East Bay Raceway Park
Feb. 5: Miller overtakes O'Neal, earns $5,000
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Matt Miller phones home after his victory. (ronskinnerphotos.com)
GIBSONTON, Fla. (Feb. 5) — With race-long leader Don O'Neal fading in the high groove, a low-running Matt Miller took command with eight laps remaining Tuesday at East Bay Raceway Park's Winternationals and grabbed his first Winternationals victory in two years. | Slideshow
Miller earned $5,000 for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 30-lapper as he crossed the finish line a half-straightaway ahead of O'Neal, who started on the front row and was shooting for his second straight East Bay victory.
Shannon Babb rallied from the 14th starting spot to finish third while Terry English and Justin Rattliff rounded out the top five.
Miller, who made a 14th-to-third charge in last night's race, earned his second career East Bay victory and first since Feb. 9, 2006.
O'Neal pulled away in the early laps, but as he entered lapped traffic after the 10th lap, fifth-starting Tim Dohm closed up on the leader with Donnie Moran a close-running third. The frontrunners maneuvered through lapped traffic with O'Neal holding an edge as Dohm put on more and more pressure. But Dohm's chances ended on the 18th lap when he lost his driveshaft and slowed on the frontstretch. Moran had nowhere to go and ran into the back of Dohm as they both skittered toward the infield.
That moved the fourth-starting Miller into the second spot for the restart, and he went to work on O'Neal whose high line allowed Miller to nose underneath in each corner. Miller made the winning pass on the 22nd lap and pulled away the rest of the way.
"We had a good car," Miller said in victory lane. "I think we showed that once we got out front there." Miller dedicated the victory to Russell, a long-time friend of his Illinois-based car owner, Larry Moring.
Racing continues with four more Lucas Oil Series events at East Bay on Wednesday through Saturday.
Finish: (1) Matt Miller, (2) Don O'Neal, (3) Shannon Babb, (4) Terry English, (5) Justin Rattliff, (6) Eddie Carrier Jr., (7) Dan Schlieper, (8) Dan Stone, (9) Tim McCreadie, (10) Jackie Boggs, (11) Scott James, (12) Steve Shaver, (13) Chris Wall, (14) Steve Francis, (15) Damon Eller, (16) Vic Coffey, (17) Dennis Erb Jr., (18) Tim Fuller, (19) Donnie Moran, (20) Josh Richards, (21) Jason McBride, (22) Tim Dohm, (23) Bryan Barber, (24) Chuck Harper, (25) Kevin Cole.
Finishes from the night's preliminary events:
Non-qualifiers' race
Third-starting Chuck Harper took the lead from fellow West Virginian and polesitter Jared Hawkins on the fifth lap and led the remainder of the nine-lapper to earn a feature transfer spot via the Strawberry Dash. Rick Eckert took the second spot from Hawkins just before the white flag but finished a half-straightaway behind in second. The race's lone caution appeared on the second lap when Jim Borden spun in turn four.
Finish: (1) Chuck Harper, (2) Rick Eckert, (3) Jared Hawkins, (4) Austin Hubbard, (5) Tyler Ivey.
Third consolation
Polesitter Kevin Cole overtook front-row starter Kellen Chadwick on the ninth lap during a feisty three-car battle for two transfer spots in the final laps. While Cole pulled away the last two laps, Dennis Erb Jr. slipped under Chadwick on the last lap to deny Chadwick a starting spot in the feature. Cole qualified for his second straight feature. The race's lone caution appeared on the sixth lap when Doug Horton spun in turn two in a battle with Josh McGuire.
Finish: (1) Kevin Cole, (2) Dennis Erb Jr., (3) Kellen Chadwick, (4) Shon Flanary, (5) Josh McGuire, (6) Dave Tyrchniewicz, (7) Danny Johnson, (8) Tim Lance, (9) Donald Beyers, (10) Doug Horton, (11) Russ Adams, (12) Jim Borden, (13) Jeff Beyers.
Second consolation
Starting outside the front row, Tim McCreadie led all the way for a victory while fifth-starting Jason McBride overtook Ray Cook after a lap-five restart to grab the second and final transfer spot. McBride pulled away from Cook over the rest of the race while Ky Harper finished further back in fourth. McBride, who nearly caught McCreadie, qualified for his first career East Bay feature. A fifth-lap caution appeared when something broke on fourth-running Steve Casebolt's car and, as he tried to pull off the track, Tyler Boggs spun sideways in front of onrushing traffic just past the start-finish line. Most of the onrushing cars avoided Boggs as everyone took evasive action.
