By Lonnie Wheatley
Defending "King of the 360's" Nationals champion Terry McCarl secured a position in Saturday night's $10,000-to-win Ronald Laney Memorial by making a late-race move to win Friday night's 25-lap O'Reilly American Sprint Car Series on Tour preliminary feature at East Bay Raceway Park's 31st Annual Winter Nationals.
Running third behind Travis Rilat and Gary Wright when the race's only caution flew after 16 laps, McCarl took to the high side and raced by both Wright and Rilat in the final five laps, taking command for good on the 23rd lap to secure the victory aboard Mark Burch's Morgan Farms/Big Game Tree Stands/Engler Tool No. 1m Wolfweld.
"How awesome was that?" McCarl exclaimed in victory lane. "To beat a couple of racers like Gary (Wight) and Travis (Rilat) in a race like that on a track like this, it's a real testament to my car owner Mark Burch and the car he puts me in to race."
While McCarl gridded the feature field in seventh, it was three-time and reigning ASCS National champion Wright with sights set on a sweep of the opening two nights of the three-night stand after earning the pole position for Friday's main event.
Wright bolted into the lead as third-starter Jason Sides slipped underneath front row outside starter Rilat in the opening pair of corners to take second. But Rilat battled right back in turns three and four to recapture second as the opening lap was completed.
Just like the night before, lapped traffic came into play by the fifth circuit with Wright leading the way this time in front of Rilat, Sides, Darren Stewart and McCarl. As Wright worked traffic, Rilat turned up the pressure and challenged for the lead in turn two on the eighth lap before making the move for the lead stick a lap later.
While 2002 ASCS National kingpin Rilat and Wright diced for the lead, Sides was relegated to fifth behind Stewart and McCarl by the tenth lap. McCarl soon made his way around Stewart for third and held the position when the race's only caution appeared with 16 laps in the books when Jesse Hockett spun in turn one and collected Davey Sammons.
Rilat and Wright led the way on the restart with a pair of lapped cars separating them from McCarl. McCarl went to work on the top side and, after disposing of the lapped cars, began closing the gap on the lead duo.
McCarl made his way past Wright for second with just four laps to go, then reeled in the fleet Rilat. On the charge, McCarl raced by on the high side of turns one and two on the 23rd lap to take command. Rilat made one last bid on the final lap, only to come up a car-length short at the stripe with Wright a close third.
Kenny Adams raced from twelfth to claim fourth, with Stewart rounding out the top five in front of 17th-starter Danny Smith, Jason Martin, Sides, 19th-starter Wayne Johnson and Greg Wilson.
Wayne Reutimann, Jr., Foster Landon, Ryan Bickett, Wright, Rilat, Stewart and Sides topped heat race action for Friday night's 74-car field, with Danny Smith, Chuck Swenson, Johnson and Tim Shaffer winning the 12-lap "B" Mains.
Texas racer Eric Baldaccini took the wildest ride of the week thus far when he tumbled down the backstretch in the evening's third heat race. Baldaccini emerged from his mangled machine shaken but otherwise uninjured.
Jesse Hockett, Rob Hartman and Tim Holston also got upside during Friday's action. There were no injuries, with Hockett later utilizing a provisional starting position for the main event.
The top seven point earners over the two preliminary nights are locked into Saturday night's $10,000-to-win Ronald Laney Memorial, the final leg of the "King of the 360's" Nationals. The top five include Wright, McCarl, Johnson, Danny Smith and Wilson. Darren Stewart and Tim Shaffer deadlocked in a tie for sixth, so both drivers have received berths in Saturday's "A" Main. The balance of the field, which totaled 75 competitors over the two preliminary nights, will battle the remaining feature starting berths through heat races and "B" Main action which fires off at 7:00 p.m.
O’Reilly ASCoT East Bay Raceway Park "King of the 360's" Nationals Preliminary Night Two Results:
Heat Races (Top 16 in passing points to “A” Main; Balance to 4 "B" Mains)
Brodix Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 71-Wayne Reutimann, Jr. (Zephyrhills, FL), 2. 42x-Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 3. 2-Frank Beck III (Riverview, FL), 4. 44J-Abe Sherwood (Tulsa, OK), 5. 8m-Tim Holston (Zephyrhills, FL), 6. 1b-Brian Maddox (Brandon, FL), 7. 18-Ryan Roberts (Aurora, NE), 8. 93-Wayne Reutimann, Sr. (Zephyrhills, FL), 9. 07h-Rob Hartman (Ozark, MO), 10. 7-Lance Fassbender (Burnett, WI), 11. 35-Brad Best (Tulsa, OK).
