Photo Credit - Lucas Oil Series Facebook
Tyler Erb picked up the $5,000 Lucas Oil Series paycheck leading 28 of the 30 laps from the outside pole starting spot. 58 cars were signed in tonight with several drivers take a night off since it's not a points paying night. Tanner English kicked it off taking Group A and overall fastest qualifier and Erb would top Group B.
With the amount of cars the format would be six heat races taking the top 3 and the top 2 from the three B Mains. Heat race winners were Bronson,O'Neal,Overton,Terbo,Dennis Erb Jr, and Winger. Overton is driving the 2x Warrior Race Cars of John Henderson and will be driving it the first 3 nights at East Bay. The three B Mains went to English,who had spun in his heat race, Tyler Millwood , and Ryan Gustin. With it being a non-points night the provisionals fell to the quickest qualifier from each group that did not advance through preliminary events. David McCoy and Daulton Wilson would claim the final two starting spots for the 30 lap main event.
Buddies Bronson and Terbo would bring the 26 car field to green as Bronson would take the early advantage followed by Erb,O'Neal,Dennis Erb and Winger. Bronson immediately came under fire from Erb and gave up the spot in turn two of the second lap. He would lead the rest of the way but it. far from a runaway for the Texan Erb.
The first yellow would make its appearance on lap 3 for Ross Robinson for a flat LR. Top 5 at the time is Erb,Bronson,O'Neal,Erb,and Overton. During the caution Garrett Smith's rough start of the season continues as he was pushed into the infield ending his night.
Photo Credit - Heath Lawson
On the restart O'Neal would sneak past Bronson for the runner up position as they would go three wide for third with Bronson,Overton,and Erb. The yellow would wave once again on lap 11 for Ross Bailes fresh off his $10,000 SAS series win at Screven.
Lap 12 restart was wild as Ashton Winger jumped to the high side as everyone but Brian Shirley was choosing to run down low. He would move into third before the yellow would wave again for the 83 Mastersbilt house car driven by Jensen Ford spun in turn 4. Ford would go to the infield sitting out the remaining of the race.
On the restart Winger could not get the car turning on the outside as he was before the yellow almost going into the wall in turn 2 falling out of contention. At the halfway point it was Terbo leading Hudson Overton Bronson and Erb Jr.
Lap 18 G.R. Smith would bring the caution slowing the field once again as now behind the leader was Overton,O'Neal,Erb and Bronson. Winger would bring out the yellow on lap 24 for a flat LF setting up the final Delaware Double File Restart of the night.
When the green came back out O'Neal would get around Overton to try to run down the leader but wasn't making much ground on the Best Performance Motorsports XR1 Rocket Chassis. The big mover of the race was Tyler Millwood as he was hooked up on the outside groove of the track and was the only one at the end of the race that was successfully running that line. The B Main winner started 20th in the 30 lap sprint got around Overton for third with two laps to go but ran out of laps to have a chance at improving anymore giving him his first Lucas Oil podium finish in his first feature made at East Bay.
Tyler Erb,along with Rocket Chassis, has had a rough start of the race season but the last couple of races Tyler and crew have improved alot. Anyone that know Randall Edwards,Erb's crew chief, is always working hard on the green number 1 and one of the hardest working guys you'll find in the pits. The Rocket Chassis housecar ,driven by Hudson O'Neal, would take second in front of another XR1 Rocket Chassis of Millwood.
They will all do it again tomorrow same place same time. It's another non points race paying $5,000 to win and as always if you can't be at the track it'll be live on FloRacing.
MONDAY NIGHT #1
1) T. Erb
2) O'Neal
3) Millwood (Hard Charger)
4) Overton
5) D. Erb
6) Whitener
7) Hughes
8) Gustin
9) English
10) Carrier Jr.
11) Shirley
12) Bailes
13) Bronson
14) Bruening
15) Wilson
16) Roberson
17) Robinson
18) Hicks
19) Collins
20) Pearson
21) Winger
22) G.R. Smith
23) Zeigler
24) McCoy
25) Ford
26) G. Smith
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