The Winstead Motorsports team rolled into Ocala Speedway, and it was like no place they had ever seen. As an old dirt track converted to asphalt, it was shaped like an egg, a very different track indeed!
However, after starting off slow, in practice; they made some changes and were running time within 1/10 of a second as the local track champion! Qualifying came along and the number 99 SunTrust Mortgage, Stock Car Products car was one of the first on the cold track, qualifying 28th out of 41 cars. Not bad considering that there were 11 different track champions from all over the country trying to make this show!! The top 15 positions were locked in by speed, so A.J. was off to run one of the qualifying races to make the show. The 99 car was in qualifying position with three laps to go, when a follow competitor “moved” him up the track and out of qualifying position. After the qualifying race the officials announced that A.J. would be granted a provisional spot based on his qualifying time, but by that time the team was preparing the car to run at New Smyrna Speedway that same night.
So it was off to New Smyrna Speedway, which was located 2 hrs southeast of Ocala. New Smyrna was more like a track the team was accustomed to: High-banked, high-speed ½ mile, freshly paved racetrack. With no practice (just a couple of hot laps) the 99 started shotgun on the field (18th). At the end of the 25 lap sprint A.J. finished in 8th place.
A.J. would like to thank his crew for all their hard work throughout Speedweeks: Neil John Culley, Daniel Thomas, Reggie and Marie Winstead, Chris McMofo, Chris Norwood, as well as the guys at home: Tony Culley, Louis Barr, and Jeff Waters
