June 4, 2011 – Experience played a key role in Saturday as Josh Peacock utilized his track knowledge to prevail in the Late Model tune-up to next week’s Scott Thompson Memorial.
Peacock tried to run away and hide, but found his big leads wiped out by cautions. En route to his first victory of the season, Peacock held off all challengers at the restarts. He had taken the lead from the second row, gaining the top spot by the third turn of the first lap.
“I thought I had lost my touch,” said the winner. “We made a few changes and they seemed to work. I wish this was next week.”
“Next week” is the biggest paying race of the regular season as the Scott Thompson Memorial presented by Airgas 50-lapper will kick off the Donnie Tanner Memorial race series. Leg 2 will come quickly as the Late Models return on June 18 for the Southern Performance Racing Parts 50.
Mavrick Varnadore never fell below third and ended up second at the finish. David Pollen Jr. charged up to claim third at the finish with Travis Varnadore and Dennis Williams rounded out the top five. Heats were won by Travis Varnadore, Cecil Martin and Bryan Barnhardt.
The wily veteran Buzzie Reutimann stayed out from at the drop of the green in the Gagel’s Auto Parts Open Wheel Modified main. “I think I feel 70 years old tonight,” he said in Victory Lane. “I knew the 64 (Austin Sanders) was there and coming, so I couldn’t let up. I changed my line and I messed him up.” The two had made contact two laps from the end, resulting in Sanders going to the tail and setting the stage for Reutimann to finish the job. Thomas Pratt had another top five finish in his quest for Rookie of the Year, claiming second. Hayden Campbell, Sanders and Mickey Wright (in her first start of the year) trailed the top two. Sanders was victorious in the preliminary.
The officials are going to the record books to see if Jeff Rodgers is making history. Rodgers powered to his sixth consecutive Street Stock win and seventh of the season. Rodgers was quick to spread the credit, saying “If it wasn’t for all the guys who work on this car during the week, this wouldn’t be happening.”
The best race on the track was the battle for second between point leader Jarod Gay and Buck Woodhouse for second. Gay won the second spot while Woodhouse crossed in third. That finish was wiped out in tech when Woodhouse was DQed for an illegal distributor. It gave third to Howard Osteen with John Clark and Curtis Book behind. Heat winners were Gay and Mike Wilson.
Troy “Socks” Dittebrand pulled a daily double in the Motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers. The class had a make-up event from last week’s rainout and Dittebrand put his second feature of the year in the bag. Roberto Morfin Jr., Patrick Fiore, Don R. Quinn and Jimmy Odell took top fives. In the regular feature, a 25-car field gathered after heat wins by Dittebrand, Fiore and Dalton Epps. For Dittebrand, the charge to the front appeared to be a place short as Jimmy Odell had the field in command. Odell slipped high coming to the white flag and that was all the advantage Dittebrand needed. He powered to the lead on the backstretch on the final lap to complete the perfect night.
Odell was second with point leader Thomas Burnside in third. Gene Gross stayed in the top five through the whole race and was rewarded with fourth. Jason Burnside finished fifth.
In Dirt Dauber racing, Brett Phillips shot from third to first at the halfway mark to claim the point lead and a second win.
ASA sanctioned racing returns to East Bay Raceway Park on Saturday, June 11, 2011. The Scott Thompson Memorial presented by Airgas will headline the action as the 50-lap Late Model feature will offer $3,800 to the winner. The race is the first of the four-race Donnie Tanner Memorial Series. Also included in the Saturday night contests are East Bay Sprints, Street Stocks, Outlaw 4s and Motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers. For more information, go to www.eastbayracewaypark.com or call the track office.