After two weeks off due to Mother Nature and the holiday weekend around 100 cars signed in the pits ready to take the green flag at East Bay Raceway Park. It was an action packed night as five classes of cars were in action along with some special events.
The Outlaw 4’s were first to take to the track for their 20 lap feature race. In the early laps there was a great battle for the lead as Shane Burrows, Mavrick Varnadore and Jim Coursen swapped the top three spots. The Burrows machine moved his way to the lead with Jim Coursen holding down the second spot. On lap 15 the leader Burrows got together with Nathan Martin in turn 4. As a result Burrows night was done and the lead was turned over to Coursen. Coursen kept the lead and took his first feature race of the season. Brad Boerner finished in the 2nd spot. Austin Gillman, Michael Gulvin and Paul Sampson rounded out the top-5.
Seventeen Open Wheeled Modifieds took the green flag for their 20-lap feature. Starting from the 3rd position Raymond Rogers wasted no time moving to the lead. Rogers had the car to beat and was in the lead as the laps wound down. The Rogers machine began to smoke half way through the race and everyone wondered if the engine would stay together until the checkered flag. In turn 4 of the final lap it appeared that the engine in the Rogers machine finally expired, fortunately Rogers lead was large enough that he made it to the checkered flag to take his 4th feature win of the season. Jeff Mathews came home second. Roger Crouse finished 3rd. Dale Kelley and pole sitter Bobby Dixon rounded out the top 5.
In the Limited Sprints Dakota Stephens held of Gene Lasker to take his second feature win of the season. Lasker worked his way through the field and came home 2nd. Tim George, Rick Byerly and Kurt Taylor rounded out the top 5.
In the Street Stocks Charlie Paris, Jr. had the top car during the early months of the 2007 racing season. Paris Jr. has been the victim of terrible luck and has not finished many of the feature events in the last 2 months. To change his luck Paris had a passenger riding along with him, a stuffed monkey. As we were told he was trying to get the bad luck monkey off his back. Paris won the race in dominating fashion and we may see a few more drivers with monkeys in their cars next week. Buckshot Meixner finished 2nd. Mattew Grissom had one of his best finishes of the season coming home 3rd. David Strickland was 4th. Track newcomer Butch Carr finished 5th.
The 4 cylinder bombers were the final feature race of the night. Kyle Eash won his 4th feature race of the year. Robert Kissam finished 2nd after leading many of the early caution filled laps. The “Odessa Flash” George Christiansen took the checkered flag in the 3rd spot. Howie Woods started last and finished 4th. Randy Tyler rounded out the top 5.
The always-popular fan participation race was held at intermission as track owner Todd Hutto took the checkered flag. More special events were held for the first time at the end of the evening as a chain race, car tug of war, and blindfold race were held.
East Bay Raceway Park resumes ASA-sanctioned racing Saturday July 28th at 6:30pm with a full slate of racing action. Limited Late Models, Limited Sprints, Street Stocks, Outlaw 4’s and 4 Cylinder Bombers will all be in action. For more information visit www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
