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ASALMS Southern Division Rookie of the Year title contender, Jeff Choquette
shines again at New Smyrna.Posted July 5th, 2007
ASALMS Southern Division Rookie of the Year title contender, Jeff Choquette won
the Bright House Challenge 50 on Saturday June 30, 2007 at the New Smyrna (FL)
Speedway a week after finishing in second in the ASALMS Southern Division’s third
race of the season; The Florida 100 Presented by FLF Racecars also at New
Smyrna. (ASALMS File Photo)
By Karnac.com and ASA Late Model Series
Samsula, Florida (07/05/2007): No one was really sure of the weather but that did
not stop 16 Super Lates from coming to New Smyrna (FL) Speedway for the Bright
House Challenge SLM 50.
With the Annual Clyde Hart Memorial125 on the schedule for July 4th at New
Smyrna, this was the time to test and tune that Super Late. (NOTE: The Clyde Hart
Memorial, scheduled for Wednesday July 4, 2007 at the 0.500 Mile High-Banked
Paved Oval was Rained Out and a make-up date has not been announced as of
press time.)
Jeff Choquette put the No. 92 owned by Dick Anderson on the pole for the event
with a 17.390 followed by Tim Russell with a 17.416, Patrick Conrad with a 17.442,
Justin Drawdy with a 17.508 and Corey Freed with a 17.711. Choquette pulled a 0
starting the field straight up and after losing the lead to Tim Russell at the start, the
21-year-old quickly regained the lead and would go on to score the Feature Win!
Choquette’s next ASALMS Southern Division event will be Race Number Four on
the ASALMS South Schedule on Saturday July 14, 2007 at the Birmingham (AL)
International Raceway in Birmingham, Alabama for the Crimson 125.
The Loxahathcee, Florida Freshman is only 21 points out of the Top Two (2) with
those Top Two teams guaranteed a starting spot in the Crate American Race 200
at the Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee on Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday August 2-3-4, 2007.
As for the Bright House 50, when the green flagged waved, Russell jumped to the
point followed by Choquette, Drawdy, Conrad and David Rogers. But Choquette
was not to stay in that second position as he passed Russell for the lead with
Drawdy following thru for second. Russell settled into third. But the action got even
hotter as Conrad passed Russell for third and Russell found himself in fourth
followed by Rogers.
The yellow came out for Dusty Cornelius who spun at the bottom of turns 1 and 2.
Cornelius was fine and rejoined the field for the restart. On the restart, Choquette
showed the way but somehow Rogers got into the back of one of the cars and
received heavy damage to the right front of his car having to pit for a few laps for
repairs. In the meantime, it is Choquette, Drawdy, Russell, Conrad, Freed, Dustin
Skinner, Dusty Cornelius, Blake Lehr, Chad Pierce, and Kurt Jett leading the way.
Lap 19 Chad Pierce and Dustin Skinner spin at the bottom of turn 1. The caution is
blamed on a lap car and both are given back their spots for the restart. Choquette
once again leads the way followed by Drawdy, Russell, Conrad, and Freed. The
battle is on between Russell and Conrad and Freed and Skinner as they do some
tight side-by-side action. But Russell holds his position in third as Freed holds his
position in fifth.
Lap 35 sees the yellow for Dusty Cornelius who has spun in turn 4. The cars are
quickly realigned as Choquette leads the way over Drawdy, Russell, Conrad, and
Freed. Sixth place Pierce is now on the hunt to move up as he looks high and low
on Freed. Freed holds at first but in the end, Pierce takes the spot as Freed settles
into sixth.
The big caution of the night comes on lap 43 when Vince Keeler spins in turn 1 with
Conrad spinning to avoid hitting Keeler. With no place to go, Lehr gets the worse
end of the deal as he spins avoiding Keeler and Conrad. Lehr is fine but the car is
done for the night.
Choquette leads the way on the restart as Conrad and Russell battle for third with
Russell high and Conrad low. Drawdy, who had a bad restart, finds himself back to
fourth with a hard charging Chad Pierce on his tail. Pierce in on the inside, Drawdy
on the outside on the last lap coming down the backstretch when somehow Drawdy
hits the backstretch wall.
The car is unable to continue but with the checkered waving, Choquette takes the
win followed by Tim Russell, Patrick Conrad, Chad Pierce and Corey Freed.
Choquette was the 2006 Hoosier Cup All-American Challenge Series Champion at
the Bradenton, Florida speed plant. His second title in the series held solely at the
Desoto (FL) Super Speedway in Bradenton, Florida. In 2005 he was selected as
one of the finalists for the Roush Racing “Gong Show” while also winning Features
at the New Smyrna (FL) Speedway during Florida Speedweeks as well as Pete Orr
Memorial and the Riverfest 100.
The 21-year-old began his racing career in Go-Karts at Eight Years Old. After four
years in Karts he made the transition to Mini Stocks on the dirt tracks in Florida.
After moves up the ladder from Late Models to Super Late Models, also on the dirt,
Choquette switched to pavement in 2004 and results were immediate.
He would pick up wins in the 39th annual Governors Cup as well as winning his first
All-American Challenge Series title at Desoto. Overall in his rookie year on
pavement, Choquette racked up an impressive 25 Feature Wins!
Already during the 2007 season, Choquette won two Features during the 2007
Florida Speedweeks at the New Smyrna (FL) Speedway and has one Feature win
in Desoto’s Hoosier Cup All-American Challenge Series and now one Feature at
New Smyrna in the Bright House Super Late Model Series.
Choquette will be running for the Rookie of the Year title in the ASALMS Southern
Division as well as making select appearances in the ASALMS Challenge Division
and the Florida Sunbelt Series. To learn more about Jeff Choquette and his
Choquette Motorsports Team, log onto his website at: Choquette Motorsports
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