crusapr
07-04-2011, 06:01 AM
PHENIX CITY, AL – William Thomas of Phenix City, AL won his second straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race, and his third of the season Sunday night in the “Salute To The Armed Forces 50” at East Alabama Motor Speedway driving the L.W. Miller Land and Timber Special.
Thomas started fifth and took over the lead on lap 24 when early race leader Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL had a major mechanical issue with his Scorpion Race Cars Special and dropped out of the lead and the race.
For the remaining 27 laps, Thomas never looked back and took the checkered flag with a half-straightaway advantage over the second-place finisher, Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL in the Edge’s Gas Company Special. Edge was VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. The 2010 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year, Larry Harrod of Plains, GA finished third in the Harrod Logging Special.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC chalked up his eighth top five finish of the season with a fourth-place effort in the AES Racing Special. Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN took the fifth spot in the Wade’s Body Shop Special.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN was sixth in the Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Warrior, and Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC drove the AES Racing Special to a seventh-place finish. Danny Stroud of Salem, AL finished eighth in the Stroud Construction Special.
Mark Rosner of Maryville, TN was ninth in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS rounded out the top ten in the Billy Riels Racing GRT. Tootie Arnold of Bude, MS started 24th and finished 12th to earn the Hedman Husler Award in the Autozone GRT.
The race was delayed for over an hour by late after thunderstorms, but the fans packed the stands and Stephens was the fast qualifier among the 29 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval in 15.670 seconds to earn the pole position for the main event. The two 12-lap B-Main races were won by Breuer and Stroud.
The first half of the race was a wild affair, as nine the race’s ten caution flags were waved. Stephens took the lead at the drop of the green flag followed by Edge, Harrod, Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC in the CANCO Rocket, and Thomas. Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL spun the Dykes Towing GRT in turn on the first lap to bring out the caution flag and a complete restart.
On the double-file restart, Teague passed Thomas for the fifth spot, and on lap two, Cantrell raced to the inside of Harrod to battle for the third position. Harrod was able to hang on to keep the third spot. The field went yellow for the second time on lap five when the Hedman Husler driven by Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA stalled on the front straightaway.
Mark Tice of Avon, MS took his Precision Marine Trak-Star to the outside pit area during the caution period, and he returned to the race track on the backstretch. The only problem was it was after the green flag came out, and he came out in front of the leaders at race speed.
Stephens just cleared Tice, but everyone from second on back had to scramble to avoid hitting Tice. Edge spun to the infield, Cantrell sailed off the turn three banking, seventh-place Dana Eiland of Salem, AL in the Andy’s Auto Parts GRT and Dykes also crashed on backstretch. Edge was able to continue, but Cantrell, Eiland and Dykes were done for the night.
On the double-file restart, Harrod passed Edge for the second spot and Thomas got by Teague for fourth. A caution flag for debris on lap ten lined the field up another double-file restart. Stephens led Harrod, Edge, Thomas, Teague, Breuer, Gentry, Stroud, Cody Smith of Holt, FL in the David R. Smith Homes.com Rocket, and Tod Darda of LaGrange, GA in the PW Performance GRT down for the restart.
Thomas got by Edge for third on the restart and Breuer passed Teague for the fifth spot. Darda’s ride in the top ten was short-lived, as he spun in turn two on lap 11 to light up the yellow caution bulb for the fifth time. When the field went back to green, business once again picked up among the top ten.
Smith was racing with Stroud for the eighth spot, and they got together coming off the fourth turn. That knocked Stroud sideways and caused a chain reaction through the rest of the pack causing Lee and Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN in the Dale’s Auto Sales GRT to both spin. The incident knocked Wilson out of the race, but Lee returned with half of his body work missing.
Just after the field went green, Pat Wall of Columbus, GA spun the Wimmer’s Wrecker Service Rocket in turn two to bring out the seventh yellow flag of the race. The field settled in for a few laps, but they were slowed again on lap 19 when Darda stalled in turn one.
When the green flag came back out, Thomas got by Harrod for the second spot, but Stephens had opened up almost a half-straightaway lead by lap 23. Stephens suddenly found himself the recipient of the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award on lap 24 when his car went up in smoke and out of the race in turn four.
Thomas lined up as the new race leader followed by Harrod, Edge, Breuer, Teague, Gentry, Cooke, Tice, Stroud, and Frank Wilson of Milton, FL in the Wilson Lumber Trak-Star in the top ten. Thomas opened up a half-straightaway lead by lap 28. The field was bunched up by caution for the final time on lap 40 when Rosner stalled on the backstretch, but returned for the finish.
When the field took the green flag for the dash to the finish, Edge began to put heavy pressure on Harrod for the second spot. Edge kept looking inside and finally got enough momentum to make the pass on Harrod coming off the fourth turn on lap 46. Breuer then began looking inside Harrod for the third spot, but Harrod was able to hang on to keep the position at the checkered flag.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at NeSmith Racing. Becoming a fan of the NeSmith Racing Facebook page will make you eligible for special prizes that will be given away each month.
