January 28
East Bay Raceway Park,
Gibsonton, FL
Sanction: Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout (East Bay Winter Nationals) - $5,000
Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated January 30, 9:20 am)
Winger holds off Horton to win East Bay’s finale
East Bay Winter Nationals
- Ashton Winger
- Doug Horton
- Hayden Cardwell
- Cory Hedgecock
- Clinton Hersh
- Josh Peacock
- Trevor Collins
- Randy Weaver
- Mario Gresham
- Chase Cooper
- Anthony White Jr.
- Austin Yarbrough
- Jason Welshan
- Matt Herlong
- Brandon Miller
- Nick Davis
- Joshua Bishop
- Drew Kennedy
- Jarrod Carey
- Ronnie Cooper
- Brian Smith
- Daniel Woody
- Jake Knowles
- Parker Martin
- Mack McCarter
- Josh Boller
Ashton Winger takes the checkered flag to win East Bay's $5,000 CRUSA finale.
What won the race: Narrowly holding off Doug Horton on a late-race restart, Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., led all 50 laps from the pole to top the Crate Racin’ USA field at East Bay Raceway Park. Winger earned $5,000 in Saturday’s 47th annual East Bay Winter Nationals weekend finale for the Crate engine powered machines.
Quotable: “The street stock race there actually cleaned the race track up a ton and I really thought it was gonna kinda lock-down there and rubber, so at the last minute I went kinda harder on tire than I think pretty much everybody,” said Winger. “We gotta go back and swap the Crate car with the Super car and go up to Ocala to race with Lucas tomorrow, so it’s good to go in there with a little bit of momentum and it didn’t look like such a bad idea to come over here after all this weekend.”
Key notes: Winger’s victory is his second in as many days, as he leaves East Bay Raceway Park with over $7,500 in race winnings. … Horton, originally of Bruceton Mills, W.Va. before moving to Ruskin, Fla., gave Winger all he could handle on the lap-44 restart, finishing 0.364 of a second back. … Hayden Cardwell ran as high as second in the early laps and finished third. … Winner of Thursday’s $2,500 opener Cory Hedgecock advanced three positions and finished fourth. … Clinton Hersh gained six spots and finished fifth. … After winning a $1,500 preliminary race at Volusia last weekend, Randy Weaver advanced 13 spots and finished eighth. … Austin Yarbrough ran as high as fourth before suffering heavy nose damage on a botched restart attempt and faded to finish 12th. … Saturday’s 47th annual East Bay Winter Nationals finale was slowed by nine cautions and lasted 37 minutes, with 15 drivers completing all 50 laps. … The Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series concludes with Feb. 18’s Sweetheart event at 411 Motor Speedway.
On the move: Trevor Collins of Seaford, Del., started 25th and finished seventh.
Winner's sponsors: Winger’s Jeff Mathews Motorsports Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Johnny Doan Plumbing, RV Select Inc., Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Shocks, Angry Elephant Tattoo and Piercing, FK Rod Ends, Super K Express, Hoosier Tire, Simpson Race Products, Collins Signs, DirtCarLift.com, VP Race Fuels, Boswell Oil and WrapTeck.
Points chase: After Saturday: 1. Cory Hedgecock (468); 2. Jason Welshan (436); 3. Joshua Bishop (404); 4. Randy Weaver (358); 5. Jake Knowles (356).
Current weather: Overcast, 66°F
Car count: 58
Fast qualifier: Matt Herlong
Time: 16.146 seconds
Polesitter: Ashton Winger
Heat race winners: Chase Cooper, Hayden Cardwell, Ashton Winger, Anthony White Jr., Doug Horton, Brandon Miller
Consolation race winners: Josh Boller, Joshua Bishop, Randy Weaver
Provisional starters: Trevor Collins , Brian Smith
Next series race: February 18, 411 Motor Speedway (Seymour, TN) $3,023
Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.