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Scott Walters Top Gun in Super Late Model Race
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By CLAUDE LEWIS
Back in the ‘90s, a racer out of Naples by the name of Scot Walters won back-to-back NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series races and grabbed a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ride.
“We had a crew who were all new to the series,” Walters said. “We all learned togther. We made all the races. I had a top five and a few top 10s.” Walters is back home in Naples these days, but he hasn’t lost that racing itch. He was at Charlotte County Motorsports Park Saturday night for the Super Late Model 100.And the No. 55 Ford was definitely the car to catch, as he stayed in front of the rest of the crowd at every turn. Even guys like second place finisher Daniel Webster, third place Kevin Macy and fourth place Wayne Anderson had nothing for him.It was the first win in many moons in Punta Gorda for Walters and his first in a Super Late Model at the semi-banked 3/8-mile paved oval.“I won in Open Wheels Modifieds driving a car for the late Frank Borelli,” Walters recalled. “This is the first time I won in our own car - my wife and I.” Shelly is the biggest supporter of her 40-year old husband.
This was just the third race in his new car.“It felt good when we unloaded it,” Walters said. Walters started outside pole and zoomed past the 19 of Macy on the first lap. The 55 was pretty much in a class of its own the rest of the way. Walters said he plans to race in CCMP’s Super Late 6 Pack Series this year. He is also acting as crew chief for young David Wilson, a Sarasotan who is racing Super Lates at DeSoto.
Steve Dorer recorded fast time in qualifying but had a rough night and finished way back.
There were quite a few other divisions racing on a busy night at CCMP.The night ended on a thrilling note in the Thunders Trucks feature. It was lap 24 of the 25-lap feature. Randy Kile was on the outside of Richard Dupont looking for a pass coming out of four. Dupont squeezed Kile up the track and into the wall. Kile’s No. 14 truck screeched along the wall on its left side with Dupont’s 43 beneath him. Kile was visibly upset about the mishap. His truck was pretty near totaled. Small consolation - Kile was awarded the win when Dupont was disqualified for his move.
Earlier in the race, the 2 of Lance Sober suffered severe damage after banging the wall hard coming out of two.
The Road Warriors ran the Dan Benoit Memorial in honor of the Fort Myers racer and former track champion who recently died of cancer. Son Codey threw the checkered flag and ran the parade lap in dad’s No. 20 car. Jeff Firestine continued to dominate in his 93 car. Chris Scott was second and Jesse Gargus third. On lap 18, the 7 of Blaine Baer and the 32 of Dean Butrum tangled and carshed into the turn four wall. Butrum’s car got the worst of it.
Codey Benoit won the Legends feature earlier in the night. In Fastrucks, the Stephen Nasse-Ross Chastain duel fizzled when Chastain pulled up dead on lap 16. Nasse went on to win.
In Fab 4s, Paul Graham was the class of the field. Logan Leonard grabbed second. Danny Daniels won Pro 4 followed by Dave Amelotte.
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