1/30/20 – TAMPA, FL – Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN was surprised to be in Victory Lane with his B&M Concrete CVR on Thursday night at East Bay Raceway Park after the finish of the 30-lap Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series Winter Shootout race.  Weaver only led one lap of the race, but it was the one that counted.

Weaver found himself the leader on a last lap restart after early race leader Max Blair of Centerville, PA in the Murphy’s Logging Rocket was penalized for a restart violation.  Blair was ticketed for brake checking the field on a restart, and was sent to the tail of the field.  That gave Weaver the lead for a one lap dash to the checkered flag.

“I hate to win races this way, and I feel bad for Max because I had a second-place car tonight,” Weaver said.  “I’m coming back to race after a couple of years off, and we’re having fun again.  It doesn’t matter if we win or finish 24^th.  We’re having fun.”

Weaver was off for two years after suffering a head injury during a race.  Weaver took the time off and let his head heal properly.  He got a doctor’s green light to return to the cockpit of a dirt late model, and he put together a deal with CVR Race Cars to return to competition this season.  It didn’t take long for Weaver to wear off the ring rust.

Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL finished second in the Adams Used Auto Parts Rocket, and Freddie Carpenter of Parkersburg, WV drove the Nevin Gainey Race Cars Kryptonite to a third-place showing.  Steve Mathis Jr., of Plant City, FL took the fourth spot in the ATP Trucking Barry Wright and Walker Arthur of Forest, VA was fifth in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Kryptonite.

Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL was sixth in the Skinner’s Body Shop Rocket and Pierce McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN took a provisional, started 23^rd and finished seventh in the Parkway Liquor Store Longhorn to earn the Knowles Race Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award.  Joseph Joiner of Milton, FL took the eighth spot in the Hunt The Front Capital.

The defending Newsome Race Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Jake Knowles of Rome, GA finished ninth in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Longhorn, and Drew Kennedy of Lancing, TN rounded out the top ten in the Schubert Monument Sales Rocket.

In preliminary action, the Fast Qualifier was Travis Varnadore of Plant City, FL in the Varnadore Racing Barry Wright.  Varnadore out-timed the 51-car field with a lap around the 1/3-mile “Clay By The Bay” in 15.883 seconds.

The four KRC Power Steering ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Kennedy, Nevin Gainey of Fort White, FL in the Kryptonite Race Cars Special, Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL in the Bud Coley Trucking Barry Wright, and Todd Hurst of Lineville, AL in the Hurst Construction Rocket.

Blair took the lead from the pole position at the start of the race followed by Phillip Cobb of Dover, FL in the Dynamic Painting Snow Brothers, Nosbisch, Joiner, and Weaver.  Nosbisch was able to get around Cobb for the second spot on lap seven while Blair pulled out to a ten car-length advantage.  The leader caught the cars on tail end of the lead lap by lap ten.

Weaver worked his way of to the third spot by the halfway point in the race, and he got by Nosbisch for the second spot on lap 18.  By the time he got to the second spot, Weaver was a half-straightaway behind Blair.  On lap 20, the lapped cars and Blair’s big lead went away when Cobb, Joiner, and Varnadore got together in turn four to bring out the caution flag.

The field lined up for a Dixie-Style Double-File Restart with Blair out front.  Doubled up behind him were Weaver, Nosbisch, Joiner, Arthur, Skinner, Mathis, and Carpenter.  Blair pulled away on the restart while Weaver and Nosbisch raced side-by-side for second, swapping the spot and racing grooves several times over the next five laps.

The caution flag came out on lap 25 for debris, and the top ten for restart had Blair in the lead with Nosbisch, Weaver, Arthur, Varnadore, Carpenter, Joiner, Mathis, Janie Carter of Clayhill, FL in the DMT Trucking Barry Wright, and Skinner doubled up behind him.  Blair once again pulled away on the restart, and Weaver sailed around Nosbisch on the high side to take second.

