| Saturday, January 13, 2001 | |
| East Bay Celebrates 25th Anniversary |  East Bay Raceway is preparing to kick off it's Silver Anniversary Celebration for it's Winternationls 2001. This 25th year of dirt racing at the Gibsonton, Florida dirt speedway begins on February 1st with the 360 Sprints and ends on February 17 with All Star Sprints. In between is packaged some spectacular Late Model and Modified dirt racing with incredible purses. The events at East Bay draw fans and drivers from all over the United States, and judging by the requests for information to KARNAC.com it should be a winner for the Florida fans.
RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG
East Bay Raceway also recently announced a special Run What You Brung race to be held on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 12-13, 2001, during the Winternationals program. The event will pay $3,000 to win on Monday, then $4,000 to win on Tuesday. If a driver competes in both days, all positions will pay 25% more, which means drivers competing both days can win on the last day and receive a $5,000 pay check.
This race will be geared for Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Limited Lates, with very liberal rules so that most car owners can compete no matter what track they are geared to running. There will be no tire rule and only safety rules apply. The car must be self-starting and stop and go on command. Fifty-lap features are on tap both days, but cars competing will only be allowed compete in the Run What You Brung race. The 25% bonus for the 25th East Bay Winternational Anniversary applies to all positions from first to last as long as the driver competes both days.
DIRT MODIFIEDS
The DIRT Modifieds are slated to compete at East Bay on February 9-11. Track officials recently added a special practice date, a second cash dash and included a Bar-B-Que for traveling teams to fill out the agenda in DIRT Motorsports first trip to East Bay since 1983.
"We've received a lot of phone calls requesting a practice session," said East Bay Vice-President & General Manager Tom Hall. "So we decided to add a 45-minute window for DIRT warm-ups during intermission on Thursday. Time permitting, we'll go longer if enough cars sign in."
Hall estimated DIRT Modified practice at East Bay on Thursday, Feb. 8 would begin around 8:30pm. in between qualifying rounds of the Hav-A-Tampa Late Model Series event. Both DIRT Modified and LM teams are invited to arrive early on Friday, Feb. 9 as East Bay Raceway and Sunoco Race Fuels present a complimentary Bar-B-Que for the media and drivers beginning at 2pm. Race fans purchasing any special Ticket Combo Package will receive free a VIP Pass to attend the afternoon Bar-B-Que.
Activity moves trackside in the evening as the big-block Modifieds chase a $2,000 winner's share in the lead-off 30-lap feature race. On Saturday, Feb. 10 only the qualified DIRT Modifieds compete in a 12-lap Dash-for-Cash before all teams return to East Bay on Sunday to battle for a starting berth in the $5,000-to-win, 50-lap big-block finale.
In honor of DIRT Motorsports president and founder, East Bay owner Stanley Kolan has included a special "Glenn Donnelly Appreciation Dash" on the Feb. 11 card. A field of 10 cars will wage war for 10 laps with the winner pocketing an extra $2,000; a $100 sum is offered to start.
STARS LATE MODELS
The purse for the final night of the Renegade STARS Racing Series portion of the 25th Silver Anniversary Late Model Winternationals at East Bay Raceway in Gibsonton (Tampa), Fla. has been sweetened by East Bay Raceway owner Stan Kolan and GM Tom Hall. Originally slated to pay the winner of the Feb. 9 event $10,000, Kolan and Hall have added $2,500 to the first place prize giving the winner a $12,500 payday from the more than $44,000 purse.
STARS will sanction three races of the six-race Winternationals, Feb. 5-10, at the semi-banked 1/3-mile track. The action will kick off Monday, Feb. 5, with a $5,000-to-win, 50-lap main event, followed the next night with a 75-lap main event paying $7,000 to win and wrapping up Friday, Feb. 9, with a 100-lap main event now paying $12,500.
A total purse of over $100,000 as been posted for the three nights of Renegade STARS Racing Series racing at East Bay Raceway.
Reserved seat tickets have gone on sale for the 25th Silver Anniversary Late Model Winternationals, and according to Hall sales have been brisk. "We just started selling the tickets a couple of days ago and all I can say is that the fans should get their tickets as soon as possible. The ticket sales so far have been at a record pace. There are plenty of good seats available but at the rate they are selling the fans shouldn't wait too long to purchase their reserved seat tickets."
"The Winternationals is shaping up to be one of the most exciting events in East Bay Raceway's history," stated Hall. "Six nights of racing with the best drivers in the country has got me pumped up. You combine the best drivers in the business with the top two sanctioning organizations in late model racing and, we think, one of the best racing surfaces in the country. How can you not get excited about the Winternationals? We are bringing in over 100 truckloads of fresh clay for the racing surface this week and I think the late models will be turning lap times quicker than they ever have here at East Bay. Friday of the Winternationals we will have a huge barbeque for the teams and the fans courtesy of Sunoco Race Fuels. And, East Bay Raceway owner Stan Kolan has got some surprises in store for the race teams and the fans during the Winternationals. 2001 will mark the 25th year of operations for East Bay Raceway and we plan to make our silver anniversary a great time for all."
The Full schedule of events can be viewed here!
Contact East Bay Raceway at 877-457-5611 for all ticket prices or visit www.eastbayraceway.com for further information about Winternationals 2001.
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