SPRINT DRIVER BRADY SHORT WINS NIGHT TWO OF EAST BAY’S OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED WINTERNATIONALS

TAMPA, FL…..1/27/10……EastBay Raceway - ”We started on the pole, and we fell back a bit so I was fifth on lap 10, but I kept telling myself, it’s all about Saturday night,” said an excited Brady Short in his on track interview in victory lane with announcer Chris Stepan, after winning a $1,000 in the 25-lap feature on night two of the 11th Annual Open Wheel Modified Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park, Wednesday night.

Normally behind the wheel of a sprint car, the Bedford, Indiana driver went on to explain, “My Dad had this Pierce car built for last year and this is the only time we run Modifieds. My only other Modified win was a preliminary night here in 2006.” The car carried sponsorship from Indiana Stone Works and Short Trucking with a SPEC (Scott’s Performance Engine Center) engine under the hood.

Short’s Father Don confessed they made changes all night long, mainly with weight distribution. He had high praise for East Bay saying, “The track was in good shape tonight. It was a little wet at the beginning, but that’s what it takes to have a good track at the end of the night.”

After a spin before a lap was officially recorded, the 24-car field led by Short and Kevin Weaver settled into a fast rhythm and clocked off 18 green-flag laps with Weaver showing the way for the first five laps. But, sixth place starter Kyle Bronson (a local from Brandon FL) had other ideas and seriously challenged Weaver for five laps before grabbing the inside groove in turn three and his Loose Gruff chassis pulled ahead to lead lap six.

By lap 10 Bronson’s All Florida Real Estate No. 40 car powered by a Jimmy Cope engine, had a six-car length advantage over Weaver, Shorty Kincaid, Buzzie Reutimann and Short who nearly spun in between turns one and two.

Short corrected himself and turned smooth, consistant laps that got him up to third by lap 15, which was big benefit when on lap 19, the leader Bronson spun in turn one as he was trying to maneuver through lapped traffic. Ironically, second place Weaver got caught up in the incident and had to pit to change a right front tire.

Short inherited the lead and just one lap later, second running Reutimann and Jeff Mathews rubbed side panels going down the front stretch bringing out the second yellow, sending Mathews to the pits to change tires. Next, a six-car pile up on the restart in turn one occurred when third place runner Perry Brown spun bringing out the only red flag of the Open Wheel Modified series so far. One more yellow for Alan Farley occurred on lap 22 setting the stage for a three lap shoot-out.

Short made it to the finish line first, but last year’s big winner in the finale, Rodney Wing was coming fast. Wing had started 19th and the Meridan MS driver brought his ride in the back-up Mathews car up to a second place finish. This car is a Larry Shaw chassis, whereas he was in a GRT car when he won here last year. “This deal came together about two months
ago, with sponsors Jamie Slaton, Buddy’s Home Furnishings, Night Hawk Towing & Recovery and Superior Plumbing. After falling out of last night’s feature because of a broken shock, we were glad to get this finish.”

Third place finisher Reutimann’s body had damage to all panels and the crew took it off and went back to the shop to straighten it and bring it back tomorrow. The crew guys, Terry Peters and Donnie Reed made changes on the shock and tires all night to make the car better. Reutimann had set fast time last night, but dropped from the feature with mechanical problems.

Roger Crouse and Dale Mathison cracked the top five while Rick Aukland, Stanley Donahoo, Devin Dixon, Jason Schill and Mike Potosky ranked in the top ten. The first B-Main sent Dixon, Wing, Potosky and Rob Fuqua to the A-Main while Aukland, J.R. Hotovy, Scotty Kincaid and Denny Schwartz made it through the second B-Main. Wayne Hammond set fast time of the 55 cars and won the Strawberry Dash.