OCALA, FL – Darrell Lanigan of Union, KY won the first Heat Race on Friday night driving the Darrell Lanigan Racing Special to earn the pole position for the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 10th Annual World Championship Race for the NeSmith Late Models on Saturday night at Bubba Raceway Park.

The top four finishers in the four 15-lap Heat Races set the “Sweet 16” starting line-up for the Big Show. Drivers that finished fifth on back in each of the heats will have another opportunity to make the World Championship Race starting line-up in one of two B-Main races to be held at Bubba Raceway Park tomorrow night.

Jacob Hawkins of Fairmont, WV won the second 15-lap Heat Race in the Bland’s Towing Rocket to earn the outside front row starting spot for the main event. Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC earned the inside second row starting spot with a third Heat Race win in the M&W Towing Special, and Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL will start on the outside of the second row after a fourth Heat Race win in the High Roller Race Cars Special.

Following Lanigan under the checkered flag in the second through four spots respectively in the first heat were the 2014 and two-time NeSmith Late Model National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special, Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL in the Image Skin Care Rocket, and Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA in the AES Racing Special.

Johnson set the fast time in Qualifying among the 42 entrants with a lap around Bubba Raceway Park in 15.334 seconds. Johnson will start the World Championship from the fifth starting spot, Nosbisch starts ninth, and Davenport starts on the inside of row seven.

Second through fourth in Heat Race two and earning the sixth, tenth, and 14th starting spots respectively were Joey Coulter of Concord, NC in the Wolfpack Racing Rocket, Walker Arthur of Forest, VA in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special, and Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, FL in the CURS Rocket.

Transferring along with Franklin out for the third Heat Race in the second through fourth spots and earning the seventh, 11th, and 15th starting spots for the World Championship Race respectively were Carter Stokes of New Smyrna Beach, FL in the RCR Rocket, Kyle Bronson of Tampa, FL in the Brandon Ford Rocket, and Doug Horton of Wimamma, FL in the Adams Used Auto Parts Warrior.

Finishing behind McRee in the second through fourth spots in the fourth Heat Race and earning the eighth, 12th and 16th starting spots for the main event respectively were Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL in the Dave’s Towing Special, Matt Henderson of Loudon, FL in the Mighty Muffler and Brakes CVR, and Tyler Clem of St. Petersburg, FL in the Elder Ford Rocket.

At the age of 12, Clem made history by becoming the youngest driver to earn a starting spot for a NeSmith Late Model World Championship Race. The previous record was age 15 when Ryan Montgomery made the show two years ago.

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

PRELIMINARY EVENT RESULTS OF THE 10TH ANNUAL CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT BUBBA RACEWAY PARK IN OCALA, FL ON 11/21/14:

GROUP QUALIFYING:

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 - R 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 (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.

“SWEET 16”:

ROW 1:
1L Darrell Lanigan – RJ1 Jacob Hawkins
ROW 2:
2 Dennis Franklin – 25 Justin McRee
ROW 3:
5 Ronnie Johnson – 2c Joey Coulter
ROW 4:
33 Carter Stokes – 58 Mark Whitener
ROW 5:
02 Keith Nosbisch – 87 Walker Arthur
ROW 6:
40b Kyle Bronson – H2 Matt Henderson
ROW 7:
49 Jonathan Davenport – 33x Ivedent Lloyd Jr.
ROW 8:
11 Doug Horton – 14 Tyler Clem

SATURDAY NIGHT B-MAIN LINE-UPS (Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN:
27p Mike Pegher Jr. – 12 Ryan Montgomery
40r Josh Richards – 17ss Shan Smith
27 Michael Lake – 18 Chase Edge
B69 Bryan Bernhardt – 44 John Ruggiero
22 Cecil Eunice – 17s Jeff Smith
110 Brent Barrett – 21 Mario Gresham
45 Damon Flowers

2ND B-MAIN:
51 Mack McCarter – 33 Jeff Mathews
101 Forest Trent – 56 Eric Hickerson
56n Chris Noah (R) – 19 Marcus Minga
1 Johnny Stokes – 77 Charlie Flowers
08 Justin Shipley – 66 Jake Knowles
10 Ryan Crane – 121 Michael Blount
21 Jamie Pickard

R – Denotes Rookie of the Year Candidate