GIBSONTON, Fla. (Feb. 11) — Standing in Winternationals victory lane for the 22nd time at East Bay Raceway Park on Tuesday evening, Hall of Fame driver Billy Moyer briefly evaluated his success at the third-mile oval: “We’ve run decent here.”

Moyer is far too modest, and with apologies to Ryan Delph, might need a new publicist. | Complete Speedweeks coverage

Stalking race-long leader Steve Francis late in the 25-lap Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the fourth-starting Moyer grabbed the lead on lap 22, then won a three-lap shootout to the checkers for a $5,000 payday in the second round of the 38th Winternationals.

The 56-year-old from Batesville, Ark., notched his 777th career victory overall and his 19th career Lucas Oil Series victory in an event three years to the day since his previous checkered flag at East Bay.

“It’s really an elbows-up place and I don’t know if it’s always been my style, but for just some reason, we’ve run decent here,” Moyer said. “So we’re happy for sure.”

Francis, the Ashland, Ky., driver who owns 10 Winternationals victories, settled for the second spot while polesitter Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., was third as a substitute for an ailing Josh Richards in the Rocket Chassis house car.

Monday night winner Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va. — who had a side-by-side duel with Sheppard at the same time Francis and Moyer battled wheel-to-wheel ahead of them late in the race — was fourth and third-starting Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., a 15-time East Bay winner, rounded out the top five in a race where the top three winningest Winternationals drivers started among the first two rows.

Moyer took the second spot from Sheppard on the 10th lap and took up his chase of Francis, slowing reeling him in during the second half of the race as both drivers survived bouts with rough patches that sometimes sent their cars briefly airborne.

“He was running real good,” Moyer said of Francis. “Maybe it’s a little bit of a benefit to be behind at times to try to figure different things out.”

Moyer had some things to figure out after he ran as high as second in Monday’s opening feature, but faded to seventh at the finish.

“We had a good hot rod all night. Last night, we missed it, and it really made me mad, so I just tried to stay on top of the game more tonight. I just can’t say enough about these guys helping me, and that engine under the hood,” Moyer said with a laugh. “It’s a little hard on things when it’s off the ground sometimes there. I just hope she hangs together the rest of the week.”

Francis, making his first start of the week, knew he’d have to set a quick pace to outrun his pursuers.

“Between (Moyer) and O’Neal, that’s probably the two you don’t want right behind you here,” Francis said. “We didn’t run last night, and we just left it a little bit too loose tonight. I kinda knew I was a sitting duck there and hoping the race would get over.”

Bouncing around a bit didn’t bother Francis, who hopes to figure things out with his Clint Bowyer Racing Barry Wright Race Car in the Lucas Oil Series action that continues nightly through Saturday.

“That gives East Bay a little character. If this place is perfectly smooth, it kind of gets the condition it gets last night. A bump or two don’t hurt this place,” Francis said. “We’ve gotta do a little work to it and maybe come back and have something for Billy tomorrow night.”

The feature was slowed by five cautions, the most serious for a turn-two scramble that involved Jared Landers, John Mollick, Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, Brian Shirley and Davey Johnson.

Other yellows appeared for a slowing Bobby Pierce on the second lap, a spinning Chad Hollenbeck on lap five, Devin Moran’s lap-15 spin and a lap-22 caution for Gregg Satterlee hitting the wall exiting turn two, which dropped just after Moyer’s winning pass.

Winternationals action continues Wednesday with a $7,000-to-win program. The series announced it will start an hour later than scheduled with hot laps at 7 p.m.

Notes: The winning Moyer Xtreme by Longhorn is powered by a Clements Automotive Engine and sponsored by Banner Valley Hauling, Crop Production Services, Henderson Motorsports, Watters Autoland, Carquest Auto Parts and Sunoco. … The checkered flag fell at 9:03 p.m. … Brandon Sheppard notched his second straight third-place finish. … Jason Riggs of Harrisburg, Ill., rallied from 21st to 11th. … Seventeen of 26 starters finished on the lead lap. … Dan Stone start on the tail after going to a backup car; he had engine problems in his primary entry.

Second consolation
High-running Gregg Satterlee won an early side-by-side battle with low-running Kevin Weaver to capture the final consolation race. Satterlee pulled away slightly over the second half of the race, while Weaver settled second. Fourth-starting Davey Johnson took third from fellow second-row starter Ricky Weiss at the outset and held it for the remainder of the 12-lap race. Bobby Pierce finished in the fourth and final transfer spot in a race plagued by only one caution, when Bob Geiger tagged the wall and spun in between turns three and four on the fourth lap.

Finish: Gregg Satterlee, Kevin Weaver, Davey Johnson, Bobby Pierce, Ricky Weiss, Devin Moran, Mark Whitener, Jason Papich, Jay Brunson, Chad Stapleton, Billy Moyer Jr., Bob Geiger. Scratched: Billy Moyer Jr., Andy Bond, Jim O'Hara, Dustin Mitchell.

First consolation
Second-starting Jason Hughes bested polesitter Tim McCreadie for a 12-lap victory. Jason Riggs started and finished third will Booper Bare steadily worked his way from seventh to claim the final transfer spot. Justin Ratliff slowed on the fifth lap to bring out the race's only caution. 

