North Florida Speedway
Kyle Van Sickle earns $3,000 at Lake City
Kyle Van Sickle (3k) heads to victory in Lake City. (ricksdarkroom.com)
LAKE CITY, Fla. (Jan. 27-28) — Kyle Van Sickle of Jacksonville, Fla., overtook reigning series champion Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, Fla., on the 22nd lap Saturday at North Florida Speedway to capture the season opener on the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series.
The fifth-starting Van Sickle, who won a heat race but nearly scratched after Friday's heat race with fuel pump problems, cruised the rest of the way for a $3,000 payday and his second career UDLMCS victory.
Nosbisch, who started outside the front row, settled for second while Kyle's brother Ryan Van Sickle, who started on the pole and led the first eight laps, was third. Christian Augspurger of West Palm Beach, Fla., debuted a Longhorn Chassis in finishing fourth and Kyle Bridges of Moultrie, Ga., rounded out the top five in a race slowed by three cautions.
Former UDLMCS champion Mark Whitener of Middleburg, Fla., was scheduled to start on the front row after setting fast time and winning a Friday night heat race, but he suffered a serious back injury when he wrecked in modified competition and scratched for the weekend. He was diagnosed with a broken T5 vertebra, his wife Bridgett Whitener posted on her Facebook page. Whitener is expected to be out of action six weeks.
Winternationals: (1) Kyle Van Sickle, (2) Keith Nosbisch, (3) Ryan Van Sickle, (4) Christian Augspurger, (5) Kyle Bridges, (6) Brandon Cameron, (7) Johnny Collins, (8) Bo Allen, (9) Doug Watson, (10) Jason Todd Burke, (11) Winn Ingersoll, (12) Shane Williams, (13) Travis Saunders, (14) John Kellum, (15) Larry Anderson, (16) Jim Beeman, (17) Chuck Chitty, (18) Adam Bedenbaugh. Scratched: Mark Whitener. Fast qualifier (among 19 cars): Whitener. Heat race winners: Whitener, K. Van Sickle, Bedenbaugh.
