Season opening races bring a special excitement to racers.  All are even with the points reset and with a fresh start all are wondering how the off season improvements will work out and whether this will be their year. 

The Outlaw Modifieds brought eight regular drivers to Citrus County Speedway on 18 Feb for the 2012 season opener.  2011 series champion Doug Hopper looked confident as ever.  Ric Mills was sporting a new roof.  Mike Endee had an early scare with an oil leak during practice.  Harold Perry was back with grandson Blake Rowan, for the first time after his traffic accident.  Paul Richards made a last minute gear change.  Tom Meyer burnt an ignition coil failing to make any of the practice and the heat race.  Melanie Braden would also miss the heat race with engine problems.

With Meyer and Braden out, the first heat race went to Matt Delaney (8) over Ric Mills (22).  The second heat race had a full field with Mike Endee (26) taking the win over Doug Hopper (15), Craig Scherar (56) and Paul Richards (61).

The feature race line up had Ric Mills (22) on the pole with Doug Hopper (15) along side.  Heat winners Delaney (8) and Endee (26) followed in row 2.  Meyer (04) having not been on the track all evening found himself starting last, not knowing how his car would perform.

Taking the green flag, Hopper (15) pulled past Mills (22) on the outside for the lead through turns 1 and 2.  Endee (26) followed on Hopper’s bumper.  Mills (22) settled for third with Delaney (8) and Scherar (56) behind him on the inside.  On lap 2, Delaney (8) slowed on the inside coming out of turn 2 allowing Scherar (56) to get by on the outside.  Braden (7) flowed by Meyer (04) followed Scherar around Delaney. 

Hopper (15) and Endee (26) started to pull away in the lead.  Meyer (04) must have liked the way his car was handling because on lap 3 he dove under Braden (7) coming out of turn 4 beating her to the line and then drove around the outside of Scherar (56) in turns 1 and 2.  Meyer then caught Mills (22) in turn 3.  Meyer (04) followed Mills (22) down the front stretch then through turns 1 and 2.  Meyer saw that Mills’ car was suffering from a relentless push and set him up for a pass in the inside through turns 3 and 4 on lap 4.  Scherar (56) followed Meyer trying to make the same pass on Mills in (22) turn 1.  As Scherar moved under Mills (22), Scherar (56) got into and over the top of Mills left rear tire.  Scherar (56) spun and cut his right rear tire, bringing out the first caution.

The restart had Hopper (15) in the lead followed by Endee (26) and Meyer (04).  Mills (22) restarted fourth with Delaney (8) behind him followed by Braden (7) and Richards (61).  Hopper, Endee and Meyer took the restart like they had some business to settle.  The three pulled away with Hopper (15) holding off challenges from Endee (26) on the outside.  Meyer preferred to stay low, closing on Hopper’s bumper but not able to hold onto the position alongside Endee (26).  

The three battled it out up front, lap after lap, with Endee (26) trying the outside and Meyer (04) unable to close the gap behind Hopper (15).  On lap 16, fluid on the track caught the 61 of Richards in turn 4, just in front of the leaders bringing out the second caution. 

Hopper (15) led the field to the restart with Endee (8) and Meyer (04) in tow.  The three went right back to the battle they had prior to the caution.  Hopper (15) on the inside, Endee (26) working him over on the outside and Meyer (04) trying to find a way around one or the other.  With the caution bunching the field, Delaney (8) found his way around Mills (22) and tried getting a piece of the action with the top three. 

Hopper (15) successfully held off the challenge from Endee (26) who held a half car length lead over Meyer (04) at the line.  Delaney (8) finished ahead of Mills (22) in fifth followed by Braden (7) and Richards (61).