crusapr
10-09-2011, 05:22 AM
CARTERSVILLE, GA – Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN drove the Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Warrior to his first win of the season on Saturday night in the Delta Nationals 50 at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS. After a fierce battle with Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL, Gentry led the last 27 laps of the race.
The victory moved Gentry into a tie for the lead in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings with Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC, who started 13th and finished fifth in the AES Racing Special. Gentry and Breuer each have 1,160 points at the top of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS points list.
Gentry and Shaw swapped the lead three times during laps 22 through 24 with Gentry taking the lead on lap 24 and then pulling away in the second half of the race to win by a full straightaway, or 2.594 seconds over Shaw, who took second in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star.
“This car is a new Warrior chassis and after I called Sanford Goddard at Goddard Performance today, he gave me a set up to try, and it worked great,” Gentry said. “We had a good race there at the halfway point with Shaw. It was close, but fun racing. I can’t wait to get back here to Greenville Speedway next month to battle Dan Breuer for the championship.”
The next race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be back at Greenville Speedway on November 3-5 for the $3,000-to-win Gumbo Nationals 50. Both Gentry and Breuer own wins this season on the ¼-mile high-banked gumbo clay oval, as Breuer took the win in the Rumble On The Gumbo 75 on April 9 at Greenville Speedway.
The 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion will receive $20,000 out of the $50,000 point fund at the end of the season in addition to the NeSmith Cup Trophy. There are still four races remaining on the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series schedule, but the championship battle is on.
Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS finished third in the Billy Riels Racing GRT, and Friday night’s Greenville Speedway winner Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS followed that up with a fourth-place effort on Saturday night in the TJC Mortgage/Maximum Signs and Graphics GRT with Breuer taking the fifth spot.
Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS was sixth in the Henderson Waste and Recycling Trak-Star and Greg Fore of Greenville, MS drove the Frost Top Special to a seventh-place finish. Mark Tice of Avon, MS was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race after an eighth-place finish in the Precision Marine Trak-Star.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the ninth spot in the Hedman Husler and VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year point leader Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL rounded out the top ten in the Tower Maintenance Special.
Hunter Carroll of Columbus, MS started the Muffler Magic Special from the 24th and last starting spot and finished 11th to earn the Hedman Husler Award. Duke Palasini of Leland, MS was scheduled to start the main event in the Palasini Farms Special, but his car was damaged in the first 15-lap B-Main race, and could not start the big show. That earned Palasini the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Shaw was the fast qualifier for the second straight night by turning in a lap of 15.277 seconds to earn the pole position for the Delta Nationals 50. Preliminary B-Main race winners were Ashley Newman of Mercer, TN in the 45 Race Shop GRT and Jordan.
At the drop of the green flag, Shaw took the lead from the pole position followed by Gentry, Stokes, Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC in the AES Racing Special and Lee. The first of six caution flags came out on lap two when Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS spun the Harrison Racing GRT in turn four.
On the restart, Fore drove by Lee on the front stretch to take the fifth spot, and on lap six, Gentry began challenging Shaw for the lead on the inside. Shaw held on to the point and began to lap the cars on tail of the lead lap on the tenth lap with Gentry and Stokes right on his heels.
Fore got by Cooke for the fourth spot on lap 12, but he wasn’t there long, as he spun in turn two on lap 13 to bring out the caution flag. Shaw led Gentry, Stokes, Cooke, Lee, Tice, Newman, Turner, Edge and Jordan down for the restart. Stokes drove around the outside of Gentry coming off the fourth turn after the restart to take over second place.
Lee and Newman both passed Cooke on lap 14 to move up to the fourth and fifth spots respectively, and Newman made an outside move on Lee in turn four on lap 18 to take over the fourth spot. Newman, however, brought out the caution flag on lap 20 when he stalled on the front straightaway.
Another top ten car had to go to the back of the back on the restart when Tice spun out of the sixth spot with a spin in turn four. Shaw had Stokes, Gentry, Lee, Cooke, Tice, Edge, Breuer, Turner and Jamie Elam of Senatobia, MS in the Save A Lot Used Cars Stinger in tow for the double-file restart.
After the green came back out, Gentry got under Stokes in turn one to retake the second spot and Cooke got around Lee for fourth. On lap 21, Cooke spun in turn two to bring out the fifth caution flag. After the next restart, things got hot and heavy among the top three drivers, Shaw, Gentry, and Stokes.
Gentry drove under Shaw to take the lead coming off the fourth turn on lap 22. At the same place on the next lap, it was Shaw passing Gentry for the lead on the outside. Lap 24 saw Gentry slide under Shaw to claim the point coming off the fourth turn.
Shaw tried to come back around on the outside on lap 25, and there was some contact among Gentry, Shaw, and Stokes coming off the fourth turn. Stokes got sideways and was pointed towards the infield, but he gathered it up and got it pointed in the right direction without losing the third spot. At the halfway point in the race it was Gentry followed by Shaw, Stokes, Lee, Breuer, Jordan, Turner, Tice, Fore, and Edge.
Gentry began to pull away from Shaw, and the leader began to work lapped traffic on lap 30. The field got bunched up one more time on lap 38 when Kenny Carpenter of Cleveland, MS spun the George’s Lawn Mower Service GRT to bring out the sixth and final caution flag of the race. When the field went back to green, Gentry began to once again pull away.
Lee got by Stokes for the third spot on lap 39, and with ten laps to go, Gentry had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Shaw. By the time Gentry took the checkered flag for his ninth NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series career win; he had a full straightaway lead over Shaw.
During intermission, fans bid for rides in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series two-seat race car with Stokes, Breuer, Jordan, Tice, Harrison, Palasini, and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS. Fans also bought tickets for a drawing to win a ride with John Polasini of Leland, MS. Over $7,600 was collected to benefit the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.
