crusapr
05-28-2012, 05:46 AM
COLUMBUS, MS – Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL was awarded the win in the Salute To The Air Force 40 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series on Sunday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway after a tire on the Bryson Motorsports Special driven by apparent winner Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS showed to have an unapproved chemical presence during the post-race inspection and was disqualified.
Shaw made what would turn out to be the winning pass on a lap 15 restart when he went to the outside groove and went from seventh to second by the time he reached the backstretch in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star. The win was the second career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory for Shaw.
Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS finished second in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the third spot in the Hedman Husler. Polesitter Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL led the first 14 laps of the race and drove the High Roller Race Cars Special to a fourth-place finish.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion and current point leader David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN finished fifth in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior. Gentry now holds a 14-point lead over Turner in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Cup.
Chris Ragan of Ramer, TN was sixth in the Ragan Racing Trak-Star, and Larry Harrod of Plains, GA took the seventh spot in the Harrod Logging Special. T.K. King of Columbus, MS finished eighth in the Montgomery Farms Special, and ninth went to Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS in the Ellis Welding Special.
Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC rounded out the top ten in the Salute To The Air Force 40 in the CANCO Rocket and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. Ronnie Cooper of McKenzie, TN started 24th and finished 12th in the Ronnie Cooper Trucking GRT to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.
McRee set fast time among the 46 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile black clay oval in 14.466 seconds to earn the pole position for the main event. The preliminary 12-lap B-Main races were won by Shaw, Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN in the Wade’s Body Shop Special, and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special.
When the green flag came out to start the race, McRee took the lead followed by Cooley, Ragan, Ellis and Stokes. McRee was riding the cushion on the high side of the track, while Cooley found himself a fast groove on the bottom of the track.
McRee and Cooley raced side-by-side on laps two and three, and had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Ragan by the fifth lap. Ellis and Stokes raced side-by-side for the fourth spot on lap six, and Stokes took the position on lap seven. Cooley powered under McRee coming off the fourth turn on lap 12 to take the lead.
Shaw drove from his 11th starting spot to seventh in the first 12 laps of the race. Cooper spun in turn two on lap 14 to bring out the caution flag, and field doubled up behind the leader for the restart. When the green flag came out, Shaw sailed around the outside of Turner, Ellis, Stokes, Ragan and McRee to take over the second spot behind Cooley.
Lap 15 saw McRee fall from third to fifth when he scraped the third turn wall on the high side of the track. That opened the door for Stokes and Washington to take over the third and fourth spots respectively. Washington would pass Stokes for the third spot on lap 19, but Stokes reclaimed the spot on lap 27.
Washington spun out of the fifth spot on lap 34 which earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award. In the closing laps, Turner would charge from the sixth to ultimately end up in the third spot when the race was official.
The next two events for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division will be at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA for a $2,000-to-win 40-lap main event on Friday night, and then the series moves to 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN on Saturday night for the $4,000-to-win J.T. Kerr Memorial 40.
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. You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.
Shaw made what would turn out to be the winning pass on a lap 15 restart when he went to the outside groove and went from seventh to second by the time he reached the backstretch in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star. The win was the second career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory for Shaw.
Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS finished second in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the third spot in the Hedman Husler. Polesitter Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL led the first 14 laps of the race and drove the High Roller Race Cars Special to a fourth-place finish.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion and current point leader David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN finished fifth in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior. Gentry now holds a 14-point lead over Turner in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Cup.
Chris Ragan of Ramer, TN was sixth in the Ragan Racing Trak-Star, and Larry Harrod of Plains, GA took the seventh spot in the Harrod Logging Special. T.K. King of Columbus, MS finished eighth in the Montgomery Farms Special, and ninth went to Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS in the Ellis Welding Special.
Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC rounded out the top ten in the Salute To The Air Force 40 in the CANCO Rocket and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. Ronnie Cooper of McKenzie, TN started 24th and finished 12th in the Ronnie Cooper Trucking GRT to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.
McRee set fast time among the 46 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile black clay oval in 14.466 seconds to earn the pole position for the main event. The preliminary 12-lap B-Main races were won by Shaw, Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN in the Wade’s Body Shop Special, and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special.
When the green flag came out to start the race, McRee took the lead followed by Cooley, Ragan, Ellis and Stokes. McRee was riding the cushion on the high side of the track, while Cooley found himself a fast groove on the bottom of the track.
McRee and Cooley raced side-by-side on laps two and three, and had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Ragan by the fifth lap. Ellis and Stokes raced side-by-side for the fourth spot on lap six, and Stokes took the position on lap seven. Cooley powered under McRee coming off the fourth turn on lap 12 to take the lead.
Shaw drove from his 11th starting spot to seventh in the first 12 laps of the race. Cooper spun in turn two on lap 14 to bring out the caution flag, and field doubled up behind the leader for the restart. When the green flag came out, Shaw sailed around the outside of Turner, Ellis, Stokes, Ragan and McRee to take over the second spot behind Cooley.
Lap 15 saw McRee fall from third to fifth when he scraped the third turn wall on the high side of the track. That opened the door for Stokes and Washington to take over the third and fourth spots respectively. Washington would pass Stokes for the third spot on lap 19, but Stokes reclaimed the spot on lap 27.
Washington spun out of the fifth spot on lap 34 which earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award. In the closing laps, Turner would charge from the sixth to ultimately end up in the third spot when the race was official.
The next two events for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division will be at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA for a $2,000-to-win 40-lap main event on Friday night, and then the series moves to 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN on Saturday night for the $4,000-to-win J.T. Kerr Memorial 40.
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. You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.