Don O'Neal
Wins Opening Night of 2008 DART Machinery East Bay Winternationals
TAMPA, FL
(February 5, 2008) - It was all Don O'Neal on the opening night of
the 2008 DART Machinery East Bay Winternationals for the Lucas Oil
Late Model Dirt Series as the veteran driver led all 30 laps to
record his 12th career win at the Tampa area facility.
It was O'Neal's first win for his new car owners Jeff and Eddie
Harrod as the 43 -year-old earned $5,000 for the win. There was a
fabulous finish for second as Dennis Erb, Jr. got by Matt Miller on
the final lap to take the runner-up slot. Miller was third followed
by Justin Rattliff and Shannon Babb.
O'Neal who
earlier had captured the fifth heat race drew the pole starting
position for the feature with Canadian Dave Tyrchniewicz, who was
making his East Bay debut starting alongside. A multi car incident
on the opening lap would negate the first start. The second time
around to start the race would see O'Neal jump to the lead with
Rattliff and Erb hot on his heels. With two laps in the books Tim
McCreadie would slow bringing the caution back out.
With O'Neal
showing the way two more scored laps would take place before the
third caution for several cars who had gotten together on the front
stretch would slow the action for several minutes as cars headed to
the pits for repair and driver Randy Korte was checked out in turn
one after being contacted from the back. Korte was complaining of
some dizziness as the medical crew checked him out.
With the track
now clear the green would once again reappear, but it only took one
lap before the pesky caution would come back out for Damon Eller who
had the nosepiece of his car fold up underneath his ride coming off
of turn four as he would slide to a stop on the front stretch.
As the drivers
waited patiently for the removal of Eller's car from the track chief
starter Julian Mullis would wave the green to restart the race as
O'Neal would bolt away from Rattliff and Erb who were battling nip
and tuck for the second spot. Donnie Moran would go to the topside
of the racetrack and start to make some passing moves as he went to
third around Erb on lap five.
Moran's foray
into fourth would last for two circuits as Erb fought back past him
to regain the position as Steve Francis and Tim Dohm were likewise
going back and forth in the race for fifth as those two exchanged
the fifth spot twice in a three lap span.
Francis would
then gain another position as he went by Moran on lap nine but on
the same lap Francis would spin in turn four bringing out the sixth
caution of the race as Francis would restart on the tail on the
quickly depleting field.
The stage would
then be set for the rest of the race as the drivers finally settled
down and the rest of the race would go caution free. This was good
news for O'Neal who from the get go had the car to beat and with his
experience at East Bay it was going to be hard to beat him on this
the opening night of six straight nights for the Lucas Oil Late
Model Dirt Series 2008 campaign.
With ten laps in
the books O'Neal was comfortably in front with a tight race for the
rest of the top five between the youngster Rattliff, Erb, Moran and
Dohm. Dohm who one year ago this week scored his first ever win at
East Bay picked up another spot as he roared by Moran on lap 14.
Matt Miller then
started to get hooked up in the last half of the race as the former
Eldora Dream winner entered the top five for the first time at the
15 lap mark using the groove that Moran had started the race doing.
With no more cautions awaiting the competitors O'Neal was settled
into his rhythm swiftly and smoothly making his way around the track
and with no traffic to contend with O'Neal was clicking off laps in
a quick fashion.
With O'Neal
racing unchallenged most eyes turned to the race for second with the
'07 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Year Justin
Rattliff doing a great job in the second spot fighting off all
challenges from Erb. Miller then stormed by Dohm on lap 24 and with
six laps remaining he was far from done. Miller then hauled the
mail around Erb with four to go to put his car into third and a
circuit later he was by Rattliff for second in a solid move.
Rattliff had run
in the second position from the drop of the green until Miller's
move dropped him to third, but on the last lap Erb absolutely put
the hammer down and what looked like at least to be a sure fourth
place finish for him became a runner-up finish as he went past first
Rattliff and then Miller heading to the checkers to thrill the crowd
that saw five cars battling for whom was going to finish to O'Neal.
Shannon Babb's
journey into a top five finish was a quiet one without much fanfare
as he pitted once to change a tire and he charged through the field
to pick up a top five result. Babb's run earned him the Allstar
Performance Performer of the Race.
Completing the
top ten were Tim Dohm, Billy Moyer, Tim McCreadie, Donnie Moran and
Eddie Carrier, Jr.
In victory lane
O'Neal felt right at home at East Bay because it was the 12th
time he had won there. "Starting out on Monday with a win, feels
real good so hopefully we've set the tone for the rest of the week
and the year, the car was super good on the bottom and I moved up
there a little bit on the track towards the end and the car worked
good there as well," as O'Neal also won his tenth career Lucas Oil
Late Model Dirt Series event.
"I want to thank
my car owners Jeff and Eddie Harrod, we ran about three or four
races towards the end of last year with them and I'm happy to get
this first win with them here at East Bay and my dad's here (Marvin)
as well. Man I can't thank C.J. Rayburn enough, he's done so much
for me and Jay Dickens, what can you say about the motors he has,
it's been a while since I've won a race, man it feels good."
O'Neal's number
71 ride is sponsored by Harrod Farms, Perry's Auto Sales, Central
Painting, Valvoline, Budda Bert Transmissions and Colston Paving.
Erb who was
coming off a sensational 2007 racing season grabbed runner-up honors
in his Thomason Transportation/Rhyne Competition Engines/C.J.
Rayburn Monte Carlo. Miller was third in the Larry Moring
Motorsports/MDI Environmental/Rocket Chassis #7 entry with Rattliff
coming home fourth in the James Rattliff/Torco Race Fuels/C.J.
