East Bay Night #3 Updates

Feature will be 30 laps, $5,000 to win.

Eric Wells gets provisional for being the fastest car in time trials not to get into the A-Main through the heats, B-Main, or dash...

The field is rolling onto the track.

Steve Francis will be driving the #32 Chad Stapleton car.

Caution on lap one with Chris Wall getting into Don O'Neal. Collecting Tim Isenburg, Tyler Reddick, and Steve Casebolt.

Caution on lap 7 for Justin Ratliff stalling in turn 2... Josh Richards leads followed by Moyer, Babb, Owens, and O'Neal

Caution on lap 16 as Brandon Thirlby stalls on the backstretch. Richards leads followed by Moyer, Owens, Babb.

Caution for Tim Isenburg spinning in turn two. Casebolt exits track. Richards leads, Moyer, Babb, Owens, O'Neal.

13 to go

Awesome finish!

Billy Moyer Wins!
Richards
Babb

I'll have a better rundown in a few minutes...

Unofficial Finish

1)Billy Moyer
2)Josh Richards
3)Shannon Babb
4)Don O'Neal
5)Jimmy Owens
6)Tim Dohm
7)Matt Miller
8)Dennis Erb Jr
9)Earl Pearson Jr
10)Tim McCreadie
11)Eric Jacobsen
12)Steve Francis
13)Bub McCool
14)Brady Smith
15)Tim Isenburg
16)Austin Hubbard
17)John Blankenship
18)Jason Feger
19)Tyler Reddick

Great job JC

Earl Pearson Jr. passes Scott Bloomquist to Win DART Winternationals Event at East Bay on Thursday Night
Share
Today at 10:17pm
Taking the lead as he headed to the white flag, Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL passed race-long leader Scott Bloomquist.The duo battled side-by side, but it was Pearson who went to win a heart-pounding 40 lap main event. The event marked night four of the 34th Annual DART Winternationals on Thursday Night at East Bay Raceway Park. The four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion earned $10,000 for the win for car owner Bobby Labonte. Bloomquist finished second followed by Pearson's teammate, Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY; Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN; and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL.C

O'Neal and Bloomquist started on the front row the main event. The event was also taped before the cameras of the VERSUS Network. Bloomquist took an eight car length advantage early on over O'Neal and Dennis Erb Jr. The race was going along smoothly until a multi-car accident in turn four on lap three slowed the field. On the restart, Bloomquist continued his assault on the field, as Tuesday Night's winner was looking for his fourth ever win at the third-mile oval. Bloomquist started to enter lap-traffic by the tenth lap. Second place running O'Neal could not gain any ground on the race leader, Bloomquist, who made a swift move in traffic; splitting three cars; and opened up a straightaway lead over O'Neal by lap 15.

A tight battle for third was going on at the same time between Schlieper, Erb, and Jimmy Mars. The top five remained the same in the running order until Pearson climbed into the top five for the first time on lap 20. With Bloomquist comfortably in control of the race at the halfway mark of the race, O'Neal continued to run in second as a three-car battle between Schlieper, Erb and Pearson ensued. Erb and Pearson went side-by-side for two laps until Pearson cleared him for fourth on lap 278. Two laps later, Pearson overtook Schlieper for third.

Pearson then had O'Neal in his sights making a pass on lap 30 to grab second. Pearson was looking unstoppable at this point of the race, with ten laps to go, but he had a lot of work to do as Bloomquist was still well out in front. Pearson caught a break on lap 31 when Dillan White slowed in turn two bringing out the final caution of the race. The incident allowed Pearson to restart right on the bumper of Bloomquist. The two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champions had only nine laps to decide the outcome of the race.

Bloomquist, on the restart, maintained the pace he had set for the entire race. Pearson began to challenge two laps later, pulling even with the Hall of Famer. Pearson caught Bloomquist and the two set up a heart-pounding ending, going side-by-side for most of the final seven laps. Heading to the white flag lap Pearson went underneath of Bloomquist and took over the lead as the crowd rose to its feet. Pearson took over the lead in a smooth move around Bloomquist on the inside. Pearson led Bloomquist out of turn two down the back stretch as he kept his low line on the track. Bloomquist made a last-ditch attempt on the outside as the two came to the checkers. Pearson held off Bloomquist by a mere car length for the win.

Bloomquist, the 2009 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, finished second in his Miller Brothers Construction/Vic Hill Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS; followed by Neat in the Bobby Labonte Racing/Red Buck Cigars/MasterSbilt Cadillac; O'Neal in the Superior Cleaning/Jay Dickens Racing Engines/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo SS; and Schlieper in the Rockstar Energy Drink/Pro Power Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Ford Fusion.

Completing the top ten were Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL; Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC; Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL; Matt Miller of Waterville, OH; and Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, WI.

In the Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 18th time in his career, the former series champion talked about his win against the reigning series champ. "Man the car was outstanding tonight, it's great to win here in front of my homestate fans in Florida. I hoped they enjoyed that race, Scott (Bloomquist) raced me clean the whole time we were side-by-side. I wasn't sure if I could have gotten to him without that last caution flag. We restarted real good and I just drove into the corners as hard as I could to catch up to him," said the 38-year-old driver.

"I was able to get under him coming to the white and I just held him off on the final lap. I have to thank Bobby (Labonte) he has put a great team around me and Brad (Neat) and it paid off tonight, he got third and we got the win. Thanks to Jason Fitzgerald he's back onboard this year as the team manager and Matt and Devine for their help it was total team effort."
The number 44 MasterSbilt Dodge Charger is powered by a Larry Wallace Racing Engine and sponsored by Lucas Oil Products/Red Buck Cigars/PRC/Sunoco Race Fuels/Hoosier Racing Tires and ASI Racewear.