East Bay Raceway Park
Faltering leaders give Owens East Bay win
By Roby Helm
StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series
Jimmy Owens won $10,000. (mikessportsimages.com)
GIBSONTON, Fla. (Dec. 7-8) — Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., wrapped up his spectacular 2007 season by winning his second Crate Racin’ USA World Championship Race at East Bay Raceway Park. Owens, who won the inaugural event in 2005, pocketed $10,000 in winning the non-points StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series event. | Slideshow
Owens was running third with just 15 laps remaining, but trouble for frontrunners put him into the lead by lap 90. Last year's winner Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., dominated the race, but he fell out while leading the race on lap 86 when something broke in the front end of his B&B Precision Mowing Rocket. That gave the lead to Stacey Roberts of Sylvester, Ga., but Roberts lost a driveshaft in turn one on the 90th lap.
That gave the lead to Owens, who led the rest of the way, despite a late race challenge from Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, W.Va.
“I thought when the track locked down, we would just ride and finish third, but Korte and Roberts dropped out, that gave us the lead, and we’ll take the win,” said Owens, whose career-best Late Model season included a World 100 victory. “I heard Horton inside of me there with two to go, but I never saw him. This is a killer way to end the season on a high note.”
Horton had to settle for second, and Frankie Beard of Hartwell, Ga., moved up to finish in the third spot after apparent third-place finisher Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn., came up light at scales.
Todd Morrow of Old Fort, Tenn., finished fourth and Anthony White of Clinton, Tenn., charged up from the 20th starting position to round out the top five in a race slowed by 11 cautions.
The polesitting Owens grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag, but John Pursley spun in turn two, collecting Keith Nosbisch and Derrick Rainey.
Front-row starters Owens and Roberts battled side-by-side for the lead on the restart in turns one and two, but it was Roberts taking the lead down the backstretch. Owens, Korte, Nick Lyons and Weaver trailed Roberts in the opening laps.
Stephen Rogers spun in turn two, collecting Jack Nosbisch Jr. After the restart, Weaver got by Lyons for the fourth spot on lap five, and Horton followed Weaver past Lyons, and into the fifth spot in lap six.
Korte passed Owens for the second spot on lap eight and Roberts began to encounter lapped traffic by the 10th lap. With Roberts trying to negotiate through lapped traffic, Korte and Owens quickly closed to make it a three-car battle for the lead. As the lead trio came off the fourth turn to complete lap 12, they went three-wide for the point.
Korte stepped to the outside with Roberts in the middle and Owens worked the bottom groove. Korte dropped to the bottom groove coming off the fourth turn on lap 13 to take the lead. Weaver moved up to keep Owens busy in a challenge for the third spot, while Korte and Roberts began to pull away.
Weaver and Owens swapped the third spot twice on lap 17, but that battle was slowed by caution on lap 17 when Rogers spun for the second time in the race in turn two, right in front of the leaders. They all got by, and the restart saw Korte leading Roberts, Owens, Horton and Weaver.
By lap 25, most of the drivers in the race began to settle in and take up residence in the bottom groove of the track. At the one-quarter mark of the race, Korte had pulled out to a full straightaway lead over Roberts.
Korte tried the high side of the track on lap 28, but quickly found out that wasn’t the fastest way around the third-mile clay oval, as Roberts and Owens closed in a hurry. Korte put his car right back in the bottom groove, and by lap 35 had pulled back out to a half-straightaway lead.
Lap 56 may been the beginning of the end for Korte, as the lapped car of Phillip Cobb collided with the leader in turn two, causing Korte to spin. Korte was reinstated to the point for the restart and opened up a 10-length lead on Roberts and Owens when the field went back to green.
Roberts and Owens reeled in the leader on lap 68 when Korte began to negotiate lapped traffic, but the path was cleared for Korte on lap 73 when John Pursley and Rainey tangled on the front straightaway to bring out the caution flag. With clear track in front of him on the restart, Korte opened back up a half-straightaway lead by lap 75.
Korte’s run for his second straight World Championship victory came to an end on lap 86 when he slowed on the front straightaway with a broken front suspension.
Owens was all over Roberts when the green light flashed on for the restart. Roberts’ car seemed to get loose in turns three and four and Owens took to the inside to challenge for the lead. On lap 90, Owens pulled along side Roberts in turn one, as Roberts suddenly slowed. The driveshaft had fallen off the leader’s car, and he rolled to a stop in turn two.
In the 11-lap dash to the finish, Horton tried to challenge Owens on the inside for the lead, and stuck the nose of his car inside Owens coming off the fourth turn on lap 98. Owens was up to the challenge, and pulled out to take a two-length win.
Notebook
Owens' Warrior Race Car is sponsored by Reece Monuments and VP Racing Fuel. ... Tom Maddox of Armuchee, Ga., won the 10-lap Adams Used Auto Parts Dash to earn the 27th starting spot in the main event. ... Two-time and reigning StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, Tenn., was disqualified following Friday's victory in the fifth heat race. Gentry changed engines on Saturday morning, and StormPay.com officials tore down the engine Gentry used on Friday. Inspectors found an unapproved valve in Gentry’s engine, earning him a year-long suspension that will prevent him from going for his third championship. .... Series officials also announced the tour will have new sponsorship in 2008. The season opener for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be Jan. 5-6 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala.
