crusapr
02-08-2014, 03:13 AM
BRUNSWICK, GA – Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC took the lead with five laps to go and drove the Tri-County Race Track Special to victory in the 2014 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season opener on Friday afternoon in the Super Bowl of Racing Presented By Rock Auto.com at Golden Isles Speedway.
Cook started ninth and moved up to the second spot by lap eight. When early race leader Walker Arthur of Forest, VA began to encounter lapped traffic with ten laps to go, Cook closed in and made up a half straightaway deficit. Arthur pushed up the banking in turn one on lap 26, and Cook dove underneath to take the lead.
“I couldn’t catch Arthur until he got into that lapped traffic because until then, it seemed like we were running the same speed,” Cook said. “He tried to lap a car on the outside and the lapped car moved up in front of him. That opened the door for me to take the lead.”
The victory was the second straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win for Cook, who won the 2013 season finale in November in the Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race. That win was in a different car, but Cook had some valuable pieces from that winning mount on his car Friday afternoon.
“We won the race in November with another car, but we took the shocks off that car and put them on my car that I drove today,” Cook said. “We put the same set up under it, and it worked again for us this afternoon.”
Jak Kicklighter of Savannah, GA drove the Kicklighter Construction Special to a second place finish and was the Rookie of the Race. NASCAR star Joey Coulter of Concord, NC took the third spot in the Wolfpack Racing Rocket, and Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN was fourth in the CVR Race Cars Special.
Scott Lagasse Jr. of St. Augustine, FL drove the Boy Scout of America Special to a fifth-place finish, and Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL finished sixth in the Dave’s Towing Special. Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL was seventh in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special, and Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL grabbed the eighth spot in the Old Man’s Garage Special.
Tait Davenport of Benton, KY started 24th and finished ninth in the Murtco, Inc., Special, and Robert Diekemper of Bloomingdale, GA rounded out the top ten in the Baird Transport Special. In preliminary action, the four ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Noah, Whitener, Cook, and Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL in the Edge’s Gas Company Special.
Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL set fast time honors among the 45 entrants with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 16.435 seconds in the Madsen Machine/High Roller Race Cars Special, and earned the pole position for the 30-lap main event. McRee led the first lap of the race before Arthur took over the lead on lap two after starting fourth.
The first of seven caution flags came out on lap six when Chase Washington of Houlka, MS hit the first turn guard rail in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special. Arthur had McRee, Steve Cook of Mt. Airy, NC, Kicklighter, McCarter, Cook, Mallory Harvey of Baxley, GA in the Rentz Farms Rocket, Whitener, Noah, and Kelly Walker of Moultrie, GA doubled up behind him for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart.
On the restart, Cook and Harvey moved up through the field and into the third and fourth spots respectively. The caution came out for the second time on lap seven when Walker cut down the left-rear tire on his Lassiter Tractor Company Special. The top ten for restart was Arthur, McRee, Cook, Harvey, Kicklighter, Whitener, Coulter, Diekemper and Edge.
The yellow caution bulb got a workout, as Cooke spun the AES Special on the restart, Stacey Robert of Sylvester, GA spun the Park Built Body Company Special in turn three on lap eight, and then McRee spun out of the fourth spot in turn three on lap nine. The next restart saw Arthur leading Cook, McCarter, Kicklighter, Whitener, Coulter, Diekemper, Lagesse, Adkins, and Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL in the Eiland Pools Rocket down for the restart.
When the field went back to green, Kicklighter got by McCarter for third, but the field was slowed to stop on lap 14 when Roberts flipped in turn two, and his race car came to rest on its roof. Roberts was O.K., but was done for the day. On the restart, Coulter moved up to the fourth spot.
Arthur held a half-straightaway lead over Cook on lap 20, but then the leader began to encounter heavy lapped traffic. The temperature gauge on Arthur’s Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special was pegged and steam began to wisp from underneath the car.
After Arthur had his miscue with the lapped car and Cook took the lead on lap 26, Arthur’s race car gave up the ghost on lap 27 to bring out the last caution flag. Cook breezed home to take the win in the last five laps of the race, as he pulled away from Kicklighter and Coulter.
