crusapr
06-02-2012, 03:04 AM
RINGGOLD, GA – Jeff Smith of Chatsworth, GA drove the B.J. Floor Covering/Bilstein Shocks Warrior to victory on Friday night in the Summer National 40 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Boyd’s Speedway. The hometown fans in a packed house went home happy, as their local favorites swept the top two spots and six of the top ten finishing positions.
Smith made it a “clean sweep” with his first-career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory by also setting fast time in qualifications with a lap around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 15.366 seconds, and the 2006 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship Runner-Up led all 40 laps.
Jason Welshan of Maryville, TN was the only driver that got close to Smith, and that was on restarts. Welshan finished second in the Competition Racing Equipment Special, over five seconds behind Smith, who pulled away from Welshan in lapped traffic.
“I don’t know if I was that good tonight, but rather lucky in lapped traffic,” Smith said. “The timing was just right when I would come up on a lapped car, and they would push up the race track giving me room to get underneath. We’re happy with this win because there was some tough competition out there from both the local guys and guys that travel with the series. This is a great series and I hope the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series gets to come back to Boyd’s Speedway in the future.”
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader and two-time series champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN took the third spot in the Eads Farms/Hardy and Associates Warrior. Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN finished fourth in the Dale’s Auto Sales GRT, and Bryan Pritchard of Harrison, TN was fifth in the Spangler Sheet Metal Special.
Rex Ritchey of Ringgold, GA drove the A1 Towing Special to a sixth-place finish, and Todd Morrow finished seventh in the A Plus Collision Center GRT. Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the eighth spot in the Hedman Husler after competing in his 135th consecutive NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race.
Anthony White of Clinton, TN was ninth in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger after starting 21st to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award. National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN rounded out the top ten in the Hedman Husler Turner Racing team car.
Gentry now holds a 24-point advantage over Turner in the battle for the NeSmith Cup and the $20,000 top prize that goes to the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion. Gentry was also the highest finishing “Bilstein Bandit” in the Bilstein Spec Shocks “Series Within A Series.”
The Bilstein Bandits finishing order was Gentry, Turner, White, Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT, who finished 12th in the race, and Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage Special, who finished 15th in the race.. They were all running on the $135 Bilstein Spec Shocks.
Cody Kierre of Beebe, AR in the K&E Racing GRT was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. In preliminary action, the two ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Cory Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) of Loudon, TN in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket and Ritchey.
Another 2012 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Candidate, Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN made the main event with the ninth fastest time driving the Wade’s Body Shop Special, but had mechanical problems after at the end of his qualifying run, and had to scratch for the evening. That misfortune earned Teague the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
When the green flag fell to start the 40-lap race, Smith took the lead in the first turn, while Welsham and Pritchard got underneath the outside front row starter Gentry to take second and third respectively down the backstretch. Gentry settled into the fourth spot, and Wilson was fifth at the end of lap one.
The first of three caution flags came out on lap seven when Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) broke something on his car and spun in turn four. Second-place Welshan chose the inside for the Dixie-style double-file restart behind the leader. Welshan, Pritchard, Gentry, Wilson, Turner, Morrow, Ritchey, Johnson, and Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL in the Stephen’s Express Mart Special restarted second through tenth.
On the restart, Welshan looked to the inside of Smith to challenge for the lead, but Smith held his ground and the point. Gentry went to the inside to battle Pritchard for the third spot, and Morrow got by Turner for the sixth position. Pritchard was able to keep Gentry behind him, but the field was slowed by caution for the second time on lap 11 when Kierre spun in turn two.
Smith led Welshan, Pritchard, Gentry, Wilson, Morrow, Turner, Johnson, Ritchey, and Grayson York of Rocky Face, GA in the Golf Carts of Dalton Warrior back to the green flag. Pritchard started outside of Welshan behind Smith for the restart, they battled three-wide for lead coming off the second turn, with Welshan in the bottom, Smith in the middle and Pritchard on the outside.
Smith was once again up to the challenge, keeping the lead down the backstretch. That left Welshan and Pritchard running wheel-to-wheel for second, swapping the position back and forth for several laps.
On lap 14, Wilson went to the inside to battle Gentry for the fourth spot in turn one. Pritchard grabbed the second spot from Welshan on the 15th lap. Smith held a half-straightaway lead on Pritchard when he began to encounter lapped traffic on lap 18.
The final caution flag of the race came out on lap 20 when Ryan King of Seymour, TN slowed on the backstretch with front end damage on his Brian King Roofing Stinger. Smith led Pritchard, Welshan, Wilson, Gentry, Morrow, Turner, Ritchey, Johnson and White down for the restart.
Pritchard had chosen the outside for the double-file restart, and Welshan used his inside position to reclaim the second spot in turn one when the field went back to green flag action. Gentry got by Wilson on lap 23 to retake the fourth spot, and Morrow moved up to fifth when he passed Wilson on lap 24.
On lap 28, Smith took a 12 car-length lead on Welshan into lapped traffic, and quickly put three lapped cars between himself and Welshan. By lap 33, Smith had pulled out to a half straightaway lead on Welshan.
Several drivers rallied in the closing laps of the race, as Gentry moved up to third, Wilson came back to claim the fourth spot, Pritchard faded back to the fifth position, and Ritchey drove up to the sixth position. At the checkered flag, Smith’s margin of victory over Welshan was 5.104 seconds.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series travels north up I-75 on Saturday night for the $4,000-to-win J.T. Kerr Memorial 40 at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN, Round 12 of the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the drivers meeting at 6 p.m. and racing at 6:30 p.m.
