The Red Eye 125 returned to New Smyrna Speedway Saturday night with a huge bang drawing 31 Super Late Models for the first leg of the FASCAR Triple Crown and even included one NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver in the field.  Mike Skinner of Port Orange has not raced a Super Late Model in many years but last night had a ball in his son's No.  5 Super Late.

 

Only twenty eight of the Super Lates qualified as two were working on their cars due to incidents that happened during practice.  But it was Tim Russell who set fast time followed by Preston Peltier, the only out-of-state driver in the field and very fast, Wayne Anderson, Joe Winchell and David Rogers.  Russell pulled the 11 pill which put non other than Mike Skinner of the pole for the 125 lap feature.

 

After driver introductions and a few photos of the thirty drivers, it was time to go racing as Katlyn Clouser gave the demand, "Daddy and Gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES." Katlyn is the five year old daughter of the No.  9 Super Late Model driver Rich Clouser and has become quite the MC for starting big races.

 

Skinner quickly took his place on the point as the green waved followed by Chad Akins, David Pletcher, Jeremy Colangelo, and Daniel Webster.  Colangelo wasted little time taking over fourth as Webster went to fifth followed by Matt Bowers, Winchell, Peliter, Michael Williams and David Rogers.

 

Peltier and Williams do some hard side-by-side racing as they touch but both did a great job of maintaining their cars.  Just as it is getting hot and heavy, the first caution of the night comes out on lap 15 for James Carter, Jr.  who spun high in turns 3 and 4.  Carter is fine and the race goes back green on lap 20 as Skinner leads the way over Akins, Colangelo, Pletcher, Webster, Bowers, Russell, Anderson, Winchell, Rogers, Williams, Peltier, Brian Finney, Fain Skinner and Corey Freed. 

 

Anderson puts the heat on as he passes Bowers and takes over fifth with Russell following Anderson as he takes over sixth and Bowers settles into seventh.  Skinner continues to lead the pack as Anderson puts heat on Pletcher and takes over fourth followed by Russell in fifth and Pletcher sixth.  Pletcher goes high in turn 4 but keeps the car off the wall as Fain Skinner ends his night on lap 31 and is behind pit wall.  By lap 32, it is Mike Skinner, Chad Akins, Wayne Anderson, Jeremy Colangelo, and Tim Russell leading the way.

 

The caution comes out for Morgan Hoover who has hit the inside frontstretch wall.  Hoover is fine but is done for the night.  The race goes back green on lap 37 as Skinner is hard on the restart and basically jumps it but the yellow does not come out.  Anderson wastes no time as he passes Akins for second and is now ready to hunt down Skinner for first.  Once again as the racing is getting hot and heavy, the caution comes out for John Coffman who has hit the turns 3-4 wall in the rear.  Coffman is not hurt and quickly takes his car to pit road for some crew attention.  Also on pit road is Rich Clouser who sees his night come to an end with brake issues.  Both Clouser and Coffman are done for the night.

 

Lap 46 sees the restart as Mike Skinner leads the way over Wayne Anderson, Jeremy Colangelo, Tim Russell, Matt Bowers, Chad Akins, Daniel Webster, David Rogers, David Pletcher, Joe Winchell, Preston Peltier, Michael Williams, Brian Finney, Corey Freed, Eddie Gainey and Justin Larson.  Larson passes Gainey for 15th as Gainey slides to 16th.  Anderson is now putting the heat on Skinner for first as he pulls right on his rear-end but Skinner holds.  Russell passes Colangelo and takes over third.  Justin Larson, who started in the rear due to problems and not being able to qualify, is on the move as he passes Freed for 14th.  On lap 58, Eddie Gainey retires his ride to the pits for the night as Skinner continues to lead the way as Anderson is on the hunt for Skinner.

 

The halfway mark sees Mike Skinner, Wayne Anderson, Tim Russell, Jeremy Colangelo, Matt Bowers, David Rogers, Chad Akins, Daniel Webster, David Pletcher, and Joe Winchell as the top ten.  On lap 64, Brian Finney, the 2008 Triple Crown Champion, retires his Merritt Island Air and Heat/Bob Steele Chevrolet to the pits as his engine has let go.

 

As the top three are now hot and heavy on each other, Skinner slides sideways, Anderson has to check up to avoid hitting Skinner and Russell takes the advantage and passes both taking over the lead followed by Anderson and Skinner.  David Rogers is also on the move as he passes Matt Bowers for fifth and looks on Colangelo to take over fourth.  Rogers makes the move work and takes over fourth followed by Colangelo, Bowers, Akins, Peltier, Pletcher, Webster, Larson and Winchell.

 

After qualifying in the top five and having a very good run, Joe Winchell takes his ride to the pits on lap 77.  A big disappointment for both Joe and car owner Jim McCoy.  On lap 80 it is Russell, Anderson, Mike Skinner, David Rogers, Jeremy Colangelo, Matt Bowers, Preston Peltier, Daniel Webster, Justin Larson and David Pletcher in the top ten.  Russ Shaw brings out the caution as he spins on the backstretch.  But it is a very quick restart as the caution comes out again for Akins and Bowers who have spun coming off turn 4.  Also involved is Corey Freed who has major front-end damage and is done for the night. 

 

On the restart, the caution comes out again as fast as the green was thrown as Ronnie Roach hits the inside frontstretch wall.  Roach is fine but also done for the night.  On the restart on lap 94, we see 17 cars left out of the original 30 car field.  Russell leads the way over Anderson, Skinner, Rogers, Colangelo, Bowers, Peltier, Webster, Larson and Pletcher. 

 

Lap 104 sees the caution come out for Randy Anderson, Wayne Anderson's oldest son, as he hits the inside frontstretch wall.  After having a very good run for his first Super Late Model race at New Smyrna Speedway and a 125 lapper, young Anderson is done for the night but is fine.

 

Lap 110 sees the restart with 14 cars left in the field as Russell leads the way over Anderson, Skinner, Rogers, and Colangelo.  Rogers does look to pass Skinner for third but Skinner will have nothing to do with it and holds his position.  With five laps to go, it is Tim Russell leading the way over Anderson, Skinner, Rogers, and Bowers.  Russell takes the checkered flag for his first win in 2009 and the first leg of the FASCAR Triple Crown.  The second leg of the FASCAR Triple Crown will run on July 2nd at the Clyde Hart Memorial.