crusapr
12-03-2011, 09:51 AM
TAMPA, FL – The $10,000-to-win 100-lap 7th Annual GM Performance Parts World Championship Race at East Bay Raceway Park, the 2011 season finale for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Tour, got underway on Friday night with Qualifying and Heat Races to fill the first 18 starting spots for Saturday night’s big show.
Local favorites Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL and Devin Dixon of Apollo Beach, FL earned the front row starting spots with wins in the first two 15-lap Heat Races. The top three finishers in each of the 15-lap; Heat Races on Friday night transferred into the main event on Saturday night to make up the “Elite 18.”
Whitener drove the Dave’s Towing Special to victory in the first heat race on Friday night to earn the pole position for Saturday night’s 100 lapper. Dixon won the second heat race in the Mathis Farms Special to take the outside front row starting spot for the main event.
Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC won the third heat race in the AES Racing Special to earn the inside second row starting spot, and Rodney Wing of Meridian, MS won the fourth heat race and will start the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Rocket on the outside of the second row for the big show.
The fifth heat race was won by Royce Bray of Hull, GA in the Junk Monkey Recycling Warrior to earn the inside third row starting spot for the $10,000-to-win race, and Brandon Overton of Appling, GA earned the outside third row starting spot for Saturday night’s main event with a win in the sixth heat race on Friday night driving the Budweiser Rocket.
Rows four, five and six of the GM Performance Parts World Championship Race will be made up of the second-place finishers in the six heat races, and rows seven, eight and nine will be filled by the third-place finishers in the six heat races.
Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA set fast time among the 53 entrants for the GM Performance Parts World Championship Race with a lap around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 15.758 seconds driving the AES Racing Special. Davenport finished second in the first heat race, followed by Steve Francis of Ashland, KY in the CVR Race Cars Special.
Following Dixon under the checkered flag in the second heat race were Ivedent Lloyd of Ocala, FL in the CURS Rocket and defending race champion Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV in the Adams Used Auto Parts Warrior. Second and third respectively in heat three were Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN in the Outlaw Race Parts GRT and Phillip Cobb of Apollo Beach, FL in the Suldea Motorsports Special.
Jack Nosbisch Jr. of Riverview, FL finished second in the fourth heat race driving the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Rocket followed by 2006 GM Performance Parts World Championship Race winner Randy Korte of Highland, IL in the Kehrers Brothers Roofing Rocket.
The second and third-place drivers respectively in the fifth heat race were Jeff Mathews of Tampa, FL in the Nighthawk Towing Rocket and Dave Schmauss of Dover, FL in the Cardinal Paint and Body Warrior. Shan Smith of Dade City, FL finished second in the sixth heat race in the Outlaw Race Parts TNT followed by Doug Watson of Plant City, FL in the Brandon Auto Services Rocket.
Drivers that finished fourth on back in the six 15-lap heat races on Friday will have another opportunity to make the big show on Saturday night in one of two 20-lap B-Main Races. The top two finishers in each B-Main will transfer to the main event in starting positions 19 through 22. Starting positions 23 and 24 are NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Provisional starting spots reserved for the Top 15 in the point standings.
Those two provisional starting spots will be at a premium because eight drivers in the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS points chase are still on the outside looking in. There is also a former champion of the GM Performance Parts World Championship Race and a National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer that will be running a B-Main Race on Saturday night.
Those drivers include point leader Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC, second-place driver and two-time series champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN, third-place driver Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, fourth-place driver and 2011 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL, and fifth-place driver Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS.
Other NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Top 10 drivers not yet qualified for the big show are seventh-place driver Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC, ninth-place driver Frank Wilson of Harold, FL and tenth-place driver Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS. Also not yet qualified for the main event are the 2009 race winner Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY, and Hall of Fame driver Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN.
