June 11, 2011 – A dramatic finish to the 2011 Scott Thompson Memorial put Travis Varnadore in Victory Lane as the latest winner of the 50-lap race presented by Airgas. The race was named for local racer Scott Thompson, who passed away in 2006.
Varnadore started on the outside of the front row and took the early lead. “I hate starting up front,” said the eventual winner. “You’re right there where everyone can pass you.”
The only one who was able to do that was fellow front row started Mark Whitener. On lap 21, Whitener was able to pull off the pass for the lead. Whitener then stretched that lead to almost a half-track by lap 40. Varandore was forced to hold off the efforts of last week’s feature winner Josh Peacock and an earlier run by 2009 Thompson Memorial winner Keith Nosbisch. Meanwhile, Devin Dixon charged by Roger Crouse to move into the top five by lap 40. Dixon slipped past Nosbisch by lap 46.
Whitener’s large lead disappeared on lap 46 when a problem with the right front suspension brought him to a halt, giving the lead to Varnadore. When the green came back, the assault on the leader started, first with Peacock and then Dixon had moved forward to challenge. As the white flag flew, Varnadore had his hands full as no one was backing off. Varnadore and Dixon were neck and neck to the checkered flag with Varnadore officially declared the winner.
“The 95 (Dixon) was there,” said Varnadore, the youngest winner of the Scott Thompson Memorial. “The 58 (Whitener) was the fastest car. We couldn’t get through turns one and two at all, but could really work turns three and four. Last year in this race, we lost a motor and I think we spun the year before. This is really exciting.”
Peacock came through for a third place run, picking up an additional $1,000 in bonus money from Doug Hawkins of SAK Construction for his positions on laps 15 and 38. Keith Nosbisch was fourth with Roger Crouse a steady fifth. 2010 winner Doug Horton, who earned a starting spot through the B main, came from 23rd to 8th.
Varnadore, Whitener and Peacock won their heat races.
Danny Jones made a last lap pass stand up as he shot by Robbie Smith to claim the East Bay Sprint main. “It’s been two years,” said Jones in a celebration of elation. “I’m finally back in Victory Lane.” Smith settled for second with Jimmy Ballew, Kerry Gilbert and Billy Boyd Jr. in the top five. Gilbert and Tim George claimed heats.
Locke Brown helped his cause to become the 2011 Street stock rookie of the year by claiming his first East Bay feature. Brown lost the lead to Jeff Rodgers on the first lap, but charged back inside when Rodgers went high in turn two. Brown was able to go the rest of the distance in the 15-lapper. Brown, who along with Rodgers had won the heat races, was followed by Mike Wilson for Wilson’s best finish of 2011. Point leader Jarod Gay came home third with Rodgers and David Barwick II in the top five.
Nick Hebrank notched his first Outlaw 4 feature win by powering to the top position early. Kyle Worden, J. R. Baker and Eric Knight completed the four-car feature. Hebrank won the division’s preliminary.
Wild action in the motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bomber feature saw Jimmy Odell claim his second feature win, but the remaining drivers coming to the line had to do so with caution. Just behind the winner, Ian Humfeld flipped his car 1 ½ times on the frontstretch. Fortunately, no one made contact with the stationary car as the race concluded. Early leader Bubba Puyear was second with Troy Dittebrand moving from deep in the field at lap five to take third. Patrick Fiore and Johnnie Alexander, who started at the back of the A-main, rounded out the top five. Odell, Puyear and George Ingram took heat wins.
The red flag for Humfeld was the sixth of the night, including a pair of flips in the Sprint feature.
ASA sanctioned racing returns to East Bay Raceway Park on Saturday, June 18, 2011. The Southern Performance Racing Parts 50 for Late Models will headline the action. The race is the second of the four-race Donnie Tanner Memorial Series. Also included in the Saturday night contests are Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Outlaw 4s, motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers and Dirt Daubers. For more information, go to www.eastbayracewaypark.com or call the track office.