crusapr
07-05-2012, 05:24 AM
PHENIX CITY, AL – William Thomas of Phenix City, AL swept the opening night of the Salute To America Nationals for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division on Wednesday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway. Thomas drove a rebuilt J.W. Land and Timber Special to his ninth career NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS victory and his second of the season.
Thomas started out the evening with quick time honors among the 31 entrants with a lap around the half-mile high-banked clay oval in 15.264 seconds, and then led all 50 laps of the main event to collect the $2,500 first-place money. Thomas also made himself eligible to collect a $1,000 bonus if he can win all four of the Salute To America Nationals events.
“The car worked perfect all night, and the win tonight made us the only driver with a chance to collect the $1,000 bonus,” Thomas said. “This is the car I flipped here last year, and we rebuilt it. It ran just like a brand new race car.”
The next three Salute To America Nationals events will take place at Penton Raceway in Penton, AL Thursday night and Friday night, and at Albany Motor Speedway in Albany, GA on Saturday night. Thomas has won NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division events at both tracks.
Thomas was never challenged for the lead, and the only thing that let the competition catch up with the leader were seven caution flags. Thomas took the checkered flag with a full straightaway advantage over the second-place finisher, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA.
Turner used early “Dixie-Style” double-file restarts to advance from his 11th starting spot up to the second position driving the Hedman Husler. Turner picked up a $100 bonus from his sponsor as the Hedman Husler of the Race recipient. More importantly, Turner took over the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead.
Turner now holds a 16-point lead over two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN. Gentry was challenging for the sixth spot on lap four when he sailed off the high-side of the turn three banking.
Gentry was uninjured in the crash, but his Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior was too damaged to continue and he finished 24th. That earned Gentry the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL finished third in the Edge’s Gas Company Special and Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL took the fourth spot in The Racing Zone Rocket. Joey Thomas of Seale, AL was fifth in the BTR/Scorpion Race Cars Special, and Richie Stephens of Salem, AL drove the Lovestuffonline.com Special to a sixth-place finish.
Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race with a seventh-place finish in the CANCO Rocket and the eighth spot went to Larry Harrod of Plains, GA who overcame an early race spin in the Harrod Logging Special. Thomas Lewis of Hamilton, GA took the ninth spot in the Green’s Propane Gas Special and Cody Smith of Holt, FL rounded out the Top 10 in the Smith’s Performance Engines Rocket.
Thomas took the lead at the start of the race followed by Harrod, Lewis, Edge and Cantrell. Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL spun in turn two on lap two and collected several cars to bring out the caution flag. The first double-file restart saw Edge move up to third, Joey Thomas drive up to the fifth spot, and Gentry come from tenth to seventh.
Gentry’s charge to the front came to an end on lap four when sailed off the high side of the turn three banking to light up the caution bulb for the second time. William Thomas led Harrod, Edge, Lewis, Joey Thomas, Cantrell, Turner, Stephens, Dudley, and Kelly Walker of Moultrie, GA in the Windy Pond Farms Special back to the green flag.
By lap six, Turner advanced from seventh to fourth. The third caution flag came out on lap ten when Pat Wall of Columbus, GA spun the Wimmer’s Wrecker Service Rocket in turn three. After the next restart, Dudley was the man on the move, as he came from seventh to fifth by lap 11. On lap 14, Turner dove under Edge in turn four to take over the third spot.
William Thomas had pulled out to a full straightaway lead over Harrod by lap 15, but the advantage was erased when Maverick Varnadore of Dover, FL stalled the Sunstate International Trucks Special in turn two to bring out the fourth caution flag. When the green flag came out, William Thomas led the field into turn one, but side-by-side racing behind him got too close in turn one.
Harrod was trying to hold off a charging Turner for the second spot in turn one, and Harrod spun to bring out the yellow flag for a fifth time. Harrod went to the tail of the field for the restart, with Tuner restarting in the second spot.
William Thomas once again pulled away when the green flag came back out followed by Turner, Edge, Dudley, Cantrell, Stephens, Lewis, Joey Thomas, Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT, and Justin Summers of Greenback, TN in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger.
Stephens got by Cantrell for the fifth spot on lap 18, and Summers drove around Stokes for the ninth spot on lap 21. Nowell came back from his early race spin to move around Stokes and back into the top 10 on lap 24. By lap 25, William Thomas took a 12 car-length lead over Turner into lapped traffic.
The lapped cars didn’t slow the leader down, as William Thomas had a full straightaway lead over Turner by lap 30. The only way Turner could keep up with William Thomas was a lap 34 caution flag when Nowell slowed off the pace in turn four. When the green light was fired back up, Thomas immediately pulled out to a five car-length lead over Turner.
Joey Thomas moved into the top five on lap 37 when he passed Stephens before the final caution flag came out on lap 40 when Steven Gaines of Phenix City, AL stalled the Capital Materials Special on the front straightaway. The top ten for the 11-lap dash to the finish was William Thomas leading Turner, Edge, Dudley, Joey Thomas, Stephens, Cantrell, Lewis, Smith, and Harrod.
While Thomas pulled away from the rest of the field, Harrod was on the move as he came from tenth to eighth by lap 41. When Thomas took the checkered flag, he had a full straightaway lead over Turner. In preliminary action, the two 12-lap B-Main Races were won by Turner and Smith.
