As the calendar tipped into September, East Bay Raceway Park saw the highest car count of the season as the six-division program brought 119 cars into the jam-packed pit area. The Q Auto & Injury Medical Malpractice Attorneys Wingless Mini-Sprints led the parade as 30 cars signed in for the first round of the Mini Fall Brawl.

The Florida Late Model Series made the first visit of the season to the Clay by the Bay. As race number five of the travelling series schedule, several series regulars made their first visit of the year, but it wasn’t obvious. Point leader Chuck Cumby showed why he holds the top spot, taking the race lead in the late stages of the 25-lap main.

Polesitter Steve Mathis would be the class of the field from the start as Bruce Harvey made a nice move coming off the fourth turn on the first lap to secure second. Harvey would prove to be the early challenger, but Mathis would maintain the point. Meanwhile, Cumby found himself just inside the top five until a restart near the halfway mark. With a powerful drive off turn two, Cumby went from fifth to directly behind Harvey. On a subsequent restart, Cumby was posted outside, but still made the pass to secure second. From there, he closed in on Mathis as leader and runner-up were hunting down lapped traffic. Mathis got caught up behind Dennis Williams and made contact which broke his momentum. Cumby seized the opportunity to grab the lead that would never be given back. Mathis, Harvey and Forrest Gough would secure heat race wins.

The Mini Fall Brawl had originally been planned for August, but weather problems forced the first round to September. The 30 cars contested four heat races, won by Robby Hoffmann, Jamie Tinkham, Austin Craddock and Jordan Feagle. The 15-lap main event saw Hoffmann dive to the bottom to take the lead on the first lap. Tinkham stayed close enough to worry the leader, but soon found himself being pestered by the likes of Zack Amundsen. Deeper in the field, Robbie Smith was making a charge and would soon find Smith in second. All of this was happening behind Hoffmann, who rolled to his seventh consecutive feature win. Hoffmann shared Victory Lane with fellow racer Dusty Cates, who served to spearhead additional sponsorships and prize money for the Mini Fall Brawl, including contingency awards and special prizes for selected spots.

Shane Burrows bypassed race leader Bryan Bernhardt to secure his first victory of the year in the Gagel’s Modified 20-lap main. Burrows was able to slip by as fending off challenges from Josh Sanford, who had a strong run going. Mavrick Varnadore put on a late race charge to move into an eventual second, but Burrows had decided the outcome by that point. Bernhardt, Roger Crouse and Travis Varnadore claimed heat races.

Point leader Austin Martin kept his record perfect by scoring his fourth feature win in as many tries. Martin started the race on the pole, a place he doesn’t particularly like to start, as he stated in Victory Lane. He felt it put him at a disadvantage to learning what the competitors were doing. Still, with his lead, he only had to worry about James McGroarty, who bypassed Martin to lead a few laps, before Martin returned the favor and regained the lead on lap 11. Brian Teeters and Larry Hubbard Jr. claimed heat wins.

V-8 Warrior action was hot and heavy from start to finish as Jason Burnside took the early lead. The leader bobbled on the second lap and then encountered some mechanical issues, exiting the race track. It gave the lead to Gary Lucas, who quickly found himself fighting to hold on with charges from Michael Hart and Raymond Vann. Eventually, it would be Vann who would take the lead and gain his first win of the year. Heat races were victories for Vann and Hart.

Point leader Daniel Bowman helped his cause with his second feature win of the 2019 season in defense of his 2018 track crown. Bowman, who had fuel pump issues with his car in last week’s races, was able to keep himself in the conversation throughout the contest. Bowman, Kyle Bowman and Tracy Maynard scored heat wins.

East Bay Raceway Park will return to action on Sept. 21 with Law Enforcement, Fireman and EMT Appreciation Night. Racing action will see Top Gun Sprints, Street Stocks (Gary Gay Memorial), Outlaw 4s, Q Auto & Injury Medical Malpractice Attorneys Micro Sprints and Florida Old Time Modifieds in action.

FLORIDA LATE MODEL SERIES

Feature: Chuck Cumby (88), Raymond Folwell (3), Steve Mathis Jr. (95), Wayne Reutimann Jr. (00), Bruce Harvey (27), Jason Pope (102), Roger Crouse (15), Tom Fiebelkorn (45T), Josh Peacocok (0), Jimmy Waldrop (9), Phillip Cobb (11), Thomas Burnside (13B), Buck Woodhouse (55), Joe Kump (15K), Dennis Williams (33), Mark Steube (10), Tanner Cobb (03T), Dustin Perez (8), Wesley Livernois (44), Scotty Williams (27W), Forrest Gough (21), Shan Smith (32)

Q AUTO & INJURY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ATTORNEY MINI SPRINTS

Feature: Robby Hoffmann (66), Robbie Smith (77), Kenny Brewer (45), Zack Amundsen (12), Jamie Tinkham (51), Paige Moss (95), Steve Diamond (9d), Brad Sutton (9), Austin Craddock (17), Kevin McKenzie (7M), Dennis Sanchez (9S), Don Quinn (33), John Crowder (30), Charles Kalck (22), Bruce Comer (21), Donnie Quinn (33D), Joe Askew (78J), Russ Heider (86), Dirk Miller (68), Eddie Moss (23), Jordan Feagle (26), Cody Bryson (30X), David Hall (67), Wayne Feagle (661), Chris Diamond (9c), Mike Meyers (7). DNS – Joe Bartow (3), Dusty Cates (6), Ty Nevins (33N), Camden George (55)

GAGEL’S OPEN WHEEL MODIFIEDS

Feature: Shane Burrows (70B), Mavrick Varnadore (4), Josh Sanford (3), Roger Crouse (15), Bryan Bernhardt (B69), Garret Stewart (67), David Pollen Jr. (88), Seth Geary (7G), Austin Sanders (64), Frank Lewis (72L), Jerry Bourland (777), Randy Shields (69XL), Travis Varnadore (205), Buzzie Reutimann (00), Keven Devrieze (99), Dale Kelley (22), Bill Howard Jr. (47), Drew Jackson (08), Eric Moon (18)

MOD LITES
Feature: Austin Martin (97), James McGroarty (07), Bo Bass (14B), Larry Hubbard Jr. (56), Larry Hubbard III (77), Alex Cline (07c), Andrew Smith (71), Jeff Wolfe (83), Jeff Bonnema (5B), Steve Olone (20), Brian Teeters (44T), David Santee (15), Dalton Ellis (7), Brandon Archer (87A), Aaron Stalling (31A)

V-8 WARRIORS

Feature: Raymond Vann (1), Gary Lucas (23), Juston Meeks (10), George Handy (105), Wayne Kissam (07), Jessica Robbins (09), Kevin Strife (30), Kalen Maynard (2), Macy Bozeman (58), Jason Burnside (12J), Nate Whitehurst (07W). DQ – Michael Hart (99)

STUDIO RED SALON GLADIATORS

Feature: Daniel Bowman (46), Robert Kissam (911), Logan Casteel (7), Ricky Rutledge Jr. (124), Rodney Wingate (8), Kyle Bowman (46k), Alyssa Grant (36g)Nicholas McAllister (97M), Patrick Tabb (03), Terry Burke (16), Rick Rutledge Sr. (4), Bob Zutz (47), Derrick Edwards (17), Kever Raulerson (99R), Rodney Martin (21), Davey Martin (55), Tracy Maynard (62), Johnathan Wood (56). DNS – Chase Seward (20), Rob Ramer (37), David Zemar (13).