushed Brandon Burks to the win, Gary Goodwin to second and Tracy Soles to third.
Faircloth and Burks put on a great show for the last half of the race after the first 10 laps were bogged down by caution. Burks led for a number of laps before finally yielding to Faircloth on the final restart.
Burks was great in the middle of turn Nos. 3 and 4 while Faircloth was picture-perfect on the straightaways.
“Well that was fun,” said Burks, who sits second in points. “I thought we were gonna win one, but Curtis has such a fast car. To get where he’s at, though, it’s amazing.”
Action returns to 5 Flags on July 22 with the Allen Turner Pro Late Models in a 100 lap feature, plus racing in the Super Stock, Sportsman and Bomber divisions. For more, check their website at 5flagsspeedway.com.
5 Flags Speedway – Pensacola, FL
Race Results – July 8, 2011
Winged Sprints
1. Johnny Gilbertson
2. Shane Butler
3. Keith Butler
4. Troy DeCaire
5.Todd Fayard
6. Mark Gimmler
7. Stan Butler
8. Johnny Gilbert
9. Carl Zaniboni
10. Ed Lee
11. Dave Steele
12. Larry Brazil
13. D.J. Hoelzle
14. Francis Crowder
15. Charles Lander
16. Robbie Hackett
17. Gary Gimmler
Sportsmen
1. Steve Buttrick
2. Stevie Mercer
3. Brannon Fowler
4. Chris Nielsen
5. Jimmy Goodwin
6. Tina Davidson
7. Scott Barbaric
8. Gary Robinson
9. Michael Couture
10. Daniel Fleming
11. Jim Pokrant
12. Randy Thompson
13. Marty White
14 Justin Babb
15. Wayne Burkett
Bombers
1. Brandon Burks
2. Gary Goodwin
3. Tracy Soles
4. Sam Mellema
5. Robert Balkum
6. Courtney Rodrigues
7. James Beal III
8. Kenny Bullard
9. Leonard Craig Jr.
10. Gary Burkett
11. Thom Crosslin
12. Brandin Sidner
13. Hunter Ward
14. Kenny Williams
DQ. Curtis Faircloth
