Arthur Wins NeSmith World Championship Race At BRP

OCALA, FL – Walker Arthur of Forest, VA won an action-packed 10th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series on Saturday night at Bubba Raceway Park driving the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special. Arthur had to go to the back of the pack early in the 100-lap race, but put on a show getting back to the front.

After a ten-lap side-by-side battle for the lead with Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL, Arthur took the lead for good on lap 76 and never looked back to claim the top prize of $10,000. Arthur said he made the right choice on tires, even though he second guessed himself just before the race started.

“We had the right tire combination tonight, as we had a little harder tire on the right-rear than most everyone else did,” Arthur said. “Just before the race, I wasn’t sure that it wasn’t too hard, and I wanted to change it while they were doing driver introductions. NeSmith Competition Director Tim Sims wouldn’t let me do it, and now I’m glad he didn’t let me!”

Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL finished second in the Dave’s Towing Special, and Max Blair of Centerville, PA was another driver that came from the back to the from to finish third in the R&J Poultry Rocket. Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN took the fourth spot in the Mighty Muffler and Brakes Rocket, and Nosbisch finished fifth in the Image Skin Care Rocket.

Jacob Hawkins of Fairmont, WV was sixth in the Bland’s Towing Rocket, and the youngest driver in the race, 12-year-old Tyler Clem of St. Petersburg, FL finished seventh in the Vahlco Wheels Rocket. Two-time NeSmith Late Model National Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN drove the Hardy & Associates Special to an eighth-place finish.

Doug Horton of Wimamma, FL took the ninth spot in the Bobby Lake Motorsports Warrior, and his 13-year-old teammate Michael Lake of Uniontown, PA rounded out the top ten in his Bobby Lake Motorsports Special.

In preliminary action on Saturday night, Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL drove the Edge’s Gas Company Special to victory in the 20-lap B-Main Race. Qualifying and Heat Races for the event took place on November 21, 2014, as Saturday night’s action was rescheduled from a November 22, 2014 rainout.

On November 21, 2014, two-time and defending NeSmith Late Model National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN set fast time honors among the 49 entrants with a lap in 15.334 seconds.

The four 15-lap heat races on November 21, 2014 were won by Darrell Lanigan of Union, KY in the Club 29 Special, Hawkins, Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC in the M&W Towing Special and Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL in the High Roller Race Cars Special.

A more detailed account of the 10th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race will be released on Monday.

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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE 10TH ANNUAL CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT BUBBA RACEWAY PARK IN OCALA ON 1/31/15:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 9 87 Walker Arthur Forest, VA 100 $10,000
2. 7 58 Mark Whitener Middleburg, FL 100 $5,000
3. 16 111 Max Blair Centerville, PA 100 $3,000
4. 8 H2 Matt Henderson Loudon, TN 100 $2,000
5. 6 02 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL 100 $1,750
6. 1 RJ1 Jacob Hawkins Fairmont, WV 100 $1,500
7. 13 14 Tyler Clem St. Petersburg, FL 99 $1,300
8. 19 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN 99 $1,200
9. 10 27L Doug Horton Wimamma, FL 99 $1,100
10. 14 27 Michael Lake Uniontown, PA 99 $1,000
11. 5 2c Joey Coulter Concord, NC 99 $800
12. 4 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 98 $700
13. 12 33 Jeff Mathews Valrico, FL 77 $600
14. 17 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL 76 $5000
15. 3 25 Justin McRee Woodstock, AL 66 $450
16. 20 17 Logan Roberson Waynesboro, VA 65 $440
17. 21 14c Cale Conley Vienna, WV 56 $430
18. 22 30 Ryan King Seymour, TN 40 $420
19. 11 33x Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL 38 $400
20. 15 17ss Shan Smith Dade City, FL 35 $400
21. 2 2 Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC 26 $400
22. 23 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 18 $400
23. 18 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 8 $400
24. 24 33s Carter Stokes New Smyrna Bch, FL 0 $0/DNS

ENTRIES: 49
FAST QUALIFIER: Johnson, 15.334 Seconds (11/21/14)
PROVISIONALS: Minga and King (Weekly Racing Series Provisional)

GROUP QUALIFYING (11/21/14):

GROUP 1:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 2 Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC Longhorn 15.620 15.564 15.564
2 12 Ryan Montgomery Fairmont, WV Warrior 15.772 15.608 15.608
3 33 Carter Stokes New Smyrna Bch, FL Rocket 16.046 15.726 15.726
4 18e Chase Edge LaFayette, AL Mastersbilt 15.973 15.740 15.740
5 40b Kyle Bronson Tampa, FL Rocket 15.832 15.782 15.782
6 44 John Ruggiero Lincolnton, NC Barry Wright 16.014 15.817 15.817
7 11 Doug Horton Wimamma, FL Warrior 15.872 16.022 15.872
8 17ss Shan Smith Dade City, FL GRT 15.933 16.225 15.933
9 17s Jeff Smith Chatsworth, GA Warrior 16.184 16.266 16.184
10 21 Mario Gresham Rome, GA Mastersbilt 16.331 16.665 16.331
11 21 Jamie Pickard Columbus, MS Mastersbilt 17.332 16.916 16.916