Penton Raceway will host the next two Salute To America Nationals events for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division with a pair of 40-lap $2,000-to-win races on Thursday night and Friday night. Albany Motor Speedway will present the finale on Saturday night with a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race.
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.
Thomas started out the evening with quick time honors among the 31 entrants with a lap around the half-mile high-banked clay oval in 15.264 seconds, and then led all 50 laps of the main event to collect the $2,500 first-place money. Thomas also made himself eligible to collect a $1,000 bonus if he can win all four of the Salute To America Nationals events.
“The car worked perfect all night, and the win tonight made us the only driver with a chance to collect the $1,000 bonus,” Thomas said. “This is the car I flipped here last year, and we rebuilt it. It ran just like a brand new race car.”
The next three Salute To America Nationals events will take place at Penton Raceway in Penton, AL Thursday night and Friday night, and at Albany Motor Speedway in Albany, GA on Saturday night. Thomas has won NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division events at both tracks.
Thomas was never challenged for the lead, and the only thing that let the competition catch up with the leader were seven caution flags. Thomas took the checkered flag with a full straightaway advantage over the second-place finisher, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA.
Turner used early “Dixie-Style” double-file restarts to advance from his 11th starting spot up to the second position driving the Hedman Husler. Turner picked up a $100 bonus from his sponsor as the Hedman Husler of the Race recipient. More importantly, Turner took over the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead.
Turner now holds a 16-point lead over two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN. Gentry was challenging for the sixth spot on lap four when he sailed off the high-side of the turn three banking.
Gentry was uninjured in the crash, but his Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior was too damaged to continue and he finished 24th. That earned Gentry the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL finished third in the Edge’s Gas Company Special and Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL took the fourth spot in The Racing Zone Rocket. Joey Thomas of Seale, AL was fifth in the BTR/Scorpion Race Cars Special, and Richie Stephens of Salem, AL drove the Lovestuffonline.com Special to a sixth-place finish.
Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race with a seventh-place finish in the CANCO Rocket and the eighth spot went to Larry Harrod of Plains, GA who overcame an early race spin in the Harrod Logging Special. Thomas Lewis of Hamilton, GA took the ninth spot in the Green’s Propane Gas Special and Cody Smith of Holt, FL rounded out the Top 10 in the Smith’s Performance Engines Rocket.
Thomas took the lead at the start of the race followed by Harrod, Lewis, Edge and Cantrell. Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL spun in turn two on lap two and collected several cars to bring out the caution flag. The first double-file restart saw Edge move up to third, Joey Thomas drive up to the fifth spot, and Gentry come from tenth to seventh.
Gentry’s charge to the front came to an end on lap four when sailed off the high side of the turn three banking to light up the caution bulb for the second time. William Thomas led Harrod, Edge, Lewis, Joey Thomas, Cantrell, Turner, Stephens, Dudley, and Kelly Walker of Moultrie, GA in the Windy Pond Farms Special back to the green flag.
By lap six, Turner advanced from seventh to fourth. The third caution flag came out on lap ten when Pat Wall of Columbus, GA spun the Wimmer’s Wrecker Service Rocket in turn three. After the next restart, Dudley was the man on the move, as he came from seventh to fifth by lap 11. On lap 14, Turner dove under Edge in turn four to take over the third spot.
William Thomas had pulled out to a full straightaway lead over Harrod by lap 15, but the advantage was erased when Maverick Varnadore of Dover, FL stalled the Sunstate International Trucks Special in turn two to bring out the fourth caution flag. When the green flag came out, William Thomas led the field into turn one, but side-by-side racing behind him got too close in turn one.
Harrod was trying to hold off a charging Turner for the second spot in turn one, and Harrod spun to bring out the yellow flag for a fifth time. Harrod went to the tail of the field for the restart, with Tuner restarting in the second spot.
William Thomas once again pulled away when the green flag came back out followed by Turner, Edge, Dudley, Cantrell, Stephens, Lewis, Joey Thomas, Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT, and Justin Summers of Greenback, TN in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger.
Stephens got by Cantrell for the fifth spot on lap 18, and Summers drove around Stokes for the ninth spot on lap 21. Nowell came back from his early race spin to move around Stokes and back into the top 10 on lap 24. By lap 25, William Thomas took a 12 car-length lead over Turner into lapped traffic.
The lapped cars didn’t slow the leader down, as William Thomas had a full straightaway lead over Turner by lap 30. The only way Turner could keep up with William Thomas was a lap 34 caution flag when Nowell slowed off the pace in turn four. When the green light was fired back up, Thomas immediately pulled out to a five car-length lead over Turner.
Joey Thomas moved into the top five on lap 37 when he passed Stephens before the final caution flag came out on lap 40 when Steven Gaines of Phenix City, AL stalled the Capital Materials Special on the front straightaway. The top ten for the 11-lap dash to the finish was William Thomas leading Turner, Edge, Dudley, Joey Thomas, Stephens, Cantrell, Lewis, Smith, and Harrod.
While Thomas pulled away from the rest of the field, Harrod was on the move as he came from tenth to eighth by lap 41. When Thomas took the checkered flag, he had a full straightaway lead over Turner. In preliminary action, the two 12-lap B-Main Races were won by Turner and Smith.
Penton Raceway will host the next two Salute To America Nationals events for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division with a pair of 40-lap $2,000-to-win races on Thursday night and Friday night. Albany Motor Speedway will present the finale on Saturday night with a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race.
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.