By Rick Anges and Hans Nieborg

Dash For Cash Winner Sam Cressman

When Rick Anges took the microphone Saturday Night at Auburndale Speedway and announced that KARNAC.com and East Bay Raceway were sponsoring a six lap $1100 purse with $500 to win Dash for Cash for the top six cars in points for the Street Stock class the reaction from the crowd was mixed.

Sure there were plenty of cheers because we had come in to support their drivers but this dash thing was new to some. And we were told right off the bat by a fan in the stands "Dont you know this is a short track? Six laps aint enough for these guys."

Auburndale Speedway co-owner and announcer J.T. Beard worked the crowd all night announcing the KARNAC.com/Eastbay Raceway dash from the booth while Debi Beard took us through the pits and introduced us to all the drivers who would be in the race. Every driver shook our hands and thanked us for giving them the chance to compete in such an event. All the while Debi was thanking us for helping their drivers.

Even though it was scheduled to be the second to the last event for the evening, the majority of fans stayed in their seats to see what this Dash for Cash was all about. The six cars pulled onto the track and were inverted with the first and second place cars in points #56 James Wright III and David Williamson in the #12 starting on the back row. Wright had finished second in a hard fought feature earlier in the evening to #68 Mike Wilson who was starting in the second row next to #31 Donnie Harp who took third in the feature. The front row consisted of #2 Paul Gibbs and Sam Cressman in the #88 he borrowed from Josh Haranda.

When the green dropped Cressman jumped out and took the lead but the other five cars behind were all battling and banging going two and three wide trying to make a pass. Gibbs made several attempts to get by the #88 going high and low looking for the right spot but even in a borrowed car Cressman was able to hold him off. Gibbs appeared to look low on Cressman but ended up going around and loosing positions on the racetrack.

Meanwhile the crowd was on their feet cheering these guys on like there was no tomorrow. James Wright took an outside line on the track making his way to the front with his eyes on Cressman and that $500 first place money but first he would have to get by the hard charging Wilson who had moved into the second spot. With laps winding down fast it took everything he could manage but Wright was able to get by Wilson and hold onto the second spot behind Slammin'Sammy Cressman who held onto a hard fought wire to wire victory in the borrowed ride. Wilson took the third spot followed by Williamson, Gibbs and Harp.

The reaction of the crowd was overwhelming and the people who had said six laps werent enough were applauding in approval. This is why KARNAC.com will return to Auburndale Speedway August 25th for another 6 lap dash for cash with some twists. The first twist is that Cressman and Wright are automatically qualified for the next dash BUT the fans will decide on who will be in the next Four by going on KARNAC.com and voting for the next four cars from the entire roster of Street Stocks.
CLICK HERE TO VOTE.

The other twists? Well I guess you'll just have to be there. Believe us, it will be fun!

Fastrucks

The Fastruck Racing Series took the green flag at Auburndale Speedway last Sunday night and it was a race worth watching! The action was close from the start as the lead 4 or 5 trucks jockeyed for position. Things seemed to settle down for a moment when suddenly on lap 9, the yellow #48 driven by Steve Anderson spun as he was going into turn one. As he was facing the oncoming traffic, his fellow competitors drove high and low trying hard to keep from connecting with his truck.

Unfortunately as the #92, driven by Kim Sheffler-Hays, neared Anderson stopped in the middle of the groove, Kim checked up and dove low in an attempt to go under him. As she did so, another truck tapped the corner of her truck and she spun too, thereby backing into Steve Anderson and damaging his radiator. It took a little time to sort them out and clean up the mess, which gave just enough time for the #92 limp off the track, then make it back in time for the restart.

When the green flag dropped this time, the 01 truck driven by Larry Moyer led the way with the 70 of James Glover and the white #25 truck driven by Gary Foxworth in hot pursuit. By lap 11 though, Glover passed Moyer on the outside for the lead. He then opened the lead up to about 6 truck lengths, as he seemed to pull away from Moyer on the front and back straights.

Farther back in the pack, Brian Donahue in the #3 truck was black flagged due to smoke billowing out from behind his truck as the #93 got a little out of shape between turns 1 and 2. By lap 20, Glover had a comfortable lead as he built it up to a full straight-away. Soon afterwards, Kim Sheffler-Hays made things exciting by executing a 3-wide pass though turns 3 and 4. The checkered flag flew on this 25 lap race as James Glover took the win with Larry Moyer and Gary Foxworth finishing off the top three.


Other racing action:

Aaron Williamson #12 topped the field in the four cylinder bomber class, Chad Ashley #7 took second, #63 Donald Gatlin was third, fourth went to #06 George Gorham and rounding out the top five #3 Tim McKenzie.

V-8 Bomber win was taken by #46 Randy King, Rob Hockaday #37 followed across in second, Brian Harbin #65 held off #41 Jamie Dunnahoe for third and fifth went to Matt Bozeman #18. Mike Wilson #68 held off James Wright III #56 for a hard fought Street Stock feature win #31 Donnie Harp, #2 Paul Gibbs and #12 David Williams came across the stripe in that order. All five drivers competed in the KARNAC.com Eastbay Raceway Dash 4 Cash later in the evening.

Mod-Mini action saw #89 Scott Sharp blaze to the winners circle followed by #90 Randy Storer, Chris Hamlet #55 ran third and #30 Jerry Smith held off #9 Robbie Storer for fourth.

Ron Lofquist #49 Ran away with the Limited Late Model feature win, #1 Bart Weatherford took the second spot, third went to #71 David Duncan, Harold Cannon in the #3 finished fourth and fifth was the #63 of Westley Bass.

By Rick Anges and Hans Nieborg

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