Gene Lasker wins in East Bay Sprints Feature at the “Clay by the Bay”

By:  Jason Loughren

04/03/2010

 It was another wonderful night for racing in Tampa Bay as fans packed the grandstand at East Bay Raceway Park.  Over 100 cars were on hand for a pre-Easter joy ride around the fastest dirt track in the South.

 The Street Stocks were the first class to hit the track for their 15-lap feature event.  Donnie Reed and Gary Sheffield had an awesome battle for the lead as the laps wound down.  Reed was able to make a pass for the lead as Sheffield and Ed Hill were fighting for position.  Reed held off James Hook for the win.  The win was Reed’s 3^rd of the young season.  Hook finished 2^nd.  Thomas Pratt came home in the 3^rd position.  Jarod Gay fought off early troubles and finished 4^th and Kevin Silvia hung on for a 5^th place finish.  Reed and Hook won the heats.

 The East Bay Sprints were up next and Gene Lasker was the man to beat.  Lasker started 4^th and was in the lead by the end of the 1^st lap.  Lasker drove away from the field and won the race in convincing fashion.   Danny Martin, Jr started 5^th and finished 2^nd.  Tony Agin finished 3^rd.  Rocky Sullivan and Tim George rounded out the top-5.  AJ Maddox and Tim George were victorious in the heats.

 Matthew Haynes won his first feature event of the season in the Outlaw 4’s holding off the late charge of Michael Gulvin.  Gulvin finished 2^nd.  Cecil Martin started the main event in the 9^th position and battled his way to a 3^rd place finish.  Billy Howard ran in the top-5 all night long and finished 4^th.  Charlie Staats started on the pole and finished 5^th.  Haynes and Gulvin won the heats.

 Twenty Racecar Engineering Late Models took the green flag in their 25-lap feature event.  Jack Nosbisch, Jr. won the race as he held off the challenge of Bryan Bernhardt to take his first win of the season. Bernhardt finished 2^nd.  Wallace Peacock started on the pole and finished 3^rd.  Travis Varnadore started 8^th and finished 4^th.  Mavrick Varnadore started 14^th came home with a strong 5^th place finish.  Dennis Williams, Roger Crouse, and Nosbisch won the heat races.

 In the Motorstats.com 4 cylinder bombers thirty-two cars started the feature event.  Roberto Morfin, Sr. started 5^th and swapped the lead with Elliot Morgan for many of the 15 laps.  Morfin, Sr. was victorious as he took the checkered flag by a slim margin over Morgan. Morgan finished 2^nd.  Raymond Vann battled early for the lead and finished 3^rd.  Roberto Morfin, Jr. started 8^th and finished 4^th.  Gary Killeen started on the pole and raced to a 5^th place finish.  Red Vann appeared to have a 4^th place finish but was disqualified in post race inspection.  Dalton Epps, Morgan and Killeen took the heat races.

 ASA Sanctioned racing returns to East Bay Raceway Park on Saturday, April 10, 2010 with the Limted Late Models, Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds, Street Stocks, Outlaw 4’s, Motorstats.com 4 cylinder bombers and Dirt Daubers all in action.  There will also be fan participation races.. For more information go to www.eastbayracewaypark.com or call the track office.