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Boerner Wins Q Auto and Injury Attorneys Limited Late Model Feature Race
By Jason Loughren
East Bay Raceway Park was buzzing on Detail Landscape Service Night. An excellent crowd was on hand as the 5 classes of racecars hit the track for an action packed night of door banging, side-by-side action.
The Street Stocks were the first class to try and tame the Clay By the Bay. Twenty-one cars took the green flag in their 15 lap feature event. The race was filled with awesome side-by-side racing as Donnie Reed, Buck Skinner and Danny Hill swapped positions at the front of the field. Danny Hill made a terrific move on a late lap restart and was able to capture the lead and his second win of the season. Skinner finished 2nd. Points leader Donnie Reed wound up 3rd. Thomas Pratt and Matthew Grissom rounded out the top-5. Reed, Hill and Steve O’Lone won the heat races.
In the Q Auto and Injury Attorneys Limited Late Models Alex Boerner started on the pole. He was able to hold off the challenges of Tim Gay and William Pugh on multiple restarts to take the hard earned win. It was his first of the season. Gay finished 2nd. Bobby Johns started 7th and finished 3rd. Forrest Gough came home 4th and Pugh rounded out the top-5. JR Prather Jr. and Johns won the heats.
Jeff Mathews has been the man to beat in the Gagel’s Open Wheeled Modifieds season. Tonight’s 15-lap feature event was no different as Mathews took the win in dominating fashion. The win was Mathews’ 3rd of the young season. Shane Burrows finished 2nd. Buzzie Reutimann started shotgun on the field and battled his way to a 3rd place finish. Austin Sanders ran in the top-5 all night long and wound up 4th. Brian Hollifield had a strong run and was 5th. Mathews and Kyle Bronson were victorious in the heat races.
The Outlaw 4’s had a wild race in their 15-lap feature event. Shirlene Hammond and Stephen Holbaugh battled for the early laps swapping the lead numerous times. Holbaugh’s night ended early when it appeared that he lost a drive shaft. Hammond also had bad luck as she made hard contact with the back stretch wall as the laps were winding down. The night could have gone the same way for Jesse Brown as an early spin sent him to the rear of the field. Brown made his way through the field and pounced on the lead on a late restart passing Michael Gulvin. The win was Brown’s first win at East Bay in any class of racecar. Brian Danforth finished 2nd. Jason Russell earned his first top-5 of the season finishing 3rd. M. Gulvin finished 4th and Larry Stepp rounded out the top-5. Mickey Wright and Amanda Rogers won the heat races.
The night wrapped up with a watered down track and the newest phenomenon at East Bay Raceway Park. DB Hogwaller and his passenger Steve Dittman outlasted the field to take the win in the Dirt Daubers.
ASA sanctioned racing resumes at East Bay Raceway Park Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 6:30pm. The South Shore Auto Sales Late Models will run a 40 lap, $2000 to win feature event. Also in action will be The Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Limited Late Models, Outlaw 4’s, Street Stocks and the Motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bomber will all be in action. For more information call the track office at 813-677-7223 or visit us on the web at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.