Five First Time Winners for 2007 Season in Victory Lane at East Bay
By Jason Loughren
Eighty three cars entered to race in tonight’s five classes of racing. Five different drivers saw victory lane for the first time this season with feature race wins. With a stiff breeze blowing off the bay the fans filled the grandstands for a great night of late March racing. Chad Rose took the feature win in the Outlaw 4 Class.
Cecil Martin ran strong in the early laps but spun on lap 3 opening the door for outside pole sitter Chad Rose to take the lead and eventually the win. Shane Burrows mounted his challenge for the lead on lap 6 but spun bringing out the caution flag. Rose held off the charging Michael Gulvin to take the win. Paul Sampson and Rose won the heat races.
Roger Crouse started on the pole in the Limited Late Model feature and took the victory. The hard charging Forrest Gough started in 7th position and came home in 2nd place. Bruce Harvey finished third. Crouse and Jason Pope won the heat races.
In the Limited Sprints Gene Lasker took the checkered flag in front of Frank Beck and Tim George. Lasker had the high line working all night as he held off the hard charging Frank Beck. Bryan Eckley escaped injury when he went for a wild ride on lap 10 as his car flipped in turn 1. Lasker and Tim George took the heat races.
Twenty-one Street Stocks were at the track tonight. Donnie Reed took the feature win holding off Charles Paris, Jr. Paris, Jr. who had won the first two feature races of the season started in the 9th position and moved to the front to challenge for the lead. Reed held off Paris, Jr. through numerous re-starts to claim the win. Austin Sanders, Jimmy Rowland and Reed won tonight’s heat races.
Tonight’s late model field was packed full. Three heat races and a consi race set the field for the 25-lap feature race. With 27 cars entered, the top seven from each heat race made it to the main event. A ten lap consi race saw Donny Strickland, Matt Miller and Bobby Alexander race their way into the feature race. In the feature race Josh Peacock took the checkered flag but did not pass post race inspection, which gave the win to the pole sitter Ryan Mitchell.
Jeff Conyers finished 2nd after starting in 13th place. Mitchell, Austin and KD Kelly won the heat races. The Kids Club also got into the action tonight with the always-popular kids bus ride around the track. Track chaplain Natz Peters was at the wheel as over 100 kids took turns taking a lap around the Clay by the Bay.
The racing season continues next Saturday at 6:30pm with 5 classes taking to the track. Late Models, Limited Late Models, Outlaw 4’s, Street Stocks and 4 Cylinder Bombers will all be running along with the Fan Participation Race. For more information visit www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
