Bristol Motor Speedway
Notebook: Nosbisch grabs East Bay sweep
From staff, track and special reports
Keith Nosbich
Former track champion Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, Fla., was winless in 2008 entering June 7 action at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla. He ended the night a two-time winner after sweeping the Twin 20s for the Tampa-area track's Super Late Model division. In the first feature, Nosbisch beat K.D. Kelley to the checkered flag. In the second feature, Frankie Erskine Jr. chased Nosbisch to the finish line.
While East Bay fans in the grandstands enjoyed the action, one local man didn't get to watch the race from an illegal perch. Raymond Rogers, 31, of Tampa was arrested a week earlier for watching races from a homemade tree stand on private property adjoining the track.
Hillsborough County deputies said Rogers, who was banned from the racetrack for causing problems with customers, was charged with felony trespassing and violation of probation. He was arrested May 31 after he allegedly trespassed on private property and built a hunting tree stand in the woods to watch races, the sheriff's office said. Deputies said they found the suspect in the tree stand about 15 feet in the air. The property is owned by Mosaic Phosphate. — From track and tampabays10.com reports
ALTERCATION RESULTS IN INJURY AT MARION CENTER ...: Long-time Marion Center (Pa.) Raceway driver Rick Davis of Home, Pa., suffered skull fractures and will require reconstructive surgery after a June 7 altercation at the track. Marion Center Speedway officials said Davis and another driver were disqualified after repeated bumping in a heat race. Afterwards, the other driver sucker-punched Davis; witnesses say the other driver may have used a piece of metal to hit Davis. Local media wouldn't identify the other driver unless charges were filed; charges are likely, state police said. Davis is recovering at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. — wjactv.com and the Indiana (Pa.) Gazette
... AND DUCK RIVER ALTERCATION ALSO CAUSES INJURY: An on-track altercation that spilled into the pits at Duck River Speedway in Wheel, Tenn., saw one man taken by LifeFlight to a Nashville hospital after being struck by a two-barrel Late Model race car. Chad Smotherman, who suffered cuts and bruises and will require plastic surgery, was released from the hospital, his wife said. According to law enforcement officers, Smotherman was struck by a race car driven by Marvin Parker, 48, in the pit area after a mob swarmed the car. Later, Parker and his brother Michael assaulted track co-promoter Jim Hastings, an officer reported. Marvin Parker was charged with assault and aggravated assault by the Bedford County Sheriff's Department; Michael Parker was charged with aggravated assault. The Parkers were released on bonds. — Robert Holman and the Shelbyville (Tenn.) Times-Gazette
I-44 REOPENING PUSHED BACK A WEEK: Rainy weather has prevented I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, Mo., from completing a track resurfacing, pushing its reopening until June 21. The change also pushed back a co-sanctioned DLRA-MSRA weekend at I-44 and Monett (Mo.) Speedway from June 28-29 until July 26-27. Also, the track has pushed its fireworks show back a week to July 5. The next Late Model special is a July 3 DLRA event paying $3,000 to the winner. — From track reports
QUINCY SCHEDULES IMCA SPECIAL: Quincy (Ill.) Raceway has scheduled a $3,000-to-win IMCA Late Model special for June 29 at the newly-revamped track. The Titan Wheel & Tire Shootout 50-lapper pays the second-largest purse in IMCA action in 2008 with at least $300 for each starter. Tom Darbyshire won last year's event. — Jack Walbring
ODDS AND ENDS: Mike Head's flag-to-flag Super Late Model victory on June 7 at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., was his first in the track's division in 10 years. Head fought off Travis Pennington for the victory. ... Heading back home after his first weekend at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway for Dream XIV, Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., won the June 8 feature at Monett (Mo.) Speedway, his first UMP Late Model victory.
