A Feature – Monday, Feb. 3

Devin Moran (9), Kyle Bronson (40B), Tyler Erb (1T), Jonathan Davemport *49), Chris Garnes (42), Billy Moyer Jr. (21), Tim McCreadie (39), Hudson O’Neal (71), Mike Marlar (157), Brandon Sheppard (1S), Jeff Mathews (33J), Billy Moyer Sr. (21M), Shane Clanton (25), Earl Pearson Jr. (1), Josh Richards (14), Donald McIntosh (7M), Dennis Erb Jr. (28E), Brian Shirley (3S), G.R. Smith (89), Shanon Buckingham (50), Tyler Bruening (16), Stormy Scott (2S), Allen Weisser (25W), Johnny Scott (1ST), Jimmy Owens (20), John Tweed (5T), Coleby Frye (F1), Brandon Overton (76), Mason Ziegler (25Z), Chase Junghans (18J)

COMPLETE RESULTS

The Friday rainout did nothing to dissuade the efforts of the teams who gathered in the East Bay Raceway Park pits for a Saturday night of racing. A field of 47 Newsom Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Late Models, 28 Top Gun Sprints and 15 V-8 Warriors filled the pit area with racers who had designs on parking in Victory Lane.

The process would be a bit different for the Crate Late Models, who would qualify and run heats. Those who did not qualify for the feature through the heats would attempt a B main.

Fastest of the qualifiers on the night was the next to last driver to trip the timer. Local racer Jeff Mathews put up a blistering 15.428 for the fastest time of the week.

A complete list of preliminary results can be found at crateracinusa.com

As for the feature event, Jeremy Shaw was the man to beat throughout the early stages and Pennsylvania racer Max Blair wanted to put his name into the conversation. The two raced strong in the early going as Devin Dixon made his move to the top groove. On a restart, Dixon wasted no time in getting to the lead. While Shaw and Blair had their own little race developing, Dixon sliced through the field to win the 50-lap main.

After starting in the eighth row on Thursday, Garrett Green found himself closer to the front with a spot outside row five. He moved up when eighth starting Brandon Grubaugh could not present (Grubaugh dropped a valve on the last lap of his heat race). On the first start, the field was called back after a Bryan Eckley spin and Green inherited the sixth starting spot for the successful green flag.

When the race started, Green made immediate moves to second by the fourth turn and then swept to the lead just before the first lap was completed. Caution came out shortly after that for a spin by Billy Bridges and Nebraska racer Tim Fricke, but Green had already established himself as race leader, ahead of Matt Kurtz and AJ Maddox. Kurtz lost second, then slowed to a stop to bring out another caution as drivers from the back of the field started advancing into the top 10.  On each restart, Green was able to pull away from the field and Maddox had to defend to keep second. Justin Webster moved to the top and shot past Maddox for second on lap seven. Green again encountered lapped traffic and managed to put as many as four cars between himself and Webster.

The race went under a red flag when Kyle Connery flipped, causing heavy damage to his car. The remaining five laps would be just as hectic. Shane Butler, who had taken the initial green flag in 18^th, had quietly worked into the top five and then bypassed Maddox for third. That would be as far as he could get as he pressured Webster for second in the waning laps. No one could catch the race winner as Green picked up his second East Bay win, his second series win of the year and asserted himself in the top spot in the point standings. The top three drivers in the point standings from the two nights of racing will claim the Speedweeks Mini Series bonus monies from Creative Power Systems.

No one was able to claim the Lee and Jeff Barfield Memorial Clean Sweep, which moves to $900 for the next series event. Webster, Maddox, Eckley and Joe Zuczek were heat race winners.

Michael Hart followed the crew’s advice and kept his #99 tucked in on the bottom line to roll to the V-8 feature win. The race was red flagged for a Gary Lucas flip. Lucas was unhurt, but unable to continue. Defending East Bay track champion George Handy won his heat race with the second preliminary going to Randy Shields.

