Hoffman Rolls To Durrence Layne Winter Shootout Late Model Win

OCALA, FL – Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, NC drove the Hatcher’s Auto Sales Rocket into the record books Friday night with his first career Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win in the 40-lap Winter Shootout race at Bubba Raceway Park. It was the final tune-up for the $10,000-to-win 15th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race on Saturday night.

Hoffman had a spirited battle with Devin Dixon of Apollo Beach, FL early in the race, and then held off Jake Knowles of Rome, GA in the second half of the race. The Bubba Raceway Park clay surface gave the competitors multiple grooves and provided the fans with plenty of two and three-wide racing.

“We were really tight in the A-Main hot laps, and we really didn’t make many changes,” Hoffman said. “The track just came to me, and this kind of track just fits my driving style. They say my right-rear tire is still in pretty good shape. I was trying to baby it those first 15 to 20 laps and make sure I had some left at the end.”

Knowles finished second in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Longhorn, and made a bold move on a lap seven restart to come from eighth to third riding the high side of the race track. That earned Knowles the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award.

Dixon led five laps of the race and ended up third in the CURS Rocket, while Thursday night’s winner Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL took the fourth spot in the Brandon Ford Rocket. Bronson is the defending and two-time Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race winner, and will be going for his unprecedented third straight win on Saturday night.

Tyler Clem of Red(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), FL finished fifth in the M&W Transport Rocket, and sixth went to Jeff Mathews of Brandon, FL in the CURS Rocket. Mathews was the Hard Charger of the Race after starting 21st. Drew Kennedy of Lancing, TN was seventh in the Schubert Monument Sales Rocket, and Clay Harris of Jupiter, FL took the eighth spot in the Dunnrite Construction Rocket.

Derrick Shaw of Buckhannon, WV finished ninth in the TKS Contracting Rocket, and Wil Herrington of Hawkinsville, GA rounded out the top ten in the Middle Georgia Roofing CVR. In preliminary action, Bronson was the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Fast Qualifier for the second straight night with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 14.471 seconds.

The two ten-lap B-Main Races were won by the defending Winter Shootout Champion and the current point leader Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN in the Car Smart Auto Sales Longhorn, and the defending Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ashton Winger of Hampton, GA in the Keyser Manufacturing Rocket.

When the green flag fell to start the race, it quickly gave way to the yellow caution flag for a multi-car pileup on the front straightaway. Several cars had to pit for repairs, and returned for the complete restart. The wreck took out the cars of Scott Gray of Ocala, FL in the Gray’s Auction Service Longhorn and Walker Arthur of Forest, VA in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Kryptonite.

Hoffman came from his third starting spot to pass Bronson for the lead in turn three on lap one, followed by outside front row starter Clem in third, Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, FL in fourth driving the Bartow Ford Rocket, and Dixon coming up from the ninth starting spot into fifth. Hoffman’s pace was quick as he reached the cars on the tail end of the lead lap by the fifth tour.

The caution flag came out on lap seven when Corey Almond of Appomattox, VA stalled his AA Contractors Longhorn on the backstretch. Hoffman led the field down for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart with Bronson, Clem, Dixon, Lloyd, Mathews, Elliott, Knowles, Winger, and Harris doubled up behind the leader in second through tenth respectively.

When the field went back to green, the field fanned out into three different racing grooves. Hoffman and Bronson were on the bottom of the track, while Dixon and Knowles dusted off the top shelf. Dixon flew by both Bronson and Hoffman to take the lead on lap nine, and Knowles got by Bronson for the second spot.

Dixon moved up on lapped traffic by lap ten, and Hoffman caught up to challenge for the lead. Hoffman reclaimed the point in heavy lapped traffic on lap 14, and then pulled away from Dixon. What would be the final caution flag came out for debris on the backstretch on lap 24.

With Hoffman out front, the second through tenth-place cars respectively of Dixon, Knowles, Bronson, Clem, Mathews, Kennedy, Harris, Herrington, and Shaw doubled up behind the leader. When the green flag came back out, Knowles drove around the outside of Dixon to take over the second spot, but Hoffman was pulling away.

With ten laps to go, Hoffman had a full straightaway lead on Knowles. Hoffman caught some heavy lapped traffic late in the race, but Knowles was unable to close the gap enough to challenge for the lead. Hoffman took the checkered flag with a 1.632 second margin of victory.

The Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series cars return for their third night of racing at Bubba Raceway Park on Saturday night with the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 15th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race.

