By:  Larry Jewett

5/1/2010

With the Scott Thompson Memorial race presented by Airgas looming in two weeks, a healthy field of Racecar Engineering Late Models headlined a Saturday night card at East Bay Raceway Park.

Shan Smith proved to be the class of the field, holding off the charges from Doug Watson, then Travis Varnadore to score the 25-lap main. Plenty of position battles dominated the race, which also saw plenty of yellow flags. Varnadore retained second at the finish, ahead of Bryan Bernhardt (who charged from 21st starting spot), early leader Phillip Cobb and Ted Erskine. Smith, Varnadore and Bernhardt won heats.

Austin Sanders joined the crew that has scored wins in the Gagel’s Auto Parts Open Wheel Modifieds in an exciting main. Sanders led early, but point leader John Bradley was using the high side to advance. Bradley took the lead with five laps to go. Sanders tried to ease past, but wasn’t able to do so until the final set of turns in a close finish. Bradley notched a runnerup, ahead of Buzzie Reutimann, Shane Burrows and Kevin Bryant. Kyle Bronson and Reutimann set the stage with heat wins.

The Precision Kia Street Stocks led off the night as Clarence Pratt and Eric Moon posted preliminary wins. In the feature, the car of newcomer Tommy Whitley ended up on its lid in turn four on the first lap, scalping Justan Rodgers’ car in the process. The drivers were unhurt and amazingly the cars were able to continue in the race. Up front, Jeff Rodgers was the early leader, but Thomas Pratt charged to take the top spot on lap five. Those two would hog the spotlight to the end as Pratt claimed his third win of the year on the night before his birthday. Rodgers slipped back on the last lap, allowing Donnie Reed to snatch second. James Hook added a fourth while Mike Wilson posted his first top five of the year.

The motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers had three heats and a pair of features. The first feature, a makeup main from two weeks previous, put Raymond Vann into Victory Lane for the second time. John Detamore was second with Matthew Odell, Jim Baker and Kever Raulerson in the top five. Heats in the regular program fell to Odell, Raymond Vann and Roberto Morfin Jr. The tech man rained on the finale as drivers were disqualified for rules violations. When the smoke cleared, George Handy, who had finished fourth, was parked in Victory Lane. Disqualifications stemmed from “failure to have the manual for car type.” Jeff Porter, in his first start, gained second with Roberto Morfin Sr., Kever Raulerson and Robert Purcell credited with top five finishes.

ASA sanctioned racing returns to East Bay Raceway Park on Saturday, May 8, 2010.  The Top Gun Sprints will pay a visit with the Gagel’s Auto Parts Open Wheel Modifieds, Precision Kia Street Stocks, motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers and Dirt Daubers with a special charity race. For more information, go to www.eastbayracewaypark.com or call the track office.