By BILL GREEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: March 13, 2008

KARNAC Staff Report

March 11, 2008

AUBURNDALE - Eugene Davidson continued a local senior-citizen surge when the 64-year-old won the Brown Motorsports Mini Stock Spectacular feature event Saturday at Auburndale Speedway.

A week earlier, 66-year-old local favorite Buzzie Reutimann won at East Bay Raceway Park.

Davidson went one better, however, taking the checkered flag after starting last.

"That was great," said Davidson, who lives in Frostproof.

"That was hard work, but a lot of fun to come from the very back."

Davidson sliced quickly through the 18-car field to take home the $300 first prize.

He was followed by Donnie Guy, Fred Harrison Jr., Craig Cuzzone and Bobby Kelly Sr.

In the competitive Street Stock class, Winter Haven's Ronnie Miller won the feature and a $50 bonus.

Miller, 51, did not start racing until the 2000 season.

"I came to the track with a neighbor, got hooked and bought a race car," Miller said.

"But I've got so many friends now, I won't ever leave."

Chasing Miller to the checkered flag were Brandon Morris, Joe Dowdy, Robert Capp and Allen Tyson. Sportsman driver David Williamson outlasted Ronnie Heard for the win. Aaron Williamson, James Wright III and L.J. Grimm completed the top five.

Beating a stout field of Open Wheel Modifieds, Billy Bechtelheimer beat runner-up Harold Cannon. Kyle Bookmiller was third.

Other Auburndale Speedway winners on the night were Burt Morse (Mod-Minis), James Newton (V-8 Bombers), Austin Stamper (Young Gun Trucks) and Jerry Parker (Mini-Cups).

This week's races will be run Friday to accommodate a USA Speedway event Saturday. Racing starts at 8 p.m. and features Scramblers, Mini Stocks, Street Stocks, Sportsman and V-8 Bombers.

For more information, call (863) 287-4344 or visit www.auburndaleracing.com.

"There ware 92 cars in the pits," Tampa Tribune Motorsports writer Bill Green explained, "who said they couldn't get cars at Auburndale".

After qualifying for the featured Mini Stocks, Jeff Berdaul, from Racers For Christ, got everybody ready for the night of racing and handed out RFC decals for their race cars. The Winter Haven High School BDTV was on hand to produce the first ever promotional video for Brown Motorsports. Several sponsors of the Brown Motorsports Spectacular were on hand including owners of Central Florida Hobbies, Sharon and Glenn Harkey.

Sharon was responsible for getting the NOLIMIT RC club to participate in the fun with an exhibition at intermission and the crowd loved them. "The club had such a great time, that I suggested they put on a mini RC race." David Brown said. Zeek Heard, the president of the local chapter agreed and fans can expect to see the exciting little achines back at Auburndale later in the year to put on an actual race.

Debbie Brown waved the green to get things started and then the fans were treated to something special. Sixty-four year old Eugene Davidson started his number 5 race car dead last in the field of 18 cars. He took advantage of a few early cautions to improve his track position, and though it was not easy, when the checkered flag waved, the veteran of fifty years of short track racing in Florida was in the top spot.

"I think they had 30 or 35 laps, but I didn't have time to count them, I was pretty busy," Eugene joked Monday night with Rob Elting and CeCe Brooks on the "Inside Florida Racing" radio show.

Davidson started racing at Eau Gallie Speedway on Florida's east coast long ago, and has also called New Smyrna Speedway, Orlando Speedworld and now Auburndale his home track.

"My car runs extremely well through the corners", he said with emphasis, "and of course that gives it straightaway speed most of the other guys don't have."

After the race the Auburndale tech officials made sure the winner was deserving. "Oh mercy in tech I spent the rest of the night", he said with a good natured laugh. "They pulled the rear end out and looked at it, they pulled the transmission out and looked at it, pulled the flywheel out and weighed it, pulled the clutch out and weighed it, I guess by that time they got so tired, they got tired of carrying things out, so they quit. It was really good tech, it was done extremely well and very sportsmanlike."
Click to Listen to interview with Eugene Davidson on INSIDE FLORIDA RACING

As soon as the race ended Brown and crew assembled the Winners Circle backdrop for the presentation and photos. Brown's daughter Lauren presented the official Brown Motorsports winner's checkered flag, that the drivers get to keep. Brown was very happy with his first event at Auburndale, "I had all the drivers and sponsors sign the flag at the drivers meeting, that was so cool and our special edition BMS winners race cap."

Debbie Brown presented the oversized check to the winner and lots of photos were taken. "The winners circle took on a new feeling last night," Brown said.

Debbie and Lauren handed out BMS hats and Tote-Bags to the crowd and presented our first set of little boy and girl bikes to some lucky children. "The looks on those kids faces when they got their pictures taken with their new bikes was priceless. Deb and I reflected on the drive home and we were so pleased and proud of how the whole night went, putting our sponsors on display and giving the race fans a great, no awesome event."

Donnie Guy was second in the field of 18 cars Saturday night.

Brown and his family is no stranger to these types of events, having run similar highly successful promotions over the last several years at North Florida Speedway near Lake City, Fl.

The next Brown Motorsports Spectacular event is April 12th at Auburndale Speedway.