Varnadore spun in turn two on lap 28 to bring out the caution flag.  The field raced to the white flag after the restart with Blair leading Weaver, Nosbisch, Carpenter, Arthur, Mathis, Skinner, Joiner, Knowles, and Kennedy.  While the field raced down the backstretch on the last lap, Jody Knowles of Tyrone, GA spun the Clayton Signs Rocket in turn four to bring out the caution flag.

Blair set a steady pace with the field doubled up behind him into turn three.  As Blair came off the fourth turn, he slowed and jammed the field up behind him causing a couple of cars to spin.  The caution flag came out, and Blair was ticketed with the caution for brake checking the field.  That gave the lead to Weaver, who took the green and white flags together and he led the last lap for the win.

The Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series returns to the 44^th Annual East Bay Raceway Park Winternationals with a $2,500-to-win 30-lap main event on Friday night.  The race will be Round 6 of the 2020 Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series Winter Shootout.  The Drivers Meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and Hot Laps at 6 p.m.

For more information and rules about the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site atwww.crateracinusa.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Durrence Layne Racing.  You can follow us on Twitter @DurrenceLayneRacing.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF NEWSOME RACEWAY PARTS CRATE RACIN’ USA DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES WINTER SHOOTOUT ROUND 5 AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 1/30/2020:

POS       STRT    CAR #   DRIVER                             HOMETOWN
1.            5             116        Randy Weaver                 Crossville, TN
2.            3             02           Keith Nosbisch                 Valrico, FL
3.            7             17c         Freddy Carpenter            Parkersburg, WV
4.            15           95           Steve Mathis Jr.                              Plant City, FL
5.            8             87           Walker Arthur                 Forest, VA
6.            9             11           Cruz Skinner                    Oxford, AL
7.            23           71           Pierce McCarter                             Gatlinburg, TN
8.            6             10           Joseph Joiner                   Milton, FL
9.            20           66           Jake Knowles                   Rome, GA
10.          11           K37       Drew Kennedy                  Lancing, TN
11.          17           6             Clay Harris                       Jupiter, FL
12.          16           27           Derrick Shaw                    Buckhannon, WV
13.          13           38           Jeremy Shaw                    Millport, AL
14.          12           17           Nevin Gainey                    Fort White, FL
15.          22           27h        Bruce Harvey                   Plant City, FL
16.          19           38c         Jamie Carter                    Jacksonville, FL
17.          21           19           Marcus Minga                  Shannon, MS
18.          2             41           Travis Varnadore            Tampa, FL
19.          1             111        Max Blair                          Centerville, PA
20.          18           313        Devin Dixon                      Apollo Beach, FL
21.          14           2             Todd Hurst                        Lineville, AL
22.          24           66k        Jody Knowles                   Tyrone, GA
23.          4             03           Phillip Cobb                      Dover, FL
24.          10           29           Daniel Woody                   Lithia, FL

ENTRIES:  51
FAST QUALIFIER:  Varnadore, 15.883 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  McCarter and Jo. Knowles
LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Blair, 1-29; Weaver, 30
LAPS LED:  Blair, 29; Weaver, 1
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER:  McCarter (started 23^rd and finished 7^th)
NEXT RACE:  East Bay Raceway Park, 1/31/2020, $2,500-To-Win, 30 Laps

GROUP QUALIFYING (Top 5 In Each Group Transfer To Main Event):

KRC POWER STEERING B-MAIN RACES (10 Laps – Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):

               1^ST B-MAIN:  1. Kennedy; 2. Mathis; 3. Carter; 4. Bowie; 5. Slay; 6. Couch; 7. McMahon; 8. Creech; 9. Boardman; 10. Pearson; 11. McCarter.

               2^ND B-MAIN:  1. Gainey; 2. D. Shaw; 3. Ja. Knowles; 4. Sparkman; 5. Rae; 6. T. Cobb; 7. Riggs; 8. McCall; 9. Williams; 10. Glover.

