Adams Snaps Strickler’s Win Streak At East Bay
Story By: MIKE SPIEKER / SUNSHINE STATE MODIFIED TOUR – GIBSONTON, FL – A Sunshine State Modified Tour (SSMT) record-tying 56 Modifieds were checked in for round five of eight Thursday night at East Bay Raceway Park. Kevin Adams of Cameron, WI cruised to the win in the 30-lap feature for his second triumph of the tour.
Just as he has in three of the four previous races, Kyle Strickler jumped out to the race lead as the green flag flew and looked to be in command. However, he was surpassed by Adams, who snuck around him on the outside exiting turn two on lap five.
From there Adams showed his dominance and paced the field all the way to the checkered flag.
“I just wanted to prove to everybody out there that you don’t have to run a Mexican built motor to win these UMP races,” said Adams in a victory lane interview, referring to Strickler’s success with a 604 crate motor. “Kyle can win these things with a 454, he doesn’t need them crates.”
The win was Adams’ third overall SSMT win, dating back to the tour’s inaugural season in 2016, which ties him with Strickler atop the all-time wins list.
“It feels good to get a win,” Adams continued. “We’ve been digging hard the last eight days. We actually didn’t change anything from last night, other than a few minor things. We’ve got it working pretty good now.”
After slipping back to third, Strickler’s night came to an end with 12 laps to go as an apparent mechanical failure forced him to retire prematurely. Strickler was credited with a 20th place finish, but he still holds an 11 point lead over Adams atop the SSMT point standings, unofficially.
Jeff Matthews, Ashley Newman, David Reutimann, and Bryan Bernhardt rounded out the top five.
Racing continues tomorrow night at East Bay Raceway Park, with every lap broadcasted live on XSAN.TV!
Results:
Feature – 1. Kevin Adams, 2. Jeff Matthews, 3. Ashley Newman, 4. David Reutimann, 5. Bryan Bernhardt, 6. Brad Goff, 7. Kenny Wallace, 8. Todd Shute, 9. Shon Flanary, 10. Mavrick Varnadore, 11. Mike Potosky, 12. Jason Gross, 13. Roger Crouse, 14. Preston Seratt, 15. Travis Varnadore, 16. Steve Miller, 17. Wesley Summers, 18. Bill Howard, 19. Curt Myers, 20. Kyle Strickler, 21. Robbie Eilers, 22. Lucas Lee, 23. Todd Neiheiser, 24. Tyler Nicely, 25. Rick Conoyer
B-Main 1 – 1. D. Reutimann, 2. Neiheiser, 3. Johnny Fennewald, 4. Drew Jackson, 5. Allen Weisser, 6. Buzzie Reutimann, 7. Eric Moon, 8. Rick Weekly, 9. Tyler Jones, 10. Rick Pratt, 11. Keith Williams
B-Main 2 – 1. Lee, 2. Gross, 3. David Wietholder, 4. Jessie Hoskins, 5. Mike VanGenderen, 6. Thomas Sigler, 7. Nathon Loney, 8. Chad Williamson, 9. Dennis Haven, 10. Scotty Kincaid, 11. Tommy Powell
B-Main 3 – 1. M. Varnadore, 2. Myers, 3. Ray Bollinger, 4. Dale Kelley, 5. Mike Potosky, 6. Brad DeYoung, 7. Dugan Thye, 8. Daren Krockenberger, 9. Mike Weber
Heat 1 – 1. Strickler, 2. Flanary, 3. Crouse, 4. Neiheiser, 5. Fennewald, 6. B. Reutimann, 7. Weekly, 8. Pratt, 9. Jones
Heat 2 – 1. Bernhardt, 2. Matthews, 3. S. Miller, 4. Wietholder, 5. Gross, 6. Lee, 7. Loney, 8. Baldwin, 9. VanGenderen
Heat 3 – 1. Adams, 2. Nicely, 3. T. Varnadore, 4. Kelley, 5. Potosky, 6. Bollinger, 7. Thye, 8. DeYoung, 9. Maurice
Heat 4 – 1. Shute, 2. Howard, 3. Conoyer, 4. D. Reutimann, 5. Davenport, 6. Jackson, 7. Weisser, 8. Moon, 9. Williams
Heat 5 – 1. Goff, 2. Summers, 3. Eilers, 4. Hoskins, 5. Powell, 6. Williamson, 7. Kincaid, 8. Sigler, 9. Haven
Heat 6 – 1. Newman, 2. Seratt, 3. Wallace, 4. Varnadore, 5. Krockenberger, 6. Weber, 7. Bentley, 8. Dixon, 9. Myers