The 2020 Winternationals moves into week three with the arrival of the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series, which will hold a practice session on Sunday (Feb. 2) and open six nights of racing on Monday, Feb. 3

CRATE RACIN’ USA

Feature: Devin Dixon (313), Jeremy Shaw (38s), Max Blair (111), Travis Varandore (41), Keith Nosbisch (02), Drew Kennedy (K37), Jeff Mathews (33), Bruce Harvey (27), Joseph Joiner (10), Clay Harris (6), Hunter Sweet (15), Freddie Carpenter (17C), Steve Mathis Jr. (95), Cruz Skinner (11S), Nevin Gainey (17G), Pierce McCarter (71), Bo Slay (2), Jim Couch (41c), Jody Knowles (66), Todd Cooney (30), Daniel Woody (29), Walker Arthur (87), Randy Weaver (116), Jake Knowles (66k)

TOP GUN SPRINTS

Feature: Garrett Green (82), Justin Webster (21), Shane Butler (18), Danny Sams III (1*), Hayden Campbell (5), A.J. Maddox (3A), Robbie Smith (6S), Joe Zuczek (50), Luke Hill (41), Andrew Griffin (27), Harley Zimmerman (00), Tim Fricke (43MB), Bruce Durden (17), Freddie McCall (1), Bryan Eckley (12B), Nathan Barouch (13), Larry McVay (83), Johnnie Alexander (113), Scott Baldwin (4), Kyle Connery (91), Cole Nichols (N20), Billy Bridges (11B), Matt Kurtz (20), Brandon Grubaugh (G6)

V-8 WARRIORS

Feature: Michael Hart (99), Wayne Kissam (107), Kalen Maynard (2), Jon Basquin (6B), Mason Love (1M), George Handy (105), Raymond Rogers (10), Randy Shields (30), Gary Lucas (106), Raymond Vann (1), Mark Roadarmel (66), Jeff Weaver (26). DNS – Nick Brown (12), Collin Kruse (92), John Bradley (X)

Let’s start the month of the February the way we wanted to!

Rain has moved on ! Our forecast calls for RACING TONIGHT at East Bay. Crate Racin’s USA Late Models, Top Gun Sprints and V-8 Warriors. Don’t miss it!

See you at the races! If you can’t make it, catch all of the action at FloRacing.com

Street Stocks (top), Modifieds (bottom)

Afternoon showers have invaded East Bay Raceway Park, leading to the cancellation of the evening program.

The next scheduled activity is Saturday, Feb. 1 with the Newsom Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Models, Top Gun Sprints and V-8 Warriors/Thunderstocks.

The second week of the 2020 Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park offered up the newly-named Crate Racin’ USA Late Models (formerly known as the Durrence-Layne Chevrolet Late Models), the Top Gun Sprints and the V-8 Warrior/Thunderstocks. The opening night car count was a respectable 87 cars, led by the Late Models with 50 in the pit area.

 Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN was surprised to be in Victory Lane  Thursday night  after the finish of the 30-lap Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series Winter Shootout race.  Weaver only led one lap of the race, but it was the one that counted.

Weaver found himself the leader on a last lap restart after early race leader Max Blair  was penalized for a restart violation.  Blair was ticketed for brake checking the field on a restart, and was sent to the tail of the field.  That gave Weaver the lead for a one lap dash to the checkered flag.

“I hate to win races this way, and I feel bad for Max because I had a second-place car tonight,” Weaver said.  “I’m coming back to race after a couple of years off, and we’re having fun again.  It doesn’t matter if we win or finish 24^th.  We’re having fun.”

Weaver was off for two years after suffering a head injury during a race.  Weaver took the time off and let his head heal properly.  He got a doctor’s green light to return to the cockpit of a dirt late model, and it didn’t take long for Weaver to wear off the ring rust.

In preliminary action, the Fast Qualifier was Travis Varnadore, who out-timed the 51-car field with a lap around the 1/3-mile “Clay By The Bay” in 15.883 seconds.

The four KRC Power Steering ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Kennedy, Nevin Gainey of Fort White, FL in the Kryptonite Race Cars Special, Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL in the Bud Coley Trucking Barry Wright, and Todd Hurst of Lineville, AL in the Hurst Construction Rocket.

Blair took the lead from the pole position at the start of the race. Keith Nosbisch was able to get around Phillip Cobb for the second spot on lap seven while Blair pulled out to a ten car-length advantage.  The leader caught the cars on tail end of the lead lap by lap ten.

Weaver worked his way of to the third spot by the halfway point in the race, and he got by Nosbisch for the second spot on lap 18.  By the time he got to the second spot, Weaver was a half-straightaway behind Blair.  On lap 20, the lapped cars and Blair’s big lead went away when Cobb, Joseph Joiner, and Varnadore got together in turn four to bring out the caution flag.

