Action Packed Night At East Bay For Fans and Winner John Mason!

by Rebecca Richards

Tampa, FL... The 50 lap race Thursday night at East Bay Raceway Park was action packed, thrilling fans with John Mason of Millersburg, OH boldly racing three wide with Jimmy Mars and Earl Pearson, Jr. for two laps finally grabbing the lead on lap 15 by dashing between the two leaders, Mars and Pearson after coming out of turn 4.

Mason then held off Pearson Jr. by four car lengths to score his first ever win at East Bay Raceway Park in his 32 year racing career even though he was challenged repeatedly. “All I can say is "Wow," said Mason. “I’ve been trying to win one of these races since Xtreme started.”

The event was the second of the season for the Stacker 2 series and was part of the East Bay Raceway Winternationals.
Goodyear is the exclusive tire provider for the Xtreme organization. The consistency of both the sanctioning body’s rules and Goodyear’s production has put the racers on equal footing with each other and the fans have benefited.

“The tires never left me,” Mason said. “I think the tires actually like the rubber (on the track). As long as I wasn’t sliding them or abusing them, I thought the tires worked really well.” “We had three-wide racing tonight,” said Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s sales and marketing manager for late model dirt. “The biggest thing is the drivers had the opportunity, from the tire standpoint, to do that.” Mason said, "I've been doing this for over 30 years and we have had our success but it has been a long time since we won a national sanctioned event. Give credit where it's due. My daughter Carri, who is my crew chief, is just ecstatic right now and to see her have these feelings means more to me than the win to be honest with you. But, the other folks who came down to help this week deserve credit also. They have worked their butts off this week. And, I have to say that the Goodyear Eagles have performed beyond what many of us thought. I'm sold on them. Goodyear has done their homework and with the new program it has definitely evened the playing field. Actually, the whole Stacker2/Xtreme DirtCar Series program is what this sport has needed for so long. I'm proud to be a part of it."

Earl Pearson Jr. finished second, followed by Jimmy Mars, Scott Pounds and Brian Birkhofer. Pounds started 13th and Birkhofer started 18th in the 24-car feature race.

Dennis ‘Rambo’ Franklin won the Gemini Hard Charger Award for gaining 15 positions after starting in 22nd place. Franklin said. “I knew I had to go.” "This is simply unreal!", said Mason, driver of the Bert Transmission No. 72 Mason Racin',Inc. Rayburn/Malcuit/Monte Carlo. "We knew we had a fast car but it was just a little bit too tight at the beginning of the race. Then the track came to us and this Rayburn race car just flat hooked up and went. Racing three-wide with Jimmy and Earl for two laps was a real thrill. And, I knew that those are two class racers who will race you hard but race you clean. I know from my vantage point it was exciting and it had to have been exciting for the fans as well. To see the leaders race three-wide for two consecutive laps like that had to have given the fans they're monies worth tonight."
John Mason is the second first time winner and the third winner of the weeks' racing events.

The $31,000 plus purse drew 58 cars representing 22 states. Pearson Jr. earning the RINGERS GLOVES Fast Time Award in time trials with his fast lap of 15.186 seconds. Heat race winners were: Pearson Jr., Jeep Van Wormer, Matt Miller, Mars, Carrier Jr. and Clanton. Taking the "B" Main events were Davey Johnson and Pete Parker while Clanton claimed the YJ STINGER EXTREME ENERGY DRINK Dash and Kelly Boen grabbed the Donn Goodson Farms Memorial Strawberry Dash.

Billy Drake had finished second in the first "B" Main event but was disqualified when he failed to make the minimum weight. A fuel line had loosened during the race and he dumped so much fuel that it lightened the car too much.

The Stacker2/Xtreme DirtCar Series will wrap up the "YJ Stinger 28th Annual Winternationals" Saturday, Feb. 7 with a complete racing program, highlighted with a 75 lap -$15,000 to win main event.

Saturday, NASCAR Busch Series driver Kenny Wallace, who pilots the Stacker 2 Busch Series machine, will be signing autographs. Speed Channel will be on hand taping the action. The broadcast is set to air February 28th at 3:00pm. Serving as Grand Marshall of the event will be WWE Diva Superstar Sable who will also sign autographs. The Goodyear Blimp will make it's first ever appearance at a dirt short track in it's long history Saturday. The action will be broadcast over the world-wide-web (RSBN.net) starting at 9:30pm EST.


Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on the Message Board!
or send a letter to the editor!