IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

November 22, 2009 Points Races Tighten for East Bay Action By: Larry Jewett With just a few weeks remaining, the battles for top spots in the point standings got a little tighter as six divisions of racing action hit the track Saturday night. Street Stocks got the ball rolling with some slam bang feature action. Front row racers Donnie Reed and Howard Osteen were trading paint with Osteen pulling out to the lead. By lap 5, Osteen had broken free, but lost control and spun. Danny Hill was on the move, picking up spots to be in position to gain the lead. Hill logged his fourth feature win of the year, ahead of Reed, Gary Sheffield, Buck Woodhouse and Steve O’Lone. Reed and Osteen won heat races. A limited field of Limited Late Models came out for their 15-lap feature with heat winner John Bradley grabbing the lead. Bradley would not make it back to the start/finish line as the car went up in smoke, giving Forrest Gough the point. Gough would cruise to victory as attrition left four cars on the track with only Gough and Alex Boerner on the lead lap. Boerner claimed second, ahead of Herschel Bonner, Jim Rowley and Tim Gay. Gene Lasker dominated the East Bay Sprints in their 15-lap feature to score his fifth win of the season. Lasker jumped from the outside pole to an advantage that never diminished. Tim George ran a constant second with Jeff VanDusen, Paulie Milum and Clyde Poole in the top five. Lasker, who sold his T-shirts for $10 with all proceeds to MDA, thanked the fans for their support in helping the charitable cause. Lasker and George were heat race winners. Jack Nosbisch Jr. watched a late race pass for the lead disappear, thanks to a caution flag. He proved it was no fluke, swinging to the outside of leader Jeff Mathews on lap 18 for the lead for good. There was an anxious moment when Nosbisch scrubbed the front wall with two laps to go, but his lead was big enough to secure the win. Josh Peacock was the closest pursuer and finished second. West Virginia’s Doug Horton, Mathews, and Philip Cobb scored top five finishes. Heats went to Nosbisch, Horton and Wallace Peacock. The Outlaw 4 main proved to be a wild one as Cecil Martin scored his first victory. Martin and leader Jesse Brown made heavy contact with Martin slightly ahead and the race was stopped on the next lap. Martin kept the lead and got the win, but Brown showed his displeasure on the front stretch and the crowd supported one side or the other. Martin had won his heat race earlier. The feature top five behind Martin were Brown, Matt Haynes, heat winner Shirlene Hammond and Brittany Yates. The final group to hit the track was the motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers, who had 23 cars ready for the 15-lap main. Point leader Jim Baker started eighth and came charging to the front to score his second feature win. Jeff Porter, in his first start of 2009, had a convincing second place run. Dalton Epps, Roberto Morfin Jr. and Kayla Jones rounded out the top five. The finish was Kayla’s first top 5 of the season. Heats went to Baker, Epps and Morfin Jr. ASA sanctioned racing resumes at East Bay Raceway Park Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009 at 6:30pm with the David Reutimann Foundation 50, a race for Open Wheel Modifieds that will pay $1,000 to the winner. The field will include NASCAR driver David Reutimann. Joining the Modifieds will be the Q Auto & Injury Attorney Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers and Dirt Daubers. For more information, call the track office at 813-677-7223 or visit us on the web at www.eastbayracewa Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!