Heat wins went to Gary Gimmler and Brian Gingras.

The following are the race results for the 10.29.11 race at Desoto Speedway.

Race Results

1. Gary Gimmler

2. Dude Teate

3. Dave Steele

4. Shane Butler

5. Mickey Kempgens

6. Johnny Gilbertson

7. LJ Grimm

8. Mark Gimmler

9. Larry Brazil Jr

10. Ric Voisey

11. Francis Crowder

12. Jimmy Alvis Jr

13. Matthew Hall

14. John Gilbert Jr.

15. Rex Hollinger

16. Channing Conley

17. Jimmy Alvis Sr

Unfortunately the TBARA race at Desoto Speedway that was scheduled for August 20 was rained out.

Dave Steele was your winner at Desoto Speedway. Gene Marderness Photo.

The following are the official results for the TBARA race at Desoto Speedway on July 30, 2011.

1 91 Dave Steele
2 29 Gary Gimmler
3 68 Troy DeCaire
4 18 Shane Butler
5 2 Larry Brazil
6 22 Johnny Gilbertson
7 19 Keith Butler
8 81 Stan Butler
9 51 Mark Gimmler
10 221 Matt Hall
11 7 John Gilbert Jr
12 31 Channing Conley
13 9 Jimmy Alvis Jr
14 21 Jimmy Alvis Sr
15 69 Ric Voisey
16 0 Dude Teate

DNS
15 Rex Hollinger
8 Steve Heisler
41 Ray Bragg

Heat 1 Sponsored by Steele Performance
7 John Gilbert Jr

Heat 2 Sponsored by Landrum Springs
91 Dave Steele

Heat 3 Sponsored by Performance Fabrication
68 Troy DeCaire

Clean Sweep Sponsored by Performance Fabrication
91 Dave Steele

Results from the TBARA feature at Mobile International Speedway on July 9, 2011.

19 Keith Butler
22 Johnny Gilbertson
68 Troy DeCaire
13 Todd Fayard
00 Ed Lee
81 Stan Butler
7 John Gilbert III
5 Charles Lander
29 Gary Gimmler
51 Mark Gimmler
18 Shane Butler
99 Robbie Hackett

Photo courtesy of Tom Wilsey/Fastrax Photos/Loxley, Al.

By Chuck Corder.

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 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.”

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.”

Photo courtesy of Tom Wilsey/Fastrax Photos/Loxley, Al.

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.

Winged Sprints 30-Lap Feature Results – 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

BRADENTON, Fla. – TBARA points leader Shane Butler wrestled the lead from Ben Fritz with five laps remaining and won Saturday night’s 30 lap sprint car feature event at DeSoto Super Speedway.

Thing got off to a rough start as 16 year-old Collin Cabre, starting on the outside of the front row, lost control entering turn three on lap one and tangled with pole sitter Jim Alvis. Alvis went hard into the wall and took Larry Brazil, Jr. with him. Both were finished for the evening with no injuries.

Following a red flag to clear the track Fritz jumped out front and put on one of his best drives of the season. Butler, who is locked in a furious point battle with Dude Teate, worked his way from the rear and made his pass for the lead with just a handful of laps remaining and sped to the checkers for his first ever victory here and his second this season. Fritz hung tough to collect runner-up money over Teate, Troy DeCaire and Shane Miller.

The 2010 TBARA tour wraps up at Citrus Coutny Speedway in Inverness on Nov. 6 with only 31 points separating Butler from Teate. With 55 points available, one of these two will be the new champion when the checkered flag waves Saturday night.

Feature (30 laps – 1. Shane Butler, 2. Ben Fritz, 3. Dude Teate, 4. Troy DeCaire, 5. Shane Miller, 6. Bo Hartley, 7. Johnny Gilbertson, 8. Keith Butler, 9. Sonny Hartley, 10. John Gilbert III, 11. Collin Cabre, 12. Bryan Riddle, 13. Jimmy Alvis, Jr., 14. Jason Bradford, 15. Jimmy Alvis, 16. Larry Brazil, Jr.

Heat race victories fell to Fritz and DeCaire.

Thanks to Max Dolder for the photo of Shane Butler passing Ben Fritz for the lead.

1. Dude Teate

2. Bo Hartley

3. Mickey Kempgens

4. Shane Butler

5. Steve Heisler

6. Todd Fayard

7. Frankie Hurst

8. Ben Fritz

9. Bryan Riddle

10. Johnny Gilbertson

11. Skeeter Faulconer

12. Nick Manikis

13. Bobby Rose

14. Larry Brazil, Jr.

15. Shane Miller

16. Larry Brazil, Sr.