Kyle Bronson swept to the lead on lap 21 of the 50-lap Pro Late Model main event in a triumphant return to East Bay Raceway Park. Bronson, who focuses on traveling Late Model events, made a special stop at East Bay to honor the late Gene Slaughter, East Bay’s long time tire man.

Keith Nosbisch took the early race lead in the 19-car field. Steve Mathis moved to challenge Nosbisch on lap 6 and held the spot for five laps before Doug Horton swept past. On lap 18, Bronson moved to the top three and asserted himself at the front three laps later.

Bronson’s earlier visit to Victory Lane came during Winternationals earlier this year. He told the crowd he would be back for the season finale on Dec. 15.

Doug Watson, Mathis and Nosbisch were heat winners.

The Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds held a 20-lap feature that saw point leader Bryan Bernhardt run a masterful race to victory. Heat races were won by Buzzie Reutimann and Mavrick Varnadore.

In preparation for next week’s Gary Gay Memorial paying a hefty purse, Street Stocks opened the night’s features will an exciting battle between Jimmy Baker and Dennis Williams. In the end, it would be Baker coming out on top as the defending divisions champion continues to showcase the abilities of his new racecar at his command. Baker and Williams had started the night with preliminary wins.

Non-winged Mini Sprints brought Robby Hoffmann back to the winner’s circle in a race that saw multiple leaders. Dusty Cates and Jamie Tinkham each took a turn at the front, but those two collided after Hoffmann moved out front. Cates and Hoffmann claimed heat wins.

The Gladiator class was strong with 20 cars in attendance. Brittany Hart picked up her first career heat race win and recorded her best feature finish, chasing eventual winner Daniel Bowman to he checkered flag for second place. Bowman solidified his point lead in a quest to repeat as division champion. Bowman and Daniel Casey joined Hart as preliminary winners.

The next action for East Bay Raceway Park is Saturday, November 3. The Gary Gay Memorial for Street Stocks, Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Sprints, Gladiators and  Micro Sprints provide the excitement.

PRO LATE MODELS

Feature: Kyle Bronson (40B), Doug Horton (11), Keith Nosbisch (02), Travis Varnadore (95V), Josh Peacock (21P), Doug Watson (07), Steve Mathis Jr. (95), Steven Brendle (141), Eric Moon (00), John Norris (87), Adam Boyd (6), Megan Meyer (11M), Roger Crouse (15), Dustin Perez (8), Phillip Cobb (03), TJ LaFlamboy (44), Thomas Burnside (13), Billy Boyd Sr (3), Jack Nosbisch Jr. (14).

GAGEL’S OPEN WHEEL MODIFIEDS

Feature: Bryan Bernhardt (B69), Phillip Cobb (03), Dale Kelley (22), Roger Crouse (15), Buzzie Reutimann (00), Michael Cherry (17c), Billy Howard Jr. (47), Eric Moon (18), Seth Geary (7G), Rick Hall (53), Sean Monaghan (21), Ray Durrance Jr. (2), Rich Pratt (78), Don Crandall (9c), Pat Passanise (24), Jerol Stepp (23), Mavrick Varnadore (4)

STREET STOCKS

Feature: Jimmy Baker (69x), Dennis Williams (24), Timmy Gay (90), David Barwick II (89), John Bradley (57), Henry Burnside (31), Tim Dowling (55), Allen Bailey (51), Robert Tyler (99), Ken Lawrence (38), Thomas Pratt (22)

MINI SPRINTS

Feature: Robby Hoffmann (66), Jamie Tinkham (51), Dusty Cates (6), Austin Craddock (17), David Hall (67), Brad Sutton (9), AJ Parrish (17A), Michael Luckert (93), Dallas Casey (87). DNS – Ronnie Whitley

GLADIATORS

Feature: Daniel Bowman (46), Brittany Hart (81H), Jeremy Lanier (22), Bailey Purcell (14), Kever Raulerson (99R), Robert Kissam (911), Logan Casteel (7), Jeff Smith (15), Kayla Handy (8), Daniel Casey (3D), Rick Rutledge Sr. (4), Ricky Rutledge Jr. (124), Kip Cooper (2), Davey Martin (55), Johnathan Wood (56B), Mark Roadarmel Jr. (81), Rodney Martin (21), Ethan Dansby (26), Patrick Tabb (03). DQ – Andrew Hall (99H)

