Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series News Release:  Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157

July 10, 2015

ELLIS WINS CHEVY SUPER SERIES THRILLER AT THE MAG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
COLUMBUS, MS - Five different lead exchanges among three different drivers spiced a down-to-the-wire Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series event at Magnolia Motor Speedway on Friday night, and it was NeSmith Weekly Racing Series track regular Evan Ellis who scratched and clawed in the high groove, upending reigning series titlist Ronnie Johnson to earn a last-lap victory by a very narrow .110-second margin at the stripe.

               Ellis’ victory in the first-ever Hoosier Race Tire “Road to Dega” qualifying event earned him a chance to compete for a $4,000 bonus in the Dega 100 slated Oct. 3 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL. The top four finishers all earned eligibility status for the much-anticipated event, which made runner-up finisher Johnson, third-place finisher Johnny Stokes and fourth-place finisher Tyler Crowder all eligible for the bonus prize at TST.

Crowder’s finish came after a start from the next-to-last position in the 23-car field, while Mario Gresham started 19th and placed fifth, and will have to continue his quest for Hoosier Race Tire “Road to Dega” eligibility at the next designated Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series event slated July 17 at Penton Raceway in LaFayette, AL.
The fourth-starting Ellis led only two circuits in the 40-lap affair at the 3/8-mile oval, engaging Johnson in a late-race battle after struggling with brake issues in the middle stages of the event. Ellis, who adjusted the braking system under caution with 11 laps to go, rebounded to lead the 37th circuit. Johnson paced the next two laps, and then Ellis rolled the top side on the final circuit to steal the victory away from the Chattanooga, TN, veteran.
“Ronnie {Johnson] is a great race car driver, and you know before it even happens that you’re gonna have to race him hard to beat him,” Ellis said. “We went on a different tire than most of ‘em used, and while my car would run on the bottom earlier in the race, it really wanted to be up top where I could keep my momentum.
“The right-front brake started to lock up about the middle stages, and we fell off the pace a little bit. I fiddled with the three-wheel braking a little bit, and that freed everything up with 11 laps to go, and all of a sudden it was like we had a different car.”
Johnson, who is the current series points leader, met Ellis in the winner’s circle to congratulate the winner, and the pair laughed together as they traded a few quick war stories about the thrilling finish.
“He [Ellis] just made that top work better than we did,” Johnson said. “I guess he’d made that work a little bit earlier in the race, so it wasn’t surprising that he tried it late in the race when he had the opportunity. I tried to move up there myself to run and see how it’d be for us, but our car wouldn’t come off the corner up there, so we had to use the bottom, and he got us. We’ll take the second-place finish, and a good points night.”
Johnson led three different times for 37 circuits, while Ellis paced the field on two occasions for two laps. Adam Martin paced a single lap, taking the point briefly from Johnson on the 11th circuit before fading to a sixth-place showing.
Several crashes slowed the early stages of the race, the first of which involved polesitter and fastest qualifier Ryan King of Anniston, AL, who spun between the first and second turns on the opening circuit, collecting Johnson’s machine and triggering a multicar melee. King went to the rear of the field and eventually completed 25 laps, placing 18th.
The second multicar scramble occurred in turn two with three laps completed, and sent Eric Cooley’s machine airborne over the front of Ryan Colby’s car. Neither driver was hurt, although Colby was done for the night. Cooley continued for 23 laps and was listed 19th.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 3 AT MAGNOLIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN COLUMBUS, MS ON 7/10/15:
POS        STRT     CAR#     DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON 
1               4             73          Evan Ellis                      Plantersville, MS       40           $2,000
2               3               5          Ronnie Johnson           Chattanooga, TN        40           $1,000
3              16               1          Johnny Stokes              Columbus, MS           40           $700
4              22            47          Tyler Crowder               Lamont, FL                              40           $550
5              19             21          Mario Gresham (R)     Rome, GA                                  40           $500
6                6            47a        Adam Martin (R)         Talladega, AL                            40           $425
7              15             2s           Kyle Shaw                     Millport, AL                              40           $375
8              13             15          Tim Busha                     Boaz, AL                                    40           $350
9                8            95           Brandon Williams (R) Crossville, TN                          40           $325
10             14            38          Dillon Tidmore           Glencoe, AL                               40           $300
11              18            19           Marcus Minga             Shannon, MS                            40           $275
12              21           23           Trevor Thompson (R) Dallas, GA                               39           $250
13              11            J8           Jadon Frame               Dechert, TN                              39           $225
14               5           110           Brent Barrett              Cleveland, MS                          39           $200
15              17            58          Tony Thompson         Ohatchee, AL                            39           $175
16              23           72            Frank Wilson             Milton, FL                                  39           $150
17              20           24            Barry Goodman         Spring City, TN                       30           $140
18                1            55            Ryan King                   Anniston, AL                            25           $125
19              10         33B            Eric Cooley                 Fulton, MS                                23           $125
20             12            47r            Ross Martin               Talladega, AL                          11           $125
21              2           99G            Jacob Grizzle             Blairsville, GA                        7              $125
22              9             66             Jake Knowles            Rome, GA                                   7              $125
23              7            521             Ryan Colby                Greenville, MS                        2              $125

