COCHRAN, GA – Jake Knowles of Rome, GA padded his Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead with his second win of the season on Friday night at Cochran Motor Speedway. Knowles took the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting spot and led all 40 laps of the main event in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Longhorn.

Knowles said the key to victory was getting the lead at the start, and having a good handling race car. When the winner climbed out of his race car in Victory Lane, he looked like he just drove around the block without breaking a sweat on a hot and humid Middle Georgia evening in the second event of the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Salute To America Nationals.

“I’m pretty sure we went with a little different tire combination than anyone else and when we took the lead, I was pretty confident we had a winning race car,” Knowles said. “I’ve got to thank my dad Wade Knowles, who worked all day out here in the heat to give me a race car that handled better than any I can remember. We’ll just dust it off, get a new set of tires ready and we’ll be ready to go for tomorrow.”

The hometown hero Wil Herrington, who grew up in Cochran, GA and now lives in Hawkinsville, GA, finished second in the Middle Georgia Roofing CVR. Herrington, who was also the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race, had an entertaining battle with Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL, who finished third in the Whitener Racing Special.

Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN started 17th and finished fourth in the Johns Farms Special to earn the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger of the Race Award. Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Candidate Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL took the fifth spot in the Skinner’s Body Shop Special.

Blake Smith of East Dublin, GA drove the Heat Sink Rocket to a sixth-place finish, and T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL was seventh to earn the Fullmoon Graphics “Lucky 7” Award. Pearson Lee Williams of Dublin, GA finished eighth in the Dublin Tire Special, and ninth went to Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN in the Car Smart Auto Sales Special.

Tyler Sanders of Dublin, GA rounded out the top ten in the H.C. Roland Construction Special. In preliminary action, Brittain took the Boyd Bilt Fabrication Fast Time Award in Group Qualifying with a lap around Cochran Motor Speedway in 15.336 seconds.

Knowles took the lead in turn one at the drop of the green flag to start the race followed by polesitter Brittain, Herrington, Smith, and Jimmy Thomas of Phenix City, AL in the Jenwood, Inc. Special. Whitener rode the outside groove from the tenth starting spot to fifth in eight laps. That earned Whitener the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award.

Herrington stepped to the outside of Brittain on lap ten to take over the second spot, while Knowles took a half a straightaway lead into lapped traffic on lap 11. The first of four caution flags came out on lap 13 when Logan Palmer of Acworth, GA spun his Prather Special in turn two.

Knowles had Herrington, Brittain, Smith, Whitener, Thomas, Skinner, Sanders, Ches Chester of Twin City, GA in the Rebel Auction Rocket, and Williams doubled up behind him for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart. When the green flag came out, Whitener was on the move.

Whitener got by Smith for fourth on the restart, and then on lap 14, he drove inside Brittain in turn one to climb into the third spot. In the meantime, Knowles had opened up a half straightaway lead over Herrington by lap 15, and Knowles was again in lapped traffic on lap 24. Five laps later, Herrington reeled in the leader, but could get close enough to make a pass for the lead.

The second caution flag came out on lap 34 when Joseph Brown of Columbus, GA sailed off the backstretch in the Lewis Auto Sales Rocket. The lapped cars went away and Knowles has clear race track ahead of him for the restart. Behind the leader, Herrington, Whitener, Brittain, Skinner, Smith, Thomas, Johns, and Sanders were doubled up in second through ninth.

Herrington chose the outside for the restart, which put Whitener to his inside. When the green flag came out, Whitener drove under Herrington to move up to the second spot. Knowles stayed out front when the third caution flag was waved on lap 37 when Thomas stalled in turn four.

The top ten for the restart had Knowles in the lead with Whitener, Herrington, Brittain, Skinner, Smith, Johns, Sanders, Williams, and Elliott doubled up behind him in second through tenth respectively. Knowles took off at the sight of the green flag, while Whitener and Herrington waged war for the second spot.

Herrington returned Whitener’s inside move on this restart to reclaim the second spot. The drivers race side-by-side and traded slide jobs for two laps before the final caution flag came out on lap 39 when Chester spun in turn four. Knowles got ready to hang on for a green-white-checkered restart, while Herrington, Whitener, Johns, Skinner, Smith, Brittain, Williams, Elliott and Sanders doubled up in second through tenth respectively.

Knowles once again had the field covered, as Herrington sealed the deal for the second spot, Knowles took the checkered flag with a 1.612 second margin of victory over Herrington, with Whitener finishing third, Johns in fourth, and Skinner rounding out the top five.

The Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series returns to Cochran Motor Speedway on Saturday night for a $2,500-to-win 50-lap event, the third and final race of the Salute To America Nationals.

