Monahan, Cobb Prevail in Jack Nosbisch Sr. Memorial Mains

 

 

The re-scheduled Jack Nosbisch Sr. Memorial was held a month later, but it was worth the wait. The Pro Late Model field was stellar and the action bordered on dramatic at the end.

After preliminary heat races for the four other classes on the schedule, a field of 23 Late Models set out to decide who would capture the first check and trophy. Kenny Monahan moved to the top spot from the outside pole to break a way from the pack. Phillip Cobb took second from Andrew Hopkins early on and became Monahan’s first challenger. A lap five spin by Jimmy Waldrop collected class point leader Doug Horton, eliminating both for the night. On the restart, Bryan Bernhardt slipped past Cobb for second and began to close on Monahan. A late race caution for a Roger Crouse spin bunched the field for a two-lap shootout, but Monahan stayed focused to grab his second career Pro Late Model win.

The exciting opener set the stage for a second 20-lap main event. Fresh off a disappointing second place finish in the first feature, Cobb was determined not to let the opportunity slip away. Fast from the start, Cobb rocketed to the lead while side-by-side racing within the top 10 resulted in position changes on nearly every lap. Travis Varnadore took advantage of an early restart to become the first challenger and Varnadore made the pass for the top spot on lap 8. As leaders were hitting lapped traffic, a Wallace Peacock spin provided breathing room. Two laps after the restart, a charging Keith Nosbisch gained second, only to see Cobb rally back for the runner-up position. A lap 15 caution bunched the field again with Cobb choosing an outside starting spot. As the field hit the second corner, leader Varnadore pulled to the top of the track and stopped in turn 2. This misfortune gave Cobb a lead that would never be headed, though he had to stave off a challenge from Steve Mathis Jr.

The night started with V8 Warriors as Jason Burnside and Michael Hart gained wins in the heat. When feature time rolled around, it was Raymond Vann who wanted to set the pace with Scott Bane in tow. Burnside moved to second with point leader George Handy soon working to third from a start at the back of the field. Entering turn two on lap 6 of the 15-lap main, Vann and Burnside collided, giving the lead to Handy. On the restart, Bane stayed glued to the leader, seeking an opportunity that came one lap later. Bane swooped by Handy and kept his focus on hitting the proper spots for the car to work as planned. The checkered flew and Bane had his first win of his career in the V8 Warrior class.

The field of Outlaw 4s featured two drivers with three main wins on the year. The tie would be broken when Brandon Yates pulled to the lead and ran strong to the finish. A challenge from point leader Nick Hebrank came up short due to a driveshaft issue. Yates and Hebrank had won their respective heat races.

In the Micro Sprints, a new name has been etched into the record books, thanks to an inspired and inspiring performance by young Chris Livernois Jr. Last time the class had raced, Livernois sat out his heat and returned with a strong run in the feature. This week, he was determined not to be the one chasing, but to become the one being chased. Livernois moved around Kevin Strife before lap two and it was never close from there. Joseph Taylor won his heat, but could not compete in the feature.

The Gladiators brought a field of 16 cars for the 15-lap main after heat wins by Bailey Purcell and Daniel Casey. Both heat winners would figure prominently in the early stages of the feature as Casey would slip past Purcell on the third lap to take the lead. Three-time feature winner Kever Raulerson moved to the putside of the track to sweep around the front runners on lap 9, going the rest of the way in front.

East Bay Raceway Park will continue the 2018 racing season on Saturday October 6 with Full House Night. The racing card includes Pro Late Models, Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Sprints, Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds, Late Model Sportsman, Street Stocks, V8 Warriors, Gladiators, Outlaw 4s and Micro Sprints.

PRO LATE MODELS

FIRST FEATURE: Kenny Monahan (311), Phillip Cobb (03), Bryan Bernhardt (03X), Andrew Hopkins (13H), Travis Varnadore (95x), Doug Watson (07), Jack Nosbisch Jr. (12), Bruce Harvey (27), Keith Nosbisch (02), Megan Rae Meyer (11M), Wallace Peacock (21), Eric Moon (00), Roger Crouse (15), John Norris (87), TJ LaFlamboy (44), Dustin Perez (8), Adam Boyd (6), Steve Mathis Jr. (95), Steven Brendle (141), Keven DeVrieze (99), Jimmy Waldrop (9), Doug Horton (11), Thomas Burnside (13)

SECOND FEATURE: Phillip Cobb (03), Steve Mathis Jr. (95), Keith NOsbisch (02), Doug Watson (07), Bryan Bernhardt (03X), Jack Nosbisch Jr. (12), Kenny Monahan (311), Andrew Hopkins (13H), Eric Moon (00), Megan Rae Meyer (11M), Adam Boyd (6), John Norris (87), Dustin Perez (8), Keven DeVrieze (99), TJ LaFlamboy (44), Thomas Burnside (13), Steven Brendle (141), Travis Varnadore (95x), Roger Crouse (15), Bruce Harvey (27), Wallace Peacock (21). DNS – Jimmy Waldrop (9), Doug Horton (11)

V8 WARRIORS

Feature: Scott Bane (23B), George Handy (105), Jeremy Simpson (73), Gary Lucas (23), Wayne Kissam (07), Jessica Robbins (09), Bo Anderson (95), Bill Whitney (15), Michael Hart (99), Raymond Vann (32), Jason Burnside (12J), David Parr (36), Wayne Haynes (52), Juston Meeks (10). DNS – Kalen Maynard (2), Alan Smith (67)

OUTLAW 4s

Feature: Brandon Yates (53), Cecil Martin (15), Billy Dukes (15), Eric Knight (7v), Jake Hampton (19), Nick Hebrank (7), Candice Kealy (D4R), Vernon Hart (48), Bryan Sikes (23S)

MICRO SPRINTS
Feature: Chris Livernois Jr. (71), Kevin Strife (46), William Brannan (17), Mike Meyers (7), Joe Bartow (3), William Burnside (13), Jerod Meyers (0). DNS – Matt Wedgewood (4), Joseph Taylor (29)

GLADIATORS
Feature: Kever Raulerson (99R), Bailey Purcell (14), Daniel Bowman (46), Daniel Casey (3D), Robert Kissam (911), Andrew Hall (99H), Brittany Hart (81H), Steve Ashmore (01), Patrick Tabb (37), Zavier Safie (40), Johnathan Wood (56B), Rick Rutledge Sr. (4), Rick Rutledge Jr. (124), Jeff Smith (15), Thomas Adams (T2), Kenneth Roe (33). DNS – Ricky Richards (33)