crusapr
06-01-2013, 02:28 AM
RINGGOLD, GA – Riley Hickman of Cleveland, TN drove the Hickman Manufacturing Special to his first-ever NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win Friday night at Boyd’s Speedway. Hickman dominated the event by setting fast time in qualifying and then led all 40 laps to claim the $2,000 top prize.
Throughout the race Hickman was able to knife through lapped traffic and keep a half straightaway lead over the second-place finisher Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN in the A-Plus Collision Center GRT.
Dennis Franklin of Chesnee, SC dusted off the high groove on the tight ¼-mile clay oval to make his way up to the third spot at finish in the AES Racing Special. National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN finished fourth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.
Scott Dedwylder of Vossburg, MS took the fifth spot in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special, and Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN was sixth in the Dale’s Auto Sales GRT. The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA drove the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger to a seventh-place finish.
Last year’s race winner, Jeff Smith of Chatsworth, GA turned in an eighth-place effort in this year’s race driving the Bilstein Racing Shocks Warrior, and point leader Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL was ninth in the Sparks Racing Special.
Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS rounded out the top ten in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT. Stokes started 22nd and was the Hedman Husler of the Race Award winner. Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN finished 12th and was the Rookie of the Race.
Johnson was able to gain some ground on Hollingsworth in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 2013 Championship. Leaving Boyd’s Speedway, “Right Foot Ronny Lee” has a 12-point lead over “The Chattanooga Flash.”
In preliminary action, Hickman out-qualified the 25-car field with a lap in 14.838 seconds. The two ten-lap Heat Races were won by Hollingsworth and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior.
Hickman took the lead at the drop of the green flag, but even with his domination of the race, there was plenty good racing in his wake. Morrow came from his third starting spot and was able to get under the outside front row starter Dedwylder coming off the second turn on the first lap to grab the second spot. Wilson settled into the fourth position with Johnson in fifth.
The first of three caution flags came out on lap six when Ken Monahan of Lakeland, FL in the KLM CVR and David Duplissey of Chattanooga, TN in the National Boiler Service Warrior tangled in turn one. Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL in the Brandon Ford Warrior was ticketed with the caution flag, and went to the pack of the pack for the “Dixie-Style” double-file restart.
Hickman had Morrow, Dedwylder, Wilson, Johnson, Smith, Franklin, Rick Hixson of Soddy Daisy, TN, Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL, and Turner doubled up behind him for the restart. When green flag came back out, Johnson got by Wilson for the fourth spot, and Franklin got by both Smith and Wilson to move up to fifth.
By lap 13, Hickman was lapping the cars on the tail end of the lead lap, and had a half-straightaway lead over Morrow. Wilson got by Franklin on lap 17 to reclaim the fifth spot. At the halfway point it was Hickman, Morrow, Dedwylder, Johnson, Wilson, Franklin, Smith, Hixson, McRee, and Turner in the top ten.
Hixson brought out the second caution flag on lap 23 when his A1 Towing Special slowed in turn four while he was running eighth. With most of the field running the bottom groove of the track on the restart, Franklin stepped to the high side and passed Wilson for fifth on lap 24. Three laps later, Franklin sailed around the outside of Johnson on the front straightaway to take fourth.
Duplissey spun in turn two on lap 28 to bring out the third yellow flag of the race. During the caution period, McRee dropped out of the seventh spot and took the High Roller Race Cars Special to the pit area. This misfortune earned “J-Mac” the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
The top ten for the restart was Hickman leading Morrow, Dedwylder, Franklin, Johnson, Wilson, Turner, Hollingsworth, Smith, and Shan Smith of Dade City, FL in the Outlaw Race Parts TNT.
When the green bulb was relit, Franklin once again got rolling on the outside. On lap 29, Franklin drove around Dedwylder to take the third spot. Johnson then closed in on Dedwylder to battle for fourth, taking the position with an inside move on lap 32.
With five laps to go, Hickman began working lapped traffic with a half-straightaway lead over Morrow. Hickman was able to maintain the advantage to take the win with a 2.196 second advantage over Morrow.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series now moves to 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN on Saturday night for the $4,000-to-win 2nd Annual J.T. Kerr Memorial 40, Round 10 of the 2013 season. The race honors the memory of the late J.T. Kerr, a legendary East Tennessee Hall of Fame driver and motorsports businessman.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series all-new 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.
