Tampa, Fl……..The l4th Annual Open Wheel Modified series opening night was delayed by rain for one full day at East Bay Raceway Park’s 37th Annual Winternationals, but fans thought the wait was well worth it as they witnessed a first-time winner who made a late pass of a race-long leader with five laps to go in the 25 lap feature to earn $l,500.

Bart Hartman of Zanesville OH started off the evening with fast time and a new track record of 16.466 worth $500 from Brandon Ford, but then waited until feature time to pull into victory lane after passing pole sitter David Reutimann using an outside move on lap 21 to score a margin of victory by 0.281 seconds.

“You could race all around this track tonight, “ the happy winner told announcer Chris Stepen, “this Mullins engine and this Outlaw by Shaw chassis hooked up with these Genesis shocks and Hoosier tires, so that I could follow David and put pressure on him from lap 14 on working the inside groove. But with five laps to go, I thought I would try the outside lane and I made it work.”

Last year, Hartman finished the three day show with a 4th, 2nd and 3rd, but this year he pulled off a win for his owners 2 Brothers Racing.

Reutimann and last year’s winner Devin Dixon started in the front row followed by Hartman and Roger Crouse in row two then Brad DeYoung, Dale Mathison, Matt Miller, Matt Cooper, Mike Potosky and Bobby Dixon made up the front ten.

Devin Dixon stayed with Reutimann for the first seven laps then Dale Mathison took over second and made a bid for the lead going into turn one on lap 10 and went around giving second back to Dixon. But by lap 14 Hartman moved by Dixon and all eyes were on the two car battle for the lead.

Dixon held on for third followed by Crouse and Matt Cooper in the top five, then came DeYoung, Shon Flanary, Greg Amick, Bobby Dixon and Joey Galloway in the top ten.

Qualifying Times for the Open Wheel Modifieds
New Track Record – 1. 75H-Bart Hartman-Zanesville, OH – 16.466; 2. 9-Roger Crouse- Plant City, FL – 16.628; 3. 2-Devin Dixon – Apollo Beach, FL – 16.691; 4. 18-Matt Cooper – Mckenzie, TN – 16.695; 5. 12-David Reutimann – Sherhills, NC – 16.703; 6. 9m-Jeff Mathison – Clearwater, MN – 16.782; 7. 01-Joey Galloway – Manor, Saskatchewan – 16.796; 8. 8m-Matt Miller – Tampa, FL – 16.829; 9. 88-David Pollen, Jr. – Tampa, FL – 16.900; 10. 98-Shon Flanary – Church Hill, TN – 16.954; 11. 96G – David Schmauss – Tampa, FL – 16.976; 12. 12c-Jeff Curl – Forest, IL – 16.977; 13. 40B-Buzzy Adams – Cameron, WI – 17.029; 14. 7-Brad De Young – Wheatfield, IN – 17.106; 15. 64-Austin Sanders – Seffner, FL – 17.158; 16. 28-Paul Miles – Owensboro, KY – 17.411; 17. M20-Mike Potoskey – Guys Mills, PA – 17.422; 18. 205-Bobby Dixon – Tampa, FL – 17.493; 19. 82N-Nick Tharpe – Owensboro, KY – 17.531; 20. 00-Buzzie Reutimann – Zephryhills, FL – 17.550; 21. 21s-Denny Schwartz – Ashmore, IL – 17.551; 22. 22-Dale Kelley – Dover, FL – 17.593; 23. 32-Donovan Lodge – Andover, IL – 17.605; 24. 2G-Troy Girolamo – Elva, WI – 17.702; 25. 141-Travis Varnadore – Dover, FL – 17.750; 26. 96-Dennis Haven – Brentford, SD – 18.180; 27. 6-Rick Weekly – Buffalo, IL – 18.053; 28. 19-Tom Sieger – St. Mary’s, WV – 18.253; 29. 99-Wayne Hildebrand – Okeechobee, FL – 18.501; 30. 00G-Mason Big Eagle – Manor, Saskatchewan – 18.509; 31. 27a-Greg Amick – Bloomington, IN – 18.523; 32. 13c-Troy Clark – North Vernon, IN – 19.049; 33. 07$-James Dylan Shafer – Clendenin, WV – 21.842; 34. 27n-Nate Bregenzer – Lithia, FL – 18.958; 35. 27t-Michael Turner – Paris, TN – 22.522; 36. 17x-Richard Michael, Jr. – Ischua, NY – NT; 37. 50-Ken Murphy – Okechobee, FL – NT

