IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

April 11, 2004 FSCR Wayne Reutimann Returns To The East Bay Clay by Bill Green Tampa, FL. (Apr.10th, 2004)- After a long and successful career in racing, Wayne Reutimann returned to the East Bay Raceway Park clay tonight in his son, Wayne Reutimann, Jr.s, #00 sprint car. A long time driver in the popular Tampa Bay Area Racing Association, Wayne Sr. returned to the clay-by-the-bay after an 8-year hiatus from driving wings on dirt. While the fans prepared for the Reutimann return in sprints, the Mini-Stocks where up first, with Heat-1 going to Ryan Mitchell and Heat-2 going to Cecil Martin. The feature would see the usual 4-cyl action with Scotty Williams winning feature number four on the season, when Ryan Mitchell spun on the white flag lap in turn two. Second would go to Chad Rose, with Daniel Bowman, Jr. third, Josh Peacock fourth and Wallace Peacock fifth. Street Stocks were next up and they needed two heats for the 30 plus cars. Steven Johnson would prevail in Heat-1, while Wayne Hayes out lasted a great Heat-2. Thirty-one cars took the green flag for the 15-lap feature; I counted 14 cars still running for the final restart on lap 13. Steven Johnson brought the #67 car home first. Rowland Johnson was second, Thomas White third, Joseph Jones fourth and Buck Woodhouse fifth. Late Model Heats went to Devin Dixon in Heat-1 and Trevor Merrell in Heat-2. The feature winner would be The Mayor of Muddville Roger Crouse, followed by Devin Dixon second, David Schmauss third, Bobby Alexandar, Sr. fourth and Phillip Cobb gets another top-5 in fifth. Sprints started with 19 cars in their two heats. Heat-1 would see Brian Maddox out class the 10-car field. Sprint Heat-2 would take the fans breath away as leader Michael Smith would battle hard with Greg Leonard, but both would be collected by Doug Auld as he struggled to save an ill handling car in turn two. All the drivers would be OK and Sport Allen would take the Heat-2 win. Completing the clean sweep in the feature would be Superman Sport Allen with the feature win. The Hammer Danny Martin, Jr. took second with his front wing folded back on the engine cowling. Brian Maddox hung on for third, with Sticks Greg Leonard sneaking into 4th out of the final corner, leaving The Malabar Missile Kenny Adams in fifth. For the record, Wayne Reutimanns return to dirt was a nice one, getting a 7th place finish from a 13th starting spot. Limited Late Models ended the round of heats with young David Simpson winning Heat-1 and Forest Gough taking Heat-2. The feature would see a big pile up in turn two on lap two, leaving David Simpson to glide to Victory Lane. Second would go to 1st year dirt tracker Ronnie Heard, Timmy Gay got to third, Bruce Harvey was fourth and Forest Gough went fifth. Ladies fan participation racing sponsored by Bargo Auto Sales and Tampa Bay Auto Sales saw more action than some car owners will be able to explain to the insurance company, but winning the $100 first place prize would be Rebecca Kistler, $50 & second went to Shannon Johnson and $50 & third to Cassandra Phillips. Next week the Go-Karts are Under The Lights on Friday night and Saturday will see six classes back in action as the Open Wheel Modifieds and Limited Sprints, join the Late Models, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks and Mini-Stocks for 1/3 mile clay oval fun. Mark your calendars for the April 23rd-24th National Late Model Series two-night show at East Bay Raceway Park. EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK ? TOP-5 ? APRIPRIL 10TH, 2004 MINI-STOCKS 63-SCOTTY WILLIAMS (4th Win) 7JR-CHAD ROSE 3-DANIEL BOWMAN, JR. 2-JOSH PEACOCK P1-WALLACE PEACOCK STREET STOCKS 67-STEVEN JOHNSON 89-JACK ROWLAND 24-THOMAS WHITE 4-JOSEPH JONES 55-BUCK WOODHOUSE LATE MODELS 32-ROGER CROUSE 2-DEVIN DIXON 105-DAVID SCHMAUSS 15-BOBBY ALEXANDER, SR. 03-PHILLIP COBB 360 SPRINTS 88-SPORT ALLEN 00-DANNY MARTIN, JR. 82-BRIAN MADDOX 94-GREG LEONARD 4A-KENNY ADAMS LIMITED LATE MODELS 23D-DAVID SIMPSON 56-RONNIE HEARD 35-TIMMY GAY 27-BRUCE HARVEY 21-FOREST GOUGH LADIES FAN RACE REBECCA KISTLER SHANNON JOHNSON CASSANDRA PHILLIPS Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! news@karnac.org or send a letter to the editor!