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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF DURRENCE LAYNE CHEVROLET WINTER SHOOTOUT ROUND 3 AT BUBBA RACEWAY PARK IN OCALA, FL ON 3/1/19:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 3 2 Nick Hoffman Mooresville, NC 40 $2,000
2. 7 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA 40 $1,000
3. 9 313 Devin Dixon Apollo Beach, FL 40 $700
4. 1 40b Kyle Bronson Brandon, FL 40 $550
5. 2 58 Tyler Clem Red(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), FL 40 $500
6. 21 33 Jeff Mathews Brandon, FL 40 $425
7. 17 K37 Drew Kennedy Lancing, TN 40 $375
8. 4 6 Clay Harris Jupiter, FL 40 $350
9. 22 27 Derrick Shaw Buckhannon, WV 40 $325
10. 14 14 Wil Herrington Hawkinsville, GA 40 $300
11. 6 17 Logan Roberson Waynesboro, VA 40 $275
12. 19 30 Todd Cooney Pleasant, IA 40 $250
13. 24 17b Ben Bowie Brandywine, MD 38 $225
14. 5 311 Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL 22 $200
15. 11 J39 Jimmy Elliott Cleveland, TN 22 $200
16. 23 H2 Todd Hurst Lineville, AL 20 $200
17. 8 7t Trevor Taylor Zellwood, FL 19 $200
18. 18 14c Chuck Bowie Welcome, MD 19 $200
19. 12 12 Ashton Winger Hampton, GA 14 $200
20. 16 11m Megan Rae Tampa, FL 6 $200
21. 13 7a Corey Almond Appomattox, VA 5 $200
22. 10 66k Jody Knowles Tyrone, GA 2 $200
23. 20 84 Scott Gray Ocala, FL 0 $200
24. 15 87 Walker Arthur Forest, VA 0 $200

ENTRIES: 29
KNOWLES RACE PARTS AND BODIES FAST QUALIFIER: Bronson, 14.471 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES: 2
LAP LEADERS: Hoffman, 1-8; Dixon, 9-13; Hoffman, 14-40
LAPS LED: Hoffman, 35; Dixon, 5
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE: Ja. Knowles
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE: Mathews (started 21st and finished 6th)
CAUTIONS: 6
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.632 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 36 Minutes and 20.189 Seconds
NEXT RACE: March 2, $10,000-to-win, 100 Laps, Bubba Raceway Park, Ocala, FL

KNOWLES RACE PARTS AND BODIES QUALIFYING (Top 10 Transfer To Main Event):

POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS TIME
1 40b Kyle Bronson Brandon, FL Rocket 14.471
2 58 Tyler Clem Red(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word), FL Rocket 14.527
3 2 Nick Hoffman Mooresville, NC Rocket 14.548
4 6 Clay Harris Jupiter, FL Rocket 14.572
5 311 Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL Rocket 14.614
6 17 Logan Roberson Waynesboro, VA Rocket 14.658
7 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA Longhorn 14.692
8 7t Trevor Taylor Zellwood, FL Rocket 14.709
9 313 Devin Dixon Apollo Beach, FL Rocket 14.730
10 66k Jody Knowles Tyrone, GA Rocket 14.795
11 J39 Jimmy Elliott Cleveland, TN Longhorn 14.801
12 11m Megan Rae Tampa, FL Rocket 14.831
13 7a Cory Almond Appomattox, VA Longhorn 14.833
14 14 Wil Herrington Hawkinsville, GA CVR 14.859
15 K37 Drew Kennedy Lancing, TN Rocket 14.947
16 12 Ashton Winger Hampton, GA Rocket 15.049
17 2h Todd Hurst Lineville, AL Mastersbilt 15.054
18 84 Scott Gray Ocala, FL Longhorn 15.120
19 87 Walker Arthur Forest, VA Kryptonite 15.123
20 27 Derrick Shaw Buckhannon, WV Rocket 15.132
21 33 Jeff Mathews Brandon, FL Rocket 15.158
22 14c Chuck Bowie Welcome, MD Rocket 15.191
23 6jr Parker Martin McIntyre, GA Longhorn 15.277
24 9 Jimmy Waldrop Seffner, FL Rocket 15.302
25 7 Shannon Davis Estill Springs, TN Longhorn 15.347
26 17b Ben Bowie Brandywine, MD Rocket 15.360
27 30 Todd Cooney Pleasant, IA Mastersbilt 15.858
28 007 Dusty Sparkman Micanopy, FL Snow Bros. 15.941
29 6b Adam Boyd Riverview, FL Kryptonite 16.623

B-MAINS (10 Laps – Top 7 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN: 1. Elliott; 2. Almond; 3. Arthur; 4. Kennedy; 5. Cooney; 6. Mathews; 7. Hurst; 8. Boyd; 9. Martin; 10. Davis.

2ND B-MAIN: 1. Winger; 2. Herrington; 3. Rae: 4. C. Bowie; 5. Gray; 6. Shaw; 7. B. Bowie; 8. Waldrop; 9. Sparkman.

DURRENCE LAYNE CHEVROLET WINTER SHOOTOUT POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 3/1/18:

1. J39 Jimmy Elliott – 258
2. 40b Kyle Bronson – 192
3. 7 Shannon Davis – 190
3. 2 Nick Hoffman – 190
5. 58 Tyler Clem – 182
6. 66 Jake Knowles - 180
7. 17 Logan Roberson – 172
7. K37 Drew Kennedy – 172
9. H2 Todd Hurst – 162
10. 30 Todd Cooney – 158
11. 27 Derrick Shaw – 156
12. 87 Walker Arthur – 148
13. 14c Chuck Bowie – 142
13. 6 Clay Harris – 142
15. 11m Megan Rae – 136
15. 17b Ben Bowie – 136
17. 14 Wil Herrington – 132
18. 7a Corey Almond – 128
19. 7t Trevor Taylor – 120
20. J8 Jadon Frame – 96
20. 6b Adam Boyd - 96