News

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 24th. 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 23rd 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 44th 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 23rd and finished 7th)
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):

GROUP 1:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS TIME
1 111 Max Blair (T) Centerville, PA Rocket 16.146
2 02 Keith Nosbisch (T) Valrico, FL Rocket 16.177
3 116 Randy Weaver (T) Crossville, TN CVR 16.227
4 17c Freddie Carpenter (T) Parkersburg, WV Kryptonite 16.238
5 11 Cruz Skinner Oxford, AL Rocket 16.263
6 6 Clay Harris Jupiter, FL Rocket 16.400
7 K37 Drew Kennedy Lancing, TN Rocket 16.400
8 95 Steve Mathis Jr. Plant City, FL Barry Wright 16.424
9 38 Jeremy Shaw Millport, AL Barry Wright 16.447
10 38 Jamie Carter Clayhill, FL Barry Wright 16.449
11 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS Rocket 16.532
12 14c Chuck Bowie Welcome, MD Rocket 16.549
13 30 Todd Cooney Pleasant Hill IA Mastersbilt 16.561
14 71 Pierce McCarter Gatlinburg, TN Longhorn 16.668
15 33 Jeff Mathews Brandon, FL Rocket 16.729
16 38p Trey Pearson Callahan, FL Rocket 16.738
17 84 Sam Halstad (T) Newlondon, IA Mastersbilt 16.746
18 41 Jim Couch Hamilton, OH Rocket 16.805
19 02 J.C. Wilson Milton, FL Longhorn 16.950
20 15 Jeremy Creech (T) Richmond, IN Rocket 17.041
21 13 Thomas Burnside (T) Tampa, FL Rocket 17.113
22 2 Bo Slay Milton, FL Longhorn 17.588
23 66w Deke Waters Cookeville, TN Longhorn 17.725
24 50 Ron Boardman Wattsburg, PA Rocket 17.896
25 39 Troy Dixon Dallas, GA Rocket 19.105
26 45 Kyle McMahon Mount Vernon, IL Kryptonite 19.105

GROUP 2:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS TIME
1 41 Travis Varnadore (T) Plant City, FL Barry Wright 15.883
2 03 Phillip Cobb (T) Dover, FL Snow Bros. 15.935
3 10 Joseph Joiner Milton, FL Capital 15.950
4 87 Walker Arthur Forest, VA Kryptonite 16.120
5 29 Daniel Woody Tampa, FL Rocket 16.149
6 17 Nevin Gainey Fort White, FL Kryptonite 16.170
7 2 Todd Hurst Lineville, AL Rocket 16.187
8 27s Derrick Shaw (T) Buckhannon, WV Rocket 16.291
9 313 Devin Dixon Apollo Beach, FL Capital 16.302
10 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA Longhorn 16.323
11 7 Brad Rickels Verona, KY Club 29 16.327
12 007 Dusty Sparkman (T) Micanopy, FL Snow Bros. 16.343
13 27 Bruce Harvey (T) Plant City, FL Rocket 16.357
14 11m Megan Rae Tampa, FL Rocket 16.468
15 66k Jody Knowles Tyrone, GA Rocket 16.475
16 03c Tanner Cobb (T) Plant City, FL Barry Wright 16.481
17 15 Hunter Sweet (T) Lake City, FL Kryptonite 16.502
18 32 Curtis Glover (T) Runnells, IA Mastersbilt 16.525
19 21w Chris Withers Waterford, PA Rocket 16.530
20 17m David Markham Live Oak, FL Kryptonite 16.535
21 99t Tyler Riggs New Matamoros, ON CA Rocket 16.554
22 10c Ronnie Cooper McKenzie, TN Black Diamond 16.762
23 24 Dennis Lee Williams Zephyrhills, FL Rocket 16.970
24 16 Tom Egner Hinesville, GA Longhorn 17.069
25 3 Micha McCall Brewton, AL TNT 17.181

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

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

2ND 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.

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

4TH 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.