TAMPA, FL (February 19, 2012)- VLR_JW held off a fierce challenge from four other top drivers in the closing laps of the 60 lap VLR Winternationals at the East Bay Raceway Park on Sunday night to win his ninth career race at VLR and his third season-opener victory.

Racing in front of a huge crowd on a warm Sunday night, VLR_JW of West Point, Mississippi powered his #70 Team VLR sponsored late model to victory in a race that tightened up dramatically in the closing laps.

JW, 28, battled side by side with Las Vegas, Nevada driver JFR*A2D for the first forty laps before WFO_Rainman, VLR_Shock, and Sparta, Michigan driver BLS_BW43 all closed in while racing single file and made it a five car battle to decide the winner.

Defending champion VLR_18 had his worst finish in over three years as his car was plagued with mechanical failures and he barely made it to the grid in time for his outside front row starting position. The hotshoe from Brookfield, Wisconsin limped home to a seventh place finish and will look to do better as the series heads north to Ohio next week.

There was plenty for VLR_JW to smile about after the race since he was able to hold off the top drivers in the business at the finish, but the win didn't come without controversy. On the final lap heading down the back-straightaway, JW was side by side with WFO_Rainman for the win before squeezing Rainman into the wall just enough to kill the x59 machines outside momentum.

Rainman then shot down across the track for a last corner pass on JW, but Crossville, Tennessee driver VLR_Shock was already there and the two made contact which sent East Moline, Illinois native WFO_Rainman spinning up high and limping to a ninth place finish. VLR_JW was still all smiles in victory lane despite the last lap incident.

"That's probably the most fun race I've ever been in," said JW, who seems unstoppable when it comes to big races. "It's crazy to have five guys going at it all the way to the last lap at a little track like this. It just shows how competitive everyone is now and the quality of drivers that come to race here."

VLR_Shock settled for a second place finish after methodically working his way up through the pack from his ninth starting spot in his Toyota Camry. The 23-year-old worked behind Rainman for much of the race as the two slowly caught the two leaders VLR_JW and JFR*A2D in the closing laps before coming home second.

Third place starter JFR*A2D led a few laps throughout the race but eventually crossed the line where he started after being shuffled back late in the race. The top three all finished within three car lengths after the dust settled on the 60 lap race. BLS_BW43 had a strong showing in the opener as he drove a consistent and fairly uneventful race to come home fourth, despite having a front-row view to the exciting action right ahead of him on the racetrack. BLS_34 of Vineland, New Jersey started dead-last in the A Main but managed to end up with a fifth place finish to match his career best at the VLR series.

VLR_JW earned fast time for the event with a blistering 11.77 lap time on the 1/3 mile race track and had a host of challengers gunning for him every lap as the fans were on their feet from start to finish. The Mississippi Missle reflected on his win and what happened on the last lap that resulted in a tough finish for WFO_Rainman.

"It's good to get that first win out of the way and hopefully now I can keep it going," said JW, who brought his career win total up to nine at VLR's main series. "I didn't think I even got the 59 (Rainman) there on the last lap. We were just duking it out like we normally would do at a short track and he ended up with the short end of the stick.

"We both made a couple of aggressive moves there late in the race but when you got nine other guys breathing down your neck you gotta go because they are all right there waiting to pounce.

"I'm sure he's upset, I would be, too," he added. "But if you think he wouldn't wreck me for a win you'd be wrong, and it's happened before."

VLR_JW was referring to an incident last season at the Kokomo Speedway when he and WFO_Rainman tangled while battling for the lead with a couple of laps to go. That incident sent JW into the front stretch wall and ended his day with a tenth place finish while Rainman held off VLR_Shock to win.

VLR_Shock was happy to escape with a second place finish in the opener at one of his favorite tracks after starting the race from the last row.

"I had a lot of fun tonight and was just trying to be patient and get up there with JW and A2D while they were battling," Shock said. "I just stuck it behind Rainman and tried to give him room and eventually it paid off with us catching them and putting on a show for the fans.

"I don't really know what all went on between JW and Rainman there but I didn't see JW do anything bad other than push him out of the groove a few times. I thought I was the one that caused Rainman to spin when he came back down to cross under JW in turn four but I guess he thought it was JW's fault."

