Terry Casey
Cashes in With Biggest Career Win in East Bay DART Winternationals on
Thursday Night
TAMPA, FL
(February 7, 2008) -"It's been a long time coming," said Terry Casey
of New London, WI who won the biggest race of his career on Thursday
Night during the 4th night of the 32nd Annual
DART Winternationals for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at East
Bay Raceway Park. Casey who has been coming to the Tampa area
facility for the last four years has been close to winning several
times in the past at East Bay, but this time he was able to seal the
deal for the biggest win of his career. The $10,000 victory came over
Billy Moyer, Matt Miller, Steve Casebolt and Josh Richards.
Casey who won the
fourth heat, then lucked up and drew the pole for the 40-lap affair
and he would start alongside Matt Miller on the front row. On a track
that was considerably different than the previous three nights of
racing, getting to the front quickly was going would prove to lead to
a successful finish.
At the drop of
chief starter Julian Mullis' green flag headed into the first turn,
bound and determined he was going to the lead on the opening circuit.
Miller would run in second for one lap until Moyer overhauled him by
the time the second lap was scored.
The race was going
along smoothly until Shannon Babb slowed in turn one bringing out the
first caution of the race. On the restart Casey was out in front with
Moyer, Miller, Casebolt and Richards hovering in his wake.
On the restart
Casey would fire first as the race would go green for six more
circuits until the second caution came out on lap 11 for Tim Dohm.
Casey had built a three-car length advantage over Moyer when the
caution would slow the field.
With Casey still
holding down the top spot, the top five would remain the same running
order to the halfway point of the race. Casey was continuing to hold
his line in the rubber as Moyer and the rest of the drivers were
hoping something was going to slow Casey down.
They got their
wish, with ten laps to go Casey was closing on the tail end of the
field and with passing at a premium, this was the opportunity that the
drivers chasing Casey had waited on as Moyer would close right on the
rear of Casey's black number 42 ride.
The race was
getting really interesting now, as not only did Moyer close on the
leader, Miller and Casebolt were knocking on the door as well; with
the top four drivers running nose to tail in traffic with five laps to
go.
Moyer showed the
nose of his car several of times to Casey's quarter panel, but a
timely third and final caution for Bart Hartman, who would slow for a
flat tire and came to a stop on the backstretch that would clear the
track for Casey as the field would circulate around leaving Casey a
clear path now.
With a five lap
shootout ensuing, all Casey had to do was keep his line and hit his
marks and he did so. The 38-year old racer would go on to the finish
to score the biggest victory of his racing career. Prior to
Thursday's huge win at East Bay Casey had won two $4,000 races.
Moyer crossed the
stripe in second with Miller recording yet another top five finish to
maintain his points lead in the DART Machinery Winternationals.
Casebolt, the reigning Eldora Dream winner, had his best finish of the
week coming home fourth as Richards finished fifth for the second
night in a row in the Ernie Davis owned #25.
In the Lucas Oil
Late Model Dirt Series victory lane Casey was very emotional as he
climbed from his race care. "I can't believe it, I finally won a race
here! It's been my dream to win a Lucas Oil race and we did it!!
Man, this is great!" said Casey as he pointed out his wife, engine
builder Bill Schlieper, C.J. Rayburn and Arnie Ranta who've help him
get to this point in his racing career.
"It was the luck
of the draw, I saw Matt Miller draw the number two and I just drew and
it was the number one and I thought that's just what I needed after
the bad luck I've had here in the past and I wanted to win this race
so bad." said the driver who became the fourth different winner in
four nights of racing this week at East Bay.
"Without Arnie
Ranta I just couldn't do this, I am a Rayburn North dealer and I get
some feedback from those drivers I sell cars to go, but you have to
throw out everything you learn down here, because it doesn't work back
home. And what else can I say about the Pro Power Engines, they're
awesome and it's just a great night," as Casey went on to thank his
wife, who diligently puts her time in working on the car. "She had
never been to a race until we were married, I guess she hooked now."
