Mathews Doubles with Donnie Tanner LM and Modified Wins

Photos By Mike Horne Track Photographer Story from track :

 

Jeff Mathews prevailed in the 50-lap main for the 604 Late Models in honor of legendary racer Donnie Tanner and then jumped into his Modified and captured a 15-lap main event, dominating both events.

The 21-car Late Model event started with Phillip Cobb as the early leader. Travis Varnadore was able to grab second from John Norris on the second lap and stay near the leader. Mathews made his pass to grab second on lap 9 and backed it up with a move to take the lead. With the green flag staying out, Mathews was able to build up a straightaway lead. Five laps later, the lead was half the track as Mathews had lapped up to the 10th spot. Jesse Brown was about to take second on lap 23 when his car slowed in turn three and Brown retired from the event. The caution flag wiped out Mathews’ big lead, but on each subsequent restart, Mathews could not be caught. Cobb, Varnadore and Doug Horton won preliminaries.

After a brief respite in Victory Lane, Mathews dashed to his Modified in the infield and picked up right where he left off. He moved into the lead in the early going and rolled to a win for a return to Victory Lane in back-to-back races. Mathews and Tyler Clem had earned heat wins.

Garrett Green captured the Q Auto & Injury Medical Malpractice, taking the early race lead. The race was red flagged when Steve Diamond and Keith Butler made contact, sending Butler into a flip. The driver was okay, but both were eliminated from the competition. For Green, it ends a yearlong dry spell since his last visit to East Bay’s Victory Lane. Green had earlier won his heat as did Andy Cobb.

Winternationals Street Stock champion Tim Gay used the outside line to move through the pack and claim the 15-lap Street Stock main event. Gay won his heat race, along with 2020 track champion Billy Barstow.

Bruce Comer was absent for the first night of competition in the Q Mini Sprints, but his car was in Victory Lane thanks to Robby Hoffmann. Come knew the pressure was on, winning his heat and backing it up with a strong run to victory in the 15-lap main. Dallas Casey opened the night with his first heat win of 2021.

The Gladiators turned up in support of the first Mama Kathy Memorial, an event in honor of a top supporter of racing and the Gladiator class who passed away in 2020. Heat wins were taken by Baily Purcell, Rodney Martin and D.J. Taylor, with Taylor making his first racing start in three years. If there was any rust on Taylor, it was gone by the time the feature rolled around. Taylor powered from third to first on the 10th lap to score the feature win.

East Bay will be dark on April 10 with racing to resume on April 17. The Jody Robbins Memorial for V-8 Warriors will pay $400 to the winner with racing action in 604 Late Models, Modifieds, Mini Sprints, Mod Lites, Outlaw 4s and Florida Old Time Modifieds.

 

604 LATE MODELS – Donnie Tanner Memorial

Feature: Jeff Mathews (33), Travis Varnadore (41), Phillip Cobb (03), Doug Horton (46), Raymond Folwell (3), Tanner Cobb (03c), Josh Peacock (21), Shan Smith (32), Matt Herlong (131), John Norris (87), Wallace Peacock (P1), Daniel Woody (29), Waylon Haynes (11), Ken Elletson (11E), Thomas Burnside (13), Jimmy Waldrop (9), Jesse Brown (7JR), Charlie Ally (9A), Jason Russell (75R), Brandon Yates (86), Steve Mathis Jr. (95)

GAGEL’S MODIFIEDS

Feature: Jeff Mathews (33), Tyler Clem (14), Billy Howard (47), Scott Bane (23B), Bryan Bernhardt (B69), Chris Bailey (77B), Austin Sanders (64), Doug Dyal (97D). DNS – John Bradley (X27)

Q AUTO & INJURY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ATTORNEYS SPRINTS

Feature: Garrett Green (82), Frank Beck (89), Dylan Colding (23D), Alex Boerner (1), Shane Butler (15), Guy Bos (3k), Tim George (1*), Andy Cobb (1C), Steven Muller (50K), Chris Hahn (2), Keith Butler (19), Steve Diamond (9). DNS – Danny Jones (14), Joe Zuczek (50)

STREET STOCKS

Feature: Timmy Gay (90), Zack Amundsen (20), Jerry Bruce (35), Rich Livernois Jr. (71), Jimmy Wagner (17W), Billy Barstow (756), Brian Barse (5), Michael Cherry (19), Buck Woodhouse (55), Doug Johnson (09), Kyle Bowman (46K). DNS – Robert Allen (98)

Q MINI SPRINTS

Feature: Bruce Comer (21), Stephen Thomas (7S), Bryce Comer (6), Randy Thomas (4R), Dallas Casey (87), Jo Jo Davis (7j), David Hall (67), Brad Sutton (9), Mark Reynolds (1). DNS – Joe Bartow (3)

GLADIATORS

Feature: D.J. Taylor (00), Wayne Kissam (03W), Troy Dittebrand (222), Tracy Maynard (62), Jeff Smith (15), Rick Rutledge Sr. (4), Bailey Purcell (07), Joshua Genarie (93P), Timothy Simmons (16), Patrick Tabb (03), David Zeman (13), Daniel Bowman (46), Rodney Martin (21), Derrick Edwards (17), David Wood (21W), Callie Gubich (513), Kyle Kruse (1K), Hunter Lovelady (68), Patrick Fiore (88), Davey Martin (21D), Brett Proctor (1), Jerry Moore (70), Joshua Ashmore (29), Alyssa Grant