crusapr
07-04-2014, 04:30 AM
EASTABOGA, AL – Jeff Smith of Chatsworth, GA was the dominant force Thursday night in winning the first of four Salute To America Nationals races for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division at Talladega Short Track driving the Hill Motorsports Warrior.
Smith never faced a challenger all night, as he was the fast qualifier among the 44 entrants at 14.676 seconds, and then led all 40 laps to record his second career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory.
At one point in the race, Smith held a half straightaway lead on Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN, who finished second in the A-Plus Collision Center GRT. The only time Morrow could get close to Smith was in heavy lapped traffic in the closing laps of the race, but he took the checkered flag .413 seconds behind Smith.
“We brought the same set up here that we use at Boyd’s Speedway, and the fast right out of the box tonight,” Smith said. “I was a little anxious towards the end of the race in lapped traffic because you never know how close someone is to you. This was a good opportunity for us here tonight because we love running at Talladega Short Track and we love running with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. We got the best of both worlds tonight.”
The 12-year-old sensation Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL showed the world that he is for real, as he drove the Skinner’s Body Shop Special to a third-place finish. The youngster showed that he knows his way around his home track where he has three NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model wins this season.
Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL finished fourth in the Old Man’s Garage Special and was the Rookie of the Race. The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point leader Adam Gauldin of Talladega, AL took the fifth spot in the Adam Gauldin Racing GRT at his home track where he also has three wins this season.
Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL drove the Eiland Pools Rocket to a sixth-place finish and Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL was seventh in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA finished eighth in the BDR Loopers Special.
The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN was a man on a mission Thursday night at Talladega Short. In true fashion for the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee, he arrived at the track late, but just in time to unload, and hit the track for his two lap qualifying run.
Johnson had the tenth fastest time which would have transferred him into the main event, but the only problem was, he failed to go through the pre-race technical inspection line and his qualifying time was disallowed. Johnson took a provisional, started 23rd, and finished ninth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.
Not only did Johnson dig himself out of a hole, but he gained two points on Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, MS, who finished tenth in the McCarter Lumber CVR. Johnson left Talladega Short Track on Thursday night with a 12-point lead over McCarter in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship.
In preliminary action, the three ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Tanner Works of Cleveland, TN in the D&K Auto CVR, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS in the B&M Salvage Rocket, and Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN in the Car Smart Auto Sales CVR.
In a race slowed by only one caution flag, Smith completed the 40-lap journey in just a second under 15 minutes. A total of 17 cars finished on the lead lap, and 21 cars were still running when the checkered flag fell.
After taking the lead at the start of the race, Smith had opened up a half straightaway lead on Morrow, Skinner, Noah and Gauldin by lap nine when he began to encounter the cars on the tail end of the lead lap. The field did catch up to Smith on lap 11 when the only yellow flag of the race came out for Shay Knight of Columbus, MS, who stalled the Olive Branch Can Am Special in turn two.
On the restart, Gauldin jumped to the outside to challenge Noah for the fourth spot and took the position on lap 12. Noah came right back to reclaim fourth on lap 14. Smith was in lapped traffic again by lap 21, as Morrow closed to within six car lengths. Johnson had climbed from the 23rd starting spot to tenth by lap 22.
Johnson sailed around the outside of the his Championship challenger McCarter on lap 30 to take control of the ninth spot. Johnson then moved up to create a three-car battle for the seventh spot with Adkins and Brindle in the last eight laps of the race.
Smith was in heavy lapped traffic during the last two laps of the race. Morrow closed to within a couple of car lengths on the last lap, but with lapped cars all around him, he had nowhere to go to make a serious bid for the lead.
Night two of the four-race Salute To America Nationals for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will take place on Friday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL for a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race.
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.
Smith never faced a challenger all night, as he was the fast qualifier among the 44 entrants at 14.676 seconds, and then led all 40 laps to record his second career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory.
At one point in the race, Smith held a half straightaway lead on Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN, who finished second in the A-Plus Collision Center GRT. The only time Morrow could get close to Smith was in heavy lapped traffic in the closing laps of the race, but he took the checkered flag .413 seconds behind Smith.
“We brought the same set up here that we use at Boyd’s Speedway, and the fast right out of the box tonight,” Smith said. “I was a little anxious towards the end of the race in lapped traffic because you never know how close someone is to you. This was a good opportunity for us here tonight because we love running at Talladega Short Track and we love running with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. We got the best of both worlds tonight.”
The 12-year-old sensation Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL showed the world that he is for real, as he drove the Skinner’s Body Shop Special to a third-place finish. The youngster showed that he knows his way around his home track where he has three NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model wins this season.
Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL finished fourth in the Old Man’s Garage Special and was the Rookie of the Race. The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point leader Adam Gauldin of Talladega, AL took the fifth spot in the Adam Gauldin Racing GRT at his home track where he also has three wins this season.
Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL drove the Eiland Pools Rocket to a sixth-place finish and Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL was seventh in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA finished eighth in the BDR Loopers Special.
The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN was a man on a mission Thursday night at Talladega Short. In true fashion for the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee, he arrived at the track late, but just in time to unload, and hit the track for his two lap qualifying run.
Johnson had the tenth fastest time which would have transferred him into the main event, but the only problem was, he failed to go through the pre-race technical inspection line and his qualifying time was disallowed. Johnson took a provisional, started 23rd, and finished ninth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.
Not only did Johnson dig himself out of a hole, but he gained two points on Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, MS, who finished tenth in the McCarter Lumber CVR. Johnson left Talladega Short Track on Thursday night with a 12-point lead over McCarter in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship.
In preliminary action, the three ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Tanner Works of Cleveland, TN in the D&K Auto CVR, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS in the B&M Salvage Rocket, and Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN in the Car Smart Auto Sales CVR.
In a race slowed by only one caution flag, Smith completed the 40-lap journey in just a second under 15 minutes. A total of 17 cars finished on the lead lap, and 21 cars were still running when the checkered flag fell.
After taking the lead at the start of the race, Smith had opened up a half straightaway lead on Morrow, Skinner, Noah and Gauldin by lap nine when he began to encounter the cars on the tail end of the lead lap. The field did catch up to Smith on lap 11 when the only yellow flag of the race came out for Shay Knight of Columbus, MS, who stalled the Olive Branch Can Am Special in turn two.
On the restart, Gauldin jumped to the outside to challenge Noah for the fourth spot and took the position on lap 12. Noah came right back to reclaim fourth on lap 14. Smith was in lapped traffic again by lap 21, as Morrow closed to within six car lengths. Johnson had climbed from the 23rd starting spot to tenth by lap 22.
Johnson sailed around the outside of the his Championship challenger McCarter on lap 30 to take control of the ninth spot. Johnson then moved up to create a three-car battle for the seventh spot with Adkins and Brindle in the last eight laps of the race.
Smith was in heavy lapped traffic during the last two laps of the race. Morrow closed to within a couple of car lengths on the last lap, but with lapped cars all around him, he had nowhere to go to make a serious bid for the lead.
Night two of the four-race Salute To America Nationals for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will take place on Friday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL for a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race.
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.