crusapr
06-07-2014, 04:56 AM
BRASSTOWN, NC – When Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN climbed from his NeSmith Chevrolet Special in the Tech Area after what appeared to the be a second-place finish on Friday night in the Bill Hendren Memorial 40 at Tri-County Race Track, he was all smiles after a four-car three-wide battle for the runner-up spot. A few minutes later, Johnson was declared the winner.
The apparent winner of the race, Jason Welshan of Maryville, TN, who took the checkered flag with a full straightaway advantage over Johnson, was disqualified during the post-race technical inspection when it was discovered that a tire that came off his Hidden Hollow Motorsports Special had been chemically altered.
That gave the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Johnson his second win of the season and the 19th of his series career. The victory also gave Johnson the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead in the battle for the $20,000 National Championship by four points over Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN.
Walker Arthur of Forest, VA took the second spot in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special and McCarter finished third in the McCarter Lumber CVR. Local favorite Jacob Anderson of Murphy, NC was fourth in the Scrappy’s Metal Special and Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS drove the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT to a fifth-place finish.
Tanner Works of Cleveland, TN finished sixth in the D&K Auto CVR and the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA charged from the 18th starting spot to finish seventh in the Hedman Husler. Jacob Grizzle of Blairsville, GA overcame a trip to the pit area with a cut tire on lap 18 to comeback and finish eighth in the Allen Pools Special.
Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL was the Rookie of the Race with a ninth-place finish in the Old Man’s Garage Special, and Brent Rhodes of Boaz, AL rounded out the top ten in the R&B Express Special.
In preliminary action, Arthur was the Fast Qualifier among the 28 entrants with a lap around the ¼-mile clay oval in 13.600 seconds. Less than one second separated the 28-car field in time trials. The two 10-lap B-Main races were won by Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL in the Edge’s Gas Company Special and Works.
The first start of the race was waved off, and as the field slowed for the caution flag, several cars got together on the backstretch. The multi-car tangle eliminated Brian Kinnersley of Blairsville, GA in the Smoky Mountain Poured Walls Special and Steven Sofield of Hiawassee, GA in the North Georgia Cabins and Land GRT.
The complete restart saw Johnson grab the lead from his outside front row starting spot followed by Stokes, Arthur, Anderson and Welshan. Stokes and Walker were racing side-by-side for the second spot on lap two, and Walker got inside Stokes to take the position on lap four. Walker wouldn’t stay there long, as he dropped back to fifth on lap five with Stokes, Anderson and Welshan getting by.
Welshan got inside Anderson in turn three on lap nine to take over the third spot just before the field was slowed by the second caution flag of the race on lap 11 for a spin by Ronald Dunn of Corinth, MS in the Dunn Motorsports Special. Johnson had the field doubled up behind him, as Stokes chose the outside for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart.
When the race went back green, Welshan stayed to the inside of Stokes, and cleared him for the second spot coming off the fourth turn on lap 12. Welshan wasted no time chasing down the leader, as he and Johnson were battling side-by-side for the lead by lap 13. Welshan was able to dive under Johnson coming off the fourth turn on lap 15 to take the lead.
The third caution flag came out on lap 16 when Jamie Oliver of Murphy, NC stalled the Valley River Merchants GRT on the front straightaway with an overheating problem. Welshan had Johnson, Anderson, Arthur, Stokes, Grizzle, Noah, Works and McCarter doubled up behind him for the restart.
Anderson got by Johnson for second on the restart, and Stokes powered past Arthur for fourth. The fourth caution flag came out for a spin by Dunn in turn two on lap 18. Grizzle gave up the sixth spot to pit with a cut left-rear tire, but he would return to restart on the tail of the field.
On the restart, Paydon Shook of Young Harris, GA spun the Bulldog Restoration Special in turn one to trigger a multi-car pile-up that brought out the red flag for a blocked race track. The race went clean and green the rest of the way. Welshan checked out on the field, but the battle behind him for the second spot was intense and crowded around the close confines of Tri-County Race Track.
Johnson began looking inside Anderson to challenge for the second spot by lap 21. Arthur moved up to make it a three way dance on lap 25. It was Johnson on the inside, Anderson in the middle, and Arthur on the outside bringing the packed house to their feet for the three-wide duel. McCarter passed Stokes for the fifth spot on lap 26, and then closed in to make a quartet in the battle for second.
Johnson and Anderson would swap the second spot three times in the last ten laps of the race, while Welshan maintained a full straightaway lead. After several attempts to pass Anderson for second on the inside, Johnson climbed the banking on lap 30, and finally got the job done.
Anderson caught Johnson in lapped traffic on lap 36 to dive back under him for the second spot, but Johnson would come back on the outside to make what would prove to be the winning pass one lap later on the 37th tour. Arthur would get by Anderson on lap 38 for what would end up being the second spot on lap 38, and McCarter ended up third by passing Anderson on the final lap.
