TBARA Opener at Citrus County Speedway (full article)

By MARTY LITTLE

INVERNESS, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Area Racing Association kicked off their 2010 season on a cold and windy evening at the tight confines of Citrus County Speedway with former champion Troy DeCaire collecting his first checkered flag of the new season in the 30 lap headliner.

Things got off to a rough begining for the 22 car field of winged sprints as two complete starts were needed for everyone to behave themselves. Larry Brazil and DeCaire brought the field to green with second generation driver Brazil gaining the lead. The first yellow waved on lap 4 for a spin by Joey Aguilar. Back underway, Brazil lead but DeCaire got past on lap 10 for with Shane Butler and Jason Blonde in tow.

On lap 14 Wendy Mathis, just back from racing in Australia, looped her family owned racer in turn 2 to once again bunch the field for a restart. The green waved again but only for a single circuit as visitor Craig Skene suffered a broken axle on lap 15, spun and collected Mathis, ending the night for both.

When the green waved again it was still DeCaire being chased by Butler, Blonde and Brazil as they worked traffic on the quarter-mile oval but on lap 20 D.J. Hoelzle pounded the front stretch wall and the yellow was out again. Hoelzle was not injured and the field regrouped for the final 10 lap run to the checkers. Once again they only had five laps of green flag racing before a caution waved for Tommy Nichols when the wing on his No. 55 collapsed and he stopped on the track.

The final five circuits were trouble free with DeCaire the victor over Butler, Blonde, Ben Fritz and Canadian invader Ryan Litt. Heat races went to Dude Teate, Dakotah Stephens and Butler.

Feature finish (30 laps) – 1. Troy DeCaire. 2. Shane Butler, 3. Jason Blonde, 4.Ben Fritz, 5. Ryan Litt, 6. Dude Teate, 7. Dakotah Stephens, 8. Sonny Hartley, 9.Matt Mercer, 10.Larry Brazil Jr. 11John Gilbertson, 12. Steve Heisler, 13. Tommy Nichols, 14. D.J. Hoelzle, 15. Joey Aguilar, 16. Craig Skene, 17. Wendy Mathis, 18. Jeff Banyas, 19. Ray Bragg, 20. Skeeter Faulconer, 21. Brian Gingras, 22. Frankie Hurst.

About

The premier pavement sprint car series in the South, and some would say in the country, the Tampa Bay Area Racing Association (TBARA) has been racing from 1973 through 2009 and is preparing for its 40th season. Known as "the ground pounders," these purpose-built pavement sprint cars are powered by fire-breathing 360 motors and piloted by some of the best drivers in the country.

Current drivers include two-time USAC Silver Crown champ Dave Steele, two-time TBARA champ Troy DeCaire, and past race winners Bo Hartley, Dude Teate, Larry Brazil Jr. and the first female to win a sprint car feature with a major touring series in the southeast, Wendy Mathis.