Finish: (1) Tim McCreadie, (2) Jason McBride, (3) Ray Cook, (4) Ky Harper, (5) Peyton Taylor, (6) J.R. Hotovy, (7) Rohn Moon, (8) Marshall Austin Jr., (9) Tyler Boggs, (10) Doug Blashe, (11) Steve Casebolt, (12) Bryan Collins, (13) Billy Drake.
First consolation
Rebounding after losing two transfer spots in his heat race, polesitter Steve Shaver led all the way for a 12-lap victory. Tim Fuller had his hands full with Rick Eckert through most of the race, but Fuller held on for the second and final transfer spot. Eckert, a four-time feature winner at East Bay, lost the third spot to Ivey and was fortunate to finish fourth. The race was slowed by several early cautions, including when Ricky Elliott spun in turn four. Elliott was clipped by two cars and then slammed by an onrushing Joe Isabell. Both cars were heavily damaged, but no one was injured.
Finish: (1) Steve Shaver, (2) Tim Fuller, (3) Tyler Ivey, (4) Rick Eckert, (5) Brian Shirley, (6) Jared Hawkins, (7) Austin Hubbard, (8) Eric Wells, (9) Bob Geiger, (10) Ricky Elliott, (11) Joe Isabell, (12) Anthony White, (13) Ronnie Lee Whitt, (14) Chuck Harper, (15) Terry Casey, (16) Wayne Chinn.
Sixth heat
Outside front-row starter Terry English grabbed the lead at the outset and raced to victory in the final heat. Bryan Barber, who started outside the second row, was the only driver who could keep up with English, pressuring him midway through the race. The battle for the third spot was a thriller. Kevin Cole slipped under Doug Horton to grab the third spot with fewer than three laps to go, but when Cole came upon a slower car in turn four on the final lap, Vic Coffey weaseled underneath as all three cars came together on the frontstretch. Cole ended up spinning into the infield after taking the checkered flag in the caution-free race.
Finish: (1) Terry English, (2) Bryan Barber, (3) Vic Coffey, (4) Kevin Cole, (5) Doug Horton, (6) Tim Lance, (7) Danny Johnson, (8) Jeep Van Wormer, (9) Dave Tyrchniewicz, (10) Russ Adams, (11) Mark Andersen.
Fifth heat
Starting outside the front row, Dan Stone fought off an early challenge from third-starting Jackie Boggs and roared to caution-plagued victory in his new Rocket Chassis. Polesitter Damon Eller botched the start and was fourth after one lap, but he recovered to move back up to third. Kellen Chadwick, who started ninth, was boosted by a variety of spins and cautions in moving up to fourth. The first of three cautions appeared on the eighth lap when Don Beyers and Scott Riggs got together in turn four; both cars spun. Jeff Beyers spun on the lap-eight restart to give up the fourth spot. Another lap-eight restart appeared when Jeff Beyers stopped in turn two. Jim Borden's lapped car was a challenge to pass throughout the race as several drivers, including the winning Stone, made contact in overtaking him.
Finish: (1) Dan Stone, (2) Jackie Boggs, (3) Damon Eller, (4) Kellen Chadwick, (5) Josh McGuire, (6) Dennis Erb Jr., (7) Shon Flanary, (8) Donald Beyers, (9) Jeff Beyers, (10) Jim Borden, (11) Scott Riggs. Scratch: Anthony Ferguson.
Fourth heat
Third-starting Donnie Moran slid under polesitter Josh Richards in turn four on the third lap and led the rest of the way. Richards, making another start in the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25, lost the second position to fifth-starting Dan Schlieper in turn three on the fifth lap but held on to third. Schlieper moved up to pressure Moran amid traffic on the final lap, but Moran survived. Billy Moyer pressured Richards through the middle stages, but damage and a flat left rear tire on the last lap forced him to limp home last. Eighth-starting John Mason was fourth. The first caution appeared on the first start when front-row starter Clint Smith got into the turn-one wall. Smith, feeling he was forced up into the wall by polesitter Josh Richards, leaned hard on Richards on the next start. Rohn Moon spun in turn two on the second start.
