crusapr
09-02-2012, 05:18 AM
MERIDIAN, MS – Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL drove the High Roller Race Cars Special to his second Whynot Motorsports Park NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win of the season on Saturday night in the 7th Annual Coca-Cola 50. McRee took the lead on the second lap and then never looked back.
Mike Boland of Cuba, AL started 14th and drove the Lee Racing Trak-Star to a second-place finish after a late race duel with Klint Byers of Calhoun City, MS. Byers finished third in the Knock Em Out Kennels Trak-Star.
David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN led the first lap and then finished fourth in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates to take over the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division point lead in quest of his third $20,000 Championship. Gentry now holds a two-point lead over Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA with three races left in the 2012 season.
Turner came into the race with an 18-point lead over Gentry, but Turner had a rough night in the Hedman Husler Special. Turner had a serious mechanical issue in his B-Main race, and had to take a provision in a back-up car for the main event.
Turner charged from the 23rd starting spot to 11th early in the race, but faded in the second half of the race and finished 14th. All of his misfortune earned Turner the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL started 20th and finished fifth in the Flynn Motorsports Special to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award. Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS took the sixth spot in the Ellis Welding Trak-Star and Larry Harrod of Plains, GA was seventh in the Harrod Logging Special.
Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS drove the McDuffie Racing Trak-Star to an eighth-place finish, and Daniel Bridgemon of Meridian, MS finished ninth in the Robinson Electric Rocket. Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS rounded out the top ten in the Villa South Trak-Star. Cody Kierre of Beebe, AR finished 18th and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.
In preliminary action, McRee out-timed the 28-car field in Qualifications with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 14.426 seconds. The two ten-lap B-Main races were won by Arnold and Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star.
At the drop of the green flag to start the Coca-Cola 50, polesitter McRee and outside front row starter Gentry raced side-by-side for the first lap with Gentry being scored the leader of lap number one. McRee drove under Gentry to take the lead in turn two on lap two with Harrod, Byers, and Ellis running third through fifth respectively.
J-Mac was setting a fast pace, as he began to encounter the cars on the tail of the lead lap by the seventh tour. The traffic was cleared away from the leader on lap eight when the first of three caution flags came out when Jon Biles of Centerville, AL spun the Keith Auto Reconditioning Special in turn two, and collected Hollingsworth, who got his spot back for the restart.
The field went back to green for three more laps before the caution bulb was lit up for the second time when Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL in the Boland Performance Trak-Star and Monte Skinner of Saraland, AL in the Skinner Racing Trak-Star spun in turn four.
McRee led Gentry, Harrod, Byers, Ellis, Bridgemon, Mike Boland, Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage GRT, Marty Hardy of Biloxi, MS in the Hardy & Associates GRT, and Hollingsworth back to the green flag. Mike Boland went to the outside on the restart and passed Bridgemon for the sixth spot on lap 12.
McRee was in lapped traffic by lap 20, and behind the leader and Gentry, a dog fight for the third spot was going on in heavy lapped traffic. Harrod got caught behind a lapped car on lap 25 that opened the door for Byers to take third spot with Ellis and Boland following to take over fourth and fifth respectively.
Blount cut down a right-rear tire on lap 40 to bring out the third and final caution flag. McRee lined up at the point of the double-file restart followed by Gentry, Byers, Boland, Ellis, Hollingsworth, Harrod, Bridgemon, McDuffie, and Hardy. Gentry and Byers raced side by side for the second spot on the restart and Byers took the position going down the backstretch.
Boland dropped Gentry back to the fourth spot on lap 41, and then set sail to challenge Byers for second. Hollingsworth got by Ellis to take control of the fifth spot by driving around the outside in turn two on lap 43.
With five laps to go, Boland began to challenge Byers for the second spot on the inside, while McRee pulled away. Boland got by Byers for second on lap 46. Byers made an outside last lap charge on Boland for the second spot, but came up a half car-length short at the checkered flag.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division will travel to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS for the $2,000-to-win Black Ice 40 on Sunday night.