JFR*A2D nearly swept by all three drivers on the final lap as he lurked in fourth waiting for a mistake. The 20-year-old driver was licking his chops going into turn four on the final circuit but couldn't quite maneuver his car ahead of JW and Shock at the line.

"I was just laying low there trying to give room and looking for any opening there on the last lap," said A2D. "Shock was up there in front of me lifting a lot for Rainman and JW when they were side by side so I was having to let out a lot, too. It was real hectic but I'm glad to finish with a top three after all that chaos.

"The fans definitely got their money's worth tonight I just wish I could have put this 29 car in the East Bay winners circle."

BLS_BW43 got his season off to the right foot with his new STP sponsorship and finished with a strong fourth place effort after the dust settled.

"We had a good car tonight for sure," said BW43 at his hauler after the race. "I'm the type of driver who will sit back and look for an opportunity and I got a few of them tonight and tried to make the most of it. With all the beating and banging going on up front I thought I was in a good spot if anything happened."

BLS_34 showed that he could not only run with the big dogs, but he could also pass cars and come home with a career-best tying fifth place finish at VLR.

"That was a wild race for sure," the usually soft-spoken driver said. "In the B Main I went from being on the edge of making the feature to picking up a top five in the A Main. I couldn't ask for a much better start to the season so hopefully this is a sign of things to come for us here at VLR."

VLR_McGee of Spartanburg, South Carolina rallied for a strong sixth place finish. Defending champion and outside pole sitter VLR_18 struggled home to a seventh place finish, his worst at VLR in several years. XCR_AX made his first VLR A Main event and earned seventh. WFO_Rainman finished ninth after his last lap troubles, and Jon finished tenth after suffering mechanical problems early in the race.

Forty drivers entered the event, with thirty-five turning time trials, in VLR's second largest crowd in history on a clear moonlit night.

VLR_JW scooted to the pole with an 11.77 at the 1/3 mile track and swept the nights events by also winning his heat race and the A Main feature.

Heat winners were VLR_JW, VLR_53, Doit 0, and BLS_BW43, and the B-Main was captured by VLR_Shock.

The VLR Spring Thaw 2012 tour heads north next week to Chillicothe, Ohio for the Dirt Track World Championship 60 at the Atomic Speedway, formerly known as K-C Raceway.


NEWS AND NOTES FROM VLR AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK:

 

• VLR_JW won for the ninth time in his career at VLR
• VLR_JW won his third season opener at VLR
• VLR_JW has won both races in VLR history that had 40+ cars
• BLS_34 tied his best career finish at VLR with fifth
• XCR_AX made his first career VLR A Main. He ran his first VLR event in March 2011
• Jon is two for two on making the A Main at VLR in his career
• VLR_18's seventh place finish was his worst at VLR since a twelfth place finish at Georgetown on November 15, 2008
• VLR_Shock's second place finish was his best season opening finish since June 7, 2008
• JFR*4H was unable to attend the race due to a snow storm that took the power out at his house

 

East Bay Raceway Park - VLR Season 18

 

Pos    Driver
1    VLR_JW   
2    VLR_Shock   
3    JFR*A2D   
4    BLS_BW43   
5    BLS_34   
6    VLR_McGee   
7    VLR_18   
8    XCR_AX   
9    WFO Rainman   
10    jon   
11    JFR_Jim   
12    BLS_F1yer   
13    IFRT_RB   
14    XCR_Opeth   
15    IFRT_OCF   
16    XCR_T92   
17    XCR_Evan   
18    Lazy3   
19    IFRT_Rac   
20    Geisler   
21    hOoTs   
22    BLS_Kevin42   
23    WFO_Ranger   
24    Squirrel   
25    J-MAC   
26    S&S_22  
27    WFO_Starnes   
28    McFly34   
29    IFRT_14   
30    BMS   
31    WFO*v21   
32    Doit 45   
33    JFR_lastplace   
34    Tony12   
35    DT77  
36    BossHoss   
37    WFO_Blaze   
38    DS5   
39    XCR_b58  
-    BLS Jsn!  
-    JFR_4H