Blair pulled away on the restart while Weaver and Nosbisch raced side-by-side for second, swapping the spot and racing grooves several times over the next five laps.

The caution flag came out on lap 25 for debris. Blair once again pulled away on the restart, and Weaver sailed around Nosbisch on the high side to take second.

Varnadore spun in turn two on lap 28 to bring out the caution flag.  On the restart while the field raced down the backstretch on the last lap, Jody Knowles spun in turn four to bring out the caution flag.

Blair set a steady pace with the field doubled up behind him into turn three.  As Blair came off the fourth turn, he slowed and jammed the field up behind him causing a couple of cars to spin.  The caution flag came out, and Blair was ticketed with the caution for brake checking the field.  That gave the lead to Weaver, who took the green and white flags together and he led the last lap for the win.  

The 25-lap Top Gun Sprint feature had no shortage of excitement as the 22 cars battled through three heat races before lining up for the A Main. Joe Zuczek, Justin Webster and 2019 Top Gun Sprints champion A.J. Maddox captured the heat races, putting themselves in position to qualify for the Lee and Jeff Barfield Memorial Sweep bonus of $300.

Maddox opened up by powering from the second row into the lead with Brandon Grubaugh in tow. In short order, Shane Butler moved from fourth to second before the first caution waved on lap 3. Danny Sams brought his 1* to third place as the leaders hit lapped traffic. Maddox would have better fortune as he was able to escape the pressure from Butler. Butler did catch and pass Maddox on lap eight, but Maddox returned the favor a lap later. Garrett Green moved into the top five after starting on the outside of the eighth row. On lap 11, Maddox drifted high in turn four and nearly lost the handle, but regained control and kept the lead as the caution came out on lap 14. The restart kept the lapped cars in their spot, which put two cars between Maddox and Butler. The racing picked up and action was all around the race track until a red flag stopped progress on lap 23 when Grubaugh and Tim Fricke collided with Fricke toppling. Both drivers were uninjured, but could not continue the event. On the restart, Green, who had moved to third, stuck the nose of his #82 between the front runners for a three-wide challenge. As the field came down to the checkered flag, it was Green grabbing his first East Bay Raceway Park feature win. The feature marks the start of the 2020 season for the Top Gun Sprints.

George Handy and Gary Lucas scored heat wins in the V-8 Warrior/Thunderstocks. The 15-lap main saw Collin Kruse going wire-to-wire to capture the victory.

The Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series returns to the 44^th Annual East Bay Raceway Park Winternationals with a $2,500-to-win 30-lap main event on Friday night, along with Top Gun Sprints and V-8 Warriors/Thunderstocks.  The race will be Round 6 of the 2020 Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series Winter Shootout. It will be night #2 of the 2020 Top Gun Sprint season.

Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Models

Feature: Randy Weaver (116), Keith Nosbisch (02), Freddie Carpenter (17C), Steve Mathis Jr. (95), Walker Arthur (87), Cruz Skinner (11), Pierce McCarter (71), Joseph Joiner (10), Jake Knowles (66), Dew Kennedy (K37), Clay Harris (6), Derrick Shaw (27), Jeremy Shaw (38), Nevin Gainey (17), Bruce Harvey (27H), Jamie Carter (38), Marcus Minga (19), Travis Varnadore (41), Max Blair (111), Devin Dixon (313),Todd Hurst (2H), Jody Knowles (66K), Phillip Cobb (03), Daniel Woody (29)

Top Gun Sprints

Feature: Garrett Green (82),  AJ Maddox (3A), Shane Butler (18), Danny Sams (1*), Robbie Smith (6S), Justin Webster (21), Luke Hill (41), Andrew Griffin (27), Joe Zuczek (50), Larry McVay (83), Kyle Connery (91), Billy Bridges (11B), Jeff Bye (26), Matt Kurtz (20), Bryan Eckley (12B), Brandon Grubaugh (G6), Tim Fricke (43MB), Scott Baldwin (4), Bruce Durden (17), Cole Nichols (N20), Nathan Barouch (13)

V-8 Warrior/Thunderstocks

Feature: Collin Kruse (92), Nick Brown (12), John Bradley (X), Mike Wilson (58), Michael Hart (99), Raymond Rogers (10), Raymond Vann (1), Kalen Maynard (2), Gary Lucas (106), Juston Meeks (10M), Raymond Rogers Jr. (48), Wayne Kissam (107), Randy Shields (30), Jeff Weaver (26), George Handy (105)

Join us Thursday, Jan. 30 through Saturday, Feb. 1 for the Crate Racin’ USA Late Models, Top Gun Sprints and V-8 Warriors/Thunder Stocks. Spectator gates open at 5 p.m., racing at 7 p.m.