On Saturday, Driver Check-In will be from 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., the Drivers Meeting is set for 5:45 p.m., Hot Laps will be at 6 p.m., and racing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. East Bay Raceway Park is located five miles south of I-4 just off U.S. Highway 41. For more information, call the track at 813-677-7223, or visit the track web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
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.
Local favorites Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL and Devin Dixon of Apollo Beach, FL earned the front row starting spots with wins in the first two 15-lap Heat Races. The top three finishers in each of the 15-lap; Heat Races on Friday night transferred into the main event on Saturday night to make up the “Elite 18.”
Whitener drove the Dave’s Towing Special to victory in the first heat race on Friday night to earn the pole position for Saturday night’s 100 lapper. Dixon won the second heat race in the Mathis Farms Special to take the outside front row starting spot for the main event.
Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC won the third heat race in the AES Racing Special to earn the inside second row starting spot, and Rodney Wing of Meridian, MS won the fourth heat race and will start the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Rocket on the outside of the second row for the big show.
The fifth heat race was won by Royce Bray of Hull, GA in the Junk Monkey Recycling Warrior to earn the inside third row starting spot for the $10,000-to-win race, and Brandon Overton of Appling, GA earned the outside third row starting spot for Saturday night’s main event with a win in the sixth heat race on Friday night driving the Budweiser Rocket.
Rows four, five and six of the GM Performance Parts World Championship Race will be made up of the second-place finishers in the six heat races, and rows seven, eight and nine will be filled by the third-place finishers in the six heat races.
Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA set fast time among the 53 entrants for the GM Performance Parts World Championship Race with a lap around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 15.758 seconds driving the AES Racing Special. Davenport finished second in the first heat race, followed by Steve Francis of Ashland, KY in the CVR Race Cars Special.
Following Dixon under the checkered flag in the second heat race were Ivedent Lloyd of Ocala, FL in the CURS Rocket and defending race champion Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV in the Adams Used Auto Parts Warrior. Second and third respectively in heat three were Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN in the Outlaw Race Parts GRT and Phillip Cobb of Apollo Beach, FL in the Suldea Motorsports Special.
Jack Nosbisch Jr. of Riverview, FL finished second in the fourth heat race driving the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Rocket followed by 2006 GM Performance Parts World Championship Race winner Randy Korte of Highland, IL in the Kehrers Brothers Roofing Rocket.
The second and third-place drivers respectively in the fifth heat race were Jeff Mathews of Tampa, FL in the Nighthawk Towing Rocket and Dave Schmauss of Dover, FL in the Cardinal Paint and Body Warrior. Shan Smith of Dade City, FL finished second in the sixth heat race in the Outlaw Race Parts TNT followed by Doug Watson of Plant City, FL in the Brandon Auto Services Rocket.
Drivers that finished fourth on back in the six 15-lap heat races on Friday will have another opportunity to make the big show on Saturday night in one of two 20-lap B-Main Races. The top two finishers in each B-Main will transfer to the main event in starting positions 19 through 22. Starting positions 23 and 24 are NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Provisional starting spots reserved for the Top 15 in the point standings.
Those two provisional starting spots will be at a premium because eight drivers in the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS points chase are still on the outside looking in. There is also a former champion of the GM Performance Parts World Championship Race and a National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer that will be running a B-Main Race on Saturday night.
Those drivers include point leader Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC, second-place driver and two-time series champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN, third-place driver Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, fourth-place driver and 2011 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL, and fifth-place driver Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS.
Other NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Top 10 drivers not yet qualified for the big show are seventh-place driver Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC, ninth-place driver Frank Wilson of Harold, FL and tenth-place driver Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS. Also not yet qualified for the main event are the 2009 race winner Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY, and Hall of Fame driver Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN.
On Saturday, Driver Check-In will be from 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., the Drivers Meeting is set for 5:45 p.m., Hot Laps will be at 6 p.m., and racing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. East Bay Raceway Park is located five miles south of I-4 just off U.S. Highway 41. For more information, call the track at 813-677-7223, or visit the track web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
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.