AJ Maddox claimed the Top Gun Sprints Non-Wing main. Photo by Mike Horne/GoFast Photos

AJ Maddox vaulted to the lead at the start of the 25-lap Top Gun Non-Wing main event and left his pursuers with the challenge of figuring a faster way around the Clay by the Bay. On this night, there were no answers as Maddox stormed to victory, earning the $1,300 Boomtrux.com winner’s share and an additional $800 in the Jeff Barfield Clean Sweep Award after winning his heat and then the feature.

The race was red flagged on the first lap when outside polesitter Keith Butler spun in turn two and collected four cars, including Johnnie Alexander who rolled over. On the subsequent restart, Maddox found himself moved to the front row. Once the racing started, Maddox asserted himself in the top spot, but faced immediate challenge from Brandon Grubaugh. Maddox was able to get several car lengths ahead of his challenger, who stayed dedicated to the purpose of hunting down the leader. Maddox maintained a steady line to keep challengers at bay to score the win. Grubaugh claimed second, ahead of Justin Webster, who rallied back from a lap 6 spin. Hayden Campbell and California racer Jeremy Ellertson rounded out the top five. Maddox, Ellertson and Guy Bos won the preliminaries.

Tim Gay swept by race leader Dennis Williams on the 13rd lap of the 15-lap Street Stock main to secure a spot in Victory Lane. Williams looked untouchable throughout the event as Gay and Thomas Pratt struggled through lapped traffic. Gay lost a spot to Pratt, but was able to get back in the thick of things before making the winning move. Williams would settle for second with Pratt third. Defending division champion Jim Baker came in fourth with veteran John Bradley rounding out the top five. Williams and Pratt were heat winner.

Dave Hall won the Mini Sprint preliminary, but the feature went to Dusty Cates. The 15-lap main was vindication for a decision to make the 2 ½ hour tow to go racing when threating skies made it a risky proposition. Cates was a wire-to-wire winner in the main with Hall and Joe Askew completing the top three.

Phillip Cobb grabbed the lead on the third lap of the 15-lap Late Model Sportsman main to secure victory in the 14-car field. The race was red flagged for a multiple car incident that blocked the track, which occur right after Cobb made the pass for the lead. Early leader Shan Smith cruised to second. The best battle on the track was between Steve Mathis Jr. and Andrew Hopkins for third. In the end, it would be Hopkins taking third, followed by Mathis and Daniel Woody. Heat race winners were Hopkins and Taylor Gant.

Jamie Frankland powered his 1934 Ford to a convincing in in the Florida Old Time Modified main. Andy Kelly had earlier won the preliminary.

East Bay Raceway Park will be back in action on Saturday, April 28, with the running if the second annual Rusty Dixon Memorial. The Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds will engage in a 50-lap main for the honors. They will be joined by V8 Warriors, Outlaw 4s, Gladiators and Street Stocks.

TOP GUN SPRINTS
AJ Maddox (3A), Brandon Grubaugh (G6), Justin Webster (21), Hayden Campbell (5), Jeremy Ellertson (89), Harley Zimmerman (00), Keith Butler (19), John Kahl (13), Nikki Voisey (96), Billy Bridges (11B), Dennis Misuraca (3), Matt Kurtz (82), Guy Bos (3K), Kurt Taylor (55), David Kelley (46), Johnnie Alexander (3T)

STREET STOCKS
Timmy Gay (90), Dennis Williams (24), Thomas Pratt (22), Jim Baker (69X), John Bradley (57), David Barwick II (89), Jason Russell (75R), Jeff Rodgers (95), Matt Bozeman (58), Henry Burnside (31B), Kenny Lawrence (38), Billy Barstow (B75), Robert Tyler (9), Randy Shields (49), Thomas Braswell (67), Scott Gullett (G28), Rich Livernois Jr. (71), David Simpson (89X)

MINI SPRINTS
Dusty Cates (6), David Hall (67), Joe Askew (78J), Cody Bryson (41), Dallas Casey (87), Kolton Mithell (70), Jammie Jewell (6J), Chris Ham (13). DNS – Robby Hoffman (66)

LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN
Phillip Cobb (03), Shan Smith (17SS), Andrew Hopkins (13H), Steve Mathis Jr. (95), Daniel Woody (29), Shane Williams (1a), Buck Woodhouse (55), Keven Devrieze (99), Forrest Gough (21), Roger Crouse (52), Megan Meyer (11M), Jesse James Foster (14J), Taylor Gant (33), Wesley Livernois (44)

FLORIDA OLD TIME MODIFIEDS
Jamie Frankland (1), John Godwin (22G), Lars Amundsen (111), Roger Herbach (4), Andy Kelley (46). DNS – Lenny Goding (93G), Tom McDonald (22)