Thirty years ago, East Bay Raceway Park came up with a unique way of presenting a mid-winter racing program that attracted fans and drivers from across the country and the tradition continues today.
East Bay’s 30th Annual Winternationals includes 23 racing events for all forms of competition including sprint cars, vintage cars, touring late models, crate engine late models, mod-lites, mini-sprints, Ford focus mini-sprints and open-wheel modifieds.
Starting with nine nights of exciting open-wheel, open-cockpit events on Thursday, January 26, the American Sprint Car Series on Tour will begin their National Tour with two preliminary nights and a 40-lap Ronald Laney Memorial finale paying $10,000 to win. Vintage cars will hold exhibition races and a swap meet on Sunday, January 29.
For the first time in more than 20 years wingless-sprint car racing returns to the 1/3 mile clay oval for three nights starting January 30 when the ASCS Sprint Bandits share the program with Ford Focus Mini-Sprints. The Bandit show with a 40-lap feature for $10,000-to-win has attracted top California driver Cory Kruseman for his first-ever East Bay appearance.
The 410 cubic inch sprints come in on Thursday, February 2 for three days with drivers from the Pennsylvania Posse, led by the country’s top winner Freddie Rahmer. His competitors from 18 states include All Star, World of Outlaw and National Sprint Tour drivers. Once again, the Saturday night 40-lap feature will pay $10,000.
A whopping $50,000 bonus is available if the same driver wins all three final night events for the sprint cars. Dubbed the Triple Crown Challenge sponsored by Kim and Greg Stewart of Fast Lane Apparel, this is an opportunity to win the most money ever paid to a driver at East Bay Raceway Park.
Six straight nights of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races go from February 6 through February 11. Last year’s car count of 116 was the largest in the history of the series. Jacksonville’s Earl Pearson, Jr. was 35th in points leaving East Bay last February and he won the season-long battle with Don O’Neal for the Championship at the end of 2005. Both drivers are expected to be trying for the $12,000 prize after Saturday’s 75-lapper.
Team USA Mod-Lites and Crate Racing USA - Crate Late Models are scheduled for February 12-14. For the Mod-Lites, it marks the first race on their 2006 schedule and the winner of their 30-lap feature will go home with $1,000. The Crate Late Models had a highly competitive show here in early December with 64 cars on hand and their top prize for 40-laps this time will be $3,000.
Last on this year’s Winternationals’ schedule will be the Open Wheel Modifieds that topped all other car counts in 2005 with128 drivers from 26 states. They race from February 15 through February 18 and will cap off their series with a 75-lapper worth $8,000 to the winner.
East Bay Raceway Park is located six miles South of I-4 off Rt. 41 south or Exit 250 off I-75 then turn on Gibsonton Road west to Route 41 north. For information visit the East Bay Web Site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