GROUP 2:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN Mastersbilt 15.334 15.393 15.334
2 1L Darrell Lanigan Union, KY Club 29 15.668 15.468 15.468
3 02 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL Rocket 15.672 15.512 15.512
4 27 Michael Lake Uniontown, PA Warrior 15.579 15.620 15.579
5 49 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA Longhorn 15.826 15.621 15.621
6 110 Brent Barrett Cleveland, MS GRT 15.840 15.651 15.651
7 40r Josh Richards Clarksboro, WV Rocket 15.827 15.681 15.681
8 B69 Bryan Bernhardt Clearwater, FL Rocket 16.052 15.769 15.769
9 27p Mike Pegher Jr. Cranberry, PA Warrior 15.779 15.856 15.779
10 22 Cecil Eunice Blackshear, GA Mastersbilt 16.618 16.078 16.078
11 45 Damon Flowers Hortense, GA Barry Wright 16.726 16.523 16.523

GROUP 3:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 25 Justin McRee Woodstock, AL HRRC 15.781 15.599 15.599
2 H2 Matt Henderson Loudon, TN CVR 15.617 15.754 15.617
3 58 Mark Whitener Middleburg, FL Barry Wright 15.723 15.722 15.722
4 56 Eric Hickerson Linden, TN Mastersbilt 15.917 15.752 15.752
5 14 Tyler Clem St. Petersburg, FL Rocket 15.828 15.827 15.827
6 66 Jake Knowles Tyrone, GA Rocket 15.894 15.888 15.888
7 77 Charlie Flowers Hortense, GA Barry Wright 16.656 16.021 16.021
8 33 Jeff Mathews Valrico, FL Rocket 16.066 16.080 16.066
9 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS Rocket 16.567 16.203 16.203
10 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS Trak-Star 16.727 16.583 16.583

GROUP 4:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 RJ1 Jacob Hawkins Fairmont, WV Rocket 15.720 15.529 15.529
2 10 Ryan Crane Panama City, FL Trak-Star 15.758 15.980 15.758
3 33x Ivedent Lloyd Ocala, FL Rocket 15.835 16.079 15.835
4 2c Joey Coulter Concord, NC Rocket 15.916 15.940 15.916
5 87 Walker Arthur Forest, VA Mastersbilt 15.936 16.043 15.936
6 51 Mack McCarter Gatlinburg, TN CVR 16.061 15.942 15.942
7 101 Forrest Trent Talbott, TN Rocket 16.237 16.143 16.143
8 56n Chris Noah Rainbow City, AL Mastersbilt 16.254 16.228 16.228
9 08 Justin Shipley Douglasville, GA Barry Wright 16.662 16.365 16.365
10 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS GRT 16.883 16.531 16.531

HEAT RACES (11/21/15: 15 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST HEAT: 1. Lanigan; 2. Johnson; 3. Nosbisch; 4. Davenport; 5. Pegher; 6. Richards; 7. Lake; 8. Bernhardt; 9. Eunice; 10. Barrett; 11. D. Flowers.

2ND HEAT: 1. Hawkins; 2. Coulter; 3. Arthur; 4. Lloyd; 5. McCarter; 6. Trent; 7. Noah (R); 8. J. Stokes; 9. Shipley; Crane DNS.

3RD HEAT: 1. Franklin; 2. C. Stokes; 3. Bronson; 4. Horton; 5. Montgomery; 6. S. Smith; 7. Edge; 8. Ruggiero; 9. J. Smith; 10. Gresham; 11. Pickard.

4TH HEAT: 1. McRee; 2. Whitener; 3. Henderson; 4. Clem; 5. Mathews; 6. Hickerson; 7. Minga; 8. C. Flowers; 9. Knowles; 10. Blount.

B-MAIN (20 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event): 1. Edge; 2. Blair; 3. Gentry; 4. Stokes; 5. Conley; 6. Roberson; 7. King; 8. Greg Lemley; 9. Knowles; 10. Minga; 11. Crane; 12. Jason Britton.

DID NOT START B-MAIN: Lanigan, Bronson, Davenport, Pegher, Montgomery, Richards, Bernhardt, Riggiero, Eunice, Smith, Barrett, Gresham, Flowers, McCarter, Trent, Hickerson, Noah, Flowers, Shipley, Blount, and Pickard.