NeSmith Racing
07-01-2018, 04:45 AM
RINGGOLD, GA – Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL drove the Skinner Body Shop Rocket to his first career Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win Saturday night in the 50-lap Salute To America main event at Boyd’s Speedway. The 16-year-old driver with five years of Late Model experience put it all together to outrun his mentor in his formative years as a race car driver.
Three-time Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN made one of his well-known late-race charges, but he couldn’t catch his student. By the time Johnson got to the second spot on lap 40, Skinner had a full straightaway lead. Johnson made up half the distance, but had to settle for second in the Josh Roberts Trucking Special.
The two-time and defending Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Cory Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) of Loudon, TN had another good points night with a third-place finish in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket. Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) will keep the Advance Lazer and Machine “Point Leader” rear spoiler on his race car.
“To win my first Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Model race in front of Ronnie and Cory with all of their wins and championships just hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” Skinner said. “Ronnie Johnson is my hero and my mentor. He has been so great in helping me ever since I started racing late models five years ago. I don’t know if I’d be standing here tonight if it wasn’t for Ronnie.”
Another fast teenager, 16-year-old Will Roland of Jasper, GA took the fourth spot in the Roland Tire Special, and Jake Knowles of Rome, GA came back from a lap five crash to finish fifth in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Special. The 2008 Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA was sixth in the Hill Motorsports Warrior.
Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL drove the Boland Performance Trak-Star “House Car” to a seventh-place finish to earn the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race Award. Andy Picklesimer of Ooltewah, TN finished eighth in the Hyma Motorsports Special and Drew Kennedy of Lancing, TN took the ninth spot in the Schubert Monument Sales Rocket.
Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS rounded out the top ten in the B&M Salvage Rocket. Mike Weeks of Lenoir City, TN started 24th and finished 11th in the Weeks Racing Rocket to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award.
In preliminary action, Heath Hindman of Signal Mountain, TN was the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Fast Qualifier by out-timing the 33 entrants with a lap around Boyds Speedway in 14.381 seconds in the Hindman Racing Special. The two ten-lap B-Main races were won by Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN in the Johns Timber Special and Ross White of Knoxville, TN in the Royal Flush Rocket.
At the start of the race, polesitter Hindman and outside front row starter Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) raced side-by-side through turns one and two before Hindman took the lead followed by Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), Roland, Skinner, and Minga. Skinner came from his fifth starting spot to get by Roland for the third position on lap two, and Wil Herrington of Cochran, GA in the Last Air and Electric CVR got by Minga for fifth.
White brought out the first of four caution flags when he stalled on the backstretch. With Hindman out in front by himself, Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) in second chose the inside for the Dixie-style double-file restart. Skinner, Roland, Herrington, Minga, Brindle, Johnson, Johns, and Picklesimer doubled up behind the leader in third through tenth respectively.
Skinner got busy on the restart by sailing around the outside of Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) to take over the second spot. The field was slowed for the second time on lap five when Bryant Marsh of Corinth, MS in the Modern Woodmen of America Trak-Star tangled with Johns, and Knowles. Johns was done for the night, while Knowles and Marsh were able to continue.
Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series officials called for a single-file restart with Hindman out front followed by Skinner, Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), Roland, Herrington, Johnson, Brindle, Picklesimer, Minga, and Marsh in the top ten. Skinner was able to close in to Hindman’s back bumper on lap seven, and the teenager began looking inside on lap nine.
Hindman caught the cars on the tail of the lead lap by lap 14, and the battle for the lead began to be waged in heavy lapped traffic. Hindman’s car began to show a loose condition in turn four on lap 16. On lap 19, Hindman’s machine slid up the banking in turn four to open the door for Skinner.
The second place car guided by Skinner on the inside got under Hindman to take the lead coming off the fourth turn on lap 19. Skinner began to put some distance between himself and Hindman, while Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) closed in to challenge for second. Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) took over the second spot on lap 26, as Hindman began to drop back through the field.
Lap 30 uncovered the reason for Hindman’s severe loose condition, as he stopped on the track in turn three with a cut down left rear tire. The restart saw Skinner leading followed by Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), Roland, Herrington, Johnson, Brindle, Picklesimer, Knowles, Minga, and Boland in the top ten.
Herrington dropped out of the top five when he stalled in turn four on lap 34 to bring out the final caution flag of the race. That moved Johnson up to the fourth spot for the restart behind Skinner, Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) and Roland. It was time for the Chattanooga Flash to go to work on the restart.
Skinner took off on the restart, while Johnson began to dust off the top shelf of Boyd’s Speedway. By lap 35, Skinner had an eight car-length advantage over Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), while Johnson sailed around Roland for the third spot on lap 39.
Johnson has his high-side momentum rolling, as he got by Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) for second with ten laps to go. Johnson’s high flyer in the closing laps of the race to move up to the second spot earned Johnson the VP Racing Lubricants Smooth Move of the Race Award.
Skinner had packed his bags, turned in the key and checked out on Johnson on lap 40, but the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee was turning lap times four tenths of a second faster than Skinner. It wasn’t enough, as Skinner held on to the bottom of the race track, and went under the checkered flag 2.570 seconds ahead of Johnson.
The second race of the Salute To America Nationals for the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be on Tuesday night at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL with a $2,500-to-win 50-lap main event, Round 8 of the 2018 season.
