Roger Crouse did triple duty tonight racing in three of the five classes run. Roger was the first to the checkers in two of them.
Eleven heats were required to set the fields for the nights main events and they went off in short order allowing the features to start before nine p.m..
First up were the Gagles Open Wheel Modifieds and they continued the string of great racing in the class so far this year. Matt Miller and Dale Kelly led the twenty-one car field to green and they staged a fierce battle up front during the early laps ahead of two and sometimes three wide racing throughout the field. Raymond Rogers made his way from the fifth slot to challenge for the lead at about the half way mark.
Jamie Burrows was also picking off spots after starting eighth he made his way to second by the finish. Rogers was able to hold on for the victory ahead of Burrows. Early leaders Kelly and Miller wound up third and fourth respectively and fourteenth starter Trevor Merrill completed the top five. Heat wins fell to David Schmauss and Rogers.
The Limited Late Model feature can only be described as a crash fest. Three attempts and two red flags were required before the first lap could be completed. Attrition played a huge role in this event as almost half of the twenty-four car-starting field was eliminated before the checkers waved on lap eleven of the time shortened feature. Roger Crouse was able to avoid the carnage and take win number one for the night.
Timmy Bronson was able to pull even with Crouse several times but could never complete the pass. Bronson had to settle for second. J.R. Prather, Tony Payne, and Bob Peterson rounded out the top five survivors. The prelims went to Payne, Austin Sanders, and Ryan Mitchell.
In Four Cylinder Bomber action, Jimmy Alvis picked back up on his winning ways taking tonight’s feature event after starting tenth. Alvis was able to choose his spots on his charge to the lead in the fifteen lapper and hold off repeated challenges from second finisher Kever Raulerson.
Clarence Herrell bounced his way to A third place finish with Jason Rendell moving from eighteenth starting slot to fourth and Calvin Moore completed the top five. Frank Miller and Harmon Byrd won the qualifiers.
The Late Models brought twenty-one starters to the green flag for a twenty-five-lap battle royal. Roger Crouse had his C.J. Rayburn chassis working great on the high side and he used the cushion to work his way from the number twelve starting position all the way to the front. The racing surface provided several workable grooves and many East Bay veteran drivers in the field used them all trying to keep up with the highflying Crouse. Once in the lead, Roger was able to hold off all challengers and race to his second main event win of the night. Phillip Cobb used the bottom groove to mount several charges but could never regain the top spot after Crouse took the lead. David Schmauss, Bobby Alexander Sr., and K.D. Kelly used many combined years of track Savvy to round out the top five in a well-run race enjoyed by all. Kelly and Schmauss garnered heat wins.
The Outlaw Four division capped off tonight’s program. Eddie Mercer gets the hard charger atta-boy for the night for claiming the win after starting eighteenth in the nineteen-car field. Austin Gillman and Chad Rose battled up front early but had to settle for runner up and third at the finish. Brad Borner and Steve Miller complete the top five and also claimed heat wins. We will be back at it again next Saturday night with five classes of racing plus the ever-popular fans races brought to you by big Jim Bargo of Bargo Auto Sales and J.R. Prather of Tampa Bay Paving.
For complete details on our summer racing schedule, please check the website at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
