East Bay Raceway Park
Keith Nosbisch repels Horton, pockets $3,800
By Larry Jewett
East Bay Raceway ParkGIBSONTON, Fla. (Sept. 19) — Former track champion Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, Fla., fought off a late challenge from West Virginia invader Doug Horton for a $3,800 victory in the Scott Thompson Memorial at East Bay Raceway Park.
Josh Peacock of Dover, Fla., finished second in the unsanctioned special followed by Horton, of Bruceton Mills, W.Va. Division points leader Jeff Mathews of Dover and Jack Nosbisch Jr. of Riverview, Fla., rounded out at the top five at the third-mile oval south of Tampa.
A heat race victory put Horton on the pole with Peacock alongside, but Jason Fitzgerald of Jacksonville, Fla., slipped by both early to take the lead on the third lap.
Fitzgerald, held up by lapped traffic on the eighth lap, lost the lead to Jack Nosbisch, but Nosbisch spun on the 13th lap to hand the point back to Fitzgerald.
Keith Nosbisch then came alive, going by Fitzgerald on the 16th lap and leading through the race's middle stages while Mathews, the consolation race winner, rallied from the rear.
Horton got back into contention on the 30th lap and tracked down the leading Keith Nosbisch, taking the lead on the 38th lap. But after a restart, Nosbisch went back ahead two laps later and held on the rest of the way.
Notes: The track's Late Model division is sponsored by South Short Auto Sales. ... The race was sponsored by Airgas. ... The race honors late racer Scott Thompson, who was killed in an automobile accident in 2006. ... The race was originally scheduled for May. ... Jeff Mathews, who finished fourth in the Late Model feature, won his eighth modified feature.
Scott Thompson Memorial: (1) Keith Nosbisch, (2) Josh Peacock, (3) Doug Horton, (4) Jeff Mathews, (5) Jack Nosbisch Jr., (6) Jimmy Waldrop, (7) Devin Dixon, (8) Jason Fitzgerald, (9) Roger Crouse, (10) David Schmauss, (11) Wayne Reutimann Jr., (12) Paul Gibbs, (13) Doug Watson, (14) Daniel Woody, (15) Steven Miller, (16) Steve Mathis, (17) Jim Courson, (18) Christian Augspurger, (19) Maxx Bennett, (20) Rich Pratt, (21) Darrell Padgett, (22) Ted Erskine, (23) Phillip Cobb, (24) Wallace Peacock. Heat race winners (among 33 cars): Peacock, Horton, J. Nosbisch. Consolation winner: Mathews.