Throughout the race Hickman was able to knife through lapped traffic and keep a half straightaway lead over the second-place finisher Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN in the A-Plus Collision Center GRT.
Dennis Franklin of Chesnee, SC dusted off the high groove on the tight ¼-mile clay oval to make his way up to the third spot at finish in the AES Racing Special. National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN finished fourth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.
Scott Dedwylder of Vossburg, MS took the fifth spot in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special, and Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN was sixth in the Dale’s Auto Sales GRT. The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA drove the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger to a seventh-place finish.
Last year’s race winner, Jeff Smith of Chatsworth, GA turned in an eighth-place effort in this year’s race driving the Bilstein Racing Shocks Warrior, and point leader Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL was ninth in the Sparks Racing Special.
Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS rounded out the top ten in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT. Stokes started 22nd and was the Hedman Husler of the Race Award winner. Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN finished 12th and was the Rookie of the Race.
Johnson was able to gain some ground on Hollingsworth in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 2013 Championship. Leaving Boyd’s Speedway, “Right Foot Ronny Lee” has a 12-point lead over “The Chattanooga Flash.”
In preliminary action, Hickman out-qualified the 25-car field with a lap in 14.838 seconds. The two ten-lap Heat Races were won by Hollingsworth and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior.
Hickman took the lead at the drop of the green flag, but even with his domination of the race, there was plenty good racing in his wake. Morrow came from his third starting spot and was able to get under the outside front row starter Dedwylder coming off the second turn on the first lap to grab the second spot. Wilson settled into the fourth position with Johnson in fifth.
The first of three caution flags came out on lap six when Ken Monahan of Lakeland, FL in the KLM CVR and David Duplissey of Chattanooga, TN in the National Boiler Service Warrior tangled in turn one. Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL in the Brandon Ford Warrior was ticketed with the caution flag, and went to the pack of the pack for the “Dixie-Style” double-file restart.
Hickman had Morrow, Dedwylder, Wilson, Johnson, Smith, Franklin, Rick Hixson of Soddy Daisy, TN, Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL, and Turner doubled up behind him for the restart. When green flag came back out, Johnson got by Wilson for the fourth spot, and Franklin got by both Smith and Wilson to move up to fifth.
By lap 13, Hickman was lapping the cars on the tail end of the lead lap, and had a half-straightaway lead over Morrow. Wilson got by Franklin on lap 17 to reclaim the fifth spot. At the halfway point it was Hickman, Morrow, Dedwylder, Johnson, Wilson, Franklin, Smith, Hixson, McRee, and Turner in the top ten.
Hixson brought out the second caution flag on lap 23 when his A1 Towing Special slowed in turn four while he was running eighth. With most of the field running the bottom groove of the track on the restart, Franklin stepped to the high side and passed Wilson for fifth on lap 24. Three laps later, Franklin sailed around the outside of Johnson on the front straightaway to take fourth.
Duplissey spun in turn two on lap 28 to bring out the third yellow flag of the race. During the caution period, McRee dropped out of the seventh spot and took the High Roller Race Cars Special to the pit area. This misfortune earned “J-Mac” the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
The top ten for the restart was Hickman leading Morrow, Dedwylder, Franklin, Johnson, Wilson, Turner, Hollingsworth, Smith, and Shan Smith of Dade City, FL in the Outlaw Race Parts TNT.
When the green bulb was relit, Franklin once again got rolling on the outside. On lap 29, Franklin drove around Dedwylder to take the third spot. Johnson then closed in on Dedwylder to battle for fourth, taking the position with an inside move on lap 32.
With five laps to go, Hickman began working lapped traffic with a half-straightaway lead over Morrow. Hickman was able to maintain the advantage to take the win with a 2.196 second advantage over Morrow.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series now moves to 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN on Saturday night for the $4,000-to-win 2nd Annual J.T. Kerr Memorial 40, Round 10 of the 2013 season. The race honors the memory of the late J.T. Kerr, a legendary East Tennessee Hall of Fame driver and motorsports businessman.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series all-new 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.