Rayburn Monte Carlo SS with Babb in the Clint Bowyer
Racing/Chevrolet/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo SS completing the top five
Tim Dohm set
fast time in the PRC Time Trials with a lap of 14.504 second among
the 73 entrants on hand.
The heat race
winners were Donnie Moran, Dave Tychniewicz, Justin Rattliff, Dennis
Erb, Jr., Don O'Neal and Steve Francis. The B-Main victors were
Jared Hawkins, Randy Korte and Eddie Carrier, Jr. Clint Smith won
the Strawberry Dash.
Racing will
continue on Tuesday Night, February 5th for the 2008
version of the DART Machinery East Bay Winternationals with a $5,000
to win show. The event will be broadcast live via the Internet at
www.racetalklive.com.
Race Summary
Lucas Oil Late
Model Dirt Series
Monday Night,
February 4, 2008
East Bay Raceway
Park-Tampa, FL
PRC Fast Time:
Tim Dohm 14.504 seconds
Hawk Brake First
Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 advance): Donnie Moran, Tim Dohm, Billy Drake,
Damon Eller, Tim Fuller, Rick Eckert, Wayne Chinn, Dan Schlieper,
Anthony White, Bryan Barber, Joe Isabell, Marshall Austin, Danny
Johnson
Hawk Brake
Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Dave Tyrniewicz, Shannon Babb,
Mike Marlar, Jared Hawkins, Josh Richards, Danny Mitchell, Doug
Blashe, Jeep VanWormer, Shon Flanary, Ky Harper, Jim Borden
AFCO Racing
Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Justin Rattliff, Terry
Casey, Matt Miller, John Mason, Bryan Collins, Jackie Boggs, Tyler
Boggs, Ronnie Lee Whitt, Austin Hubbard, Eric Wells, Rohn Moon
Tiger Rear ends
Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Dennis Erb, Jr., Eric
Jacobsen, Vic Coffey, Doug Horton, Randy Korte, Chuck Harper, Steve
Casebolt, Tim Lance, Kellen Chadwick, Jason McBride, Clint Smith
Hawk Brake Fifth
Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Don O'Neal, Billy Moyer, Tim
McCreadie, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Terry English, Brian Shirley, Dan
Stone, Scott Riggs, Jeff Beyers, D.J. Wells, Joe Denby, Russ Adams
Hawk Brake Sixth
Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Steve Francis, Scott James, Kevin
Cole, Freddy Smith, Keith Nosbisch, Tyler Ivey, Peyton Taylor, J.R.
Hotovy, Donald Beyers, Bob Geiger, Steve Shaver, Ray Cook
Mason Racin'
Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Jared
Hawkins, Damon Eller, Josh Richards, Rick Eckert, Dan Schlieper,
Wayne Chinn, Joe Isabell, Bryan Barber, Marshall Austin, Doug Blashe,
Danny Johnson, Jeep VanWormer, Anthony White, Jim Borden, Danny
Mitchell, Shawn Flanary
Quarter Master
Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Randy Korte, Chuck Harper,
Doug Horton, Steve Casebolt, Eric Wells, Ronnie Lee Whitt, Tyler
Boggs, Tim Lance, Jackie Boggs, Kellen Chadwick, John Mason, Austin
Hubbard, Rohn Moon, Jason McBride, Clint Smith, Bryan Collins
Quarter Master
Third B-Main (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Eddie Carrier, Jr., Terry
English, Keith Nosbisch, Tyler Ivey, Dan Stone, Brian Shirley, Bob
Geiger, D.J. Wells, J.R. Hotovy, Joe Denby, Ray Cook, Donald Beyers,
Jeff Beyers, Russ Adams, Peyton Taylor, Freddy Smith,
PRC Strawberry
Dash: (6 laps-Winner Advanced to Feature): Clint Smith, Rohn Moon,
Steve Casebolt, J.R. Hotovy, Russ Adams, Jeep VanWormer
Lucas Oil Late
Model Dirt Series DART Machinery East Bay Winternationals Feature
Finish: (30 Laps) Don O'Neal, Dennis Erb, Jr. Matt Miller, Justin
Rattliff, Shannon Babb, Tim Dohm, Billy Moyer, Tim McCreadie, Donnie
Moran, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Eric Jacobsen, Steve Francis, Clint
Smith, Vic Coffey, Billy Drake, Dave Tyrchniewicz, Kevin Cole, Chuck
Harper, Damon Eller, Mike Marlar, Randy Korte, Jared Hawkins, Terry
English, Terry Casey, Scott James
Race
Statistics
Entries: 73
Caution Flags:
6
Lap Leaders:
Don O'Neal 1-30
PBM/Erson Cams
Hard Charger of the Race: Matt Miller (Started 15th and
finished 3rd-Advanced 12 Position
Allstar
Performance Performer of the Race: Matt Miller
K&N Filters
Clean Pass of the Race: Dennis Erb, Jr.
Quarter Master
Rookie of the Race: Eric Jacobsen
ASI Racewear
Lucky 7 Award - Billy Moyer
Integra Crew
Chief of the Race - Tommy Grecco (Shannon Babb)
Time of Race:
33 Minutes
2008 DART
Machinery Winternationals Points Standings (After 2/4/08)
1)
Billy Moyer (Batesville, AR) 390
2)
Steve Francis (Ashland, KY) 380
3)
Dennis Erb, Jr. (Carpentersville, IL) 360
4)
Donnie Moran (Dresden, OH) 360
5)
Matt Miller (Waterville, OH) 345
6)
Don O'Neal (Martinsville, IN) 335
7)
Tim McCreadie (Watertown, NY) 330
8)
Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY) 330
9)
Clint Smith (Senoia, GA) 315
10)Josh Richards
Shinnston, WV) 305
