TAMPA, FL……..Tim Shaffer had Ron Hammons 360 Maxim powered by a Bob Hampshire engine hooked up to the new surface at East Bay Raceway Park as he took the lead on lap nine of the 25 lap opening night feature over a field of 48 cars to start the 37th year anniversary year for the Winternationals.Just as he did in 2010 when he captured both preliminary night features, Shaffer looked strong out of the box collecting the $1,500 prize with no challengers past the half-way mark on this the l5th Annual “King of 360’s”.
“We have a pretty good team that makes it a fun way to make a living. Life is too short to not have fun at this and when they made the track wider, that was to our liking,” said the happy winner to track announcer Russ Calabrese. “When Danny Martin spun and almost collected me on lap 18, but we escaped, it was our night to win, so we will take it.”
He started his Maxim third behind Kyle Sauder and Michael Miller with Jerod Roller outside. Row three showed Greg Wilson and Jason Sides followes by Terry McCarl, Danny Holtgraver, Ryan Moore and Lou Kennedy in the top ten. After a shaky start which was yellow flagged, Miller jumped to the lead and pulled away to a two second lead.
Shaffer worked the inside groove for the next several laps, finally taking the lead for good on lap nine and lapping his first car on lap 10. By lap 17 Shaffer was a straightaway ahead when on lap l8 Danny Martin spun (that almost collected Shaffer) bringing the field to a tight formation with Miller second, Roller third and a hard charging Kennedy up into fourth, followed by Tim Crawley in fifth.
By lap 20 Shaffer had a three second lead and with a clean track in front of him, he soon built to to a straightaway. Kennedy advanced to finish second, but 3.0l5 seconds back followed by Roller, Crawley, Wilson, McCarl, Miller, Holtgraver, Danny Smith and Thomas Kennedy in the top ten.
Heats were won by Roller, Wilson, McCarl and Holtgraver. Each heat winner received a $50 bonus from Show Time Dragstrip owner Robert Yoko. The B-Mains sent Michael Parent, Sport Allen, Danny Martin, Jr. and Russ Hall from the first one and Danny Smith, J.R. Stewart, Scotty Thiel and Jayme Barnes from the second one to the A-Main.
Thanks, Jean Lynch for East Bay Raceway Park
Professional MotorSports Services
360 Sprints 2/21/2013
A-Main:1. Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 2. Lou Kennedy (Winnipeg, ON), 3. Jerod Roller (Hernando, MS), 4. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR), 5. Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 6. Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 7. Michael Miller (Ocean Springs, MS), 8. Danny Holtgraver (Pittsburgh, PA), 9. Danny Smith (Chillicothe, OH), 10. Thomas Kennedy (Winnipeg, ON), 11. Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 12. Jayme Barnes (Everett, WA), 13. Kyle Sauder (Archbold, OH), 14. J.R. Stewart (Bellefontaine, OH), 15. Michael Parent (Granby, QC), 16. Danny Martin Jr (Tampa, FL), 17. Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 18. Scotty Thiel (Sheboygen, WI), 19. Russ Hall (Pleasant, IA), 20. Ryan Moore (Moss Point, MS),
B-Main 1:1. Michael Parent (Granby, QC), 2. Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 3. Danny Martin Jr (Tampa, FL), 4. Russ Hall (Pleasant, IA), 5. Chris Williams (Memphis, TN), 6. Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL), 7. Robbie Smith (Tampa, FL), 8. Todd Hoddick (Cheektowaga, NY), 9. Eric Riggins Jr (Charlotte, NC), 10. Dan Mazy (Lyons Station, PA), 11. Brad Greer (Coulterville, IL), 12. Todd Rittenhouse Jr (Norristown, PA), 13. Alex Pettas (Phoenix, AZ), 14. John James (Iowa Park, TX), 15. Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 16. Steve Poirier (St Mathieu de Beloeil, QC), 17. AJ Maddox (Brandon, FL), 18. Darren Long (Elido, OH),
B-Main 2:1. Danny Smith (Chillicothe, OH), 2. J.R. Stewart (Bellefontaine, OH), 3. Scotty Thiel (Sheboygen, WI), 4. Jayme Barnes (Everett, WA), 5. Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, MI), 6. Jamie Collard (Burford, ON), 7. Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ON), 8. Hud Horton (Dayton, OH), 9. Etienne Girard (Drummondville, ON), 10. Johnny Gilbertson (Dover, FL), 11. Tony Agin (Ft Myers, FL), 12. Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 13. Mike Stelter (Webster, NY), 14. Kerry Gilbert (Dover, FL), 15. Shawn Dancer (Delphos, OH), 16. Freddie McCall (Brewton, AL), 17. Lance Hester (Long Beach, MS), 18. Bruce Dewick (Geneva, NY),
Heat Race 1:1. Jerod Roller (Hernando, MS), 2. Michael Parent (Granby, QC), 3. Danny Martin Jr (Tampa, FL), 4. Jamie Collard (Burford, ON), 5. Robbie Smith (Tampa, FL), 6. Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 7. Scotty Thiel (Sheboygen, WI), 8. Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ON), 9. Darren Long (Elido, OH), 10. Todd Hoddick (Cheektowaga, NY), 11. Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, MI), 12. Alex Pettas (Phoenix, AZ),
Heat Race 2:1. Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 2. Danny Smith (Chillicothe, OH), 3. Lou Kennedy (Winnipeg, ON), 4. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR), 5. AJ Maddox (Brandon, FL), 6. Thomas Kennedy (Winnipeg, ON), 7. Russ Hall (Pleasant, IA), 8. Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 9. Chris Williams (Memphis, TN), 10. Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL), 11. Eric Riggins Jr (Charlotte, NC), 12. John James (Iowa Park, TX),
Heat Race 3:1. Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 2. Michael Miller (Ocean Springs, MS), 3. Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 4. Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 5. Etienne Girard (Drummondville, ON), 6. Jayme Barnes (Everett, WA), 7. Shawn Dancer (Delphos, OH), 8. Tony Agin (Ft Myers, FL), 9. Hud Horton (Dayton, OH), 10. Dan Mazy (Lyons Station, PA), 11. Bruce Dewick (Geneva, NY), 12. Lance Hester (Long Beach, MS),
Heat Race 4:1. Danny Holtgraver (Pittsburgh, PA), 2. Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 3. Kyle Sauder (Archbold, OH), 4. Ryan Moore (Moss Point, MS), 5. Brad Greer (Coulterville, IL), 6. J.R. Stewart (Bellefontaine, OH), 7. Steve Poirier (St Mathieu de Beloeil, QC), 8. Johnny Gilbertson (Dover, FL), 9. Kerry Gilbert (Dover, FL), 10. Mike Stelter (Webster, NY), 11. Todd Rittenhouse Jr (Norristown, PA), 12. Freddie McCall (Brewton, AL),