Again, our hearts are heavy as our racing family lost another member, Robert “Lee” Barfield on Saturday, October 20.  Mr. Barfield and his wife were a huge part of the sprint car racing family.  They were big supporters and sponsors of the Top Gun Series here at East Bay and other local tracks.  He sponsored the “Clean Sweep” award at the sprint car races.  Mr. Barfield and his wife were always here for our Winternationals Sprint Car Races.  He will be missed greatly.  Mr. Barfield was laid to rest on Friday, October 26 in Lakeland. We would like to send our thoughts and prayers to his family during this time.

Children under the age of 12 can get a head start on Halloween at East Bay Saturday October 27. Youngsters will get the chance to meet the drivers on the track, who will be handing out goodies from their race cars. Drivers, here’s your opportunity to bring some extra joy to young race fans, so we encourage you to get some candy and join the fun.

The racing will be top notch as a treat for fans of all ages. The Gene Slaughter Memorial Races will bring extra payouts, which is sure to attract top competitors. Take a look at the trophies!

Racing starts at 6:30 p.m. Come have a ghouly good time at East Bay Raceway Park,

REVISED OCTOBER 24

Let’s turn the night into a sea of Purple for a very special part of East Bay Raceway Park’s legacy.

Check out the local businesses who have contributed to make this a great event and be sure and thank them for their support.

Series point leader Hayden Campbell was troubled by his car’s performance in hot laps and the preliminary heat race during the racing program at East Bay Raceway. When the checkered fell on the preliminary, Campbell brought the car to the pits and relayed his concerns to his crew. While other divisions were finishing their heat races, Campbell’s crew went to their notes to find answers to improve performance. When the 25-lap feature took the green flag, it was obvious that the work was not in vain. Campbell dominated the entire event, slicing through lapped cars and stretching out a decisive win for the feature event.

Heat race winners Justin Webster and AJ Maddox lined up in the second row at the start with designs on winning the Jeff Barfield Clean Sweep Award, which would have brought $200 to the driver who wins a heat and backs it up with the feature. An additional $500 could have been on the line for the Top Gun Sprints BG Oil Challenge, which requires heat race winners to scratch their starting spot in the feature and go to the tail. Neither driver chose that option.

At the start, Campbell jumped to the lead, chased by Webster. Maddox slipped past Mark Ruel Jr. for third on lap three with Billy Bridges gaining a spot on the next lap. Campbell entered lapped traffic with only six laps completed, working through the field. Maddox took second from Webster on lap eight, then trouble struck for Webster. The car spun in turn two to bring out a caution and send the 2017 East Bay Sprint champion to the rear. On the restart, trouble found Webster again as the car scraped the wall in turn one and slid to a stop in turn two.

On the previous restart, Campbell had the benefit of a lapped car between himself and Maddox, but that would be wiped out with the next restart. Undaunted, Campbell shot out front and was never seriously challenged, winning by about 1/3 of the track distance.

The evening opened with the Outlaw 4s which saw Brandon Yates capture his sixth feature in eight starts this season. Yates took the lead from Eric Knight on the seventh lap before cruising to the win. The feature victory backed up an earlier heat win.

Jerod Meyers made a second stop in Victory Lane with his 15-lap triumph in the Micro Sprints. Meyers had to fend off the charge of Chris Livernois and his path to the win was not without incident. Meyers and a lapped car made contact in turn two, allowing Livernois to close, but no pass could be made. The feature win completed a sweep for Meyers in the division after a heat race win.

V8 Warrior point leader George Handy hunted down early race leader Raymond Vann to claim his third feature win of the season. Handy, who had won his heat earlier, was able to put his car in good position consistently through the laps. Jason Burnside won the opening heat.

Scotty Williams doubled up in the Late Model Sportsman class with convincing victories in the heat and feature. The breakthrough win has boosted the confidence of a team that has experienced plenty of bad luck throughout the season.

Danny Bowman claimed a win in the Florida Old Time Modified main after Jayme Frankland had won the preliminary.

