Thriller At East Bay With Devon Dixon In Winners Cricle
Open Wheel Modifieds In Real Shoot Out
By Jean Lynch
"This is the best day of my life," said a beaming Devin Dixon after pulling off the biggest win of his career Friday
In the final preliminary night of of the Open Wheel Modified portion of the 30th Annual East Bay Raceway Winternationals, fans witnessed five cars making a bid for the lead all the way around the track as they ran three wide, trading positions in every turn and playing the lapped traffic to the fullest.
It was just the fourth race for Dixon's new Victory chassis by JR Performance and the winner admitted, "We worked the first two days changing suspension and side-bite. The car wasn't good at the beginning, but it was the perfect combination for the last half of tonights 25-lapper".
Dixon, a local driver, got the attention of the other 116 competitors tonight when he started fifth and tried to get to the bottom of the track early, but when they started to pass him, he knew it was time to move up. He expressed thanks to his sponsors, New Homes of Tampa Bay, Blue Ribbon Tomatoes, Gene Slaughter of Hoosier Tires and his crew Jimmy and Ronnie. "Without the support of my Mom and Dad, my girlfriend Amy and my Dad's business, D&D Auction, I wouldn't be here for this victory".
Jeff Horst and Tommy Bailey started on the front row of the feature with Blake Jegtvig and Carlton Jackson in row two, Dixon and Randy Hall made up row three, but it was Bailey who pulled to an immediate lead and show the way for the first 16 laps.
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Thursday night's winner, Kevin Weaver was on the move early and was up from 11th starting spot to second by lap five and pressuring Bailey. Ray Guss, Jr. who started just behind Weaver wasted no time in getting up to third. When the leader Bailey hesitated behind a lapped car, Weaver made his move to the outside and led lap 17. Corey Conley passed Guss with five laps to move into third.
In the meantime, Dixon used an outside move to make a bid for the lead with three laps to go, but it was practically gridlock at the front. With two laps to go, Dixon dove inside Weaver in turn one and found enough grip to power him to the front leaving Weaver to fend off Bailey, Conley and Guss for the top five spots.
Rounding out the top ten it was Blake Jegtvig, Dan Hamstra, Kent Arment, Buzzie Reutimann and Steve Arpin. Ten heats, a D-Main, two C-Mains, two B-Mains and complete A-Main stats and time trials follow.
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIEDS-EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK – FRIDAY, 2/17/06
D – Main – 1)Wayne Hammond 2)Randle Sweeney 3)William Hampton 4)Darin Beaner 5)Ron Burgess 6)Dana Wellington 7)Asa Hovis 8)Mike Romaker 9)Dan Ratajczak DNS 10)Brian Hollifield DNS 11)Sean Jerovetz DNS 12)Richard Logan DNS 13)Robbie Hagger DNS 14)Troy Page DNS 15)Ralph Groomer DNS 16)Joseph Cox DNS
1st C-Main – 1)Dave Groves 2)Jason Miller 3)William Harrison 4)Vince Cooper 5)Mark Herbert 6)Nate Bregenzer 7)Billy Boyd, Sr. 8)Steve Mueller 9)Matt Miller 10)Mike Sullivan 11)Dennis Haven 12)Kevin DeYoung 13)Aldo Estrada 14)William Hampton 15)Steve Miller 16)Wayne Hammond 17)Brady Short 18)Hank Bradley 19)Doug Thompson 20)Tim Donlinger 21)Jeff Matthews 22)Trevor Merrell DNS