CANADIAN STEVE POIRIET IS SURPRISE WINNER IN 2ND NIGHT OF KING OF 360’s AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK
TAMPA, FL……Because of the luck of the draw Steve Poiriet from St. Mathieu de Bebeil, Quebec had to start 12th in the last heat race for the 48 cars on hand for the l5th Annual “King of 360’s” Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park, but he finished fifth and acquired enough passing points to start third in the feature and came home with his first win ever at East Bay worth $l,500.)
A regular on the ESS (Empire Super Sprints) tour where he is a three time Champion in just the seven years he has been running the 360 sprints after starting off in Modifieds where he was successful at Drumondville with six big block championships.. He described the reason he likes Sprints is the feel of the gas pedal and the response of the chassis.
Tonight is not his biggest win in Sprints because he won the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals three times – 2007, 2008 and 2012 at Ohsweken Speedway. But he told track announcer Russ Calabrese that all his family at home was tuned in to watch the Winternationals at East Bay and can’t wait for the $10,000 to win tomorrow in the12th Annual Ronald Laney Memorial.
He used his Eagle chassis powered by an A.M.B. engine to patiently wait for the right time to make his move on the leader Michael Parent. With Michael Miller on the pole for the 25 lapper and Parent starting outside, Poiriet lined up third with Jason Sides outside. Local runner Gene Lasker started fifth inside Jerod Roller. Robbie Smith, Tony Agin. Tim Shaffer and Danny Smith made up the first ten.
But it was Parent who grabbed the lead with Poiriet in pursuit as they started lapping cars just six laps into the race. The lone yellow flag came out on lap nine for Robbie Smith who spun on the front stretch. At the half-way mark, the pair separated themselves but Danny Smith and Jason Sides were catching up.
Poirier made his winning move on the outside, passing Parent on lap 21 with MIchael Miller taking third followed by Sides, Danny Holtgraver, Danny Smith, Tim Shaffer, Terry McCarl, Greg Wilson and Jerod Roller in the top ten.
“It took us 25 hours to tow down here to get a nice vacation in this Florida weather, but it sure made it nice to have this payday,” explained the happy winner.
The heats went to Roller, Parent, Miller and Lasker. The two B-Mains sent Jayme Barnes, Glenn Styres, Kyle Sauder, Greg Wilson from the first, then Terry Gray, Shawn Dancer, Holtgraver and Scotty Thiel from the second to the A-Main.
The top six in points locked in for the Ronald Laney Memorial are Tim Shaffer, Michael Miller, Danny Holtgraver, Jerod Roller, Greg Wilson and Terry McCarl.
Thanks, Jean Lynch for East Bay Raceway Park
Professional MotorSports Services
360 Sprints 2/22/2013
A-Main:1. Steve Poirier (St Mathieu de Beloeil, QC), 2. Michael Parent (Granby, QC), 3. Michael Miller (Ocean Springs, MS), 4. Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 5. Danny Holtgraver (Pittsburgh, PA), 6. Danny Smith (Chillicothe, OH), 7. Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 8. Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 9. Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), 10. Jerod Roller (Hernando, MS), 11. Jayme Barnes (Everett, WA), 12. Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 13. Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 14. Scotty Thiel (Sheboygen, WI), 15. Kyle Sauder (Archbold, OH), 16. Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ON), 17. Shawn Dancer (Delphos, OH), 18. Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL), 19. Robbie Smith (Tampa, FL), 20. Tony Agin (Ft Myers, FL),