               3^RD B-MAIN:  1. J. Shaw; 2. Harris; 3. Minga; 4. Mathews; 5. Cooney; 6. Burnside; 7. Wilson; 8. Halstead; 9. Waters; 10. T. Dixon.

               4^TH B-MAIN:  1. Hurst; 2. D. Dixon; 3. Harvey; 4. Sweet; 5. Rickels; 6. Cooper; 7. Withers; 8. Jo. Knowles; 9. Egner; 10. Markham DNS.

Newsome Raceway Parts, a Division of Raceway Chevrolet in Hartsville, SC, is the Title Sponsor of Crate Racin’ USA.  Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of Crate Racin’ USA.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of Crate Racin’ USA.  VP Racing Fuel is the Official Race Fuel and Lubricant of Crate Racin’ USA.  Knowles Race Parts and Bodies is the Official Parts Supplier for Crate Racin’ USA.  David Smith Carburetors is the Official Carburetor of Crate Racin’ USA.  Fullmoon Graphics is the Official Wrap, Banner, and Sign Company of Crate Racin’ USA.  Crate Racin’ USA 2020 Chassis Sponsors are Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.

The 25-lap Top Gun Sprint feature had no shortage of excitement as the 22 cars battled through three heat races before lining up for the A Main. Joe Zuczek, Justin Webster and 2019 Top Gun Sprints champion A.J. Maddox captured the heat races, putting themselves in position to qualify for the Lee and Jeff Barfield Memorial Sweep bonus of $300.

Maddox opened up by powering from the second row into the lead with Brandon Grubaugh in tow. In short order, Shane Butler moved from fourth to second before the first caution waved on lap 3. Danny Sams brought his 1* to third place as the leaders hit lapped traffic. Maddox would have better fortune as he was able to escape the pressure from Butler. Butler did catch and pass Maddox on lap eight, but Maddox returned the favor a lap later. Garrett Green moved into the top five after starting on the outside of the eighth row. On lap 11, Maddox drifted high in turn four and nearly lost the handle, but regained control and kept the lead as the caution came out on lap 14. The restart kept the lapped cars in their spot, which put two cars between Maddox and Butler. The racing picked up and action was all around the race track until a red flag stopped progress on lap 23 when Grubaugh and Tim Fricke collided with Fricke toppling. Both drivers were uninjured, but could not continue the event. On the restart, Green, who had moved to third, stuck the nose of his #82 between the front runners for a three-wide challenge. As the field came down to the checkered flag, it was Green grabbing his first East Bay Raceway Park feature win. The feature marks the start of the 2020 season for the Top Gun Sprints.

George Handy and Gary Lucas scored heat wins in the V-8 Warrior/Thunderstocks. The 15-lap main saw Collin Kruse going wire-to-wire to capture the victory.

Racing action will resume Friday night with the three divisions back in action for their second night. The final night of the week’s action will be Saturday, Feb. 1

Top Gun Sprints

Feature: Garrett Green (82),  AJ Maddox (3A), Shane Butler (18), Danny Sams (1*), Robbie Smith (6S), Justin Webster (21), Luke Hill (41), Andrew Griffin (27), Joe Zuczek (50), Larry McVay (83), Kyle Connery (91), Billy Bridges (11B), Jeff Bye (26), Matt Kurtz (20), Bryan Eckley (12B), Brandon Grubaugh (G6), Tim Fricke (43MB), Scott Baldwin (4), Bruce Durden (17), Cole Nichols (N20), Nathan Barouch (13)

V-8 Warrior/Thunderstocks

Feature: Collin Kruse (92), Nick Brown (12), John Bradley (X), Mike Wilson (58), Michael Hart (99), Raymond Rogers (10), Raymond Vann (1), Kalen Maynard (2), Gary Lucas (106), Juston Meeks (10M), Raymond Rogers Jr. (48), Wayne Kissam (107), Randy Shields (30), Jeff Weaver (26), George Handy (105)