crusapr
07-21-2012, 04:59 AM
GREENVILLE, MS – David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN drove the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior to his third victory of the season on Friday night in the Delta Dirt Nationals 40 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division at Greenville Speedway. Gentry’s 12th series career win tightened up the points race in his quest for a third title.
Gentry started fifth, survived a first lap crash, passed Greg Fore of Greenville, MS for the lead on lap three, and then checked out on the field to take the checkered flag with a 3.217 second advantage over the second place finisher Bo Gordon of Merigold, MS in the Redden Farms Rocket.
The win brought Gentry to within 24 points of Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship with five races remaining in the season. Turner spun his Hedman Husler on the first lap of the race while battling for the lead. Turner went to the pit area for repairs, returned to the track, and finished 15th.
“We have found our groove around Greenville Speedway and after the last four races where we had problems, it feels good to be back in the winner’s circle,” Gentry said. “This reminds me of last season when we came back late in the season with a win here to battle Dan Breuer for the championship.”
With his second-place finish, Gordon donated his $1,000 prize money to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series has brought their two-seat dirt late model race cars to help raise funds for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society on Saturday night, and Gordon set the table for the donations with his Friday night gesture.
Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL finished third in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star and Lamar Furr of Hollandale, MS was fourth in the Furr Racing GRT. Larry Harrod of Plains, GA started 17th and drove the Harrod Logging Special to a fifth-place finish to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.
Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN took the sixth spot in the A-Plus Collision Center GRT, and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS finished seventh in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special. Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL was eighth in the Edge’s Gas Company Special, and Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS drove the MP Trucking Trak-Star to a ninth-place finish. Ashley Newman of Ripley, TN rounded out the top ten in the TS Race Shop GRT.
In preliminary action, Fore was the fast qualifier among the 35 entrants with a lap around the ¼-mile black gumbo clay oval in 15.188 seconds in the Pesqualies Pizza Special. The two 12-lap B-Main races were won by Morrow and Washington. Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC finished 13th and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.
Fore brought field down for the green flag from the pole position with Turner on the outside of the front row. Fore and Turner raced through the first turn side-by-side, and when Turner tried to pull ahead of Fore in turn two, he spun triggering a multi-car tangle to bring out the first of five caution flags in the race.
All of the cars involved in the pile-up, except one, and that was Chad Washington of Greenville, MS in the Washington Body Shop GRT were able to continue. That misfortune earned Washington the Dominator Race Products Hard luck Award. Turner and Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT went to the pits for repairs, but both returned for the restart.
When the field restacked for the complete restart, Gentry found himself on the outside of the front row. Gentry raced side-by-side with Fore for the first two laps of the race before taking the lead outright on lap three. Gordon settled into the third spot followed by Shaw and Furr.
Chase Washington and Duke Palasini of Leland, MS got together on the front straightaway on lap eight, which brought Washington to a stop on the backstretch with a cut left front tire. When the field came down for the restart after the second caution flag, Gentry led Fore, Gordon, Shaw, Furr, Tait Davenport of Benton, KY in the Murtco Special, Edge, Duke Palasini, Mike Palasini Jr. and Morrow.
The third caution flag of the race came right back out before a lap could be completed when Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS spun the Henderson Waste and Recycling Trak-Star in turn three, collecting David Carpenter of Greenwood, MS in the C&C Auto Service Rocket and Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage GRT.
The next restart didn’t make it all of the way to the green flag when Davenport broke a left-rear wheel and spun in turn four coming down to the green flag and collected Edge, who suffered damage on the right front corner of his race car, but was able to continue. Duke Palasini was also collected and his car was too badly damaged to continue.
The field raced for three laps before Kenny Carpenter of Cleveland, MS hit the second turn wall in the George’s Lawn Mower Service Rocket to bring out the fifth and final caution flag. When the field came down for the lap 11 restart, Gentry led Fore, Gordon, Shaw, Mike Palasini Jr., Furr, Edge, Morrow, Harrod, and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS in the Custom Spraying GRT.
When the field went back to green flag racing, Gentry began to pull away from Fore. Palasini drove around the outside of Shaw for the fourth spot on lap 13, but gave it back when he scraped the fourth turn wall and dropped back to the seventh spot. Edge was able to get by Palasini for seventh on lap 18.
At the halfway point in the race on lap 20, Gentry had pulled out to a full straightaway lead on Fore, followed by Gordon, Shaw, Furr, Morrow, Edge, Harrod, Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS in the Robinson Electric Rocket, and Palasini. Harrod got around Edge for the seventh spot on lap 21.
Fore gave up the second spot on lap 23 when he pulled to the infield and out of the race with overheating problems. Gentry encountered heavy lapped traffic on lap 25, and while he worked his way through it, Gordon closed to within a half straightaway of the leader.
Harrod grabbed the fifth spot on lap 35 when he drove around Morrow for the position. The move ended up putting Harrod up to the third spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings ahead of Cantrell and Edge, with just four points separating the three drivers.
Once Gentry got through the lapped traffic, he was once again able to stretch out to a full straightaway lead in the closing laps of the race to take the $2,000 victory. The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division returns to Greenville Speedway on Saturday night for the $2,500-to-win Delta Dirt Nationals 50, Round 18 of the 2012 season.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing 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.