Finish: Jason Hughes, Tim McCreadie, Jason Riggs, Booper Bare, Dennis Franklin, Jay Morris, Mike Benedum, Nick Davis, Adam Bowman, Allen Murray, Justin Ratliff. Scratched: Vic Coffey, Joe Denby, Don Young, Ray Cook, Eric Jacobsen.

Consolation race lineups

(12 laps; top four transfer)

First consolation
Row 1: Tim McCreadie, Jason Hughes
Row 2: Jason Riggs, Dennis Franklin
Row 3: Mike Benedum, Justin Ratliff
Row 4: Booper Bare, Jay Morris
Row 5: Vic Coffey, Allen Murray
Row 6: Adam Bowman, Nick Davis
Row 7: Joe Denby, Don Young
Row 8: Ray Cook, Eric Jacobsen

Second consolation
Row 1: Kevin Weaver, Gregg Satterlee
Row 2: Ricky Weiss, Davey Johnson
Row 3: Bobby Pierce, Mark Whitener
Row 4: Devin Moran, Billy Moyer Jr.
Row 5: Jason Papich, Jay Brunson
Row 6: Andy Bond, Chad Stapleton
Row 7: Bob Geiger, Jim O'Hara
Row 8: Dustin Mitchell

Fourth heat
Billy Moyer won an early side-by-side battle with fellow front-row starter Jared Landers to pick up the victory in the final heat race. Moyer pulled away from the field over the second half of the race, while Landers held off fourth-starting Dan Stone for second. Kenny Pettyjohn crossed the finish line fourth and will also transfer to the main event. Chad Stapleton spun alone in turn four and drew the race's only caution.

Finish: Billy Moyer, Jared Landers, Dan Stone, Kenny Pettyjohn, Gregg Satterlee, Davey Johnson, Mark Whitener, Billy Moyer Jr., Jay Brunson, Chad Stapleton, Jim O'Hara.

Third heat
Steve Francis out-dueled fellow front-row starter John Blankenship in the first corner and went on to lead every lap of the caution-free third heat. Third-starting Dennis Erb Jr. followed Francis past Blankenship on the first lap to finish second, while Blankenship held on to finish third. Reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Jimmy Owens claimed the final transfer spot. Tenth-starting Jason Papich got airborne coming down the backstretch on first lap after contact with Andy Bond exiting turn four but was able to continue, ultimately finishing eighth.

Finish: Steve Francis, Dennis Erb Jr., John Blankenship, Jimmy Owens, Kevin Weaver, Ricky Weiss, Bobby Pierce, Devin Moran, Jason Papich, Andy Bond, Bob Geiger.

Second heat
Second-starting Don O’Neal fought off polesitter John Mollick for a victory in a caution-free second heat. O’Neal led every lap, but faced heavy pressure from Mollick throughout, with Mollick pulling alongside multiple times. Second-row starters Randy Weaver and Chad Hollenbeck secured the final two transfer spots and ran unchallenged for the 10-lap race.

Finish: Don O’Neal, John Mollick, Randy Weaver, Chad Hollenbeck, Jason Hughes, Dennis Franklin, Justin Ratliff, Jay Morris, Allen Murray, Nick Davis, Don Young. Scratched: Eric Jacobsen.

First heat
Brandon Sheppard got the jump on Eddie Carrier Jr. at the outset and held off repeated challenges from the Winternationals opening night winner to win claim the first heat race. Scott Bloomquist and Brian Shirley followed Sheppard and Carrier across the finish line to claim the final two transfer spots. Adam Bowman spun in turn four on the sixth lap to bring out the race’s only caution. Ray Cook scratched from the heat after losing a motor in qualifying.

Finish: Brandon Sheppard, Eddie Carrier Jr., Scott Bloomquist, Brian Shirley, Tim McCreadie, Jason Riggs, Mike Benedum, Booper Bare, Vic Coffey, Adam Bowman, Joe Denby. Scratched: Ray Cook.

Second group
John Blankenship (23), Williamson, W.Va., 13.854
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 13.943
Steve Francis (15), Ashland, Ky., 14.077
Jared Landers (777), Batesville, Ark., 14.078
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.081
Kenny Pettyjohn (38), Millsboro, Del., 14.119
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 14.134
Dan Stone (21d), Thompson, Pa., 14.138
Kevin Weaver (B12), Gibson City, Ill., 14.157
Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark., 14.172
Devin Moran (99m), Dresden, Ohio, 14.193
Gregg Satterlee (22), Indiana, Pa., 14.276
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 14.287
Davey Johnson (1j), Latrobe, Pa., 14.338
Ricky Weiss (7w), Winnipeg, Manitoba, 14.404
Mark Whitener (58), Middleburg, Fla., 14.499
Andy Bond (1cj), Coolville, Ohio, 14.610
Chad Stapleton (32), Edinburgh, Ind., 14.794
Jason Papich (91), Nipomo, Calif., 14.972
Jim O’Hara (44), Moscow, Pa., 14.977
Bob Geiger (38), Laurel, Del., 14.999
Jay Brunson (23b), Dubberly, La., 15.122
Dustin Mitchell (D8), Pine Level, N.C., no time