10/19/2014
Freedom Factory
Butler uses last-lap pass to win Riddle Memorial
Butler uses last-lap pass to win Riddle Memorial
By SCOTT LOCKWOOD
Desoto Speedway
Bushnell's Shane Butler grew up watching his father Stan race against sprint car legend Frank Riddle.
Butler made a move on the final turn of the final lap of Saturday night's Safety-Kleen TBARA 40-lap Frank Riddle Memorial at Desoto Speedway that would have made Riddle proud, grabbing the lead less than 300 feet from the finish to take the win.
Troy DeCaire, a former series champion making his first start in Florida in three years, was the early star of Saturday night's show. He started 24th in the 27-car field and passed 11 cars in the first two laps of the race.
DeCaire was already up to seventh when the caution flew for Scotty Adema's spin in turn four on lap seven. Chris Gimmler slammed into Adema's stopped car on the track. Neither driver was injured.
DeCaire needed just three laps after the restart to get to second place. He spent the next couple of laps stalking leader Mickey Kempgens and took the lead on a three-wide pass around lapped traffic on lap 15.
In a little over five laps DeCaire stretched his lead to over two seconds. As the leaders were headed down the back stretch on lap 24 Ernie Teed Jr. blew an engine and soaked the track with fluid in turn three. Tommy Nichols spun in the debris and collected several cars - including Decaire, who backed into the wall in turn four.
With DeCaire relegated back to eighth place after stopping on the track, Kempgens reassumed the lead on the restart. DeCaire got back up to third before getting loose in turn four and nearly spinning into the infield with 10 laps to go, ending his shot at a win.
Kempgens and Butler were left to settle things at the front of the field. The duo worked their way through lapped traffic as the laps wound down and Butler getting closer and closer to Kempgens.
Kempgens held the lead as the field took the white flag, but Butler dove low going into turn one. They raced side-by-side down the backstretch with Butler getting the edge going into three. He completed the pass coming out of turn four and took the checkers by about a car length over Kempgens.
"We just never give up," said Butler, who climbed into the flag stand with the checkered flag to honor former TBARA flagman Bud Howell, who lost his life last month in a racing accident. "This means a lot to me."
Kempgens, and Larry J. Brazil rounded out the top three. Kempgens won K&N Filters heat race 1; Matt Alfonso won Auto Meter heat race 2; and Mark Gimmer won Hawk Performance heat race 3.
In other action Saturday night, Chris Hooker held off Jeff Firestine to win the 50-lap Modified Mini feature; Palmetto's Nick Hernandez won the 30-lap Desoto Pro Truck feature; Jessie Hidenthal took his first career feature win in the Rookie 4 division; Jim Miltner won the DAARA Vintage Sprint Car feature; John Atherton won the Dwarf Car feature; and Josh Todd won the bomber feature.
Next week, the Brighthouse Challenge Super Late Model series will crown their champion with a 100-lap feature at Desoto speedway in the Jack Smith Memorial race. Also racing that night will be the Street Stock for 50 laps, Pure Stock, Modified Mini and Bombers.
Submitted By: Linda Jericka
