Thomas Wire-To-Wire In Night 1 For King Of The Crate At North Alabama

TUSCUMBIA, AL – Jimmy Thomas of Phenix City, AL drove the Scorpion Race Cars Special to a Night 1 victory in the King of the Crate 40 for the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series on Friday night at North Alabama Speedway. Thomas took the lead on the opening lap and went wire-to-wire for 40 caution-free laps.

“If you would have asked me earlier tonight if I thought I could win this race, I would have had my doubts, but I have to thank my Dad and my crew for giving me a fast car tonight,” Thomas said. “We might be able to find some more speed out of it for tomorrow night, but we check everything over and put it in the box. It’s good!”

Thomas showed patience in heavy lapped traffic and was able to maintain a big lead throughout the race. Thomas took a 2.549 second margin of victory over the defending King of the Crate Champion Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL in the Bud Coley Trucking Special.

Josh Putnam of Florence, AL moved from fifth to third in the closing laps of the race in the Jippy Auto Sales Special. Putnam’s late race charge earned him the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award. Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series point leader Wil Herrington of Hawkinsville, GA was fourth in the 5m Construction Rocket.

Chase Walls of Decherd, TN took the fifth spot in the Powers Machine Special and Oakley Gillespie of Five Points, TN drove the White Skies Communications Special to a sixth-place finish. Bryant Marsh of Corinth, MS finished seventh in the Modern Woodmen of America Rocket and earned the Fullmoon Graphics “Lucky 7” Award.

Corey Dunn of Milledgeville, GA was eighth and the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race in the Georgia Timber CVR. Matt Copper of McKenzie, TN started the Ronnie Cooper Trucking Rocket 17th and finished ninth to earn the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger of the Race Award. Tyler Wood of Hohenwald, TN rounded out the top ten in the Quality Building Supply Special.

In preliminary action, Shaw out timed the 35 entrants in Boyd Built Fabricators Group Qualifying with a lap around North Alabama Speedway in 14.579 seconds. The two KRC Power Steering 12-lap B-Main Races were won by Wood and Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN in the Shoals Box and Pallet Special.

The only caution flag of the race came out on the opening tour when Ben Brocato of Muscle Shoals, AL spun the Valley Metal Fabricators Specials in turn four. That necessitated a complete restart. Thomas took the lead on the next green flag followed by Shaw, Herrington, Walls, and Gillespie.

Marsh was able to pass Gillespie for fifth on lap three, and Thomas reached the cars on the tail end of the lead lap on lap eight with a half straightaway lead over Shaw. Putnam charged up from his tenth starting spot to fifth by lap ten. While Thomas was in heavy lapped traffic, Shaw was able to close to within a few car lengths.

Once Thomas broke through the traffic, he pulled away from Shaw. At the halfway point, the top ten was Thomas, Shaw, Herrington, Walls, Putnam, Marsh, Gillespie, Dunn, Johns, and Wood.

The only close call for Thomas came on lap 27 when Parker Martin of Milledgeville, GA driving the Martin Industrial Contracting Special made contact with the leader while being lapped, but no damage was done to either car, and Thomas was able to pull away. Thomas packed his bags, turned in the key and checked out on the field with a full straightway lead with ten laps to go.

The Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series returns to North Alabama Speedway on Saturday night for Night 2 with the $3,000-to-win 4th Annual King of the Crate 50 in the run for the Crown, Robe, and Scepter.

The economical Aluminum Head, Steel Block, Chevrolet Performance 604 Circle Track Engine is the engine of choice for the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series competitors. The Chevrolet Performance 604 Engine is in stock and available for free next day delivery from Newsome Raceway Parts in Hartsville, SC.

Newsome Raceway Parts gives a portion of the sales from each Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engine sold back to the Crate Racin’ USA Point Funds in four different Divisions. Each economical Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engine is built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications. To place an order call 1-877-497-3624.

For more information and rules about the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.crateracinusa.com, or visit the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CrateRacinUSA/. You can follow us on Twitter @CrateRacinUSALM, and at Instagram at crateracinusa.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 10 AT NORTH ALABAMA SPEEDWAY IN TUSCUMBIA, AL ON 9/11/2020:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 22 Jimmy Thomas Phenix City, AL 40 $2,000
2. 2 1s Jeremy Shaw Millport, AL 40 $1,000
3. 10 212 Josh Putnam Florence, AL 40 $700
4. 3 14 Wil Herrington Hawkinsville, GA 40 $550
5. 6 22w Chase Walls Decherd, TN 40 $500
6. 5 2g Oakley Gillespie Five Points, TN 40 $425
7. 7 1 Bryant Marsh Corinth, MS 40 $375
8. 9 21 Corey Dunn (R) Milledgeville, GA 40 $350
9. 17 18 Matt Cooper McKenzie, TN 40 $325
10. 11 17jr Tyler Wood Hohenwald, TN 40 $300
11. 8 11 Cruz Skinner Oxford, Al 40 $275
12. 12 C6 Oakley Johns Hohenwald, TN 39 $250
13. 19 6m Parker Martin (R/YG) Milledgeville, GA 39 $225
14. 15 94 Jordan Hedger Crittenden, KY 39 $200
15. 20 F36 Cale Finley Athens, AL 39 $200
16. 13 29 Justin Litchford Chattanooga, TN 39 $200
17. 23 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, Al 39 $200
18. 26 79 Billy Flannagan Jr. Tuscumbia, AL 39 $200
19. 22 3 Shay Knight Steens, MS 31 $200
20. 21 78 Matthew Brocato Muscle Shoals, AL 29 $200
21. 24 03 Jody Knowles Tyrone, GA 25 $200
22. 16 713 Ben Brocato Muscle Shoals, AL 19 $200
23. 14 15 Shane Stephens Arlington, TN 12 $200
24. 25 39 Troy Dixon (R) Dallas, GA 12 $0
25. 18 27 Jadon Frame Decherd, TN 11 $200
26. 4 2 Trynt Lloyd (R/YG) Jacksonville, FL 0 $200

