IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

December 12, 2004 FSCR East Bay Features “POWDER-PUFF” Racing Return On A Cool December Night By Bill Green “From Behind The MIC!” Tampa, FL (Dec. 11th, 2004) It is two weeks till Christmas and East Bay is still racing. The air is cool, but the horse powers up. The wind is blowing and the fans are bundled for warmth. Hot chocolate and coffee were the drink of the night. But, it was the action that would really heat things up on this cool winter's night. Features only was the way the schedule read. That meant an extra 5-laps on the A-Main of each class. So with six classes scheduled, that came to 130 laps, plus the return of “Powder-Puff” race for the armature lady drivers for 10-laps of action. Every driver pulled a pill for starting position, so there would be plenty of time for the action to heat up after warm-up and hot laps. The Gagle’s Auto Parts Open Wheel Modifieds started the racing action. Bill Howard would pull the best pill for the A-Main start on the pole and used that position to lead the first 12-laps, but on a restart for a broken rear-end on the #22 of Dale Kelly, Howard would make a mistake entering turn-1and stack up the field behind his spin. David Boerner would inherit the lead as Howard was sent to the back of the lead lap. “Prime-Time” Bobby Dixon was in his son Rusty Dixon’s 4-link chassis and would get the run on Boerner to take the win. Leaving Boerner second, David Schmauss would come from 9th to third, with Scotty Williams gaining Open Wheel experience in forth and Bill Howard making it back to fifth. Second on tonight's program were the Able Body, INC Limited Late Models. As David Schmauss changed cars to lead the pack to green, William Hampton would get crossed up in turn-1 and stack the field up behind him. The restart would have Schmauss out front for the first few circuits till smoke ended his night. Forest Gough used the #41’s bad luck to take the outside run to the front. Bill Howard would also jump into his LLM and find his way to the front, taking the lead on lap-9 by making a bold move through lapped cars. Howard would survive a lap-14 restart after Daniel Woody collected the turn-3 wall, to visit Victory Lane. Second went to Tim Gay, third was Timmy Bronson, fourth would be J.R. Prather, Jr. and Forest Gough would get fifth. Special note, the #21 of David Brotman from West Palm Beach drove to East Bay to take a 7th place finish in his asphalt car. Third in line for action would be the was ways exciting Street Stocks. On a Lap-3 restart, long time East Bay racer Cam Canova would barrel roll down the front stretch. Cam was OK, but the car will need the off season to recuperate. Still restarting on lap-3 Donnie Reed would try to hold off Mac Kersey in the “Phantom 309”, but not for long, as Kersey took the lead and never looked back. Second would go to Michael Cherry, third was Steven Johnson, Donnie Reed held on for forth and Joseph Jones came from 17th to fifth. The fan favorite high-powered Late Models ran the longest race of the night at 30-laps. But, after a pole pill draw, nobody would challenge “The Catfish” Keith Nosbisch as he went green to checkered for the win. Second would go to Roger Crouse, third to Bobby Alexander, Jr., with Marshall Austin fourth and Jackie Nosbisch, Jr. fifth. Newly named Outlaw Fours saw action on a smooth clean track. Jimmy Waldrop beat Cecil Martin to the line by two-feet for the win. Martin goes second, third to Josh Peacock, fourth was Chad Rose and “Mr. Consistency” Rich Livernois fifth. Due to a rules infraction by several cars running without roofs, the official finish will show Chad Rose as the winner, Livernois moves to second, Wallace Peacock third and Jim Murphy fourth. No fifth place finisher as only 7 cars started the feature. Limited Sprints had young Susan George back in action for her second start ever in the class and she would improve to a 7th place finish, but exit the track early to so on speed for safety. The winner would be Travis Blimiester, with “Big” Tim George second, third went to Tyler Godwin, with Brian Maddox fourth and Bryan Eckley fifth. The East Bay Powder Puff race would see 13 female drivers behind the wheel of Limited Late Models and Street Stocks. These wives, girlfriends, sisters and moms of East Bay racers would thrill the crowd with some wild racing action. Ten laps later it would be Donna Cropper in Victory Lane, with Valerie Boerner coming from 12th to second and Gail Kessinger finishing third. Fourth went to Amanda Paris in the “Phantom 309” and fifth would go to mild-mannered track office worker by day, but now known as Brenda “Lead Foot” Land under the race lights. The crowd enjoyed the ladies efforts and hopefully we'll see this become an annual end-of-year event. Next week its the Final Night of regular racing at East Bay Raceway Park featuring the annual “Run-What-Ya-Brung” Championship, with the already exciting Demo Derby and Roll-Over Derby action on the program. Plus now add Street Stocks and Outlaw-Fours to the last night of racing, factor in the arrival of Santa Clause by helicopter and you've got a night not to be missed by junior race fans or their parents. We'll See You At The RACES! Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! news@karnac.org or send a letter to the editor!