ENTRIES: 23
FAST QUALIFIER: King, 14.552 seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: 5
LAP LEADERS: Johnson, 1-10; Adam Martin, 11; Johnson 12-36; Ellis, 37; Johnson 38-39; Ellis, 40.
LAPS LED: Johnson, 37; Ellis, 2; Adam Martin, 1.
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Gresham
GRESHAM RACE PARTS FIFTH-PLACE AWARD: Mario Gresham
CRATEINSIDER.COM SIXTH-PLACE AWARD: Adam Martin
SCHOENFELD HEADERS SIXTH-PLACE3 AWARD: Adam Martin
BEYEA HEADERS SEVENTH-PLACE AWARD: Shaw
SCHAEFER’S OIL (presented by Chad Wallace) EIGHTH-PLACE AWARD: Busha
IMAGE SCREEN PRINTING NINTH-PLACE AWARD: Williams
AR BODIES TENTH-PLACE AWARD: Tidmore
CAUTIONS: 6
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .110 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 36 Minutes, and 9.324 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: Whynot Motorsports Park, Meridian, MS, July 11

QUALIFYING:

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

TIME

1

55

Ryan King (AL) - R

Anniston, AL

TSR

14.552

2

99g

Jacob Grizzle

Blairsville, GA

Capital

14.594

3

5

Ronnie Johnson

Chattanooga, TN

Mastersbilt

14.609

4

73

Evan Ellis

Plantersville, MS

Barry Wright

14.670

5

110

Brent Barrett

Cleveland, MS

Mastersbilt

14.750

6

47a

Adam Martin - R

Talladega, AL

Barry Wright

14.817

7

521

Ryan Colby

Greenville, MS

GRT

14.820

8

95

Brandon Williams - R

Crossville, TN

Mastersbilt

14.844

9

66

Jake Knowles

Rome, GA

Rocket

14.906

10

33b

Eric Cooley

Fulton, MS

Barry Wright

14.939

11

J8

Jadon Frame

Decherd, TN

Revelution

14.957

12

47r

Ross Martin

Talladega, AL

Barry Wright

14.963

13

15

Tim Busha

Boaz, AL

GRT

14.972

14

38

Dillon Tidmore

Glencoe, AL

GRT

15.007

15

2s

Kyle Shaw

Millport, AL

Trak-Star

15.016

16

1

Johnny Stokes

Columbus, MS

HRRC

15.108

17

58

Tony Thompson

Ohatchee, AL

TSR

15.180

18

19

Marcus Minga

Shannon, MS

Rocket

15.227

19

21

Mario Gresham - R

Rome, GA

Mastersbilt

15.267

20

24

Barry Goodman

Spring City, TN

Rocket

15.352

21

23

Trevor Thompson - R

Dallas, GA

Rocket

15.653

22

47c

Tyler Crowder

Lamont, FL

Longhorn

15.689

23

72

Frank Wilson

Milton, FL

Trak-Star

15.970

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

 

Chevrolet Performance Parts is the Title Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Sunoco Race Fuel is the Official Race Fuel of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Panama City Cycles is the Official ATV Provider of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Schaeffer’s Oil Presented By Chad Wallace is the Official Oil of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  AR Bodies is an Official Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Cruise With The Champions is an Official Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2015 are CrateInsider.Com, Gresham Racing Parts, Beyea Headers, Image Screen Printing, and Schoenfeld Headers.