2010 TUSA Winternationals @ East Bay Raceway Park
Articles for Winternationals by Charlie
Brown
Saturday, Feb 20, 2010
KEVIN MCKINNEY TAKES FINAL IN TUSA MOD LITE WINTER NATIONALS AT EAST BAY
By Charlie Brown, Tampa,
FL – The 2010 TUSA Mod Lite Winter Nationals at the East Bay Raceway Park produced four nights of exciting competition.
Fifty-four drivers from 13 different states and two Canadian providences took part in this year’s series. Taking the
$1000 to win final on Saturday night was Kevin McKinney of Dover, Del. Brandon Sturgis of Seaford, Del. won the companion
Junior Mod Lite Championship.
Landis Musser started on the pole by virtue of having the best point average from the previous two
night but when the first lap was in the books it was second place starter, Tracy Fritter from Zanesville, Ohio taking the
lead.
Fritter would stay on top for only one circuit as Kevin McKinney, who started in third moved on top for lap two.
Fourteen year old Dylan Evans of Millsboro, Del. took the second spot from Fritter on lap three. The first caution was out
on lap five when Tim Hinneger got around with some help.
McKinney pulled away from Evans on the restart and Musser worked
back into third. The yellow was out again on lap seven when James Hill got around in turn one. Under the yellow former National
Champion, Steve White pulled to the infield and out of the race while riding in the top ten.
Cautions on laps nine and
11 would keep the field tightly bunched. Friday night winner, Mikey Hay of Somerset, Pa. was on the move and at the halfway
sign it was McKinney, Fritter, Hay, Musser and Salisbury, Md.’s Tim White.
The race would stay green the rest
of the distance with Musser working back into second with ten to go. McKinney was comfortably out front with Hay moving back
into second under Musser who was riding up against the wall with four laps to go. Fritter got back under Musser for third
on lap 22 as Hay closed to the back bumper of McKinney coming to the white flag.
Going into the final turn, Hay tried
to squeeze under McKinney as the pair came off turn four wheel to wheel. McKinney won the race back to the checkered by a
hood to take the win. “I saw Mikey closing in with two to go and I knew that it was going to be tight,” said McKinney.
“This is a brand new Pro car out for the first time this week.”
Hay closed out a solid week finishing in second
with Fritter third. Tim White took the fourth spot on the final lap with Glendale, Arizona’s Bud Grossenbacher nipping
Musser to round out the top five.
Brandon Stugis made it a three night sweep in the Junior Mod Lite Championship. Sturgis
led all 12 laps but was chased by 10 year old Zac Weller the entire distance. Nick Nash finished a close third and Stacy Roberts
rounded out the field.
Friday, Feb 19, 2010
By
Charlie Brown, 2.19.10 Tampa, FL – Mikey Hay has had a real up and down Florida trip at the TUSA Mod Lite Winter Nationals
at the East Bay Raceway Park. Hay captured the All Star Race of Champions on Wednesday night only to miss qualifying for the
“A” main on Thursday. Friday night, Hay rebounded taking the lead on lap three and driving to the checkered in
the 20 lap main. Tracy
Fritter lead the first lap but the caution was quickly out for a spin by Lynn Knepper. On the restart Mikey Hay immediately
began to pressure Fritter for the lead moving on top for lap three. Alan Knepper ran in the third spot with pole sitter Paul
McGinley in fourth and Kevin McKinney in fifth.
McKinney took fourth
and Thursday night’s winner, Landis Musser moved into fourth. At the halfway sign the top five were Hay, Fritter, Alan
Knepper; McKinney and Musser.
Alan Knepper got out of shape and hit
the inside banking ending up on two wheels and bringing out the red on lap 11. The driver was okay and able to continue. Musser
grabber third on the restart but Arizona driver, Bud Grossenbacher was on the move grabbing third on lap 13.
While Hay was comfortably out front the battle raged from second on back. Musser edged
Grossenbacher for second on lap 14 but Grossenbacher got the spot back just as the yellow flew for James Hill who came to
a stop in the first turn.
Hay controlled the restart but the green was out for
only two laps coming back out on lap 17 when Alan Knepper broke bringing out the final caution.
On the restart, Hay was able to pull away to take the win. “After last night’s luck I had to totally
redeem myself,” smiled Hay in victory lane.
Steve White had worked
his way into the third spot by the final restart and grabbed second from Grossenbacher with one lap to go. White finished
in second with Grossenbacher third. Fourth went to Kevin McKinney and Tracy Fritter rounded out the top five.
Brandon Sturgis made it two straight in the Junior Mod Lite 12-lap feature. Brandon
led wire to wire holding a comfortable lead over Nick Nash who finished in second. Third went to Stacy Roberts and Zac Weller
dealt with mechanical problems all race long to finish in fourth.
Thursday, Feb 18 2010
By Charlie Brown, (2.18.10) Tampa, FL – Landis Musser of Laurel, Del. barely made
the starting grid for the “B” Main in Thursday night’s TUSA Mod Lite Winter Nationals. His front brake broke
just before the field took to the track and his crew just shut off the brake line and sent him out. Musser finished third
to transfer to the “A” Main starting in 24th spot. The only lap he would lead was the important one as he took
the lead from Apollo, Pa.’s Rick Ament coming off the final turn for the checkered.
Matt Hay started on the pole but Steve White quickly took control of the caution plagued
20 lap event. Fourteen year old James Hill went three wide to take second on lap two and then scrapped by White to take the
lead on lap four. Hill’s chances ended one lap later when he got around collecting Bud Grossenbacher.
Steve White was back out front for the restart with Curt Miles, Jr.
in second and Landis Musser up from 24th to third. White seemed to be struggling with his car as Miles, Jr. took the lead
on lap seven. Musser followed into second one lap later. White brought out the yellow on lap nine and was done for the night.
At the halfway sign the top five were Miles, Jr., Musser,
Kevin McKinney, Ament and Tracy Fritter. Ament worked his way into third as cautions continued to keep the field tightly bunched.
With five to go it was a five car battle up front with Miles, Jr. leading followed by McKinney, Musser, Ament and Tim White.
Musser got back by McKinney and with three laps to go crossed
the line almost dead even with Miles. The two made contact in the fourth turn and Ament shot by both to take the lead. Hill
got around bringing out the yellow with two laps to go. Ament held the lead on the restart with Jimmy Wills got by Paul McGinley
for fourth.
McGinley got around on the final
lap in the first turn collecting McKinney, Landon Cling and Scott Tessman. This set up a one lap shootout.
Ament controlled the single file restart with Musser following him
down the back straight into three. Ament elected to stay in the high groove and Musser shot to the bottom of turn four to
take the lead and the checkered.
“It
seemed like when I was running second they were pushing up in front of me,” said Musser. “I waited until the last
lap then shoved it to the bottom to take it!”
Ament finished a close second with Miles, Jr. third. Fourth went to Wills and Erik McKinney rounded out the top five.
In the Junior Mod Lite 15-lap feature, Brandon Sturgis
and Zac Weller picked up where they left off in the heat but this time it was Sturgis getting the upper hand early in the
race. A late race caution would give Weller one more shot but Surgis would make no mistakes as he drove to the win followed
by Weller, Nick Nash and Stacy Roberts.
