O'NEAL DOES THE DEAL AT EAST BAY
TAMPA, FL - Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN posted his first career United Dirt Track Racing Association Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Late Model $10,000 victory Saturday night before an SRO record crowd in the 75-lap East Bay Raceway Winternationals driving the O'Neal Wood Products Rayburn Monte Carlo.

After starting ninth, O'Neal used the inside groove of the 1/3-mile clay oval to get to the front of the pack and pass Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI for the lead on lap 65. After a late race caution flag, O'Neal then used the high line to stay there.

"We were working good down on the bottom of the track and kept working our way to the front," O'Neal said. "After that last caution flag, I knew Dan was working better on the top of the track than the bottom, so I moved up in the high groove."

Schlieper made several attempts to retake the lead from O'Neal in the last ten laps of the race, but fell a car-length short at the checkered flag in the Performance Roofing Systems Rayburn Monte Carlo.

"I felt a vibration in my car that made me slow down a little bit, and Don got by me for the lead," Schlieper said. "Don drove a good race as he took the top of the track away from me. All I could do on bottom was smoke the tires off the corners."

Steve Francis of Ashland, KY finished third in the Petroff Towing/Valvoline Oil Rocket Monte Carlo and took over the Hav-A-Tampa point lead from Rick Eckert of York, PA by 23 points. Eckert crashed his Raye Vest Rocket Grand Prix out of the race on lap 35 and was credited with a 21st-place finish.

"It's nice to have the point lead, but there is a long way to go in the season," Francis said. "My crew really worked hard to get us here tonight. We crashed a car the first night we were here, and then lost an engine the next night. We didn't get caught up to where we should be until last night."

Davey Johnson of Greensburg, PA finished fourth in the Rocket Chassis "house car" Monte Carlo, and three-time HAT Champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN took the fifth spot in the Lane Automotive All Star Performance Warrior Mustang.

Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR was sixth, followed by Skip Arp of Georgetown, TN, Wendell Wallace of Batesville, AR, Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH, and Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC in the top ten.

Steve Shaver of Parkersburg, WV, the 1999 HAT East Bay Winternationals Champion, looked like he might be on his way to a second straight title. After posting fast time among the 72 entries with a lap in 14.872 during qualifications, and winning the first 12-lap Borla Performance Heat Race, Shaver took the lead at the start of the race and began to build a good lead.

Behind the leader, Schlieper, Johnson and Bloomquist waged a tight battle for the second spot. By the 30th lap, O'Neal had worked his way up to the fifth spot.

On lap 39, Shaver's Simonton Windows Rayburn Grand Prix suddenly slowed with a mechanical problem, and Schlieper took the lead. On the restart after the caution to tow Shaver's disabled car to the pit area, Johnson, O'Neal and Bloomquist trailed Schlieper. With Schlieper working the high side and Johnson on the bottom groove, the pair battled for the lead.

By lap 46, O'Neal moved up to make it a three-car battle for the lead. O'Neal worked around Johnson's Rocket Chassis Monte Carlo on lap 47 for the second spot. Schlieper saw the nosepiece of O'Neal's car to his inside by lap 53.

The two leaders kept up the battle until lap 65 when O'Neal used the lapped car of Keith Nosbisch for a pick to take the lead.

Shaver, Bloomquist, Johnson, Wallace, Schlieper and Francis won 12-lap Borla Performance Heat Races. In 12-lap Consolation Race action, the Renegade Transporters 1st Consy was won by Mike Balzano of Parkersburg, WV. Bill Frye of Greenbrier, AR won the Polaris ATV's 2nd Consy, and Tony Izzo Jr. of Bridgeview, IL won the Hav-A-Tampa Cigars 3rd Consy.

The Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Late Models will now travel to Jax Raceway In Jacksonville, FL for two events on February 18-19. There will be a 40-lap $5,000-to-win main event on Friday night, February 18, and a 60-lap $10,000-to-win main event on Saturday, February 19. For ticket information call Jax Raceway at (904) 757-5425.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 5 AT EAST BAY RACEWAY - 2/12/00:

75-LAP MAIN EVENT:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CAR LAPS $ WON
1. 9 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN Chev. 75 $10,000
2. 5 s9 Dan Schlieper Pewaukee, WI Chev. 75 $6,000
3. 6 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY Chev. 75 $3,000
4. 3 1 Davey Johnson Greensburg, PA Chev. 75 $2,500
5. 2 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN Ford 75 $2,000
6. 7 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR Pont. 75 $1,800
7. 15 31 Skip Arp Georgetown, TN Chev. 75 $1,600
8. 4 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR Pont. 75 $1,400
9. 10 99 Donnie Moran Dresden, OH Pont. 75 $1,200
10. 23 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC Ford 75 $1,100
11. 14 96 Terry English Benton, KY Chev. 75 $1,000
12. 17 02 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL Chev. 74 $950
13. 11 71c R.J. Conley Wheelersburg, OH Pont. 74 $900
14. 25 28 Dennis Erb Jr. Carpentersville, IL Chev. 73 $875
15. 13 1cj Jack Boggs Grayson, KY Chev. 65 $850
16. 18 71d Delmas Conley Wheelersburg, OH Chev. 65 $825
17. 20 66 Bill Frye Greenbrier, AR Pont. 64 $800
18. 24 00 Freddy Smith Knoxville, TN Chev. 61 $750
19. 12 12 Jason Smith Laurel, MS Ford 54 $700
20. 1 30 Steve Shaver Parkersburg, WV Pont. 38 $700
21. 8 24 Rick Eckert York, PA Pont. 35 $700
22. 22 71m Lance Mathes Winona, MN Chev. 27 $700
23. 21 16 Tony Izzo Jr. Bridgeview, IL Chev. 24 $700
24. 16 33 Al Purkey Coffeyville, KS Chev. 19 $700
25. 19 E1 Mike Balzano Parkersburg, WV Chev. 16 $700
26. 26 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA Pont. 2 $700

ENTRIES: 72
LEAD CHANGES: 2 Among 3 Drivers
LAP LEADERS: Shaver, 1-38; Schlieper, 39-64; O'Neal, 65-75
LAPS LED: Shaver, 38; Schlieper, 26; O'Neal, 11
CAUTIONS: 7
PROVISIONALS: Erb and Birkhofer
HAV-A-TAMPA SHOOTOUT INVITEES: O'Neal, English; Nosbisch, R.J. Conley, and D. Conley


























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