For complete point standings, more information and rules about the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.durrencelayneracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Durrence Layne Racing. You can follow us on Twitter @DurrenceLayneRacing.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 7 AT COCHRAN MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN COCHRAN, GA ON 7/5/19:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA 40 $2,000
2. 4 14 Wil Herrington (R) Hawkinsville, GA 40 $1,000
3. 10 5 Mark Whitener Middleburg, FL 40 $700
4. 17 C6 Oakley Johns Hohenwald, TN 40 $550
5. 7 11 Cruz Skinner (R) Oxford, AL 40 $500
6. 3 39 Blake Smith East Dublin, GA 40 $425
7. 1 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, AL 40 $375
8. 9 121 Pearson Lee Williams Dublin, GA 40 $350
9. 22 J39 Jimmy Elliott Cleveland, TN 40 $325
10. 5 21 Tyler Sanders Dublin, GA 40 $300
11. 19 17jr Tyler Wood Hohenwald, TN 40 $275
12. 16 87 Jake Rainey (R-YG) Hiram, GA 40 $250
13. 8 21d Corey Dunn Milledgeville, GA 40 $225
14. 24 6jr Parker Martin (YG) McIntyre, GA 40 $200
15. 14 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 40 $200
16. 23 C66 Donald Johns Summertown, TN 39 $200
17. 13 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 39 $200
18. 6 22 Jimmy Thomas Phenix City, AL 36 $200
19. 12 9 Ches Chester Twin City, GA 36 $200
20. 15 01 Travis Pennington Stapleton, GA 33 $200
21. 11 92 Joseph Brown Columbus, GA 32 $200
22. 21 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 32 $200
23. 20 J1 Joshua Bishop Statesboro, GA 23 $200
24. 18 14p Logan Palmer Acworth, GA 11 $200
25. 25 26 Jimmy Sharpe Vidalia, GA 11 $200
26. 26 10 Ben Faircloth Swainsboro, GA DNS $0

ENTRIES: 26
BOYD BILT FAST QUALIFIER: Brittain, 15.335 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Knowles, 1-40
KNOWLES RACE PARTS AND BODIES HARD CHARGER: O. Johns (started 17th and finished 4th)
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE: Whitener
FULLMOON GRAPHICS LUCKY 7 AWARD: Brittain
KEYSER MANUFACTURING HARD LUCK AWARD: Sharpe
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Herrington
CAUTIONS: 4
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.612 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 27 Minutes and 56.149 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: 7/6/19, Cochran Motor Speedway, Cochran, GA, $2,500-To-Win, 50-Laps

BOYD BILT GROUP QUALIFYING:

GROUP 1:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS TIME
1 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, AL Warrior 15.335
2 39 Blake Smith East Dublin, GA Rocket 15.452
3 21 Tyler Sanders Dublin, GA Capital 15.459
4 11 Cruz Skinner - R Oxford, AL Capital 15.469
5 121 Pearson Lee Williams Dublin, GA Black Diamond 15.503
6 92 Joseph Brown Columbus, GA Rocket 15.538
7 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS Rocket 15.576
8 01 Travis Pennington Stapleton, GA Longhorn 15.583
9 C6 Oakley Johns Hohenwald, TN Pierce 15.634
10 17jr Tyler Wood Hohenwald, TN Pierce 15.664
11 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA Walter Newman 15.769
12 C66 Donald Johns Summertown, TN Pierce 15.777
13 10 Ben Faircloth Swainsboro, GA Rocket 16.023

GROUP 2:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS TIME
1 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA Longhorn 15.381
2 14 Wil Herrington - R Hawkinsville, GA CVR 15.382
3 22 Jimmy Thomas Phenix City, AL Scorpion 15.464
4 21d Corey Dunn Milledgeville, GA CVR 15.486
5 5 Mark Whitener Middleburg, FL Barry Wright 15.496
6 9 Ches Chester Twin City, GA Rocket 15.500
7 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL Mastersbilt 15.502
8 87 Jake Rainey (R-YG) Hiram, GA Capital 15.507
9 14p Logan Palmer Acworth, GA Barry Wright 15.618
10 J1 Joshua Bishop Statesboro, GA Longhorn 15.654
11 J39 Jimmy Elliott Cleveland, TN Longhorn 15.729
12 6jr Parker Martin (YG) McIntyre, GA Longhorn 15.799
13 26 Jimmy Sharpe Vidalia, GA Rocket 15.911

DURRENCE LAYNE CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 7/5/19:

1. 66 Jake Knowles – 662
2. 11 Cruz Skinner (R) – 608
3. 14 Wil Herrington (R) – 580
4. C6 Oakley Johns – 570
5. 17jr Tyler Wood – 556
6. 05 T.J. Brittain – 554
7. 87 Jake Rainey (R-YG) – 550
8. 19 Marcus Minga – 508
9. J8 Jadon Frame (R) – 362
10. J0 John Ownbey – 324
11. K5 David Kay – 322
12. C66 Donald Johns – 320
13. 22 Jimmy Thomas – 258
14. 66k Dylan Knowles – 252
15. 8 Grant Pearl – 230

R – Denotes Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Candidate

YG – Denotes VP Racing Fuels Young Guns Challenge Series Driver