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Checkered Flag Drops On USA International

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By GARY ARDREY

Tribune correspondent

Published: August 5, 2008

LAKELAND - The final checkered flag waved Saturday night at USA International Speedway.

The FASCAR Sunbelt Super Late Model Series 125, won by David Rogers of Orlando, was the final event to be contested at the three-quarter-mile paved oval, which has been sold for industrial development. Thirty-two of Florida's best Super Late Model drivers ran in the main event, which also served as the second leg of the Florida Triple Crown Series.

The third Triple Crown race, scheduled to be run Sept. 6 at USA, will be rescheduled by FASCAR and announced later.

Rodgers assumed the lead in the final 20 laps, up from his 15th starting position, and cruised to an easy win despite several restarts.
Jerry Colangelo finished second with polesitter Travis Cope, Clearwater's Billy Mowery and former FASCAR champion Wayne Anderson completing the top five. Current FASCAR points leader Brian Finney finished sixth.

Dwayne Dempsey of St. Petersburg finished eighth and David Pollen Jr. of Tampa 21st to lead other area drivers.

But the evening was about more than the race. It marked the end of an era. Racing on the 47-acre property, which will now become home to industrial warehouses, began in 1971 on a quarter-mile speedway known as Lakeland Interstate Speedway. The current three-quarter-mile banked oval opened as USA International Speedway in 1995 and became the mecca of Florida's short-track racers in many divisions, their equivalent to competing at Daytona International Speedway.

The track served as the home of the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series and became a frequently used test site for NASCAR competitors. NASCAR stars such as Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd, Geoff Bodine, Ken Schrader and Lakeland's Joe Nemechek competed at the speedway over the years.

With Rogers' win, the fans lined the frontstretch safety fence to savor a final victory celebration. Most were as silent as the speedway will now become.

Fans later lingered on the speedway grounds to talk nostalgically about their favorite speedway memories.

Mowery, who began his racing career at USA International in the Open Wheel Modified division and held the Modified track record for six years, said goodbye to the speedway in his own special way, kneeling to kiss the asphalt near the start-finish line.

USA management has chosen to provide a means to continue the legacy of the speedway. The track's Web site, www.usaspeedway.com, will be maintained and in the coming weeks statistics, photos, driver and fan memories, and other information will be posted.

An absolute auction will be held at the speedway at 10 a.m. Saturday for the sale of track vehicles, equipment, tools, racing memorabilia and more.

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