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 3rd Annual J.T. Kerr Memorial 40. With four points separating Johnson and McCarter for the point lead, this will be a good one, as Johnson is the defending champion of the J.T. Kerr Memorial 40, and 411 Motor Speedway is McCarter’s home track.
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.
The apparent winner of the race, Jason Welshan of Maryville, TN, who took the checkered flag with a full straightaway advantage over Johnson, was disqualified during the post-race technical inspection when it was discovered that a tire that came off his Hidden Hollow Motorsports Special had been chemically altered.
That gave the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Johnson his second win of the season and the 19th of his series career. The victory also gave Johnson the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead in the battle for the $20,000 National Championship by four points over Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN.
Walker Arthur of Forest, VA took the second spot in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special and McCarter finished third in the McCarter Lumber CVR. Local favorite Jacob Anderson of Murphy, NC was fourth in the Scrappy’s Metal Special and Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS drove the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT to a fifth-place finish.
Tanner Works of Cleveland, TN finished sixth in the D&K Auto CVR and the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA charged from the 18th starting spot to finish seventh in the Hedman Husler. Jacob Grizzle of Blairsville, GA overcame a trip to the pit area with a cut tire on lap 18 to comeback and finish eighth in the Allen Pools Special.
Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL was the Rookie of the Race with a ninth-place finish in the Old Man’s Garage Special, and Brent Rhodes of Boaz, AL rounded out the top ten in the R&B Express Special.
In preliminary action, Arthur was the Fast Qualifier among the 28 entrants with a lap around the ¼-mile clay oval in 13.600 seconds. Less than one second separated the 28-car field in time trials. The two 10-lap B-Main races were won by Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL in the Edge’s Gas Company Special and Works.
The first start of the race was waved off, and as the field slowed for the caution flag, several cars got together on the backstretch. The multi-car tangle eliminated Brian Kinnersley of Blairsville, GA in the Smoky Mountain Poured Walls Special and Steven Sofield of Hiawassee, GA in the North Georgia Cabins and Land GRT.
The complete restart saw Johnson grab the lead from his outside front row starting spot followed by Stokes, Arthur, Anderson and Welshan. Stokes and Walker were racing side-by-side for the second spot on lap two, and Walker got inside Stokes to take the position on lap four. Walker wouldn’t stay there long, as he dropped back to fifth on lap five with Stokes, Anderson and Welshan getting by.
Welshan got inside Anderson in turn three on lap nine to take over the third spot just before the field was slowed by the second caution flag of the race on lap 11 for a spin by Ronald Dunn of Corinth, MS in the Dunn Motorsports Special. Johnson had the field doubled up behind him, as Stokes chose the outside for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart.
When the race went back green, Welshan stayed to the inside of Stokes, and cleared him for the second spot coming off the fourth turn on lap 12. Welshan wasted no time chasing down the leader, as he and Johnson were battling side-by-side for the lead by lap 13. Welshan was able to dive under Johnson coming off the fourth turn on lap 15 to take the lead.
The third caution flag came out on lap 16 when Jamie Oliver of Murphy, NC stalled the Valley River Merchants GRT on the front straightaway with an overheating problem. Welshan had Johnson, Anderson, Arthur, Stokes, Grizzle, Noah, Works and McCarter doubled up behind him for the restart.
Anderson got by Johnson for second on the restart, and Stokes powered past Arthur for fourth. The fourth caution flag came out for a spin by Dunn in turn two on lap 18. Grizzle gave up the sixth spot to pit with a cut left-rear tire, but he would return to restart on the tail of the field.
On the restart, Paydon Shook of Young Harris, GA spun the Bulldog Restoration Special in turn one to trigger a multi-car pile-up that brought out the red flag for a blocked race track. The race went clean and green the rest of the way. Welshan checked out on the field, but the battle behind him for the second spot was intense and crowded around the close confines of Tri-County Race Track.
Johnson began looking inside Anderson to challenge for the second spot by lap 21. Arthur moved up to make it a three way dance on lap 25. It was Johnson on the inside, Anderson in the middle, and Arthur on the outside bringing the packed house to their feet for the three-wide duel. McCarter passed Stokes for the fifth spot on lap 26, and then closed in to make a quartet in the battle for second.
Johnson and Anderson would swap the second spot three times in the last ten laps of the race, while Welshan maintained a full straightaway lead. After several attempts to pass Anderson for second on the inside, Johnson climbed the banking on lap 30, and finally got the job done.
Anderson caught Johnson in lapped traffic on lap 36 to dive back under him for the second spot, but Johnson would come back on the outside to make what would prove to be the winning pass one lap later on the 37th tour. Arthur would get by Anderson on lap 38 for what would end up being the second spot on lap 38, and McCarter ended up third by passing Anderson on the final lap.
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 3rd Annual J.T. Kerr Memorial 40. With four points separating Johnson and McCarter for the point lead, this will be a good one, as Johnson is the defending champion of the J.T. Kerr Memorial 40, and 411 Motor Speedway is McCarter’s home track.
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.