GIBSONTON, Fla. (Jan. 25) — Kyle Hardy, Ashton Winger, Tucker Anderson and Drew Kennedy each picked up 25-lap preliminary feature victories Thursday on the opening night of the Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts-sponsored Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series at East Bay Raceway Park.
The qualifying feature events for Chevrolet Performance-powered 604 Late Models drew a whopping 91-driver entry list to kick off what is slated to be the final edition of the venerable track’s Florida Winternationals history. The facility’s acreage has been previously sold to nearby Mosaic Company, and is scheduled to close for good at the end of its current racing season.
Hardy of Stephens City, Va., led flag to flag from the pole to claim the honors in the weekend’s first $1,000-to-win preliminary feature, finishing 1.573 seconds ahead of fifth-starting Phillip Cobb of Dover, Fla. Thanks in part to a pair of cautions, 17 of 23 starters finished on the lead lap, largely keeping Hardy out of traffic until late in race.
Derrick Shaw of Buckhannon, W.Va., who started second, lost one spot, but still managed a podium finish. Baily Cardwell of Knoxville, Tenn., started third and finished fourth, while sixth-starting Daniel Woody of Plant City, Fla., completed the top five.
Will Roland of Jasper, Ga., who entered the weekend second in the miniseries points chase, improved two spots to finish sixth, while Braden Mitchell of Russellville, Ala., was the big mover, improving six positions to finish 10th.
Hardy was the night’s overall fastest qualifier during hot lap-qualifying, stopping the clock at 16.314 seconds to earn the pole position for the first race.
Thursday’s second 25-lapper was a marathon. Continuing his East Bay prowess in the shadows of car owner Jeff Mathews’ Riverview, Fla., home that is located just seven miles away, Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., picked up a flag-to-flag victory in a race slowed by seven cautions, including five yellows from laps six through 11. Only 13 cars finished the attrition-filled affair.
Not to be deterred, Winger rolled to a 2.621-second win over series points leader Matt Henderson of Loudon, Tenn., who improved nine spots. Tyler Millwood of Kingston, Ga., rallied from 18th to finish third, while Daniel Dial Lawrenceburg, Ky., finished fourth over Brent Trimble Morgantown, W.Va. Steve Mathis Jr. of Plant City, Fla., improved 16 spots, moving from 22nd to finish sixth.
Taking the lead on a lap-14 restart, Anderson of Blairsville, Ga., led the final 11 laps to win the third qualifying feature. Anderson and Jeremy Wonderling of Wellsville, N.Y., swept by race-long leader Zack Carley as they raced into turn one, ending Carley’s 14-lap reign at the front. Carley had been passed twice earlier— once by Anderson and once by Wonderling—but was saved when cautions slowed the action and restored him to the front.
Once out front, the pole-starting Anderson cruised to a two-second win over sixth-starting Wonderling, with Rome, Ga.’s Mario Gresham finishing third after starting fifth. Carley of Freedom, N.Y., held on to finish fourth, while Nevin Gainey of Ft. White, Fla., finished fifth. Zane Powell of Junction City, Ky., rallied from 23rd to eighth in a semi slowed by five cautions.
With only three cautions, the final event of the night was much calmer. The worst of the three yellows came on the opening lap when eight cars were caught up in a turn-two wreck. Once underway, Kennedy of Sunbright, Tenn., dominated the first 21 laps of the final preliminary feature from his pole position, then survived a pair of late-race cautions to add his name to the list of Thursday’s $1,000 winners.
Kennedy finished four car lengths ahead of third-starting Nick Davis of Millsboro, Del., who took the runner-up spot away from Freddie Carpenter of Parkersburg, W.Va., with just three laps remaining. Carpenter, who started fourth, appeared to be closing on Kennedy before the cautions, but settled for third, while Jason Welshan of Maryville, Tenn., was fourth. Corey Neil Jr. of Bridge City, Texas, completed the top five after starting seventh.
The second night of preliminary action for the Rogers Dabbs Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series continues Fri., Jan. 26, with another round of hot lap qualifying and four more $1,000-to-win, 25-lap preliminary features. The Adam Stewart-directed tour wraps up its Winternationals stint at the famed Clay by the Bay on Sat., Jan. 27, with a $5,000-to-win main event.