For more information and rules 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.
Cook started ninth and moved up to the second spot by lap eight. When early race leader Walker Arthur of Forest, VA began to encounter lapped traffic with ten laps to go, Cook closed in and made up a half straightaway deficit. Arthur pushed up the banking in turn one on lap 26, and Cook dove underneath to take the lead.
“I couldn’t catch Arthur until he got into that lapped traffic because until then, it seemed like we were running the same speed,” Cook said. “He tried to lap a car on the outside and the lapped car moved up in front of him. That opened the door for me to take the lead.”
The victory was the second straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win for Cook, who won the 2013 season finale in November in the Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race. That win was in a different car, but Cook had some valuable pieces from that winning mount on his car Friday afternoon.
“We won the race in November with another car, but we took the shocks off that car and put them on my car that I drove today,” Cook said. “We put the same set up under it, and it worked again for us this afternoon.”
Jak Kicklighter of Savannah, GA drove the Kicklighter Construction Special to a second place finish and was the Rookie of the Race. NASCAR star Joey Coulter of Concord, NC took the third spot in the Wolfpack Racing Rocket, and Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN was fourth in the CVR Race Cars Special.
Scott Lagasse Jr. of St. Augustine, FL drove the Boy Scout of America Special to a fifth-place finish, and Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL finished sixth in the Dave’s Towing Special. Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL was seventh in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special, and Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL grabbed the eighth spot in the Old Man’s Garage Special.
Tait Davenport of Benton, KY started 24th and finished ninth in the Murtco, Inc., Special, and Robert Diekemper of Bloomingdale, GA rounded out the top ten in the Baird Transport Special. In preliminary action, the four ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Noah, Whitener, Cook, and Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL in the Edge’s Gas Company Special.
Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL set fast time honors among the 45 entrants with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 16.435 seconds in the Madsen Machine/High Roller Race Cars Special, and earned the pole position for the 30-lap main event. McRee led the first lap of the race before Arthur took over the lead on lap two after starting fourth.
The first of seven caution flags came out on lap six when Chase Washington of Houlka, MS hit the first turn guard rail in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special. Arthur had McRee, Steve Cook of Mt. Airy, NC, Kicklighter, McCarter, Cook, Mallory Harvey of Baxley, GA in the Rentz Farms Rocket, Whitener, Noah, and Kelly Walker of Moultrie, GA doubled up behind him for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart.
On the restart, Cook and Harvey moved up through the field and into the third and fourth spots respectively. The caution came out for the second time on lap seven when Walker cut down the left-rear tire on his Lassiter Tractor Company Special. The top ten for restart was Arthur, McRee, Cook, Harvey, Kicklighter, Whitener, Coulter, Diekemper and Edge.
The yellow caution bulb got a workout, as Cooke spun the AES Special on the restart, Stacey Robert of Sylvester, GA spun the Park Built Body Company Special in turn three on lap eight, and then McRee spun out of the fourth spot in turn three on lap nine. The next restart saw Arthur leading Cook, McCarter, Kicklighter, Whitener, Coulter, Diekemper, Lagesse, Adkins, and Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL in the Eiland Pools Rocket down for the restart.
When the field went back to green, Kicklighter got by McCarter for third, but the field was slowed to stop on lap 14 when Roberts flipped in turn two, and his race car came to rest on its roof. Roberts was O.K., but was done for the day. On the restart, Coulter moved up to the fourth spot.
Arthur held a half-straightaway lead over Cook on lap 20, but then the leader began to encounter heavy lapped traffic. The temperature gauge on Arthur’s Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special was pegged and steam began to wisp from underneath the car.
After Arthur had his miscue with the lapped car and Cook took the lead on lap 26, Arthur’s race car gave up the ghost on lap 27 to bring out the last caution flag. Cook breezed home to take the win in the last five laps of the race, as he pulled away from Kicklighter and Coulter.
For more information and rules 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.