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.
Mike Boland of Cuba, AL started 14th and drove the Lee Racing Trak-Star to a second-place finish after a late race duel with Klint Byers of Calhoun City, MS. Byers finished third in the Knock Em Out Kennels Trak-Star.
David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN led the first lap and then finished fourth in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates to take over the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division point lead in quest of his third $20,000 Championship. Gentry now holds a two-point lead over Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA with three races left in the 2012 season.
Turner came into the race with an 18-point lead over Gentry, but Turner had a rough night in the Hedman Husler Special. Turner had a serious mechanical issue in his B-Main race, and had to take a provision in a back-up car for the main event.
Turner charged from the 23rd starting spot to 11th early in the race, but faded in the second half of the race and finished 14th. All of his misfortune earned Turner the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL started 20th and finished fifth in the Flynn Motorsports Special to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award. Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS took the sixth spot in the Ellis Welding Trak-Star and Larry Harrod of Plains, GA was seventh in the Harrod Logging Special.
Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS drove the McDuffie Racing Trak-Star to an eighth-place finish, and Daniel Bridgemon of Meridian, MS finished ninth in the Robinson Electric Rocket. Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS rounded out the top ten in the Villa South Trak-Star. Cody Kierre of Beebe, AR finished 18th and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.
In preliminary action, McRee out-timed the 28-car field in Qualifications with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 14.426 seconds. The two ten-lap B-Main races were won by Arnold and Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star.
At the drop of the green flag to start the Coca-Cola 50, polesitter McRee and outside front row starter Gentry raced side-by-side for the first lap with Gentry being scored the leader of lap number one. McRee drove under Gentry to take the lead in turn two on lap two with Harrod, Byers, and Ellis running third through fifth respectively.
J-Mac was setting a fast pace, as he began to encounter the cars on the tail of the lead lap by the seventh tour. The traffic was cleared away from the leader on lap eight when the first of three caution flags came out when Jon Biles of Centerville, AL spun the Keith Auto Reconditioning Special in turn two, and collected Hollingsworth, who got his spot back for the restart.
The field went back to green for three more laps before the caution bulb was lit up for the second time when Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL in the Boland Performance Trak-Star and Monte Skinner of Saraland, AL in the Skinner Racing Trak-Star spun in turn four.
McRee led Gentry, Harrod, Byers, Ellis, Bridgemon, Mike Boland, Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage GRT, Marty Hardy of Biloxi, MS in the Hardy & Associates GRT, and Hollingsworth back to the green flag. Mike Boland went to the outside on the restart and passed Bridgemon for the sixth spot on lap 12.
McRee was in lapped traffic by lap 20, and behind the leader and Gentry, a dog fight for the third spot was going on in heavy lapped traffic. Harrod got caught behind a lapped car on lap 25 that opened the door for Byers to take third spot with Ellis and Boland following to take over fourth and fifth respectively.
Blount cut down a right-rear tire on lap 40 to bring out the third and final caution flag. McRee lined up at the point of the double-file restart followed by Gentry, Byers, Boland, Ellis, Hollingsworth, Harrod, Bridgemon, McDuffie, and Hardy. Gentry and Byers raced side by side for the second spot on the restart and Byers took the position going down the backstretch.
Boland dropped Gentry back to the fourth spot on lap 41, and then set sail to challenge Byers for second. Hollingsworth got by Ellis to take control of the fifth spot by driving around the outside in turn two on lap 43.
With five laps to go, Boland began to challenge Byers for the second spot on the inside, while McRee pulled away. Boland got by Byers for second on lap 46. Byers made an outside last lap charge on Boland for the second spot, but came up a half car-length short at the checkered flag.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division will travel to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS for the $2,000-to-win Black Ice 40 on Sunday night.
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.