ICE WINS, DEAN CLAIMS TENTH TRACK TITLE

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2003

Tim Ice did all he could to chase down point leader Robbie Dean and a repeat of his 2002 track championship at Columbus Motor Speedway Saturday night but his fast qualifying effort and feature win were not enough. The "Iceman" came up nine points short in the season-ending Fall Speedfest as Dean battled back from an early race flat tire to sixth place result. Ice's triumph was his fourth NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series late model victory this year and third in the last six races. Dean's tenth championship was made all the more special coming after life threatening surgery during the off-season to remove a cancerous kidney.

Scott Stevens grabbed the lead from the outset of the 75 lap feature event with Doug King and Dean in hot pursuit. Dean swept past King on lap three and two circuits later surged into the lead. Donnie Hill started sixth and was up to second spot by the seventh counter and as he set out after the leader, Ice began his charge. He started eighth and was up to third by lap ten. The lead trio ran in lock-step through lap 24 when a deflating tire slowed Dean's mount. Hill and Ice slipped past the struggling Dean before a lap 26 caution for a spin by Larry Harris produce a break in the action. Dean pitted for a new tire and reemerged to start on the tail of the event. Once back underway Ice and Hill drew away from the remainder of the 25 car field as Dean worked his way toward the front. Ice pulled out to a convincing lead while Dean moved up to sixth by lap 50. That granted him just enough points to secure the title inspite of Ice's convincing triumph. Jerry Mitchell bypassed Hill to claim second late in the going. Hill was third at the stripe followed by King and Chad Pendleton.

Defending track champion, Donald Parsons captured his second limited sportsman feature of the season while this year's championship title went to Mike Schweyer. Parsons led from start to finish in the 35 lap season finale holding off Jimmy Kidd throughout. Schweyer entered the event with a 24 point deficit needing to finish at least six positions ahead of fast qualifier and point leader, Bobby Justus. Schweyer started sixth and was on the move early advancing to third by lap ten. He pulled to the outside of second place Jimmy Kidd while Justus languished in eighth place. Seeing his hopes of a first track title diminishing, Justus pulled into the outside lane to challenge Bob Grubaugh for seventh spot. One lap later, contact between himself and the trailing Chris Meier ended his title bid. Justus went spinning and was sidelined with driveline failure. Meier, who also had a realistic opportunity at the crown coming in, was relegated to the tail for the restart and struggled to a tenth place result. At the checkered it was Parsons winning followed by Kidd, Schweyer, Mike Brown and Grubaugh.

Bobby Stacy was victorious in the 30 lap street stock feature. It was an event that witnessed the Asheville, OH driver earning his first season championship along with a good bit of controversy as well. Bubba Parsons enjoyed a 22 point advantage entering the season ending feature lining up alongside front row starting mate Bruce Holmes. When the green flag waved, however, Holmes car immediately jumped sideways and as the veteran driver struggled to regain control he drifted up into Parsons mount. Both vehicles slammed into the concrete retaining wall ending Parson's dream of a track title. On the complete restart Stacy surged into the lead, an advantage he would not relinquish as the soft spoken driver secured the 2003 divisional title. Roger Gillespie finished second ahead of Bob Snider, Matthew Parsons and James Harding.

Bryan Nuckles claimed his fourth legend car victory of 2003 outrunning Brian Sloan in that division's 25 lap affair. Virgil Sloan finished third followed by Jeff Denney and Larry Martin.

Legend Cars

Heat: 1) Mike Denny 2) Mike Sloan 3) Mike Broadus 4) Jerry Harlan 5) Chuck Mundy

Heat: 1) Virgil Sloan 2) Jeff Denney 3) Brian Sloan 4) Larry Martin 5) Tim Ice

Heat: 1) Bill Southworth 2) Bryan Nuckles 3) Dan Travis 4) Wes Martz 5) Pete Alexander

Feature: 1) Bryan Nuckles 2) Brian Sloan 3) Virgil Sloan 4) Jeff Denney 5) Larry Martin 6) Wes Martz 7) Randy Sword 8) Jerry Harlan9) Aaron Habig 10) Pete Alexander 11) Eugene Kelly 12) Chuck Mundy13) Paul Hennesey 14) Jeremy Lax 15) Rob Webb 16) Mike Sloan17) Jim Matthews 18) Mike Ladman 19) Dan Travis 20) Mike Broaddus21) Tim Ice 22) Mike Denney 23) Bill Southworth 24) Bill Linden