The fifth and final night of the first week of the 2020 Winternationals kept the theme of high drama to the end well in play. With longer distance features for Street Stocks and Modifieds, story lines played out to the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

The lineups for the Saturday night racing were set through the points accumulated through the first four nights. The top six cars in each division were automatically qualified to the night’s A main while the rest would work through heats and, in the case of the Modifieds, a pair of B features. There were 40 cars in the Modified pit area with some of the week’s earlier supporters opting for a day of extra Florida vacation or a headstart on a trip home. The Street Stocks came through with the highest car count of the week as 20 cars were in the pit area.

With the 24 qualified drivers and two provisionals offered, a field of 26 cars presented for Derek Powell’s green flag for the 75-lap Modified A main. Kevin “Buzzy” Adams took the early lead from the second row with Tait Davenport and Jason Hughes in tow. The first caution flew on lap 4 for a single car spin. The top three stayed the same until lap seven when Spencer Hughes vaulted to third. He slipped back before the caution showed up again on lap 11. It took five restarts before the race could go green for a longer stretch. Devin Dixon shot to third, bringing Kyle Bronson to fourth. Dixon was able to get to second behind Adams and begin pursuit of the top spot. Tyler Nicely used the top line to put himself in position to claim second by lap 25.

Nicely was able to get the lead on lap 26, but he would keep it for just a few laps before Dixon became the third different leader. Dixon would hold it until the mandatory re-fuel break. On the restart, Adams moved back out front as the cast of characters behind him would change nearly each lap. On lap 50, it would be Dixon back in second. He set his sights on Adams and, six laps later, he moved directly in front of Adams to block his momentum and take the lead. With 10 laps to go, Adams was poised to make a move and he did so, taking the top spot from Dixon. The Tuesday night winner Dixon was not done but fell back behind Jeff Mathews. When the yellow flag came out on lap 74, the high drama was clear. Dixon put up a gallant effort to get past the race leader, but there was no room to go and Adams flashed across the line with a win by 0.195 seconds.

“I’ve lost a lot of these types of races>’ said Adams in Victory Lane. “Tonight, there were so many changes out there. This track changed three different times in the race.”

The winner, driving for Michigan logger George Dalbeck, related how the team had changed a motor for the night and praised the crew for the decision to get it done.

Modified heat races were won by Kyle Bronson, Lucas Lee, Spencer Hughes and Nick Allen. Mark Dickson and Roger Crouse won the B mains.

Richie Stephens won his fourth feature of the week, bringing his Street Stock home after hunting down race leader Tim Powers at the halfway mark of the 40-lap feature. Nick Brown and Jerry Bruce won heat races.

The next Winternationals action will take place Thursday, January 30 as the Durrence-Layne Chevrolet Late Models, Top Gun Sprints and V-8 Warriors/Thunder Stocks for three nights of racing.

MODIFIEDS

Feature: Kevin Adams (23D), Devin Dixon (313), Jeff Mathews (33), Lucas Lee (12), Spencer Hughes (11), Shane Burrows (70B), Tyler Nicely (25), Kyle Bronson (33B), Mavrick Varnadore (4), Dale Kelley (22), Mark Dickson (0), Todd Neihesier (72), Nick Allen (21A), Mike Potosky (M20), Donnie Moran (2A), Brian Skaggs (20), Travis Varnadore (205), Brad DeYoung (7), Tait Davenport (18), Jason Hughes (12), Jesse Wisecarver (65), Billy Howard (47), Curt Myers (1M), Chris Wilson (127), Bryan Bernhardt (B69), Roger Crouse (15)

STREET STOCKS

Feature: Richie Stephens (69), Thomas Pratt (22), Nick Brown (12), Dean Watson (46D), Nick Hebrank (24), Ken Lawrence (38), Jason Harrison (69H), Thomas Braswell (67), Justin Rodgers (05), Josh Sigler (19), Tim Powers (44), Raymond Folwell (3), Tim Gay (29), Race McMahon (45), James McKeown (60), Justin Meeks (10), Rhett Wilson (17), Jerry Bruce (35). DNS – Marco Reyes (93R), Chris Combs (14)