| Thursday, February 5, 2004 | |
| Kyle Berck's First Racing Appearance At East Bay Pays Off! | BERCK’S "ROLLER COASTER" RIDE ENDS IN XTREME VICTORY
by Lee Elder
TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 4, 2004) – Kyle Berck started on the pole, fell back a few spots and then charged to the front to win the Northern Xtreme DirtCar Series race at East Bay Raceway Park Wednesday.
The win was Berck’s first in the East Bay Raceway Winternationals.
Berck does most of his racing at Nebraska Raceway Park in Greenwood, Nebraska.
“This was an unbelievable roller coaster of a race,” Berck said, shaking his head.
Goodyear is the exclusive tire supplier for Xtreme. The 63-car field included drivers from 23 states.
Berck was involved in a four-car incident on the 30th lap of the 50-lap feature race and rejoined the field behind the leaders. He picked his way through traffic and regained the top spot with 41 laps complete when then-leader Don O’Neal’s car dropped out of the race due to mechanical problems.
From that point on, Berck fought off challenges from Davey Johnson before finally taking the victory.
Johnson won the Gemini Hard Charger Award for gaining the most positions during the race. Johnson started 23rd in the 24-car field.
Jeff Smith finished third, Billy Drake was fourth and Jimmy Mars took fifth.
“This is our first year ever racing down here in Florida,” said Berck. “We’ve been here a lot of years and watched.”
Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s sales and marketing manager for late model dirt, said, “That is the basis behind Goodyear’s Xtreme program, a first time winner. We have created a situation where the teams are racing on equal footing, in terms of their tires. That means any team with a hot driver and a good chassis setup can win one of these races.”
Wednesday’s pleasantly warm temperatures and evening breezes created a different racing surface from that which the drivers experienced Monday and Tuesday. The change gave the teams a chance to race on the harder rubber compounds in Goodyear’s tire lineup.
“We saw a totally different racetrack tonight,” Fantozzi said. “But the racing was just as good, if not better tonight. I’ve been very pleased with the basic fundamentals of the package we’re offering.” Berck won the race in his backup car.
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