NeSmith Racing is now Durrence Layne Racing! For more information and rules about the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.durrencelayneracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Durrence Layne Racing. You can follow us on Twitter @DurrenceLayneRacing.
Three-time Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN made one of his well-known late-race charges, but he couldn’t catch his student. By the time Johnson got to the second spot on lap 40, Skinner had a full straightaway lead. Johnson made up half the distance, but had to settle for second in the Josh Roberts Trucking Special.
The two-time and defending Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Cory Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) of Loudon, TN had another good points night with a third-place finish in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket. Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) will keep the Advance Lazer and Machine “Point Leader” rear spoiler on his race car.
“To win my first Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Model race in front of Ronnie and Cory with all of their wins and championships just hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” Skinner said. “Ronnie Johnson is my hero and my mentor. He has been so great in helping me ever since I started racing late models five years ago. I don’t know if I’d be standing here tonight if it wasn’t for Ronnie.”
Another fast teenager, 16-year-old Will Roland of Jasper, GA took the fourth spot in the Roland Tire Special, and Jake Knowles of Rome, GA came back from a lap five crash to finish fifth in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Special. The 2008 Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA was sixth in the Hill Motorsports Warrior.
Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL drove the Boland Performance Trak-Star “House Car” to a seventh-place finish to earn the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race Award. Andy Picklesimer of Ooltewah, TN finished eighth in the Hyma Motorsports Special and Drew Kennedy of Lancing, TN took the ninth spot in the Schubert Monument Sales Rocket.
Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS rounded out the top ten in the B&M Salvage Rocket. Mike Weeks of Lenoir City, TN started 24th and finished 11th in the Weeks Racing Rocket to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award.
In preliminary action, Heath Hindman of Signal Mountain, TN was the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Fast Qualifier by out-timing the 33 entrants with a lap around Boyds Speedway in 14.381 seconds in the Hindman Racing Special. The two ten-lap B-Main races were won by Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN in the Johns Timber Special and Ross White of Knoxville, TN in the Royal Flush Rocket.
At the start of the race, polesitter Hindman and outside front row starter Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) raced side-by-side through turns one and two before Hindman took the lead followed by Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), Roland, Skinner, and Minga. Skinner came from his fifth starting spot to get by Roland for the third position on lap two, and Wil Herrington of Cochran, GA in the Last Air and Electric CVR got by Minga for fifth.
White brought out the first of four caution flags when he stalled on the backstretch. With Hindman out in front by himself, Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) in second chose the inside for the Dixie-style double-file restart. Skinner, Roland, Herrington, Minga, Brindle, Johnson, Johns, and Picklesimer doubled up behind the leader in third through tenth respectively.
Skinner got busy on the restart by sailing around the outside of Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) to take over the second spot. The field was slowed for the second time on lap five when Bryant Marsh of Corinth, MS in the Modern Woodmen of America Trak-Star tangled with Johns, and Knowles. Johns was done for the night, while Knowles and Marsh were able to continue.
Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series officials called for a single-file restart with Hindman out front followed by Skinner, Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), Roland, Herrington, Johnson, Brindle, Picklesimer, Minga, and Marsh in the top ten. Skinner was able to close in to Hindman’s back bumper on lap seven, and the teenager began looking inside on lap nine.
Hindman caught the cars on the tail of the lead lap by lap 14, and the battle for the lead began to be waged in heavy lapped traffic. Hindman’s car began to show a loose condition in turn four on lap 16. On lap 19, Hindman’s machine slid up the banking in turn four to open the door for Skinner.
The second place car guided by Skinner on the inside got under Hindman to take the lead coming off the fourth turn on lap 19. Skinner began to put some distance between himself and Hindman, while Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) closed in to challenge for second. Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) took over the second spot on lap 26, as Hindman began to drop back through the field.
Lap 30 uncovered the reason for Hindman’s severe loose condition, as he stopped on the track in turn three with a cut down left rear tire. The restart saw Skinner leading followed by Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), Roland, Herrington, Johnson, Brindle, Picklesimer, Knowles, Minga, and Boland in the top ten.
Herrington dropped out of the top five when he stalled in turn four on lap 34 to bring out the final caution flag of the race. That moved Johnson up to the fourth spot for the restart behind Skinner, Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) and Roland. It was time for the Chattanooga Flash to go to work on the restart.
Skinner took off on the restart, while Johnson began to dust off the top shelf of Boyd’s Speedway. By lap 35, Skinner had an eight car-length advantage over Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), while Johnson sailed around Roland for the third spot on lap 39.
Johnson has his high-side momentum rolling, as he got by Hedge(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) for second with ten laps to go. Johnson’s high flyer in the closing laps of the race to move up to the second spot earned Johnson the VP Racing Lubricants Smooth Move of the Race Award.
Skinner had packed his bags, turned in the key and checked out on Johnson on lap 40, but the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee was turning lap times four tenths of a second faster than Skinner. It wasn’t enough, as Skinner held on to the bottom of the race track, and went under the checkered flag 2.570 seconds ahead of Johnson.
The second race of the Salute To America Nationals for the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be on Tuesday night at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL with a $2,500-to-win 50-lap main event, Round 8 of the 2018 season.
NeSmith Racing is now Durrence Layne Racing! For more information and rules about the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.durrencelayneracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Durrence Layne Racing. You can follow us on Twitter @DurrenceLayneRacing.