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.
The victory moved Gentry into a tie for the lead in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings with Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC, who started 13th and finished fifth in the AES Racing Special. Gentry and Breuer each have 1,160 points at the top of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS points list.
Gentry and Shaw swapped the lead three times during laps 22 through 24 with Gentry taking the lead on lap 24 and then pulling away in the second half of the race to win by a full straightaway, or 2.594 seconds over Shaw, who took second in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star.
“This car is a new Warrior chassis and after I called Sanford Goddard at Goddard Performance today, he gave me a set up to try, and it worked great,” Gentry said. “We had a good race there at the halfway point with Shaw. It was close, but fun racing. I can’t wait to get back here to Greenville Speedway next month to battle Dan Breuer for the championship.”
The next race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be back at Greenville Speedway on November 3-5 for the $3,000-to-win Gumbo Nationals 50. Both Gentry and Breuer own wins this season on the ¼-mile high-banked gumbo clay oval, as Breuer took the win in the Rumble On The Gumbo 75 on April 9 at Greenville Speedway.
The 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion will receive $20,000 out of the $50,000 point fund at the end of the season in addition to the NeSmith Cup Trophy. There are still four races remaining on the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series schedule, but the championship battle is on.
Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS finished third in the Billy Riels Racing GRT, and Friday night’s Greenville Speedway winner Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS followed that up with a fourth-place effort on Saturday night in the TJC Mortgage/Maximum Signs and Graphics GRT with Breuer taking the fifth spot.
Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS was sixth in the Henderson Waste and Recycling Trak-Star and Greg Fore of Greenville, MS drove the Frost Top Special to a seventh-place finish. Mark Tice of Avon, MS was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race after an eighth-place finish in the Precision Marine Trak-Star.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the ninth spot in the Hedman Husler and VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year point leader Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL rounded out the top ten in the Tower Maintenance Special.
Hunter Carroll of Columbus, MS started the Muffler Magic Special from the 24th and last starting spot and finished 11th to earn the Hedman Husler Award. Duke Palasini of Leland, MS was scheduled to start the main event in the Palasini Farms Special, but his car was damaged in the first 15-lap B-Main race, and could not start the big show. That earned Palasini the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Shaw was the fast qualifier for the second straight night by turning in a lap of 15.277 seconds to earn the pole position for the Delta Nationals 50. Preliminary B-Main race winners were Ashley Newman of Mercer, TN in the 45 Race Shop GRT and Jordan.
At the drop of the green flag, Shaw took the lead from the pole position followed by Gentry, Stokes, Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC in the AES Racing Special and Lee. The first of six caution flags came out on lap two when Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS spun the Harrison Racing GRT in turn four.
On the restart, Fore drove by Lee on the front stretch to take the fifth spot, and on lap six, Gentry began challenging Shaw for the lead on the inside. Shaw held on to the point and began to lap the cars on tail of the lead lap on the tenth lap with Gentry and Stokes right on his heels.
Fore got by Cooke for the fourth spot on lap 12, but he wasn’t there long, as he spun in turn two on lap 13 to bring out the caution flag. Shaw led Gentry, Stokes, Cooke, Lee, Tice, Newman, Turner, Edge and Jordan down for the restart. Stokes drove around the outside of Gentry coming off the fourth turn after the restart to take over second place.
Lee and Newman both passed Cooke on lap 14 to move up to the fourth and fifth spots respectively, and Newman made an outside move on Lee in turn four on lap 18 to take over the fourth spot. Newman, however, brought out the caution flag on lap 20 when he stalled on the front straightaway.
Another top ten car had to go to the back of the back on the restart when Tice spun out of the sixth spot with a spin in turn four. Shaw had Stokes, Gentry, Lee, Cooke, Tice, Edge, Breuer, Turner and Jamie Elam of Senatobia, MS in the Save A Lot Used Cars Stinger in tow for the double-file restart.
After the green came back out, Gentry got under Stokes in turn one to retake the second spot and Cooke got around Lee for fourth. On lap 21, Cooke spun in turn two to bring out the fifth caution flag. After the next restart, things got hot and heavy among the top three drivers, Shaw, Gentry, and Stokes.
Gentry drove under Shaw to take the lead coming off the fourth turn on lap 22. At the same place on the next lap, it was Shaw passing Gentry for the lead on the outside. Lap 24 saw Gentry slide under Shaw to claim the point coming off the fourth turn.
Shaw tried to come back around on the outside on lap 25, and there was some contact among Gentry, Shaw, and Stokes coming off the fourth turn. Stokes got sideways and was pointed towards the infield, but he gathered it up and got it pointed in the right direction without losing the third spot. At the halfway point in the race it was Gentry followed by Shaw, Stokes, Lee, Breuer, Jordan, Turner, Tice, Fore, and Edge.
Gentry began to pull away from Shaw, and the leader began to work lapped traffic on lap 30. The field got bunched up one more time on lap 38 when Kenny Carpenter of Cleveland, MS spun the George’s Lawn Mower Service GRT to bring out the sixth and final caution flag of the race. When the field went back to green, Gentry began to once again pull away.
Lee got by Stokes for the third spot on lap 39, and with ten laps to go, Gentry had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Shaw. By the time Gentry took the checkered flag for his ninth NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series career win; he had a full straightaway lead over Shaw.
During intermission, fans bid for rides in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series two-seat race car with Stokes, Breuer, Jordan, Tice, Harrison, Palasini, and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS. Fans also bought tickets for a drawing to win a ride with John Polasini of Leland, MS. Over $7,600 was collected to benefit the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.
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.