ENTRIES: 35
FAST QUALIFIER: Shaw, 14.579
PROVISIONALS: Brittain and Knowles
EMERGENCY PROVISIONAL: Dixon
TRACK PROVISIONAL: Flannagan
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Thomas, 1-40
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER: M. Cooper (started 17th and finished ninth)
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Putnam
FULLMOON GRAPHICS LUCKY 7 AWARD: Marsh
KRC POWER STEERING B-MAIN RACE WINNERS: Wood and O. Johns
CAUTIONS: 1
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 2.549 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 27 Minutes and 30.234 Seconds
NEXT RACE: September 12, North Alabama Speedway, Tuscumbia, AL. $3,000-To-Win, 50-Laps

BOYD BUILT FABRICATORS GROUP QUALIFYING (Top 5 From Each Group To Main Event):

GROUP 1:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS TIME
1 22 Jimmy Thomas Phenix City, AL Scorpion 14.629
2 14 Wil Herrington Hawkinsville, GA Rocket 14.635
3 2g Oakley Gillespie Five Points, TN Savage 14.655
4 1 Bryant Marsh Corinth, MS Rocket 14.684
5 21 Corey Dunn (R) Milledgeville, GA CVR 14.797
6 17jr Tyler Wood Hohenwald, TN Pierce 14.810
7 29 Justin Litchford Chattanooga, TN Rocket 14.815
8 94 Jordan Hedger Crittenden, KY Club 29 14.822
9 6jr Parker Martin (R/YG) Milledgeville, GA Longhorn 14.858
10 18 Matt Cooper McKenzie, TN Rocket 14.892
11 78 Matthew Brocato Muscle Shoals, AL Black Diamond 14.893
12 79 Billy Flannagan Jr. Tuscumbia, AL Warrior 14.964
13 W7 Greg Wilhite Moulton, AL Longhorn 14.996
14 03 Jody Knowles Tyrone, GA Longhorn 15.156
15 1j Jason Markewitz Killen, AL Killer 15.182
16 97m Robert Moore Iuka, MS Rocket 15.205
17 H17 Steven Holcomb Santa Fe, TN Mastersbilt 15.585
18 69 Mike Henn Muscle Shoals, AL Barry Wright 15.604

GROUP 2:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS TIME
1 1s Jeremy Shaw Millport, AL Barry Wright 14.579
2 2 Trynt Lloyd (R/YG) Jacksonville, FL Longhorn 14.759
3 22w Chase Walls Decherd, TN Mastersbilt 14.759
4 11 Cruz Skinner Oxford, AL Rocket 14.771
5 212 Josh Putnam Florence, AL Longhorn 14.822
6 C6 Oakley Johns Hohenwald, TN Pierce 14.881
7 15 Shane Stephens Arlington, TN CVR 14.894
8 27 Jadon Frame Decherd, TN Longhorn 14.933
9 4m Mitchell Holloway Muscle Shoals, AL Mastersbilt 14.955
10 713 Ben Brocato Muscle Shoals, AL Black Diamond 15.098
11 F36 Cale Finley Athens, AL CFR Speed 15.127
12 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS Rocket 15.246
13 C66 Donald Johns Summertown, TN Pierce 15.314
14 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, AL Warrior 15.407
15 3 Shay Knight Steens, MS Rocket 15.492
16 10c Ronnie Cooper McKenzie, TN Black Diamond 15.736
17 39 Troy Dixon (R) Dallas, GA Rocket 16.338

KRC POWER STEERING B-MAIN RACES (12 Laps- Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN: 1. Wood; 2. Litchford; 3. Hedger; 4. M. Cooper; 5. Martin (R/YG); 6. M. Brocato; 7. Flannagan; 8. Moore; 9. Markewitz; 10. Knowles; 11. Henn; 12. Holcomb; 13. Wilhite.

2ND B-MAIN: 1. O. Johns; 2. Stephens; 3. B. Brocato; 4. Frame; 5. Finley; 6. Knight; 7. Minga; 8. D. Johns; 9. R. Cooper; 10. Dixon (R); 11. Holloway; 12. Brittain.

NEWSOME RACEWAY PARTS CRATE RACIN’ USA DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 9/11/2020: To Be Posted at My Race Pass.com

R – Denotes Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Candidate
YG – Denotes VP Racing Fuels Young Gun Challenge Series Driver