Finish: (1) Donnie Moran, (2) Dan Schlieper, (3) Josh Richards, (4) John Mason, (5) Tim McCreadie, (6) Clint Smith, (7) J.R. Hotovy, (8) Steve Casebolt, (9) Rohn Moon, (10) Ky Harper, (11) Billy Moyer, (12) Doug Blashe.
Third heat
Polesitter Tim Dohm, Scott James and Chris Wall took off on a three-car breakaway, appearing to lock up the three transfer spots early. Dohm was never challenged for the top spot while James finished a half-straightaway behind the winner. Wall, however, began to struggle in the race's later stages and Ray Cook pressured him to the finish. Tyler Boggs was further back in fifth, holding off Jason McBride. The first of two cautions appeared on the fourth lap when Bryan Collins spun in turn two (as Peyton Taylor slowed simultaneously). Another caution was thrown for a bad restart.
Finish: (1) Tim Dohm, (2) Scott James (3) Chris Wall, (4) Ray Cook, (5) Tyler Boggs, (6) Jason McBride, (7) Peyton Taylor, (8) Billy Drake, (9) Marshall Austin Jr., (10) Bryan Collins. Scratch: Eric Jacobsen.
Second heat
Starting outside the front row, Don O'Neal beat polesitter Shannon Babb out of turn two on the first lap and cruised the rest of the way. Babb then gave up the second spot to fifth-starting Steve Francis on the second lap, and Francis cut into O'Neal's half-straightaway lead but couldn't catch him. Meanwhile, Babb struggled exiting the turns and had his hands full with challenges from Tim Fuller and Rick Eckert in the closing laps. Third-starting Terry Casey was shuffled back at the start and finished sixth.
Finish: (1) Don O'Neal, (2) Steve Francis, (3) Shannon Babb, (4) Tim Fuller, (5) Rick Eckert, (6) Terry Casey, (7) Wayne Chinn, (8) Jared Hawkins, (9) Brian Shirley, (10) Joe Isabell, (11) Bob Geiger.
First heat
Polesitter and overall fast qualifier Matt Miller zipped away from the outset for a 10-lap victory. Fifth-starting Eddie Carrier Jr. slipped past Steve Shaver on the seventh lap to grab second. Justin Rattliff, who started on the front row but lost lots of ground when he got too high in turn one on the first lap, recovered with a last-lap pass of Shaver to get the third and final transfer spot. Super Late Model rookie Tyler Ivey, the only driver of a Barry Wright car in the 67-car field, was fifth. The lone caution appeared on the second lap for Austin Hubbard, who stopped exiting turn two.
Finish: (1) Matt Miller, (2) Eddie Carrier Jr., (3) Justin Rattliff, (4) Steve Shaver, (5) Tyler Ivey, (6) Chuck Harper, (7) Ricky Elliott, (8) Anthony White, (9) Austin Hubbard, (10) Eric Wells, (11) Ronnie Lee Whitt.
Qualifying
Matt Miller of Whitehouse, Ohio, was the fastest among 67 qualifiers Tuesday night in the second round of East Bay Raceway Park's Dart Winternationals. Miller's time of 14.348 seconds was the fastest in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition at the third-mile oval near Tampa. | Korte out with back injury
The other fast qualifiers in group qualifying: Josh Richards (14.704) of Shinnston, W.Va.; Damon Eller (14.833) of Crumpler, N.C.; Shannon Babb (14.420) of Moweaqua, Ill.; Tim Dohm (14.639) of Cross Lanes, W.Va.; and Canadian Dave Tyrchniewicz (14.860) of St. Andrews, Manitoba. Miller and the other top qualifiers in each group will start on the pole of their heat races after Miller spun a "1" on the series wheel, meaning there'll be no heat-race inversion.
Pre-race notebook
There are six fewer entries from Monday's 73. ... Peyton Taylor nearly hit the turn-one wall in qualifying. ... Joe Denby drew a pill to qualify, but he didn't make repairs in time to race. ... Newcomers are Ricky Elliott (in the Wild Chassis car driven by Dan Schlieper last week in Brunswick, Ga.), Josh McGuire and Mark Andersen. Andersen didn't show up for qualifying. ... Tuesday is the second of three non-points events for the Lucas Oil Series. Points begin counting (and provisionals are added to features) starting Thursday. ... Evening temperatures are in the 70s.
