Tim Powers Wins Night Number Two At East Bay After Post Race Inspection
By Russ Calabrese
Tampa, FL – Feb. 25, 2011 – It was the Georgia driver on the outside front row for the second night in a row. He was lined up with pole sitter Thomas Pratt. Pratt had won the most features at East Bay Raceway Park, capturing ten in all in the 2010 Season for the Street Stocks.
On the drop of the green flag, it was Sharpe once again taking command of the 25 lap A-Main Feature with Pratt right behind him in second, and in third was Calvin Cook.
The first caution came out for debris on the track and the top three remained the same, Sharpe, Pratt and Cook. The second caution came out on lap five when John Clark spun out in Turn four. This time your top three were Sharpe, Cook got around Pratt for the second spot and Pratt fell back to third.
After the green flag dropped, several laps had gone by when it appeared Pratt had a right rear go down on the backstretch and cars gathered as Eric Moon and Donnie Reed collected each other just before Turn 3, hitting the backstretch gate. Donnie Reed was able to continue and Eric Moon who received the most damage was not able to continue.
On lap 12, Billy Carlbert, Jr and Calvin Cook tangled in Turn two bringing out the seventh caution of the night. Your top three were Sharpe, Tim Powers, and in third was the Valrico native, Michael Cherry.
The green flag dropped two more times when the ninth and final caution came out on lap 19 when Steven Osteen and Charles Christian, Jr. got together in Turn four.
When the Checkered flag dropped, it was the Georgia driver once again finding himself in Victory Lane. But after post race inspection, Sharpe was found to be light and his win was disallowed giving the win to the Okeechobee driver who finished second last night, Tim Powers.
I first want to thank my car owner Paul Bange and Bange Roofing, my Crew Chief, John Wilson and Track President Al Varnadore for a great track tonight. He said he fell back to around twelfth position at one point but worked his way back up to second when the checkered flag waived. The third place finisher who moved up to second, was the number 56 Chevy Camaro of Kevin Durden in a Lee Faulk prepared race car.
Finishing in the third postion after tech was Michael Cherry. Fourth went to Andrew Gipson and finishing fifth wasDonnie Reed after crashing.
Rounding out the top ten were Thomas Pratt, Charles Christian, Jr., Calvin Cook, Billy Carlbert, Jr and finishing tenth was John Clark.
Heat race winners were Michael Cherry, Calvin Cook and Jimmy Sharpe.
After two nights of competition, the top six are locked into tomorrow’s 50 lap $3,000 to win A-Main. Top six in points are Tim Powers, Charles Christian, Jr., Thomas Pratt, Andrew Gipson, Billy Carlbert, Jr. and Donnie Reed in the final sixth spot.
The final night for the 35th Annual Winternationals are tomorrow night along with the NeSmith Crate Late Models with the 50 lap feature paying $3,000 to win along with the final night of the Inaugural World Street Stock Championship.
For more information, you can call the track at 813-677-7223.