Next week, East Bay Raceway Park will feature the Gene Slaughter Memorial Races, honoring the long time Hoosier Tire rep who provided service to so many racers. The Pro Late Models will race for 50 laps, Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds have a 20-lap main with higher purses also offered for Gladiators, Street Stocks and Wingless Mini Sprints. The night will also feature Halloween candy for kids at intermission as drivers provide on track candy stops for the youngsters.

TOP GUN SPRINTS

Feature: Hayden Campbell (5), AJ Maddox (3A), Billy Bridges (11B), Frank Beck (89), Mark Ruel Jr. (83), Frank Carlsson (20), Harley Zimmerman (00), Guy Bos (3K), Garrett Green (82), Aileen Collins-Love (17c), Nikki Voisey (96), Justin Webster (21), Brandon Grubaugh (6G). DNS – Kurt Taylor (55)

OUTLAW 4s

Feature: Brandon Yates (53), Eric Knight (7v), Cecil Martin (15), Nick Hebrank (7), Vernon Hart (48), Mark Moniz (41e), Trey Ford (40F), Billy Dukes (15)

MICRO SPRINTS

Feature: Jerod Meyers (0), Chris Livernois Jr. (71), Wade Evans (27), Willliam Burnside (13), Joseph Taylor (29), Matt Wedgewood (4), William Brannan Jr. (17), Mike Meyers (7), Joe Bartow (3)

V8 WARRIORS

Feature: George Handy (105), Jason Burnside (12j), Raymond Vann (32), Gary Lucas (23), Justin Meeks (10), Wayne Kissam (07), Charles Roach (14), David Parr (36), Bill Whitney (15), Jessica Robbins (09x)

LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN

Feature: Scotty Williams (27w), Wesley Livernois (44), Buck Woodhouse (55), Keven Devrieze (99)

FLORIDA OLD TIME MODIFIEDS

Feature: Danny Bowman (00), Dan Darnell (111), Jamey Frankland (1), Gonzo Godwin (22G)

East Bay Raceway Park has lost another member of our family.  Ron “Natz” Peters passed away October 13^th.  Natz was the track chaplain here at East Bay for many years as well as a racer in the early years of East Bay.  Natz won the very first heat race ever held at East Bay Raceway Park on opening night.

He and his wife Elana ran the “Kid’s Club” for children as well as doing duty as the “Track Chaplain”.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this time.  The services will be held on Friday, October 26^th at Gulf Coast Church on 13301 Walsingham Road in Largo, FL  33774

There are certain tracks on the worldwide racing circuits that offer last lap drama, such as Talladega where NASCAR is visiting this weekend. You can add East Bay Raceway Park to the list as two features were decided in the last turn during a five-division program.

One of those nailbiters was the Florida Pro Late Model main event, a 25-lap contest that endured a rocky start. Several complete restarts were required until the 22-car field was able to complete a lap. Another spate of cautions returned on lap 2, During one of the yellows, early race leader and current point leader Shan Smith retired to the pits, handing the lead to Phillip Cobb. Smith was able to get back in the race without losing a lap, only to be collected in a five-car pileup in turn four on the next restart, ending his night for good. When the green flag returned, Cobb lost the lead to Nevin Gainey, but the two made hard contact when Cobb attempted to regain the spot. Gainey was awarded the lead and Cobb was sent to the tail, moving Andrew Hopkins into second. That lasted one lap as Trever Taylor scooted by for the position with all of this happening with only three laps completed. After several more restarts, drivers settled in for periods of green flag racing that saw Clay Harris and David Whitener bring their cars to the top of the track. Harris got the best situation, moving to second on lap 10 and taking the lead two laps later. While Harris motored away, Taylor and Whitener were locked in a side by side battle for third. The front runners negotiated lapped traffic into the final stages. Harris took the white flag with a substantial lead and appeared heading to victory until he spun in turn four with the checkered in sight. Gainey seized the opportunity and powered home to victory with the crowd cheering. Megan Meyer, Jimmy Waldrop and Cobb had earned heat wins earlier in the night.