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.
Smith made it a “clean sweep” with his first-career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory by also setting fast time in qualifications with a lap around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 15.366 seconds, and the 2006 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship Runner-Up led all 40 laps.
Jason Welshan of Maryville, TN was the only driver that got close to Smith, and that was on restarts. Welshan finished second in the Competition Racing Equipment Special, over five seconds behind Smith, who pulled away from Welshan in lapped traffic.
“I don’t know if I was that good tonight, but rather lucky in lapped traffic,” Smith said. “The timing was just right when I would come up on a lapped car, and they would push up the race track giving me room to get underneath. We’re happy with this win because there was some tough competition out there from both the local guys and guys that travel with the series. This is a great series and I hope the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series gets to come back to Boyd’s Speedway in the future.”
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader and two-time series champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN took the third spot in the Eads Farms/Hardy and Associates Warrior. Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN finished fourth in the Dale’s Auto Sales GRT, and Bryan Pritchard of Harrison, TN was fifth in the Spangler Sheet Metal Special.
Rex Ritchey of Ringgold, GA drove the A1 Towing Special to a sixth-place finish, and Todd Morrow finished seventh in the A Plus Collision Center GRT. Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the eighth spot in the Hedman Husler after competing in his 135th consecutive NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race.
Anthony White of Clinton, TN was ninth in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger after starting 21st to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award. National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN rounded out the top ten in the Hedman Husler Turner Racing team car.
Gentry now holds a 24-point advantage over Turner in the battle for the NeSmith Cup and the $20,000 top prize that goes to the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion. Gentry was also the highest finishing “Bilstein Bandit” in the Bilstein Spec Shocks “Series Within A Series.”
The Bilstein Bandits finishing order was Gentry, Turner, White, Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT, who finished 12th in the race, and Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage Special, who finished 15th in the race.. They were all running on the $135 Bilstein Spec Shocks.
Cody Kierre of Beebe, AR in the K&E Racing GRT was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. In preliminary action, the two ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Cory Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) of Loudon, TN in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket and Ritchey.
Another 2012 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Candidate, Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN made the main event with the ninth fastest time driving the Wade’s Body Shop Special, but had mechanical problems after at the end of his qualifying run, and had to scratch for the evening. That misfortune earned Teague the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
When the green flag fell to start the 40-lap race, Smith took the lead in the first turn, while Welsham and Pritchard got underneath the outside front row starter Gentry to take second and third respectively down the backstretch. Gentry settled into the fourth spot, and Wilson was fifth at the end of lap one.
The first of three caution flags came out on lap seven when Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) broke something on his car and spun in turn four. Second-place Welshan chose the inside for the Dixie-style double-file restart behind the leader. Welshan, Pritchard, Gentry, Wilson, Turner, Morrow, Ritchey, Johnson, and Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL in the Stephen’s Express Mart Special restarted second through tenth.
On the restart, Welshan looked to the inside of Smith to challenge for the lead, but Smith held his ground and the point. Gentry went to the inside to battle Pritchard for the third spot, and Morrow got by Turner for the sixth position. Pritchard was able to keep Gentry behind him, but the field was slowed by caution for the second time on lap 11 when Kierre spun in turn two.
Smith led Welshan, Pritchard, Gentry, Wilson, Morrow, Turner, Johnson, Ritchey, and Grayson York of Rocky Face, GA in the Golf Carts of Dalton Warrior back to the green flag. Pritchard started outside of Welshan behind Smith for the restart, they battled three-wide for lead coming off the second turn, with Welshan in the bottom, Smith in the middle and Pritchard on the outside.
Smith was once again up to the challenge, keeping the lead down the backstretch. That left Welshan and Pritchard running wheel-to-wheel for second, swapping the position back and forth for several laps.
On lap 14, Wilson went to the inside to battle Gentry for the fourth spot in turn one. Pritchard grabbed the second spot from Welshan on the 15th lap. Smith held a half-straightaway lead on Pritchard when he began to encounter lapped traffic on lap 18.
The final caution flag of the race came out on lap 20 when Ryan King of Seymour, TN slowed on the backstretch with front end damage on his Brian King Roofing Stinger. Smith led Pritchard, Welshan, Wilson, Gentry, Morrow, Turner, Ritchey, Johnson and White down for the restart.
Pritchard had chosen the outside for the double-file restart, and Welshan used his inside position to reclaim the second spot in turn one when the field went back to green flag action. Gentry got by Wilson on lap 23 to retake the fourth spot, and Morrow moved up to fifth when he passed Wilson on lap 24.
On lap 28, Smith took a 12 car-length lead on Welshan into lapped traffic, and quickly put three lapped cars between himself and Welshan. By lap 33, Smith had pulled out to a half straightaway lead on Welshan.
Several drivers rallied in the closing laps of the race, as Gentry moved up to third, Wilson came back to claim the fourth spot, Pritchard faded back to the fifth position, and Ritchey drove up to the sixth position. At the checkered flag, Smith’s margin of victory over Welshan was 5.104 seconds.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series travels north up I-75 on Saturday night for the $4,000-to-win J.T. Kerr Memorial 40 at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN, Round 12 of the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the drivers meeting at 6 p.m. and racing at 6:30 p.m.
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.