Repeat Winners Dominate East Bay Action

 

For three drivers, the Saturday night racing at East Bay Raceway Park brought each of them their third feature victory of the season.

Kevin Strife started the trend with his win in the Micro Sprint main. The current point leader backed up his heat victory by taking the top spot in the 15-lap for the third time. Strife was able to move out front early, but the position battles inside the top five were constantly contested. Steve Diamond was able to hold second until Cliff Evans slipped past on lap 9. Evans gave chase, but could not close the gap as Strife cruised to the win. Mike Meyers, who finished third in the main, won the first heat race.

Brandon Yates notched his third straight Outlaw 4 victory for the 2018 season to steady his point lead in the division. Eric Knight took the early lead with Yates on his tail. Yates slipped to the bottom on lap 6 to grab the lead that he would never relinquish. Three-time feature winner Billy Dukes was able to ease into second place. Yates had started the night with a heat race win.

Billy Boyd Jr. caught and passed 2017 East Bay track champion Justin Webster to secure the lead in the 15-lap Q Auto and Injury Attorney Sprint main. Webster’s bid was hampered by lapped traffic that did not yield and Boyd went to the high side in the first and second turns to find a clear path. It was Boyd’s third triumph of the season. Frank Beck and Joe Zuczek started their nights with preliminary wins.

Thomas Pratt grabbed the early lead from the pole at the start of the Street Stock main and came home victorious, but not without a battle. Two-time feature winner Tim Gay closed in on Pratt, who ran a steady and consistent line to hold off the challenges. Gay and Tim Dowling recorded heat wins.

David Kelley backed up a heat race win with a feature victory in the Florida Old Time Modifieds. Kelley, driving a 1940 Ford, had his hands full with steering issues and the challenge of Dan Darnell, but he was able to park in Victory Lane for the first time this season.

East Bay Raceway Park will be back in action July 28 with Gael’s Open Wheel Modifieds, Late Model Sportsman, Gladiators, V8 Warriors and Mini-Sprints. Summertime starting hours are in effect with hot laps at 7 p.m. and racing action is underway at 7:30 p.m.

Micro Sprints

Kevin Strife (46), Cliff Evans (17), Mike Meyers (7), Bruce Conner (80, Jerod Meyers (0), Steve Diamond (9), Matt Wedgewood (4), Chris Livernois Jr. (71), Joe Bartow (3), William Burnside (13). DNS – Mariah Austin (5), Shannon Austin (60)

Outlaw 4s

Brandon Yates (53), Billy Dukes Jr. (15), Eric Knight (7V), Cecil Martin (15), Nick Hebrank (7), Vernon Hart Jr. (48), Bryan Sykes (23S), Mark Moniz (41e)

Q Auto & Injury Attorney Sprints

Billy Boyd Jr. (4), Justin Webster (21), Joe Zuczek (50), Frank Beck (89), Dylan Colding (23d), Billy Bridges (11B), Nikki Voisey (96), Kyle Connery (91), David Slawiak (96x), Bryan Eckley (12B). DNS – Kurt Taylor (55)

Street Stocks

Thomas Pratt (22), Tim Gay (90), Tommy Hill (1H), John Bradley (57), David Barwick II (89), Robert Tyler (9), Henry Burnside (31), Thomas Braswell (67), Tim Dowling (55), Allen Bailey (51). DNS – Kenny Lawrence

Florida Old Time Modifieds

David Kelley (46), Dan Darnell (111), Roger Herbach (4), Jamie Frankland (1), Lars Amundsen (00), Gonzo Godwin (22G)