---

ALLSTAR LATE MODEL: Howard Wins East Bay

4 May 1998

GIBSONTON, FL - Sophomore driver Bill Howard picked a great night to win his first career late model feature Saturday night at East Bay Raceway, worth $1,000 cash. Gene Lasker snapped Kenny Adams sprint car feature winning streak later in the evening.

With bonus monies added by Kensington Manor, the late model main became a battle of tire wear over 40 laps on the 1/3 mile clay oval. Eight of the top ten cars at the half-way point experienced flat tires that scrambled the lineup several times, with Howard nosing out Frank Erskine, Jr. who barely edged out Ken Nosbisch for second.

Bobby Alexander won the first heat and $500 for the Dash-For-Cash while his team-mate Steve Mathis won the second heat.

Defending sprint car champion Gene Lasker won his heat and the 25-lap feature with Roland Johnson making several attempts to take the lead but settling for second ahead of Steve Williams, Bob Auld and Sport Allen.

John Bradley avoided several multi-car pileups to win the limited late model main over Davis Schmauss, Roger Crouse, Danny Bowman and Tommy Evonosky. With two of the lead cars crashing together on the last corner of the last lap, the wildest race of the night saw Michael Smith nose out Scotty Williams to take the mini-stock main. Danny Paris Jr. won his first street stock feature after missing several multi-car crashes. Mike Kessel grabbed second.

Feature finishes: Late Model - 1. Bill Howard 2. Frank Erskine Jr. 3. Ken Nosbisch 4. Donnie Tanner 5. Ted Erskine 6. Steve Mathis 7. Jack Nosbisch 8. David Schmauss 9. John Gross 10. Davis Simpson.

Sprint car - 1. Gene Lasker 2. Roland Johnson 3. Steve Williams 4. Bob Auld 5. Sport Allen 6. Paulie Milum 7. Taylor Andrews 8. Red Kuntsbeck 9. John Wrobleski 10. Clyde Poole.