Another exciting finish occurred with the opening feature as Street Stock racers charged to the end. Dennis Williams jumped to the lead from the second row at the start of the main. Point leader John Bradley moved to the top of the track, challenging defending track champion Jim Baker for position. Tanner Cobb asserted himself into the mix moving to third, then taking second on lap 6 of the 15-lapper. Cobb swooped to the high side of Williams to gain the lead at the halfway mark. This race proved to have plenty of drama left as a late race restart set up challengers to Cobb’s effort to gain his first feature win. Williams, who had raced on the bottom throughout the event, saw an opportunity off turn three and moved to the top of the rack. Baker went to the low side and a three-car drag race to the finish saw Williams score a narrow win. Bradley had opened the night with a heat victory.

The Florida Mini Sprint Association brought a field of 11 to the green. Heat race winners David Hall and Robby Hoffman were seeking the double for the night, but they were denied by a determined Austin Craddock. The youngster put his car on the bottom of the race track and was never headed in a wire-to-wire run.

Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds point leader Bryan Bernhardt logged his fourth feature victory of a year in a race that required an exhausting physical effort. Bernhardt saw his early race lead vanish, only to regain it for good a lap later. A good challenge for second was witnessed between Mavrick Varnadore and Dale Kelley with Varnadore prevailing. Kelley and Kenny Monahan topped the field in the heats.

The final feature of the night brought a new winner to the East Bay Raceway Park record books. In his first-ever appearance at the track, Dewayne Yeomans added the Clay by the Bay to his extensive record of Florida tracks where he has claimed main events. Yeomans joined fellow heat winner Daniel Casey in the third row at the start of the main and methodically moved through the field. The feature winner said he had visited East Bay as a spectator when his home track was not racing the class and decided to make the nearly two-hour tow on this Saturday. There is a good chance that East Bay has not seen the last of the Yeomans Racing team.

Saturday, October 20 will be Law Enforcement Night at East Bay Raceway Park. Law Enforcement personnel will be admitted free to the grandstand with ID. The racing action includes Top Gun Sprints, Late Model Sportsman, Micro Sprints, V8 Warriors, Outlaw 4s and Florida Old Time Modifieds.

FLORIDA PRO LATE MODELS

Feature: Nevin Gainey (41), Trever Taylor (7T), David Whitener (5), Josh Peacock (21P), Dennis Williams (17jr), Scotty Williams (27w), Andrew Hopkins (13H), Phillip Cobb (11), Clay Harris (6), Wallace Peacock (21W), Chuck Jackson (45), Candice Kuhn (42k), Jason Russell (75R), Buck Woodhouse (55), Megan Rae Meyer (11M), Jimmy Waldrop (9), Jonathan Thomas (823), Taylor Gant (33), Louis Ledlow (00), Shan Smith (17ss), John Norris (87), John Mang (X)

STREET STOCKS

Feature: Dennis Williams (24), Jim Baker (69X), Tanner Cobb (90), John Bradley (57), Matt Bozeman (58), Henry Burnside (31), Billy Barstow (56), James McPeak (7), Robert Tyler (99), Josh Jones (B75)

FLORIDA MINI SPRINT ASSOCIATION

Feature: Austin Craddock (17), Robby Hoffman (66), Dusty Cates (6), Russ Heider (86), David Hall (67), Dirk Miller (68), Brad Sutton (9), Ronnie Whitley (84), Zach Amundsen (12), Don Quinn (33), Dallas Casey (87)

GAGEL’S OPEN WHEEL MODIFIEDS

Feature: Bryan Bernhardt (B69), Mavrick Varnadore (4), Dale Kelley (22), Roger Crouse (15), Bill Howard Jr. (47), Rick Hall (53), Michael Cherry (17c), Jeff Mathews (33), Jerry Bruce (35), Phillip Cobb (03), Pat Passanise (24), Kenny Monahan (311)

GLADIATORS

Feature: Dewayne Yeomans (55), Daniel Bowman (46), Robert Kissam (911), Jeff Smith (15), Daniel Casey (3D), Bailey Purcell (14), Brittany Hart (81H), Kayla Handy (8), Logan Casteel (7), Rick Rutledge Sr. (4), Kever Raulerson (99r), Ricky Rutledge Jr. (124), Jonathan Wood (56B), Mark Roadarmel Jr. (81)