It’s Thursday of Race Week and that means Night Practice, one of the most popular features of the week. Time it will be a double dose, with the IMSA WeatherTech night practice to be followed by two rounds of World Endurance Championship night qualifying.
Racing begins in earnest today with the IMSA Prototype Challenge to run a 1 hour, 45 minute enduro. Qualifying also will be held this afternoon for the Michelin Pilot Cars running in the Alan Jay 120.
There was some excitement yesterday at the Sebring International Raceway when a local beekeeper was dispatched to remove a swarm. The bigh clump of honey bees aparently had gathered on a mesh retaining fence by the broadcast compound near one of the famous walkover bridges.
Beekeeper Dawn Havery was called in. She first sprayed them with sugar water and brushed them into a box without incident.
Track officials say they had a similar incident last year.
It doesn’t look like Avon Park will be changing the times on Sunday sales of alcohol any time soon. Councilwoman Maria Sutherland’s suggestion to move it up from the traditional 1:00 got a cool reception.
Sutherland wanted it at 10am while Councilman Jim Barnard said he’d agree to 11am. However, Mayor Garrett Anderson and councilwoman Brenda Gray said they didn’t see a need for ANY change. Sutherland declined to pursue the matter, saying she would wait for the return of Stanley Spurlock before calling for a vote.
A conrolled burn near Lake Placid got away yesterday off Cloverleaf Road. Units from Lake Placid, Leisure Lakes, Sun ‘N Lake South and Desoto City were called in to quell the flames.
Authorities say the fire first caught a trash pile, then rolled into an empty single-wide mobile home. Firefighers had problems due to passing cars, which kept running over their feeder hoses.
Florida Highway Patrol officials report that an Okeechobee man involved in a Highlands County traffic accidnent now has expired. 27-year-old Phillip Kinzie reportedly was driving his golf cart at the Circle K gas station on Highway 98 and pulled into the path of an oncoming Cadillac Escalade.
The big SUV clipped the cart, throwing Kinzie to the pavement. He was taken to Lawnwood Regional, where he passed away.