Casey's C.J.
Rayburn Monte Carlo is powered by a Pro Power Engine from Casey's home
state of Wisconsin and sponsored by Arnie Ranta Motorsports, Brewer
Concrete and Construction and Arnie's Sleds and Trailers.
Moyer who won
Wednesday Night's A-main event brought his Banner Valley
Hauling/Clements Racing Engines/Moyer Victory Circle Impala SS home
second followed by Miller in the Larry Moring Motorsports/Clements
Race Engines/Rocket. Casebolt's own Fatheadz.com/Dargie powered
Rocket GTO was fourth with Richard's Ernie Davis owned/Davis Towing
and Hauling/Cornett Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo SS grabbing fifth.
Completing the top
ten were Tim McCreadie, Scott Bloomquist, Donnie Moran (from 18th),
Mike Marlar and Don O'Neal.
In preliminary
action for the 84 entrants on hand Terry Casey was the PRC Fast
Qualifier with a lap of 14.277 seconds. The six heat race winners
were Eric Jacobsen, Matt Miller, Billy Moyer, Terry Casey, Steve
Casebolt and Josh Richards. The B-main were taken by Rick Eckert,
Earl Pearson, Jr., Darren Miller and Chris Wall. Bryan Barber took
top honors in PRC Strawberry dash to earn the 25th starting
spot in the feature.
Racing will
continue on Friday Night, February 8th for the 2008 version of the
DART Machinery East Bay Winternationals with a $10,000 to win show.
The event will be broadcast live via the Internet at
www.racetalklive.com.
Race Summary
Lucas Oil Late
Model Dirt Series
Thursday Night,
February 7th, 2008
East Bay Raceway
Park-Tampa, FL
PRC Fast Time:
Terry Casey (14.277 seconds)
Hawk Brake First
Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 advance): Eric Jacobson, Tim Dohm, Steve Francis,
Damon Eller, Peyton Taylor, John Mason, Vic Coffey, Danny Johnson,
Tony Knowles, Ronnie Whitt, Joe Isabell, Russ Adams, Tyler Boggs, Bob
Geiger
Hawk Brake Second
Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Matt Miller, Bart Hartman, Don O'Neal,
Earl Pearson Jr., Rick Eckert, Wendell Wallace, Steve Shaver, Dan
Schlieper, Doug Horton, Rohn Moon, Jimmy Owens, Chris Hackett, Jeff
Byers, Shon Flanary
AFCO Racing
Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Billy Moyer, Shannon
Babb, Justin Ratliff, DJ Wells, Terry English, Brian Shirley, Wayne
Chinn, JR Hotovy, Marshall Austin, Eric Wells, Anthony White, Joe
Denby, Danny Mitchell, Jason McBride
Tiger Rear ends
Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Terry Casey, Mike Marlar, Chris
Madden, Darren Miller, Chris Wall, Josh McGuire, Brian barber, Chuck
Harper, Freddy Smith, Doug Blashe, Donald Beyers, Jason Riggs, Austin
Hubbard
Hawk Brake Fifth
Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Steve Casebolt, Tim McCreadie, Ray
Cook, Billy Drake, Clint Smith, John Blankenship, Rick Auckland,
Kellen Chadwick, Rodney Melvin, Jared Hawkins, Scott James, Tim Lance,
Clint Coffman, Kurt Owens
Hawk Brake Sixth
Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Josh Richards, Scott Bloomquist, Donnie
Moran, Dennis Erb, Eddie Carrier Jr., Dan Stone, Dave Tyrchniewicz,
