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SERITO CAPTURES DAVEY ALLISON MEMORIAL AT BIR

               By Joe Shivak

Birmingham, AL ( April 28 )……..Chris Serito took the lead on lap 70 from long time race leader Jeff Letson and held off a late challenge from Larry Speakman to capture the Davey Allison Memorial 100 at the historic Birmingham International Raceway. Letson would finish third , after leading the most laps, and was followed by Dennis Reno Jr .

               Reno and Johnny Brazier lead the 20 car field to the green flag at the old Alabama State Fairgrounds ½ mile track.  Action was short lived as there was a caution for a single car spin in turn 1. On the restart, Letson , who started third, passed Reno for the lead.  Letson built a 2 car lead while Brazier puts pressure on  Reno for second.  The cars ran single file around the track, with drivers pacing themselves in an effort to save their tires.   By lap 20, Serito  had moved into the fifth position  after starting 13^th..

               By lap 30, with Letson still leading, Reno loses the handle of  his  car and two positions on the track, as tire wear begins to factor in as Brazier also falls back one spot. Serito had picked off these two, by diving low on the track and  making the bottom grove work to his advantage.   The yellow caution flag waves on lap 38 giving the field  chance to cool their tires.

               At  50 laps, Letson was leading Speakman, Serito , Brazier  and Reno as  he looked like the dominant car to beat as his team must have  guessed correctly on tire pressures.  By lap 68, Serito decided to  challenge Letson as the two cars raced side by side, before he finally pulled ahead by lap 70. Brazier race ended while running in the fourth spot when he slowed on the front stretch.  Serito had built up a three car length lead which was negated by  a caution for a wreck on the back stretch.  On the restart, Letson would loose the  second position to Speakman with 16 of the 20 starters still on the track.

               With 20 laps to go, it appeared to be a two car race between Serito and Speakman.  But a caution on lap 84, once again the field got closed together as the result of another caution period.  Race officials stopped the #29 of Andy Antonio on the front stretch and sent him to the pits after they determined that fluids were leaking from the car.

               With only 10 laps to go, Sertio was getting my the veteran Speakman, who seems to be a master of the Birmingham track.  The youngster however prevailed as Speakman could not muster a pass.  Letson, after leading the most laps during the race, would finish third followed by Reno and Gary Sanford JR brought his #25 home in the fifth spot. 

               Seven different divisions were on the two day program.  Features were also run in the Buzz, Renegade, Sportsman, Street Stock, Mini Modified, Super Modified and Super Late Model Series.

Davey Allison grew up in nearby Hueytown and cut his teeth in racing at the Fairgrounds following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Bobby.