IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

April 26, 2009 Mathews Tops Late Model 40 Lapper By Larry Jewett 4/25/09 East Bay Raceway Park featured the South Shore Auto Sales Late Models as the month of April came to a close. This division was joined by four others in a night that saw an even 100 cars in the pit area. The action opened with the Outlaw 4 class with Shirlene Hammond and Mickey Wright taking heat wins. When the green flew on the 15-lap main, it was Amanda Rogers who asserted herself to the front ahead of Wright and point leader Stephen Hohlbaugh. Wright got loose on the second lap, but the field managed to split and she regained the chase deep in the field. Sean Bass had moved into second by lap five from his third row starting spot. At the halfway mark, Rogers and Bass were side-by-side with Brian Danforth watching from third. Bass grabbed the lead on the ninth lap. After a Hohlbaugh spin, the field went green and Rogers took the lead back. Bass retaliated, but a caution wiped out that try. Undaunted, Bass pulled back in the lead with two laps to go and Danforth shot to second. Bass would reach Victory Lane, a place he had been once before, only to lose the honor in tech for being three pounds light. That wasn’t the case tonight as the win stood the test. Trailing Bass and Danforth were Rogers, Hammond and Matthew Doleski. Street Stocks brought 20 cars on for the 15-lap feature. Heat race winner Buck Skinner wasted no time in vaulting to the lead. The race was slowed by numerous cautions, but Skinner managed to stretch out the lead with each opportunity. Donnie Reed put on a charge to move to second in the early stages. Reed had various challengers throughout that occupied his time and gave Skinner a chance to move away. Matthew Grissom moved up to third at the finish, trailing Skinner and Reed. Heat winner Buck Woodhouse and newcomer R.W. Whitley completed the top five. Kevin Silva also notched a heat win. The Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Limited Late Models saw a double winner as John Bradley backed up a heat race win with his third feature victory in the 2009 season. Bradley’s charge to the main was far from easy. Last week’s feature winner Alex Boerner started on the pole and held the lead until a spin in turn four stacked up Forrest Gough, William Pugh and Tim Gay with Pugh and Gay getting the worst end of the deal. The incident gave the lead to William Hampton, but Gough was able to shoot by on a restart. Bradley took second from Hampton and set his sights on the leader. J.R. Prather Jr. was on a mission moving to third and heating up the action. Bradley shot to the bottom of turn three and put a slide job on Gough on lap 7. Two laps later. Prather slipped by to gain second. Those two kept the spots to the end. Gough, who won a preliminary event, claimed third with Hampton and Ricky Land in the top five. Jack Nosbisch, Shon Smith, and Keith Nosbisch took heat wins in the South Shore Auto Sales Late Models. The top seven finishers transferred to the 40-lap Adams Used Auto Parts A-main. A 12-lap consy set the final three spots and the 24-car field was in place for the 40-lap go. David Schmauss was the early leader with Keith Nosbisch in hot pursuit. Jeff Mathews had worked his way into contention and slipped past Nosbisch into second. Mathews took the point on lap six as Schmauss slipped back. Keith Nosbisch and Shon Smith gained spots with Jack Nosbisch moving to fourth. Keith Nosbisch and Smith had a great battle for second until Phillip Cobb asserted himself into the fray. Cobb could never completely bypass Keith Nosbisch for second as those deeper in the field kept marching forward. While positions were changing in the top 10, Mathews marched methodically to a lead of nearly 1/3 of the track. Smith got back in the hunt to move to second. The biggest charge was coming from David Pollen Jr. who had started 16th. Pollen had fourth by lap 23 and ended up making more moves to the front. Mathews crossed the line well in front of the field. Pollen kept second, ahead of Smith, Jack Nosbisch, and John Kellum, who started 18th. The final division of the night was the www.Motorstats.com Four Cylinder Bombers with 27 cars taking the green. Wild side by side action led to anxious moments including a rollover by Dalton Epps, who was not injured. The event was called at 12 laps due to curfew with Robert Kissam, Raymond Vann, and Bubba Puyear out to settle it. Puyear came from third to the front to notch the checkered. Vann held second, ahead of Kissam, George Handy, and Chris Knoof. Sixth place finisher Kyle Kruse started 27th. ASA sanctioned racing resumes at East Bay Raceway Park Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 6:30pm. The Street Stocks will run a 25-lap, $500 to win feature event in the Brandon Ford Street Stock Sizzle. Also in action will be the South Shore Auto Sales Late Models, East Bay Sprints, Outlaw 4’s, Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds and the Dirt Daubers 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. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!