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East Takes Sprint Win, Then Aims For Bonus
By Mike Kerchner
Senior Editor
| Bobby East |
The victory gave the second-generation racer a shot to race for a $50,000 bonus posted by Crane Cams by starting last in the midget feature later in the night.
But what was East’s advantage in the sprint-car feature was his downfall in pursuit of the bonus, as he was unable to work his way through the pack and finished 15th in the midget race.
Driving the Klatt Enterprises No. 5 prepared by his father Bob, East took advantage of an opening on the start and jumped from the second row to the lead. From there, he was never headed on the half-mile oval, romping to an easy victory over Kunz Motorsports teammates Darren Hagen and Bryan Clauson.
“This was a great car,” the younger East said. “When you have a car like that, it makes my job a lot easier.”
Aaron Pierce and fast-qualifier Brian Gingras rounded out the top five. Defending race-winner Kody Swanson was the star of the race. On a track where passing was at a premium, Swanson worked the outside lane to move from 13th to finish sixth.
While he acknowledged passing was difficult, East told the crowd he thought he had a chance to win the bonus later in the night.
“We’re going to start in the back and go for the money,” said East, who earned $10,000 for winning the sprint-car feature. “It’s difficult to pass out there, but we have nothing to lose. We are going to go for it and see what happens.”
The finish:
Bobby East, Darren Hagen, Bryan Clauson, Aaron Pierce, Brian Gingras, Kody Swanson, Jacob Wilson, Dakoda Armstrong, Tanner Swanson, Cole Whitt, Brad Sweet, Tim Barber, Brian Gerster, Brady Bacon, Mario Marietta, Bobby Santos III, Troy Decaire, Kenny Biro, Shane Cottle, T.J. Winegardner, Dave Baumgardner, Shane Butler, Chris Windom, Dave Steele.