A five-division program kicked off the 2021 regular season at East Bay Raceway Park. The season schedule includes 31 Saturday nights of scheduled action.
A few drivers who were held winless in 2020 proved that the new year would lead to better fortune and a pair of drivers picked up right where they left off from the year before.
Frank Beck took the early lead in the 15-lap Q Auto & Injury Medical Malpractice Attorneys Sprint main and never let anyone past. Beck stayed committed to the bottom line throughout the entire race, fending off the early challenge of 2020 East Bay champion Steve Diamond. Diamond had his hands full with Tim George and both soon found themselves in the sights of Shane Butler. Soon, Butler was able to make the pass for second and motor off in pursuit of Beck. The leader stayed low, giving the high side to the pursuer, but the checkered flag arrived with Beck bringing the Amans Motorsports entry home for his first win since 2019. Butler won the heat event.
Defending track champion George Handy started deep in the 19-car field as the V-8 Warriors took the green for the 15-lap feature. Mike Wilson grabbed the early lead with Jason Burnside in pursuit. The race made it to lap three and a series of cautions broke any momentum for most of the competitors. Handy had managed to move inside the top five in the short time and soon found himself on the backside of the race leader. On lap five, Handy made the pass for the top spot. The race continued to experience a number of cautions, but no one was able to get the jump on Handy for the win. Heat races were won by Nick Brown, Juston Meeks and Gary Lucas.
The night opened with the Micro Sprint main, which saw Doug Dyal making his return to Victory Lane. Dyal, a two-time winner in 2020, was also the heat winner.
The 602 Late Models (formerly Late Model Sportsman) brought Tim Dowling to the win, ending a long victory lane drought. Dowling grabbed the lead off the fourth turn on the first lap and never faced a challenge. The feature win backed up his heat victory.
A field of 25 Gladiators entered the first night of the competition. Heat wins were taken by Robert Kissam, Rodney Martin and Kyle Kruse. In the 15-lap feature, Rodney Martin captured the win, powering away from the challenges going on behind him. Charles Paris and 2020 track champion Daniel Bowman were locked into a battle for second throughout much of the race with Paris eventually prevailing.
East Bay Raceway Park returns to action on Saturday, March 20 as the Top Gun Sprints make their visit after three nights of the 2021 Winternationals. Joining the Top Gun Sprints will be the 604 Late Models, Street Stocks, Outlaw 4s, Mini Sprints, Mod Lites, Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds and the Florida Old Time Modifieds.
Q AUTO & INJURY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ATTORNEYS SPRINTS
Feature: Frank Beck (89), Shane Butler (1C), Steve Diamond (9), Tim George (1*), Matt Wedgewood (15W), Jeff Bye (26), Cole Nichols (N20), Alex Boerner (1), LJ Grimm (88)
V-8 WARRIORS
Feature: George Handy (105), Mike Wilson (68), Derek Gray (189), Raymond Vann (1), Randy Shields (49), Mark Roadarmel Jr. (81), Macy Bozeman (58), Dalton Ellis (52B), Cody Mezyk (40), Michael Hart (99), Juston Meeks (10), Wayne Kissam (107), Kayla Handy (104), Kalen Maynard (2), Gary Lucas (106), Nick Brown (12), Jason Burnside (12J), Matt Bozeman (0), Ricky Rutledge Jr. (124), Bo Anderson (95)
MICRO SPRINTS
Feature: Doug Dyal (97D), William Burnside (13), Paul Seburn (23), Joshua Davis (9), JoJo Davis (7)
602 LATE MODELS
Feature: Tim Dowling (12D), Brandon Yates (86), Dwayne Dempsey (10), Frank Williams. DNS – Wesley Livernois (44)
GLADIATORS
Feature: Rodney Martin (21), Charles Paris (03T), Daniel Bowman (46k), Derrick Edwards (17), Patrick Tabb (03), Jerry Moore (70), Brittany Hart (99), Jeff Smith (15), Kyle Kruse (1K), Daniel Casey (3D), Brett Proctor (1), Robert Gullett (2), David Wood (21w), Joshua Ashmore (29), Patrick Fiore (88), Ethan Dansby (6), Robert Kissam (911), Logan Casteel (7), Alyssa Grant (47), David Zeman (13), Tracy Maynard (62), Ricky Rutledge Sr. (4). DNS – Timothy Simmons (16), Davey Martin (55), Tony Williams (4T)