For Immediate Release – February 8th, 2018 – FYE Motorsports Promotions
In another picture perfect weather day in the Tampa Bay area, the largest field of the week assembled in the pit area on the Thursday portion of the 42nd annual Wrisco Industries presented by E3 Spark Plugs.
Kyle Bronson topped the 53 car field in Miller Welders qualifying with a lap of 14.501 seconds before Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Gregg Satterlee, Bronson, Billy Moyer Jr. and Josh Richards won the six qualifying heats. Jonathan Davenport and Mike Maresca topped the two b-mains and Austin Hubbard won the Strawberry Dash to set the 26-car starting grid for the $7,000 to win, 40-lap main event.
Bloomquist and Bronson paced the field to the green, but 3rd starting Owens snatched the lead on the opening lap and lead the first two circuits before the caution flew for a multiple car crash in turn three, slowing the action early in the main. On the restart, another caution flew for debris before the field fired back to life with Bronson diving under Owens in turn one, taking the lead with his #40b. Kyle would go on to the lead the next two laps before 9th starting Tyler Erb would swoop by into the top spot.
Erb took off at the front of the field and lead until a lap 15 caution for Tuesday night winner Davenport bunched the field once again. On the start, Erb again went back to the point and continued to lead as 21st starting Brandon Sheppard appeared in the top five. Erb continued to lead until Sheppard swept by on lap 21 to take the top spot before a caution for Billy Moyer Jr. appeared on lap 23.
Sheppard went back to work out front and survived a pair of late race cautions on lap 32 and 34 to lead to the checkered and win from his 11th row starting spot. Sheppard was involved in a wreck in his heat race, stormed from 11th to 2nd in the b-main and charged from 21st to win the $7,000 main event. Bloomquist pushed Sheppard in the late stages of the event to come home second with Devin Moran racing from 11th to third ahead of 6th starting Josh Richards and Erb, who rounding out the top five.
Feature finish: Brandon Sheppard, Scott Bloomquist, Devin Moran, Josh Richards, Tyler Erb, Brandon Overton, Jimmy Owens, Earl Pearson Jr., Chub Frank, Bobby Pierce, Kyle Bronson, Morgan Bagley, Darrell Lanigan, Mike Maresca, Dennis Erb Jr., Timothy Culp, Brian Shirley, Billy Moyer Jr., Gregg Satterlee, Don O’Neal, Austin Hubbard, Jonathan Davenport, Jason Jameson, Hudson O’Neal, Boom Briggs, Dustin Mitchell
Mike Horne Photo