Bronson Takes Historic Second Straight World Championship Race Win

[NeSmith Racing]

OCALA, FL – Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL made history Saturday night at Bubba Raceway Park has he became the first driver in 14 Chevrolet Performance World Championship Races to win the prestigious event two years in a row as a part of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout Series for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.

Bronson led 81 of 100 laps, including the last 77 laps, in the Brandon Ford Special, and joins Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN as a two-time winner of the Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race. When asked in Victory Lane which win was more memorable, Bronson paid homage to his mentor, the late Bo Hammond, the father of his car owner, Wayne Hammond.

“While this win is special in becoming the first driver to win two in a row, last year’s win was more memorable for me because Bo Hammond was here, and he’s the man that taught me how to work on these cars,” Bronson said. “Bo passed away recently, and I’m glad I got to share the win last year with him.”

The winner of $10,000 also thanked his crew and some familiar people in dirt late model racing that helped him pull off a dominant performance all week long at Bubba Raceway Park. Bronson started the week with a second-place finish on Thursday in Round 2 of the Rock Auto.com Winter Shootout Series, and he took the win on Friday night.

“We were good all week, and I have to thank my crew for all of their hard work because they worked their butts off,” Bronson said. “They were signaling me to slow down, but when I slowed down, the car got faster. I also want to thank Randy Weaver and Brandon Overton for their help with this Longhorn by Weaver Race Car. I kept them on the phone a lot this week, but it was time well spent.”

After taking the lead for good on lap 24, Bronson was never challenged for the point in the remainder of the race. Tyler Bare of Rockridge Bath, VA finished second in the May’s Recycling Rocket, 2.729 seconds behind Bronson. Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, IN drove the Lineal Contracting Special to a third-place finish.

Michael Page of Douglasville, GA took the fourth spot in the Troy Baird Trucking Special, and Walker Arthur of Forest, VA started 20th in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special and finished fifth to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award. Logan Roberson of Waynesville, VA was sixth in the Dirt Defender Rocket, coming back from a cut tire late in the race.

Polesitter Jeff Mathews of Brandon, FL came back from a cut tire on lap 60 to finish seventh driving the Vivid Graphics Special, and Devin Dixon of Apollo Beach, FL took the eighth spot in the Dave’s Towing Rocket. RockAuto.com Winter Shootout point leader Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN was ninth in the Car Smart Auto Sales Special and Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL rounded out the top ten in the 44 Trading Special.

In preliminary action, Mathews took the Sunoco/Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Fast Time Award among the 46 entrants with a lap around the egg-shaped 3/8-mile clay oval in 14.722 seconds. The four 12-lap Heat Races that determined the first 12 starting spots were won by Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL in the ULC Land Clearing Special, Mathews, O’Neal, and Bronson.

The two 15-lap B-Main Races that filled starting positions 13 through 22 were won by Sam Seawright of Fort Payne, AL in the J&R Lumber Special, and Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, FL in the Vivid Graphics Special.

O’Neal took the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting spot followed by Bronson, who moved up to second from his inside second row starting spot, Matthews, Whitener, Edge. Bronson moved up alongside O’Neal to challenge for the lead on lap five, and then completed the pass for the point on the sixth lap.

The fast pace Bronson was setting brought him to the cars on the tail of the lead lap on the eighth tour of Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race. In heavy lapped traffic, Bronson, O’Neal and Whitener battled three-wide for the lead. O’Neal had the sea of lapped traffic part in his favor on lap ten and he took back the lead.

Whitener got around Bronson for second on lap 11 using a lapped car as a pick, but Bronson was able to chase Whitener back down on lap 16 and they battled side-by-side before Bronson reclaimed the second spot on lap 19. Bronson reeled in O’Neal and drove by him for the lead on lap 24 down the front straightaway.

The only thing from here on out in the race that could slow Bronson down were six caution flags, with the first one coming out on lap 29 when Seawright stalled in turn four. Bronson led the field down for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart followed by O’Neal, Whitener, Edge, Mathews, Roberson, Keith Barbara of South Park, PA in the Royal Flush, Inc. Rocket, Dixon, Bare and Elliott.

Whitener drove past O’Neal for the second spot on the restart and then Whitener set his sights on Bronson. Whitener was trying to close on the leader, but he jumped the cushion on lap 40 in turn two and tapped the outside retaining wall. Whitener was able to hang on to the second spot, and he had a big lead over the third-place car of O’Neal.

The second caution flag of the race came out on lap 59 when Rhett Carter of Blackshear, GA stalled his 44 Trading Rocket in turn one. Bronson led Whitener, O’Neal, Dixon, Edge, Roberson, Barbara, Bare, Mathews and Page down for the restart. Mathews slowed on lap 60 in turn two to bring out the third caution flag.

When the field returned to green flag racing, Bronson took off and began to pull away from Whitener, and on lap 61, Dixon moved up alongside O’Neal to contest the third spot. Dixon was able to claim the position on lap 62.

A multi-car incident in turn two on lap 73 in front of the leaders brought out the fourth yellow flag of the century grind. Bronson just made it through on the outside, but Whitener clipped one of the crashed cars and had to make a visit to the “body shop” to have officials pull some sheet metal back in place.

Whitener was able to restart in second behind Bronson and to the inside of third-place Dixon. When the green flag came out, Whitener and Dixon got together, and Whitener slowed off the pace with a cut tire. Instead of changing the tire in the infield “hot pit,” Whitener turned right off the track and out of the race.

Bronson led Dixon, O’Neal, Roberson, Bare, Page, Arthur, Mathews, Edge and Elliott down for the restart. Dixon and O’Neal raced side-by-side for second while Bronson pulled away. Bare quickly moved up to make it a three-car dance for the runner up spot. By lap 75, Bronson had a half straightaway lead over O’Neal, Bare, Dixon and Arthur.

The final caution flag of the race came out on lap 88 when Roberson cut down a tire while running seventh. Roberson returned the race in the ninth spot as the last car on the lead lap. Bronson took the green flag to pick up where he left off with O’Neal, Bare, Dixon, Page, Arthur, Mathews, Elliott, Roberson, and Edge in tow.

Bronson quickly checked out on the field when they went back to green flag action. Behind the leader, Bare stepped up and began to challenge O’Neal for second. Bare got by O’Neal for second on lap 93, but by that time, Bronson was in a different zip code from the rest of the field, and raced his way into history with his second-straight Golden Globe Trophy.

The next pair of races for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, TN for the Tennessee Tip-Off on March 9 and 10. There will be a $2,000-to-win 40-lap race on March 9, and a $2,500-to-win 50-lap event on March 10. The two races will be Rounds 5 and 6 of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout Series.

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.

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Congrats to Bronson. Looking forward to seeing him race this year.