What won the race: Inheriting the lead when race-long pacesetter Max Blair was penalized for firing incorrectly on a lap-29 restart, Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn., went on to score a $2,500 victory in Thursday night’s 30-lap opening round of the Newsome Winter Shootout Series-sanctioned Crate Late Model Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park. Weaver beat home-state veteran Keith Nosbisch to the finish line by 0.644 of a second.

Quotable: “Me and Max, we’re buddies, and I didn’t have nothing for him at all,” Weaver said of Blair. “I was just trying to hold my second-place position (on the restart when Blair was penalized) because I was no good on that bottom. Just like all of the other restarts, I was gonna be behind him. He was just better than me. I don’t like winning ‘em like that.”

Key notes: Blair turned back a late-race challenge from Weaver and appeared headed to victory after Weaver slid high in turns one and two with the white flag flying, but a caution flag then flew for Jody Knowles's turn-four spin. Officials ruled that a jam-up on the ensuing aborted restart was caused by Blair not firing in the proper place and penalized him (for "brake-checking the field," according to a series press release), prompting the Pennsylvanian to angrily head to the pit area. ... Nosbisch lost second to Weaver on lap 18, regained the spot on lap 23 and ceded it back on a lap-24 restart. Blair's penalty elevated Nosbisch to a runner-up finish. ... West Virginia's Freddy Carpenter nipped Florida's Steve Mathis Jr. at the line for a third-place finish. ... Four caution flags slowed the feature. ... Phillip Cobb spun out of fourth place in turn four on lap 19 after bidding to overtake Nosbisch; Joseph Joiner was also involved but officials ruled he could restart in fourth. ... Also spinning to trigger cautions were Jody Knowles (laps 24 and 29) and Travis Varnadore (lap 27). ... The Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Series returns to East Bay for the first time since 2012 as the Clay by the Bay hosts the Newsome Winter Shootout Series. Another $2,500-to-win feature is set for Friday before Saturday's $5,000-to-win finale.

On the move: Pierce McCarter of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., started 23rd and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Weaver's CVR Race Car carries sponsorship from B&M Concrete, Rock Solid Poured Walls and Little Toyko Cafe.

Points chase: Entering the weekend, Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., led Pierce McCarter by 16 points. Randy Weaver, Cruz Skinner and Max Blair completed the the top five.

Current weather: Cloudy, 63°F

Car count: 52

Fast qualifier: Travis Varnadore

Time: 15.883 seconds

Polesitter: Max Blair

Consolation race winners: Drew Kennedy, Nevin Gainey, Jeremy Shaw, Todd Hurst

Next series race: March 6, Cochran Motor Speedway (Cochran, GA) $5,000