Goddard takes DART Series opener

4/10/2016

Freedom Factory

Goddard takes DART Series opener

Goddard takes DART Series opener
By SCOTT LOCKWOOD

Desoto Speedway

The Desoto-Auburndale Racing Trucks Series kicked off its inaugural season
with a brand new winner parking in victory lane after the 50-lap DART
Spring Fling on Saturday night at Desoto Speedway.

A five-truck inversion put Michael Goddard on the pole and fast qualifier
Cody McDuffie in fifth at the start of the night's main event. Goddard sped
away with the lead while Dean Butrum and McDuffie spent several laps
battling for the runner up spot.

Brent Huber's spin in turn four on lap 13 erased Goddard's sizeable lead
over Butrum and McDuffie. Two laps after the ensuing restart McDuffie got
by Butrum for second and set his sights on Goddard. The pair was steadily
pulling away from Butrum and the rest of the field when another caution
came out just prior to the halfway point of the race.

On the restart, Butrum slid back a couple of spots as the field went
through the backstretch. Chad Chastain made contact with Butrum's truck,
sending Butrum into Steve Darvalics and collecting vehicles in a huge crash
in turn three. Scott Hogan, who won the King of the Blacktop for the Desoto
trucks earlier this year, caught the worst part of the incident after
hitting the wall nearly head-on. Hogan was uninjured.

A lap after the ensuing restart, five trucks got together heading into the
first turn. Jeff Guilbault, Cameron Cruise, Sam Scott, Chase Lovelady and
Jimmie Best were all eliminated with extensive damage.

Goddard survived a rash of cautions and a final challenge from McDuffie and
JR Garcia over the final 20 laps to take his first win in a Pro Truck.

“It was crazy out there and a little boring with all those cautions,”
Goddard said. “It's awesome and it's probably going to take awhile to sink
in that I've won my first race.”

Joe Winchell and Chastain rounded out the top five.

Saturday night's 25-lap LKQ Pick-Your-Part Pure Stock feature started as a
battle at the front between Jimmie Best and Blaine Bair. Despite smoking
his left front tire heading into the corners, Logan Leonard worked his way
up to third behind the lead duo when the caution flew for a spin on lap 11.

Leonard got to second on the restart and passed Best for the lead just past
the halfway point of the race. He held off a challenge from Best on a
restart with six laps left and went on to take the win over Baer and Best.

In other action Saturday night, George Gorham Jr. went from third to first
on the opening lap and went on to win the 30-lap Sportsman feature; Joey
Langis held off Cameron McGee to win the 25-lap Legends feature; and Ren
Wright III led all 25 laps of the Mini Stock feature.

NO RACING APRIL 16TH

DON’T FORGET FRIDAY NIGHT APRIL 22ND is the Food Truck Challenge and Super Late Model Practice
THIS IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, COME OUT AND MEET THE DRIVERS , SEE PRACTICE, LIVE MUSIC, AND
ALL HAPPENING ON THE GRANDSTAND SIDE FIRDAY NIGHT
Racing action returns to Desoto Speedway on April 23 with the Remembering
Butch Lindley Super Late Model race, DASS Sportsman, Pure Stocks, Street
Stocks, TQ Midgets, Bombers and Dwarf Cars.

04-09- 2016
DESOTO SPEEDWAY
RACE RESULTS

Sportsman