Professional MotorSports Services

Modifieds 2/8/2013
A-Main:1. Bart Hartman (Zanesville, OH), 2. David Reutimann (Charlotte, NC), 3. Devin Dixon (Apollo Beach, FL), 4. Roger Crouse (Plant City, FL), 5. Matt Cooper (McKenzie, TN), 6. Brad DeYoung (Wheatfield, IN), 7. Shon Flanary (Church Hill, TN), 8. Greg Amick (Spencer, IN), 9. Bobby Dixon (Plant City, FL), 10. Joey Galloway (Manor, SK), 11. Denny Schwartz (Ashmore, IL), 12. Buzzie Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL), 13. Matt Miller (Tampa, FL), 14. Michael Turner (Paris, TN), 15. David Schmauss (Tampa, FL), 16. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills, PA), 17. Jeff Curl (Forrest, IL), 18. Troy Girolamo (Eleva, WI), 19. Dale Kelley (Dover, FL), 20. James Shafer (Clendenin, WV), 21. Austin Sanders (Seffner, FL), 22. Travis Varnadore (Dover, FL), 23. Dale Mathison (Clearwater, MN), 24. Richard Michael Jr. (Ischua, NY),

B-Main 1:1. Austin Sanders (Seffner, FL), 2. Buzzie Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL), 3. Richard Michael Jr. (Ischua, NY), 4. Denny Schwartz (Ashmore, IL), 5. Dale Kelley (Dover, FL), 6. James Shafer (Clendenin, WV), 7. Paul Miles (Owensboro, KY), 8. Rick Weekly (Buffalo, IL), 9. Nate Bregenzer (Lithia, FL), 10. Dennis Haven (Brentford, SD), 11. Buzzy Adams (Cameron, WI), 12. Wayne Hilderbrand (Okechobee, FL),

B-Main 2:1. Travis Varnadore (Dover, FL), 2. Jeff Curl (Forrest, IL), 3. David Schmauss (Tampa, FL), 4. Greg Amick (Spencer, IN), 5. Michael Turner (Paris, TN), 6. Troy Girolamo (Eleva, WI), 7. Masen Bigeagle (Manor, SK), 8. Thomas Sigler (St. Mary’s, FL), 9. Troy Clark (North Vernon, IN), 10. Nick Tharp (Owensboro, KY), 11. David Pollen Jr. (Tampa, FL), 12. Donovan Lodge (Moline, IL),

Heat Race 1:1. Devin Dixon (Apollo Beach, FL), 2. Brad DeYoung (Wheatfield, IN), 3. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills, PA), 4. Buzzie Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL), 5. Paul Miles (Owensboro, KY), 6. Buzzy Adams (Cameron, WI), 7. Nate Bregenzer (Lithia, FL), 8. Wayne Hilderbrand (Okechobee, FL), 9. James Shafer (Clendenin, WV), 10. Ken Murphy (Okeechobee, FL),

Heat Race 2:1. David Reutimann (Charlotte, NC), 2. Dale Mathison (Clearwater, MN), 3. Bobby Dixon (Plant City, FL), 4. Austin Sanders (Seffner, FL), 5. Denny Schwartz (Ashmore, IL), 6. Richard Michael Jr. (Ischua, NY), 7. Dale Kelley (Dover, FL), 8. Rick Weekly (Buffalo, IL), 9. Dennis Haven (Brentford, SD),

Heat Race 3:1. Roger Crouse (Plant City, FL), 2. Matt Miller (Tampa, FL), 3. Shon Flanary (Church Hill, TN), 4. David Pollen Jr. (Tampa, FL), 5. Jeff Curl (Forrest, IL), 6. Greg Amick (Spencer, IN), 7. David Schmauss (Tampa, FL), 8. Michael Turner (Paris, TN), 9. Thomas Sigler (St. Mary’s, FL),

Heat Race 4:1. Bart Hartman (Zanesville, OH), 2. Matt Cooper (McKenzie, TN), 3. Joey Galloway (Manor, SK), 4. Troy Girolamo (Eleva, WI), 5. Travis Varnadore (Dover, FL), 6. Donovan Lodge (Moline, IL), 7. Nick Tharp (Owensboro, KY), 8. Masen Bigeagle (Manor, SK), 9. Troy Clark (North Vernon, IN)