Bristol Motor Speedway
Notebook: Cobb outduels the boss at East Bay
From track reports
Phillip Cobb (DirtonDirt.com)
It’s not always a good idea to beat the boss, but that’s in essence what Phillip Cobb did March 15 at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla. The night’s 25-lap Super Late Model feature turned out to be a wheel-to-wheel duel between team owner-driver Steve Mathis and the driver of the team’s second car, Cobb. | Weekly Late Model results
David Schmauss led early, but Mathis and Cobb fought their way past and battled up front for the lead. And a battle it was. Cobb and Mathis traded not only the lead, but paint, rubber and some body parts as well. They battled over 15 laps and exiting turn four heading for the checkered flag, the low-running Cobb beat Mathis to the finish line. Schmauss finished third with Jack Nosbisch Jr., and Wallace Peacock rounding out the top five in the 26-car field. — Scott McAllister
PONDEROSA HONORS ESTES, PENA: Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky., has scheduled an early doubleheader weekend for Super Late Models with the Spring 30 and the Chris Estes-Brad Pena Memorial on April 4-5. The Spring 30 will pay $1,500 to the winner while the inaugural Estes-Pena Memorial will pay $4,000 to the winner. Estes, a machinist with Estes Racing Engines of Nicholasville, Ky., and Pena, a crew member for Larry Gray Jr., died in a Nov. 1 highway accident. — Michael Despain
ATTICA GETS UMP SANCTIONING: Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park will run its weekly Late Models under UMP DirtCar sanctioning for 2008. The switch for the division, sponsored by Service Drive Solutions, will allow drivers to compete in more than $400,000 in UMP point fund money. Rules are identical to 2007 with the exception of the UMP Hoosier tire rule; drivers can use last year’s tires until the April 18 event. Attica’s 2008 Late Model champion will earn a Rayburn Race Car for the second year in a row. — Brian Liskai
ODDS AND ENDS: I-77 Motorsports Park in Ripley, W.Va., will be promoted by Rocky Estep in 2008 and run Super Late Models every Saturday night. ... Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., is selling general admission and reserved seats on the track website, www.lucasoilspeedway.com. "It is going to allow race fans to pick their seats in advance and not have to rush to the track and fight the crowds,” said track general manager Kevin Greven. ... The Suddenlink AMRA King of the Mountains Weekly Racing Series for steel-block Late Models has increased its 2008 points fund to more than $10,000, $3,350 more than 2007. ... Crossville (Tenn.) Raceway has returned to Friday night racing for 2008. The track runs a Late Model Sportsman division weekly.
