From David Sink
AUBURNDALE, Fl. (May 14, 2022) — Daniel Miller captured Saturday night’s 2nd annual ‘Dave Westerman Memorial’ at Auburndale Speedway. It was Miller’s second Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series victory of the season.
When the green flag dropped, polesitter Tommy Nichols assumed the lead. A hard charging Davey Hamilton Jr., who started in the inside of row two, assumed the point from Nichols on lap four. Hamilton Jr. bean to build a slight lead and appeared as if might be the man to beat early in the race.
A lap eleven caution changed the complexion of the whole race. On the double-file restart, Sport Allen got alongside Hamilton Jr. entering turn one. Allen would hold his live on the high side as the duo raced down the backstretch. The two made contact and Hamilton Jr. went spinning towards the infield bringing out another caution. Hamilton would have to restart at the tail of the field.
On the double-file restart, Allen would become the new race leader, but it wouldn’t last long as Miller assumed the top spot one lap later on lap 12. Miller would hold off a hard charging Allen the remainder of the way for his second SSSS victory of the season and cushioned his series points lead in the process.
Following Miller were Allen, Brian Gingrass, Hamilton Jr., and Bruce Brantley rounding out the top five.
In victory lane Miller explained his unsuspecting pass for the lead on Allen. “I kind of got a bad restart to be honest” Miller explained. “I noticed there was nobody on the inside. Sport went into one and slid up. I was able to get underneath him and get the pass done. If he wouldn’t have slid up there, I probably wouldn’t have got the pass done”.
The Florida based series now enters its summer break and will not be in action until late August.
Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series
Auburndale Speedway
Auburndale, Florida
Saturday, May 14, 2022
1. Daniel Miller
2. Sport Allen
3. Brian Gingrass
4. Davey Hamilton Jr.
5. Bruce Brantley
6. Gary Wiggins
7. Albert Ferianc
8. Tommy Nichols
9. LJ Grimm
10. Sonny Hartley
11. Shane Butler
12. Bo Hartley
13. Doug Elliott
14. Stephen Hollinger