TAMPA, FL – Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL battled through lapped traffic to take the lead and win the 40-lap NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series main event Friday night at East Bay Raceway Park driving the Miller Lite Rocket. Nosbisch took the lead from Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV on lap 31, and held off a challenge from Horton with two laps to go to take the win.
Nosbisch and Horton battled side-by-side for the lead several times during the second half of the race in heavy lapped traffic keeping the crowd on their feet.
“That was an exciting race, as I would catch Doug in lapped traffic and get the inside line, and then he would come back and do the same to me,” Nosbisch said. “Doug is a good driver, and I really enjoy racing like that with him side-by-side.”
Horton had to settle for second in the Adams Used Auto Parts Warrior after leading laps 16 through 30. Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL finished third in the McLeod Construction TNT, and fourth went to Ryan Mitchell of Lithia, FL in the Quality Precast Rayburn. Tony Payne of Riverview, FL was fifth in the SWS First Response Warrior.
Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA drove the CSC Trailer Repair/Brindle Brothers Auto Parts GRT to a sixth-place finish, and Chris Tays of Corinth, MS took the seventh spot in the Bud Coley Trucking Rocket. Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA finished eighth in the J&J Transport Mastersbilt and took a two-point lead in the National point standings over Brindle.
Josh Peacock of Dover, FL was ninth in the Peacock Farms Warrior to win the Maximum Signs Ninth-Place Award, and Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA rounded out the top ten in his new ride, the Dixon Hauling and Grading Rocket to pick up the Old 29 Golf Carts Tenth-Place Award.
Roger Crouse of Plant City, FL started 22nd and finished 11th to earn the Hard Charger of the Race Award, and Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL was the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race. NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series officials announced on Friday that Sunoco Race Fuels will sponsor the series’ Rookie of the Year Award in 2008.
When the field took the green flag, polesitter Jack Nosbisch Jr. of Riverview, FL took the lead in the Adams Used Auto Parts Rocket followed by Boutwell, Horton, Keith Nosbisch, and Wallace Peacock of Dover, FL in the Strawberry Garden, Inc. TNT. Jack Nosbisch Jr. was the fast qualifier among the 55 entrants with a lap around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 16.720 seconds.
Horton and Keith Nosbisch got by Boutwell on lap two to take over the second and third spots respectively. The first of four caution flags came out on lap 13 when Jay Blair of Angie, LA stalled the Boland Performance Trak-Star in turn four. Jack Nosbisch Jr. led Horton, Keith Nosbisch, Boutwell, Wallace Peacock, Mitchell, Brindle, and Payne down for the restart.
The caution came out and lead changed hands on lap 16 when Jack Nosbisch Jr. spun in turn two. That earned Jack Nosbisch Jr. the Aerotech Styling Hard Luck of the Race Award. Horton assumed the lead followed by Keith Nosbisch, Boutwell, Mitchell, Payne, Brindle, Jeff Smith of Rocky Face, GA in the AllSouth Racing Products Warrior, and Fields.
Keith Nosbisch tried to drive under Horton on the restart, as the lead duo raced side-by-side down the backstretch, but Horton held on to the point. The third yellow flag came out on lap 18 when Jeff Matthews of Seffner, FL spun the Night Hawk Towing GRT in turn four, collecting Roger Crouse of Plant City, FL in the Coastal Trucking Rayburn and Hiett in the N&N Motors GRT.
The restart saw Payne get by Mitchell for the fourth spot, and Fields raced by Smith for the seventh spot. Horton stayed in front of Keith Nosbisch, and Boutwell. Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS stalled his Tiffin Motorhomes Mastersbilt in turn one to bring out the fourth and final caution flag on lap 21.
Several drivers made moves on the restart, as Tays got by Fields for the seventh spot, and high riding Ingram joined in to make it a three-wide battle for position. Mitchell got back around Payne for the fourth spot on lap 22.
Horton and Keith Nosbisch began to encounter lapped traffic with ten laps to go. Keith Nosbisch got the inside line on Horton in turn two on lap 31, and as Horton got caught behind a lapped car, Nosbisch powered ahead to take the lead. Horton was able to come back and catch Nosbisch behind a lapped car coming off turn two on lap 38.
With Horton on the inside, Nosbisch in the middle and the lapped car on the outside, three-abreast racing took place down the backstretch. Nosbisch was able to put the power down in turn three to squirt out of the middle of the pile to stay in the lead, and he hung on to take the victory.
In preliminary action, the four 12-lap B-Main Races were won by Ingram, Cooley, Jim Moon of Zionsville, IN in the Jedco Communications Rocket, and Tays.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will run two complete shows in one day on Saturday at East Bay Raceway Park due to the Thursday night rainout. The opener on Saturday will see the gates opening at 10 a.m., hot laps set for 11 a.m., and time trials at 12 noon. The main event on Saturday afternoon will be a $2,500-to-win 40-lap race.
At the completion of the Saturday afternoon show, the East Bay Raceway Park officials will refurbish the race track, and another compete show will follow with time trials, B-Main Races, and a 50-lap $3,000-to-win main event.
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