Oct. 22, 2011 – Six divisions on hand tonight at East Bay Raceway Park. Pink shirts were in full effect in supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Night here at The Clay By The Bay.
The first feature of the evening was the Street Stocks. Jeff Rodgers and Donnie Reed made up the front row. Rodgers and Reed also won their heat events early on in the races. Rodgers was looking to make it two in a row. From the drop of the green flag, Rodgers had the field in check. Reed, Locke Brown and several other drivers were all chasing him for the fifteen laps. Points leader Jarod Gay with his new car had problems on lap eight and had to take his car to pits and never returned. On the restart, Reed and Brown were chasing Rodgers once again, but when the checkered flag waved, Rogers earned his ninth feature of the year. Reed, Brown, Jim Baker and Garry Sheffield rounded out the top five.
Old Time Mods were next for their twelve lap feature event. Jamie Frankland won the heat race earlier on. Several drivers were missing tonight as some went hunting and some worked. Filling in for his dad was Zack Amundsen. Amundsen look like a pro out their with the veterans of the field as he followed in his dads footsteps and won the Feature. Frankland, Roger Herbach, Charlie Mixon and Bob Fink rounded out the top five.
David Pollen, Jr. and Bobby Dixon were on the front row for the Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds. Pollen, Jr. in his new modified look like he was on a mission to win his first feature of the season. He held off several challenges from the veteran from Plant City, Bobby Dixon. Dixon tried several times to take the lead but was unable to as Pollen, Jr. captured his first feature win of the season. Dixon finished second. Hayden Campbell, John Inman and Rich Livernois, Sr. made up your top five. Dixon and Pollen, Jr. also won the heat races.
Late Models followed next. The $100 challenge was given to pole sitter Steve Gillman if he elected to go to the rear and win. But Gillman wanted to keep his position. Devin Dixon started on the outside pole for the feature. When the green flag waived, Dixon took the lead going into turn one. But the man on the move was Josh Peacock. Peacock started in the fourth spot and made his way to the front and in a hurry. Dixon fell back to second, but had Phillip Cobb right on his back bumper for the back half of the race. Points leader Bryan Bernhardt had to go to the pits under a caution with a left front flat with only seven laps to go. His crew got him back onto the track before the green flag waved once more. When the checkered flag waved, it was Peacock picking up the win. I always seem to win the week before a big race, he stated in Victory Lane. Hopefully I can change my luck next week for Race 3 of the Donnie Tanner Series 50 Lap feature, $2,000 to win. Devin Dixon finished second, Cobb third, Travis Varnadore fourth and Doug Watson finishing in the fifth position. Jason Kimball and Cobb won the heat races.
The Motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers were the next to last race of the night. Patrick Fiore, Raymond Vann and Johnnie Alexander won the heat races earlier on in the night. Jimmy Williams was to be on the pole, but blew his motor and was not able to make the feature. That put Jason Burnside on the pole with points leader Troy “Sox” Dittebrand right next to him. Green flag waved and Dittebrand quickly jumped out in front, but last week’s feature winner Raymond Vann was hot on his tail. Vann passed Dittebrand and had Fiore right along behind him. Vann and Fiore battled for laps and Fiore was able to get around him with just a few laps to go. Fiore went on to win his fourth feature of the season and Vann finishing second. Johnnie Alexander was third with Dittbrand falling back to fourth. Jason Burnside finished the night with a fifth place finish.
The final event of the night belonged to the wet and wild Dirt Daubers. Bill Dixon sported his new paint scheme in honor of the late Alan Kulwiki. Drivers awaited patiently to see which way starter “Rockin” Ronnie Lucock decided which way to send them. Fans counted down and Ronnie sent them on their way in the opposite direction. Brett Phillips and Janien Dixon were side by side, but Phillips held of Dixon as they raced into the first turn. Jeff Weaver grabbed the early lead but Phillips quickly made his way to the front and held off the pack to pick up his fourth win of the season.
ASA sanctioned racing returns to East Bay Raceway Park on Saturday, October 29, 2011. The program will include the Race #3 for the Donnie Tanner Series for Late Models for 50 Laps $2,000 to win. Also will be the Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Limited Late Models, Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds, Street Stocks, Outlaw 4’s and the Motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers. Also at Intermission will be candy for the kids given out by the drivers with a Halloween Contest for kids 12 & under. For more information, go to www.eastbayracewaypark.com or call the track office.