Bronson Shows Out In NeSmith Late Model Showdown On The Coast

BRUNSWICK, GA – Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL was the show in the Showdown On The Coast for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series on Saturday night at Golden Isles Speedway. Bronson took the lead on lap 15 of the 60-lap race and never looked back to take his second career win worth $5,000 driving the Brandon Ford Rocket.

The only time Bronson had any competition was when he was in lapped traffic. Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL and Ryan Crane of Panama City, FL would close in to within a couple of car-lengths of Bronson, but the leader would make a bold move through the lapped cars to open up another lead. Bronson carried a 1.608 second margin of victory under the checkered flag.

“My crew gave me a great race car tonight that worked the best on the bottom of the track, and that worked for me to take the lead on a restart,” Bronson said. “The car was also good anywhere I needed to go in lapped traffic. It’s good to be back with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. This is a great series that is run very professionally and they keep everyone on a level playing field.”

Bronson was the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet National Championship Runner-Up and the Rookie of the Year. Bronson’s Chevrolet Performance 604 Engine was taken apart during the post-race technical inspection and it passed with flying colors. Bronson was officially declared the winner of the race at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

Edge led the first 14 laps of the race, but the 2014 Showdown On The Coast race winner had to settle for second in the Edge’s Gas Company Special after a spirited battle for the runner-up spot with Crane, who took the third spot in the Panama City Cycles Rocket, and was the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race.

Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS finished fourth in the Ellis Welding Special. Double E started 15th and with his fourth-place finish was the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race. Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN drove the Rebel Diesel #H2 Duayne Hommel Tribute Car to a fifth-place finish in a courageous effort. Henderson spent most of the week in the hospital after being stricken with Red Dye poisoning.

Third-generation driver Jimmy Thomas of Phenix City, AL finished sixth in the Five Star Hyundai Special and Ryan King of Seymour, TN was seventh in the Brian King Roofing Stinger. Phillip Cobb of Dover, FL took the eighth spot in the Dynamic Painting Special.

Defending and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN drove the NeSmith Chevrolet Trak-Star to a ninth-place finish. Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL rounded out the top ten in the Nowell Truck Repair Warrior.

Johnson will take an 84-point lead in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings over King into the season finale in Ocala, FL on November 20-21. All Johnson has to do is take the green flag in the 100-lap $10,000-to-win 11th Annual Chevrolet Performance National Championship Race at Bubba Raceway Park to capture his unprecedented third NeSmith title.

King and Edge are in a tight battle for the second spot in the point standings, with King holding a ten point advantage over Edge. King is also battling Henderson for the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Award. King has a 32-point advantage over Henderson, who is fourth in the NeSmith Late Model National point standings.

In preliminary action, Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series driver, 17-year-old Ryan Carter of Blackshear, GA, out-timed the 33 car field with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 16.395 seconds in the Mark’s Auto and Collision Special to earn $200 from Automotive Warehouse. Carter was unable to start the main event after a crash at the start of the first heat race.

Automotive Warehouse Qualifying and the four ten lap Heat Races were contested on Friday night. The four heat races were won by Robert Diekemper of Bloomingdale, GA in the Chatham Classic Homes Special, Edge, Bronson, and Crane. The two 12-lap B-Main Races on Saturday night were won by Ches Chester of Twin City, GA in the Josh Tucker Law Special and Tom Maddox of Centre, AL in the Josh Roberts Trucking Warrior.

Edge took the lead at the drop of the green flag followed by Diekemper, Bronson, Crane and Cobb. The first of eight caution flags came out on lap two when Hunter Carter of Blackshear, GA spun the Bud Light Special in turn two. On the restart, Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL made a big move, as he took his AR Bodies Special from sixth to fourth.

Whitener kept his run to the front going on lap three when he powered to the inside of Bronson in turn three to take over the third spot. Mallory Harvey of Baxley, GA spun the Rentz Farms Rocket in turn four to bring out the second caution flag on lap four.

Edge had Diekemper, Whitener, Bronson, Crane, Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL in the Billy Riels Racing Special, Cobb, Johnson, Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL in the Taylor Pools GRT, and King doubled up behind him for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart. When the green flag came out, Bronson moved up to second, and McRee climbed up to third on lap five.

Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS stopped his Magnolia Auto Transport Special on the backstretch to light up the yellow bulb on lap eight. When the field came down for the restart, McRee spun in turn four with some help from Diekemper. McRee got his third spot back for the next restart, and Diekemper was sent to the back of the pack.

The field stayed green until lap 15 when Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL spun in turn four to bring out the fifth caution flag. With Edge restarting up front in a row all by himself, Bronson chose the inside for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart. When the green flag came back out, Bronson found the inside groove open, and he filled it in turn one.

Bronson raced Edge side-by-side through turns one and two before taking the lead coming off the second turn. Bronson began to pull away from Edge, and he reached the cars on the tail of the lead lap by the 24th tour. Dykes opened up the inside for Bronson, but the next car he encountered was running in the bottom groove, which was the one Bronson preferred.

While Bronson tried to find a way around Charlie Flowers of Hortense, GA in the C&M Timber Special, Edge and Crane closed in to within a car-length of Bronson. Despite instructions from race control to give way to the leaders, Flowers would not give up the bottom groove.

Bronson got a run on the high side to get around Flowers on lap 33, but he had to cut hard to the left to avoid another lapped car running the high side to give the leaders room in turn three. Bronson just cleared the nose of Flower’s car and pulled away from Edge and Crane. Bronson’s advantage went away on lap 35 when Maddox stalled in turn four to bring out the sixth caution flag.

The restart saw Bronson leading Edge, Crane, Ellis, King, Johnson, Henderson, Nowell, Thomas, and Cobb doubled up behind him, with Edge choosing the inside when they went side-by-side, with Crane to his right. When the green flag came back out, Crane sailed around Edge to take second. Henderson came from seventh to fifth, and Johnson dropped back to tenth.
The seventh caution flag of the race came out on lap 42 when Thomas spun in turn four with an assist from Nowell, who was ticketed with the caution flag and sent to the tail of the cars on the lead lap for the restart, while Thomas got his spot back. Bronson led Crane, Edge, Ellis, Henderson, King, Thomas, Johnson, Travis Pennington of Stapleton, GA in the Milford Body Special, and Cobb.

Crane chose the inside for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart and had Edge to his right on the outside. When the green flag came back out, Edge returned the favor Crane gave him on the previous restart. Edge powered around the outside of Crane to reclaim the second spot in turn one. Henderson got to the inside of Ellis on lap 48 in turn four to move up to the fourth spot.

The eighth and final caution flag of the race came out on lap 54 when Henry Carter Jr. of Kite, GA stalled the Taylor Pools GRT in turn four. With the race inside of ten laps to go, it was a single-file restart with Bronson leading Edge, Crane, Henderson, Ellis, Thomas, King, Cobb, Pennington, and Johnson.

While Bronson pulled away in the last seven laps of the race, Ellis was able to get around Henderson to retake the fourth spot, and Nowell was able rally in the final laps to race his way back into the top ten.

The next race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be the season finale of the 2015 season with the 100-lap $10,000-to-win 11th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL on November 20-21.

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series 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.