Tim Fuller, Tyler Ivey, Mark Andersen, Jim Borden, Jeep Van Wormer,
Kevin Cole, Ky Harper
Mason Racin' Rebel
Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps- 1 Advance): Rick Eckert, Jimmy
Owens, Damon Eller, John Mason, Brian Shirley, Doug Horton, Steve
shaver, Danny Johnson, Jeff Beyers, Eric Wells, Joe Denby, Bob Geiger,
Ronnie Whitt, JR Hotovy, DJ Wells, Russ Adams, DNS: Jason McBride
Quarter Master
Second B-Main (12 Laps- 1 Advance): Earl Pearson Jr., Terry English,
Wendell Wallace, Vic Coffey, Dan Schlieper, Rohn Moon, Wayne Chinn,
Tony Knowles, Anthony White, Danny Mitchell, Marshall Austin, Peyton
Taylor, Shon Flanary, Joe Isabell, Chris Hackett, DNS: Tyler Boggs
Quarter Master
Third B-Main (12 Laps- 1 Advance): Darren Miller, Clint Smith, Dennis
Erb, Rick Auckland, Jackie Boggs, Dan Stone, Rodney Melvin, Chuck
Harper, Scott James, Clint Coffman, Doug Blashe, Tim Fuller, Jason
Riggs, Mark Andersen, Josh McGuire, DNS: Jeep Van Wormer, Ky Harper
Mason Racin' Rebel
Shock Dyno Fourth B-Main (12 Laps- 1 Advance): Chris Wall, Eddie
Carrier Jr., John Blankenship, Freddy Smith, Jared Hawkins, Billy
Drake, Kellen Chadwick, Tyler Ivey, Kurt Owens, Jim Borden, Austin
Hubbard, Donald Beyers, Tim Lance, Brian Barber, DNS: Dave
Tyrchniewicz, Kevin Cole
PRC Strawberry
Dash: (8 Laps- Winner Advanced to Feature): Brian Barber, Tim Fuller,
Jeff Beyers, Doug Horton, Donald Beyers, Rodney Melvin, Tim Lance,
Shon Flanary, Clint Coffman, Dan Stone
Lucas Oil Late
Model Dirt Series DART Machinery East Bay Winternationals Feature
Finish: (40 Laps): Terry Casey, Billy Moyer, Matt Miller, Steve
Casebolt, Josh Richards, Tim McCreadie, Scott Bloomquist, Donnie
Moran, Mike Marlar, Don O'Neal, Steve Francis, Rick Eckert, Justin
Ratliff, Chris Madden, Ray Cook, Scott James, Chris Wall, Earl Pearson
Jr., Terry English, Tim Dohm, Bart Hartman, Eric Jacobson, Darren
Miller, Brian Barber, Shannon Babb
Race Statistics
Entries: 84
Caution Flags: Lap
5 (Shannon Babb); Lap 10 2 Cautions (Tim Dohm) & (Eric Jacobson); Lap
35 (Bart Hartman)
Lap Leaders:
Terry Casey 1-Finish
PBM/Erson Cams
Hard Charger of the Race: Donnie Moran
Allstar
Performance Performer of the Race: Terry Casey
K&N Filters Clean
Pass of the Race: Scott Bloomquist
Quarter Master
Rookie of the Race: None
ASI Racewear Lucky
7 Award: Scott Bloomquist
Integra Crew Chief
of the Race: Brian Redman (Donnie Moran)
Comp Cams Engine
Builder of the Race: Pro Power
Time of Race: 21
Minutes Started: 9:39 Ended: 10:00
2008 DART
Machinery Winternationals Points Standings (After 2/7/08)
1)
Matt Miller - 1045
2)
Don O'Neal - 965
3)
Billy Moyer - 920
4)
Josh Richards - 845
5)
Steve Francis - 840
6)
Donnie Moran - 830
7)
Justin Ratliff - 820
8)
Dennis Erb Jr. - 805
9)
Terry Casey - 785
10)Shannon Babb -
785
2008
Championship Points Standings (After 2/7/08)
1)
Terry Casey - 260
2)
Billy Moyer - 230
3)
Matt Miller - 220
4)
Steve Casebolt - 210
5)
Josh Richards - 205
6)
Tim McCreadie - 200
7)
Scott Bloomquist - 195
8)
Donnie Moran - 190
9)
Mike Marlar - 185
10)Don O'Neal -
180