Wesmar-Shaver Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 11F-Foster Landon (Collinsville, OK), 2. 28FM-Steve Poirier (St. Julie, QUE), 3. 33-Doug Emery (Nedrow, NY), 4. 6-Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 5. 3-Pat Cannon (Etters, PA), 6. X-Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD), 7. d12-Doc Sloan (Imperial, MO), 8. 5c-Dan Carrozza (York, PA), 9. 50-Stephanie Chappell (Talala, OK), 10. 4c-Tyler Godwin (Tampa, FL), 11. 40-Mark Hery (Piqua, OH).
Brodix Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 17bx-Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD), 2. w20-Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 3. 4J-Jamie Passmore (Rose, OK), 4. 94-Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), 5. 21x-Kevin Job (Campbellville, ONT), 6. 18T-Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS), 7. 28F-Davie Franek, Jr. (Wantage, NJ), 8. 02-Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 9. 57c-Chris Schmelzle (Victoria, BC), 10. 41-Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA), 11. b4-Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX).
Wesmar-Shaver Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 9-Gary Wright (Hooks, TX), 2. 70-Chad Kemenah (Alvada, OH), 3. 0-Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ONT), 4. 15-Sam Hafertepe, Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX), 5. 32d-Stephen Darvalics (Venice, FL), 6. 32-Justin Barger (Montrose, NY), 7. 11T-T.J. Winegardner (Pierson, FL), 8. XX-Tommy Denton (Orange Park, FL), 9. 92-Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL), 10. 21v-Brent Vonk (Sioux Falls, SD), 11. 4R-Robbie Vaughn (Mount Vernon, WA).
Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX), 2. 79-Davey Sammons (Trenton, NJ), 3. 00-Danny Martin, Jr. (Sarasota, FL), 4. 14-Coleman Gulick (Binghamton, NY), 5. 17b-Brett Burdette (Milan, IN), 6. 97-Mike Brecht (Beaver Dam, OH), 7. 1*-Kent Buckley (Farmington, MO), 8. 69k-John Karklin (Freehold, NY), 9. 19T-Matt Tiffany (Daytona Beach, FL), 10. 52L-Daniel Lampron (St. Hubert, QUE).
Heat Six (8 Laps): 1. 91-Darren Stewart (Bixby, OK), 2. 10-Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 3. 01-Danny Lasoski (Higginsville, MO), 4. 4-Danny Smith (Danville, IN), 5. 15s-Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK), 6. 8b-Alain Bergeron (St. Piere, QUE), 7. 1-Sean McClelland (Collinsville, OK), 8. 25x-Geoff Quackenbush (Pine Island, NY), 9. 3*-Kaley Gharst (Decatur, IL), 10. 34-Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, OH).
Heat Seven (8 Laps): 1. 1. 7s-Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 2. 36-Jason Martin (Liberal, KS), 3. 1m-Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 4. 4a-Kenny Adams (Malabar, FL), 5. 87-George Suprick (Clarks Summit, PA), 6. 42-Paulie Milum (Sarasota, FL), 7. 20-Frank Carlsson (Oxford, FL), 8. 11-Tyler Thompson (Cape Girardeau, MO), 9. 75-Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO), 10. 6s-Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA).
Pole Dash (Top 6 in Passing Points from Heat Races; Finishing Order Determines Front Three Rows of “A” Main):
Pole Dash (5 Laps): 1. 9-Gary Wright (Hooks, TX), 2. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX), 3. 7s-Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 4. w20-Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 5. 91-Darren Stewart (Bixby, OK), 6. 36-Jason Martin (Liberal, KS).
"B" Mains – Top 2 From Each Advance to “A” Main
First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 4-Danny Smith (Danville, IN), 2. 01-Danny Lasoski (Higginsville, MO), 3. 10-Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 4. 21x-Kevin Job (Campbellville, ONT), 5. 57c-Chris Schmelzle (Victoria, BC), 6. 02-Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 7. 97-Mike Brecht (Beaver Dam, OH), 8. 2-Frank Beck III (Riverview, FL), 9. 4c-Tyler Godwin (Tampa, FL), 10. 34-Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, OH), 11. 5c-Dan Carrozza, 12. 1*-Kent Buckley (Farmington, MO), 13. 18-Ryan Roberts (Aurora, NE), 14. 07h-Rob Hartman (Ozark, MO). DNS: b4-Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX).
Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. X-Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD), 2. 4J-Jamie Passmore (Rose, OK), 3. 41-Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA), 4. 18T-Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS), 5. 19T-Matt Tiffany (Daytona Beach, FL), 6. 44J-Abe Sherwood (Tulsa, OK), 7. 69k-John Karklin (Freehold, NY), 8. 20-Frank Carlsson, 9. 4R-Robbie Vaughn (Mt. Vernon, WA), 10. d12-Doc Sloan (Imperial, MO), 11. 87-George Suprick (Clarks Summit, PA), 12. 8m-Tim Holston (Zephyrhills, FL), 13. 92-Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL), 14. 33-Doug Emery (Nedrow, NY). DNS: 6s-Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA). Note: Doug Emery took the checkered flag in second but was disqualified when a muffler fell off during the race.
Third "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 94-Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), 2. 8b-Alain Bergeron (St. Piere, QUE), 3. 32-Justin Barger (Montrose, NY), 4. 17b-Brett Burdette (Milan, IN), 5. 32d-Stephen Darvalics (Venice, FL), 6. 28F-Davie Franek, Jr. (Wantage, NJ), 7. 75-Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO), 8. 1b-Brian Maddox (Brandon, FL), 9. 25x-Geoff Quackenbush (Pine Island, NY), 10. 3-Pat Cannon (Etters, PA), 11. 3*-Kaley Gharst (Decatur, IL), 12. XX-Tommy Denton (Orange Park, FL), 13. 21v-Brent Vonk (Sioux Falls, SD), 14. 35-Brad Best (Tulsa, OK).
Fourth "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 6-Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 2. 11T-T.J. Winegardner (Pierson, FL), 3. 1-Sean McClelland (Collinsville, OK), 4. 14-Coleman Gulick (Binghamton, NY), 5. 15s-Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK), 6. 42-Paulie Milum (Sarasota, FL), 7. 50-Stephanie Chappell (Talala, OK), 8. 0-Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ONT), 9. 40-Mark Hery (Piqua, OH), 10. 15-Sam Hafertepe, Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX), 11. 93-Wayne Reutimann, Sr. (Zephyrhills, FL), 12. 52L-Daniel Lampron (St. Hubert, QUE), 13. 7-Lance Fassbender (Burnett, WI). DNS: 11-Tyler Thompson (Cape Girardeau, MO).
Gulf Coast Produce Strawberry Dash – 2 Laps
1. 32d-Stephen Darvalics (Venice, FL), 2. 40-Mark Hery (Piqua, OH), 3. 52L-Daniel Lampron (St. Hubert, QUE).
O’Reilly ASCoT "A" Main Event:
“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 1m-Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 2. 29-Travis Rilat (Forney, TX), 3. 9-Gary Wright (Hooks, TX), 4. 4a-Kenny Adams (Malabar, FL), 5. 91-Darren Stewart (Bixby, OK), 6. 4-Danny Smith (Danville, IN), 7. 36-Jason Martin (Liberal, KS), 8. 7s-Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 9. 94-Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), 10. w20-Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 11. 42x-Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 12. 01-Danny Lasoski (Higginsville, MO), 13. 28FM-Steve Poirier (St. Julie, QUE), 14. 6-Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 15. 11F-Foster Landon (Collinsville, OK), 16. 70-Chad Kemenah (Alvada, OH), 17. X-Chuck Swenson (Watertown, SD), 18. 00-Danny Martin, Jr. (Sarasota, FL), 19. 18T-Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS), 20. 11T-T.J. Winegardner (Pierson, FL), 21. 8b-Alain Bergeron (St. Piere, QUE), 22. 4J-Jamie Passmore (Rose, OK), 23. 17bx-Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD), 24. 75-Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO), 25. 79-Davey Sammons (Trenton, NJ), 26. 71-Wayne Reutimann, Jr. (Zephyrhills, FL).
Lap Leaders: Gary Wright 1-8, Travis Rilat 9-22, Terry McCarl 23-25.
Note: Jesse Hockett and Tony Bruce, Jr., both utilized provisional starting positions for the main event.
O’Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Ten): 1. (tie) Gary Wright and Terry McCarl 97, 3. Wayne Johnson 89, 4. (tie) Danny Smith and Greg Wilson 82, 6. (tie) Tim Shaffer and Darren Stewart 81, 8. (tie) Jason Martin and Steve Poirier 78, 10. Danny Martin, Jr. 71.
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