Thomas started fifth and took over the lead on lap 24 when early race leader Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL had a major mechanical issue with his Scorpion Race Cars Special and dropped out of the lead and the race.
For the remaining 27 laps, Thomas never looked back and took the checkered flag with a half-straightaway advantage over the second-place finisher, Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL in the Edge’s Gas Company Special. Edge was VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. The 2010 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year, Larry Harrod of Plains, GA finished third in the Harrod Logging Special.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC chalked up his eighth top five finish of the season with a fourth-place effort in the AES Racing Special. Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN took the fifth spot in the Wade’s Body Shop Special.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN was sixth in the Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Warrior, and Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC drove the AES Racing Special to a seventh-place finish. Danny Stroud of Salem, AL finished eighth in the Stroud Construction Special.
Mark Rosner of Maryville, TN was ninth in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS rounded out the top ten in the Billy Riels Racing GRT. Tootie Arnold of Bude, MS started 24th and finished 12th to earn the Hedman Husler Award in the Autozone GRT.
The race was delayed for over an hour by late after thunderstorms, but the fans packed the stands and Stephens was the fast qualifier among the 29 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval in 15.670 seconds to earn the pole position for the main event. The two 12-lap B-Main races were won by Breuer and Stroud.
The first half of the race was a wild affair, as nine the race’s ten caution flags were waved. Stephens took the lead at the drop of the green flag followed by Edge, Harrod, Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC in the CANCO Rocket, and Thomas. Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL spun the Dykes Towing GRT in turn on the first lap to bring out the caution flag and a complete restart.
On the double-file restart, Teague passed Thomas for the fifth spot, and on lap two, Cantrell raced to the inside of Harrod to battle for the third position. Harrod was able to hang on to keep the third spot. The field went yellow for the second time on lap five when the Hedman Husler driven by Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA stalled on the front straightaway.
Mark Tice of Avon, MS took his Precision Marine Trak-Star to the outside pit area during the caution period, and he returned to the race track on the backstretch. The only problem was it was after the green flag came out, and he came out in front of the leaders at race speed.
Stephens just cleared Tice, but everyone from second on back had to scramble to avoid hitting Tice. Edge spun to the infield, Cantrell sailed off the turn three banking, seventh-place Dana Eiland of Salem, AL in the Andy’s Auto Parts GRT and Dykes also crashed on backstretch. Edge was able to continue, but Cantrell, Eiland and Dykes were done for the night.
On the double-file restart, Harrod passed Edge for the second spot and Thomas got by Teague for fourth. A caution flag for debris on lap ten lined the field up another double-file restart. Stephens led Harrod, Edge, Thomas, Teague, Breuer, Gentry, Stroud, Cody Smith of Holt, FL in the David R. Smith Homes.com Rocket, and Tod Darda of LaGrange, GA in the PW Performance GRT down for the restart.
Thomas got by Edge for third on the restart and Breuer passed Teague for the fifth spot. Darda’s ride in the top ten was short-lived, as he spun in turn two on lap 11 to light up the yellow caution bulb for the fifth time. When the field went back to green, business once again picked up among the top ten.
Smith was racing with Stroud for the eighth spot, and they got together coming off the fourth turn. That knocked Stroud sideways and caused a chain reaction through the rest of the pack causing Lee and Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN in the Dale’s Auto Sales GRT to both spin. The incident knocked Wilson out of the race, but Lee returned with half of his body work missing.
Just after the field went green, Pat Wall of Columbus, GA spun the Wimmer’s Wrecker Service Rocket in turn two to bring out the seventh yellow flag of the race. The field settled in for a few laps, but they were slowed again on lap 19 when Darda stalled in turn one.
When the green flag came back out, Thomas got by Harrod for the second spot, but Stephens had opened up almost a half-straightaway lead by lap 23. Stephens suddenly found himself the recipient of the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award on lap 24 when his car went up in smoke and out of the race in turn four.
Thomas lined up as the new race leader followed by Harrod, Edge, Breuer, Teague, Gentry, Cooke, Tice, Stroud, and Frank Wilson of Milton, FL in the Wilson Lumber Trak-Star in the top ten. Thomas opened up a half-straightaway lead by lap 28. The field was bunched up by caution for the final time on lap 40 when Rosner stalled on the backstretch, but returned for the finish.
When the field took the green flag for the dash to the finish, Edge began to put heavy pressure on Harrod for the second spot. Edge kept looking inside and finally got enough momentum to make the pass on Harrod coming off the fourth turn on lap 46. Breuer then began looking inside Harrod for the third spot, but Harrod was able to hang on to keep the position at the checkered flag.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at NeSmith Racing. Becoming a fan of the NeSmith Racing Facebook page will make you eligible for special prizes that will be given away each month.