Johnson Masters The Mag With 14th Career NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Win

COLUMBUS, MS – Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN raced to his 14th career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring win on Sunday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway driving the Miller Brothers Coal Warrior. Johnson held off a rival from days gone by to win the 40-lap main event.

It was a flashback to the mid-90s Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Late Model Series as the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee battled with Johnny Virden of Russellville, AR right down to the checkered flag. Virden made several challenges in the final laps, but had to settle for second in the Frye Motorsports GRT.

“I really appreciate the way Johnny Virden raced me tonight as we raced close, but never touched,” Johnson said. “It was a good race for the fans, as we had to chase the track all night long. At first it was tacky, then it slicked up, and then it rubbered up, so I had to keep looking for the right groove for the track conditions.”

Johnson found a groove just off the bottom of the track in the closing laps, and he left enough real estate for Virden to run the very bottom of the track. Virden was able to get the nose of his race car to the inside of Johnson on several occasions, but Johnson was able to beat him off the corner to post the victory.

Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS took the third spot in the Ellis Certified Welders Mastersbilt and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. Jamie Tollison of Kosciusko, MS finished fourth in the Tollison’s Auto Repair Trak-Star and the 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL was fifth in the Edge’s Gas Company Mastersbilt.

Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL started 17th and charged through the field to finish sixth in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star and earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger Award. Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA was seventh in the Turner Excavating DWB, and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS finished eighth in the Billy Riels Racing DWB.

Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS won his second straight $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship with a ninth-place finish driving the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle. Cooley now has two National Championships on his resume before celebrating his 20th birthday.

Larry Harrod of Plains, GA rounded out the top ten in the Harrod Logging Scorpion, but more importantly, he also wrapped up the $5,000 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Award. Harrod had a couple of anxious moments as he spun on the opening lap of the race, and then at the halfway point in the race, he had to pit to change a cut tire while running in the top ten.

His closest RoY challenger Lee was running fourth at the time, and Harrod returned to the track for the restart at the back of the pack, giving Lee the VP Racing Fuels RoY point lead. When the checkered flag fell, Lee had dropped to eighth, while Harrod charged back up to the tenth spot to secure the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Award.

Before the race started, the field came out to roll in the race track after track officials watered the racing surface. Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL slid into a utility tire marking the inside of the track, damaging his Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star.

McRee and his Henderson Motorsports crew made repairs and “J-Mac” was able to start the race. McRee had to take a provisional to make the show after coming up light at the scales after his B-Main. McRee was able to complete 33 laps and finished 17th, which earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award after a tough night when nothing seemed to go right.

Finishing behind Cooley in the final 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National point standings were Turner, McRee, Harrod, Lee, Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL in the Century Dedicated, Inc. HMS, Chris McElhenney of Lake, MS in the G&M Trucking Trak-Star, Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage Mastersbilt, and Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS in the B&M Salvage Rocket.

Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS in the TJC Mortgage GRT rounded out the top ten in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings to go with his 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship.

In preliminary action, Lee took fast time honors among the 38 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 15.621 seconds. The two 15-lap B-Main races were won by Stokes and Harrod.

Lee took the lead at the start of the race followed by Virden and Johnson, who raced side-by-side for the second spot. The yellow flag came out on the opening lap when Harrod spun in turn three collecting Dylan Ames of Harvest, AL in the Ames Racing Rocket and Jamie Flannagan of Tuscumbia, AL in the Seven Springs Lodge Rayburn.

Since a lap had not been completed, everyone got their spot back for the complete restart that saw Lee once again taking the point followed by Virden, Johnson, Turner, Ellis. The second caution flag came out on lap two when McRee and Victor Turner of Munford, AL in the Bentley Speed Graphix Rocket got together in turn three.

Lee led the field down for the restart, and Johnson, who started outside Virden in the “Dixie-Style” double-file restart, got by to claim the second spot. Ellis used the same outside move to pass Turner for the fourth position. The third caution flag came out on lap four when Ryan King of Anniston, AL stalled the True Bond Masonry TSR on the front straightaway.

With Lee in front, Johnson choose the outside for the restart. When the green flag came out, “The Chattanooga Flash” got a run on Lee going down the backstretch to take the lead, bringing Ellis with him on the outside, who passed Virden for the third spot. Ellis stepped to the outside on lap nine to pass Lee for second, while Shaw had charged from the 17th starting spot to sixth.

Virden got by Lee to move back up to third on lap ten, while Shaw climbed into the top five passing Tollison for the position on lap 13. By lap 15, Johnson was in heavy lapped traffic, but that went away at the halfway point of the race when the fourth and final caution flag flew for a turn four spin by Chase Washington of Houlka, MS in the Greg’s Sawmill GRT.

Johnson led Ellis, Virden, Lee, Shaw, Tollison, Turner, and Edge down for the restart. Ellis chose the inside for the double-file restart, with Virden to his right on the outside. When the green flag came out, Virden got around Ellis for the second spot and Tollison drove around Shaw and Lee to grab the fourth position.

Virden got an outside run on Johnson going into turn one on lap 22, but Johnson was able to hold him off. As the lead duo hit turn three, Virden crossed over and got under Johnson to take the lead coming off the fourth turn. Johnson was able to return the favor on the next lap, getting under Virden to retake the lead.

Johnson held the inside groove while Virden went to the outside to battle side-by-side with Johnson for the lead on laps 26 and 27. Unable to knock Johnson off the point, Virden went to the inside on lap 30. Johnson started to pull away on lap 33, but with three laps to go, Virden reloaded for another shot at the lead and the win.

Virden looked to the inside of Johnson during the last two laps, but Johnson was up to the challenge, getting the better bite off the corners, and holding on to take his second NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring win of the season.

The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS will be the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 6th Annual World Championship Race at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL on December 10-11.

For more information 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.