Gentry started fifth, survived a first lap crash, passed Greg Fore of Greenville, MS for the lead on lap three, and then checked out on the field to take the checkered flag with a 3.217 second advantage over the second place finisher Bo Gordon of Merigold, MS in the Redden Farms Rocket.
The win brought Gentry to within 24 points of Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship with five races remaining in the season. Turner spun his Hedman Husler on the first lap of the race while battling for the lead. Turner went to the pit area for repairs, returned to the track, and finished 15th.
“We have found our groove around Greenville Speedway and after the last four races where we had problems, it feels good to be back in the winner’s circle,” Gentry said. “This reminds me of last season when we came back late in the season with a win here to battle Dan Breuer for the championship.”
With his second-place finish, Gordon donated his $1,000 prize money to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series has brought their two-seat dirt late model race cars to help raise funds for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society on Saturday night, and Gordon set the table for the donations with his Friday night gesture.
Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL finished third in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star and Lamar Furr of Hollandale, MS was fourth in the Furr Racing GRT. Larry Harrod of Plains, GA started 17th and drove the Harrod Logging Special to a fifth-place finish to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.
Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN took the sixth spot in the A-Plus Collision Center GRT, and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS finished seventh in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special. Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL was eighth in the Edge’s Gas Company Special, and Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS drove the MP Trucking Trak-Star to a ninth-place finish. Ashley Newman of Ripley, TN rounded out the top ten in the TS Race Shop GRT.
In preliminary action, Fore was the fast qualifier among the 35 entrants with a lap around the ¼-mile black gumbo clay oval in 15.188 seconds in the Pesqualies Pizza Special. The two 12-lap B-Main races were won by Morrow and Washington. Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC finished 13th and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.
Fore brought field down for the green flag from the pole position with Turner on the outside of the front row. Fore and Turner raced through the first turn side-by-side, and when Turner tried to pull ahead of Fore in turn two, he spun triggering a multi-car tangle to bring out the first of five caution flags in the race.
All of the cars involved in the pile-up, except one, and that was Chad Washington of Greenville, MS in the Washington Body Shop GRT were able to continue. That misfortune earned Washington the Dominator Race Products Hard luck Award. Turner and Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT went to the pits for repairs, but both returned for the restart.
When the field restacked for the complete restart, Gentry found himself on the outside of the front row. Gentry raced side-by-side with Fore for the first two laps of the race before taking the lead outright on lap three. Gordon settled into the third spot followed by Shaw and Furr.
Chase Washington and Duke Palasini of Leland, MS got together on the front straightaway on lap eight, which brought Washington to a stop on the backstretch with a cut left front tire. When the field came down for the restart after the second caution flag, Gentry led Fore, Gordon, Shaw, Furr, Tait Davenport of Benton, KY in the Murtco Special, Edge, Duke Palasini, Mike Palasini Jr. and Morrow.
The third caution flag of the race came right back out before a lap could be completed when Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS spun the Henderson Waste and Recycling Trak-Star in turn three, collecting David Carpenter of Greenwood, MS in the C&C Auto Service Rocket and Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage GRT.
The next restart didn’t make it all of the way to the green flag when Davenport broke a left-rear wheel and spun in turn four coming down to the green flag and collected Edge, who suffered damage on the right front corner of his race car, but was able to continue. Duke Palasini was also collected and his car was too badly damaged to continue.
The field raced for three laps before Kenny Carpenter of Cleveland, MS hit the second turn wall in the George’s Lawn Mower Service Rocket to bring out the fifth and final caution flag. When the field came down for the lap 11 restart, Gentry led Fore, Gordon, Shaw, Mike Palasini Jr., Furr, Edge, Morrow, Harrod, and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS in the Custom Spraying GRT.
When the field went back to green flag racing, Gentry began to pull away from Fore. Palasini drove around the outside of Shaw for the fourth spot on lap 13, but gave it back when he scraped the fourth turn wall and dropped back to the seventh spot. Edge was able to get by Palasini for seventh on lap 18.
At the halfway point in the race on lap 20, Gentry had pulled out to a full straightaway lead on Fore, followed by Gordon, Shaw, Furr, Morrow, Edge, Harrod, Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS in the Robinson Electric Rocket, and Palasini. Harrod got around Edge for the seventh spot on lap 21.
Fore gave up the second spot on lap 23 when he pulled to the infield and out of the race with overheating problems. Gentry encountered heavy lapped traffic on lap 25, and while he worked his way through it, Gordon closed to within a half straightaway of the leader.
Harrod grabbed the fifth spot on lap 35 when he drove around Morrow for the position. The move ended up putting Harrod up to the third spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings ahead of Cantrell and Edge, with just four points separating the three drivers.
Once Gentry got through the lapped traffic, he was once again able to stretch out to a full straightaway lead in the closing laps of the race to take the $2,000 victory. The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division returns to Greenville Speedway on Saturday night for the $2,500-to-win Delta Dirt Nationals 50, Round 18 of the 2012 season.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing 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.