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by Leo Dougherty
East Bay Raceway, Gibsonton, FL (2/1/02)-Friday nights program was named in memory of John Bankston, who lost his life last year while racing at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH. Members of the Bankston family were present and each driver was given a decal in the drivers meeting with Bankstons number 8 and his name to display on their wing. This column, however good or bad it may be, is dedicated to the memory of John Bankston. As I wrote last year from Eldora Speedway, please keep John Bankston, his family, his friends, his fans, and the good folks at East Bay for their tribute to him in your thoughts and prayers.
This is a photo of the page dedicated to John Bankston in the 2002 East Bay Raceway Winternationals.
Jason Sides in victory lane with John Bankstons daughter on his left. (Leo Dougherty)
Jason Sides of Bartlett, TN drove his way into the record books here at East Bay Friday night and for his efforts received the John Bankston Memorial trophy from Bankstons daughter Kelly. It took him ten laps to break out of fourth place, where he started the race.
Thats when he made what might be called the cool move of the race, moving by Greg Leonard, Joey Saldana and Terry McCarl in one pass. From that point on, the race belonged to him.
Leonard led the first ten laps but was dogged by Saldana and McCarl, who were waging a battle of their own. The two fought back and forth for second place for four laps but McCarl wasnt able to get by Saldana and make it stick during that time.
When Sides took over the lead it changed the running order, putting McCarl out of the top three, and putting Leonard back to third place. McCarl did get by Saldana briefly on lap eleven but gave it back on lap fourteen. Saldana and McCarl followed across the line in that order.
I will post the official finish here sometime on Saturday and will include an updated points list if it is available.
HEAT WINNERS
1. Tim Crawley
2. Joey Saldana
3. Shane Stewart
4. Greg Wilson
5. Terry McCarl
6. Gary Wright
7. Greg Coverdale
C MAIN Mike Woodring
1st B MAIN Lance Dewease
2nd B MAIN Sport Allen
Ryan Coniam waged a torrid battle in the fifth heat with Terry McCarl and Jac Haudenschild. The three battled three wide for a full lap during the race refusing to give quarter to anyone. It took McCarl until the last two laps to get by Coniam and Haudenschild missed by inches getting by Coniam at the checkered flag.
In the sixth heat, Freddie Rahmer got up and over a wheel in turn three and drove straight into the wall. His hit was so hard that it lifted his car off the ground and spun him completely around but he walked away from the car before the safety crew got to the crash scene.
Despite the crash Wright had earlier in the day he came back to win the sixth heat in convincing fashion.
Wayne Pennington, trying to gain a spot on Red Stauffer in the seventh heat, got his front wheels so high of the ground it looked like it might go over on its back. When the front came down he tried to get back in the throttle and lifted the front end again, nearly spinning out. He nevertheless recovered without creating a caution condition and finished the race.
Seventeen year old Kyle Drum took a wild ride at the start of the second B main, flipping down the front stretch ending up against the wall in turn one. The top wing looked like it had been mounted on the front when the car was towed off the track but Drum was unhurt.
Jan Opperman, Jr. made an appearance at East Bay tonight to sign copies of an autographed photo of his fathers sprint car.
Leo Dougherty writes the "Makin Tracks" articles on Hoseheads.com
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