| CROUSE PICKS UP FIFTH LATE MODEL WIN OF THE SEASON AT EAST BAY | By John Berti
- Karnac.com staff writer
Gibsonton, FL -October 29, 2005- Roger Crouse claimed his fifth feature event win of the year as he bettered 16 car field of Late Model competitors to win the 25 lap feature.
Bobby Clark surged into the early lead from his pole starting position and remained in charge until the first caution was brought out when Keith Nosbisch spun in turn three. Keith picked up at the rear.
On the restart Clark stayed on top until Marshall Austin went to the bottom of the track in turn three to slip by Clark before the lap was completed. Clark crashed on the frontstretch on lap four.
Crouse was charging to the front from his seventh starting position and took over second from Bobby Alexander, Jr. on lap 6. David Schmauss got by Alexander, Jr. for third on lap 9.
Keith Nosbisch was recovering nicely from his early race spin moving into third by Schmauss on lap 10.
Half way through the race the top five were Austin, Crouse, Keith Nosbisch, Schmauss and Jack Nosbisch, Jr.
A fierce battle ensued for second between Crouse and Keith Nosbisch which allowed Austin to stretch out a lead for himself.
K.D. Kelley was beginning to find the quick way around the track getting by Alexander, Jr. into the top five on lap 15.
Lady Luck deserted Austin on lap 16 when he lost control of his car in turn two bouncing over the berm and into the infield. By the time he recovered the lead was lost. He totally spun out in turn four to bring out a caution on the same lap.
The running order for the restart had Crouse as the new leader followed by Keith Nosbisch, Schmauss, Kelley and Alexander, Jr.
Over the remaining distance the fans were treated to great side-by-side action between Crouse and Keith Nosbisch with Crouse just ekking out the win by the slightest of margins.
The official finish was: 1.) Crouse 2.) Keith Nosbisch 3.) Kelley 4.) Jack Nosbisch, Jr 5.) David Schmauss
Twenty-one cars took to the "Clay by the Bay" for the start of the 15 lap Open-wheel Modified feature with Jamie Burrows taking the lead.
A lap 4 crash took its toll on the competitors when Bobby Dixon spun between turns 3-4 collecting the cars of John Bradley, Roger Crouse, Wayne Hammond, Buzzie Reutimann and Buddy Wisham. Only Crouse, Hammond and Reutimann were able to rejoin the field after brief pit visits.
When racing resumed Rusty Dixon got by Devin Dixon on lap 8 to take over second. Two laps later Rusty got under Burrows for the lead. Burrows fine run came to an end when he spun in turn four on lap 13.
With just two laps to go the restart order was Rusty Dixon, David Schmauss, Jeff Mathews, Devin Dixon, and Trevor Merrill. The only change down to the checkers was Merrill passing Devin Dixon for fourth.
The racing team of Jeff Mathews protested the engine of Rusty Dixon's car. Rusty's car was found to be legal. The official finish was Rusty Dixon the winner followed by Schmauss, Mathews, Merrill and Devin Dixon.
Steven Miller and Josh Peacock lead the 17 car field around for the start of the 15 lap Outlaw 4 feature. Miller faltered as his transmission failed putting him into the infield. Josh Peacock assumed the lead.
Jim Courson slowed off turn four while challenging for second to bring out a caution. He was done for the night.
The restart running order was Josh Peacock, Alex Boerner, Michael Galvin, Wayne Williams, and Cecil Martin.
By lap 5 Jeff Conyers was in the top five. Conyers continued to pick off cars taking the lead from Josh Peacock on lap 8.
Josh Peacock's run came to an end with two laps to go when his car lost power and stopped in turn two. He was running third at the time.
Conyers remained the leader over the final two circuits to pick up his fifth win of the season. Pete Grantham was runnerup. Galvin had a steady run for third. Travis Varnadore and Alex Boerner, a pair of youngsters, were impressive as the fourth and fifth place finishers. Wallace Peacock , the apparent fifth place finish at the checkers, was penalized two positions for jumping the green on a restart.
Tom Evonosky, Sr. was a dominating force in the shortened Limited Late Model feature leading all the laps on his way to victory lane. Due to numerous cautions the race became a 13 lap affair.
Evonosky was followed to the checkered flag by Bruce Harvey, William Hampton, Timmy Bronson and David Simpson.
Daniel Lewis led a field of 21 Street Stocks to the green for the start of their 15 lap feature. Lewis was on top for the first two laps until he was bumped from the lead by Matthew Grissom. Lewis dropped out on lap 5.
A three car crash going into turn one on lap 8 involved top runners Mac Kersey, Kyle Bronson and Paul Gibbs. Gibb's car suffered the most damage with the left rear wheel being totally sheared off the car.
The restart order was Grissom, Austin Sanders, Steven Johnson, P.J. Sanders and Michael Cherry. At the wave of the green Johnson immediately went to work on Austin Sanders taking over the second spot by the completion of the lap.
Grissom and Johnson made contact while battling for the lead on lap 9. Johnson pitted with a flat tire and so did Grissom. Both returned to pick up at the rear.
The restart saw Austin Sanders at the front, with Cherry, Buck Woodhouse, Cam Canova and Tim Spencer in tail.
Cherry got under Sanders on the restart as Saunders washed up the track in turn four.
Cherry went on for the victory with Sanders second, Woodhouse third, Canova fourth and Spencer fifth.
The 15 lap Bomber feature turned out to be another wild affair as J.L. Morehead took the lead from the pole. He was knocked out of the lead on lap 5 by Wes Livernois. Wes would give way to Danny Harrel before the lap was completed.
The devil must have found his way into Harrel as he was extremely defensive of his position bumping anyone who tried to pass him on the inside toward the infield and outside challengers toward the wall.
While racing Harrel for the lead on lap 6, D.B. Hogwaler went to the outside only to be planked into the backstretch wall by Harrel. D.B.'s car was towed to the pits with heavy front end damage.
Starter, Julian Mullis, had seen just about enough of Harrel's driving antics for one night and blackflagged him out of the race.
Buck Skinner inherited the lead going on for the win over Morehead, Dan Bliss, W.B. Hogwaler and Rich Livernois, Jr.
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