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

January 29, 2013

HOLLINGSWORTH TAKES THE NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS SEASON OPENER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                OCALA, FL – Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL picked up the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season opener and the first night of the Rock Auto.com Speedweeks Presented by Racecar Engineering at Bubba Raceway Park on Tuesday night.  Hollingsworth led all 40 laps in the Sparks Motorsports Special.

                Hollingsworth held off a late-race charge from Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL in the Brandon Ford Warrior, but “Right Foot Ronny” was able to keep Bronson behind him to take the checkered flag with a .744 second margin of victory and pick up the $2,000 top prize.  Bronson took the second spot with Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA taking the third spot in the AES Racing Special.

                Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL finished fourth in the High Roller Race Cars Special and Jeff Mathews of Valrico, FL drove the CURS Warrior to a fifth-place finish.  Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN was sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special and Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN finished seventh in the Wade’s Body Shop Special.

                Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL started 17th in the M&M Transport Refrigeration GRT and finished eighth to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.  Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN took the ninth spot in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior.

Shan Smith of Dade City, FL came back from a spin near the halfway point in the 40-lap race to round out the top ten in the Outlaw Race Parts TNT.  Cody Martin of Christiana, TN finished 18th in the My Racing Graphics.com Warrior to earn the Rookie of the Race Award.

                Hollingsworth earned the pole position for the main event by winning the first of six 12-lap heat races.  Hollingsworth took the lead at the start of the race followed by Bronson, Davenport, Mathews and Teague.  Hollingsworth set a fast pace, as he was lapping cars by the fifth lap.  The first of four caution flags came out on lap 19 when Smith spun in turn four.

                When the field went back to green for the double-file restart, it was Hollingsworth leading Bronson, Davenport, Mathews, Teague, McRee, Johnson, Gentry, Ivedent Lloyd of Ocala, FL in the Harrod Logging Special, and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS in the Billy Riels Racing GRT.  Teague, McRee, and Lloyd got by Mathews on the restart.

                The second caution flag came out on lap 24 when Phillip Cobb of Dover, FL in the Mathis Farms Special triggered a multi-car tangle coming off the fourth turn.  Hollingsworth led Bronson, Davenport, Teague, McRee, Mathews, Lloyd, and Johnson doubled up behind the leader back to the green flag.

                The restart saw the third caution flag of the race when Johnny Collins of Jacksonville, FL spun the Mills Concrete Special coming off the fourth turn.  When the field went back to green flag action, McRee, Lloyd, and Mathews all got by Teague to take over fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.

                With ten laps to go, Bronson found a groove in the middle of the track that helped him close in on Hollingsworth to challenge for the lead.  While Hollingsworth ran the inside groove, Bronson was able to get outside the leader on a couple of occasions in turns three and four.  A late-race caution flag would interrupt the battle for the point.

                Lloyd would have problems on lap 36 while running fifth when he stalled in turn three to bring out the fourth and final caution flag.  That misfortune earned Lloyd the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.  In the five lap dash to the checkered flag, Hollingsworth moved up the race track, which slowed Bronson’s momentum, and kept him in front for the win.

                In preliminary action, Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS was the Smiley’s Racing Products Fast Qualifier among the 67 entrants with a lap in 15.115 seconds driving the Custom Spraying GRT,  The six 12-lap Heat Races were won by Hollingsworth, Davenport, Bronson, Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL in the Adams Used Auto Parts Rocket, Teague, and Mathews.  Nosbisch scratched for the feature race.

                The five 12-lap B-Main Races were won by Dennis Franklin of Chesnee, SC in the AES Racing Special, Collins, Smith, Lee, and Barrett.  Tait Davenport of Benton, KY won the ten-lap Last Chance Race in the Murtco Special.  The event was rain delayed for two hours by a rain shower after the second B-Main race.

History was also made on Tuesday night when 11-year-old Michael Lake of Uniontown, PA became the youngest driver to start a NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series main event.  Lake, who has been racing go-karts since the age of three, finished second in the fifth B-Main race and earned the 20th starting spot for the big show.  Lake finished 22nd in the Bobby Lake Motorsports Warrior.

                Night two of the Rock Auto.com Speedweeks Presented by Racecar Engineering for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Bubba Raceway Park will be on Wednesday night at Bubba Raceway Park with a $2,000-to-win 40-lap main event.

For more information 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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 1 AT BUBBA RACEWAY PARK IN OCALA, FL ON 1/29/13:

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON 
1.             1              18           Ronny Hollingsworth        Northport, AL                     40           $2,000
2.             3              40           Kyle Bronson                      Brandon, FL                        40           $1,000
3.             2              49           Jonathan Davenport         Blairsville, GA                    40           $700
4.             8              25           Justin McRee                       Cottondale, AL                   40           $550
5.             5              33           Jeff Mathews                       Valrico, FL                          40           $500
6.             9              5              Ronnie Johnson                  Chattanooga, TN                40           $425
7.             4              117         Jake Teague                        Oliver Springs, TN            40           $375
8.             17           7              Jason Fitzgerald                                Middleburg, FL                  40           $450
9.             11           56           David Earl Gentry             Murfreesboro, TN             40           $325
10.          14           17ss        Shan Smith                           Dade City, FL                      40           $300
11.          15           47           Shannon Lee                        Lumberton, MS                  40           $275
12.          16           110         Brent Barrett                      Cleveland, MS     `               40           $250
13.          13           14           Johnny Collins                    Jacksonville, FL                 40           $225
14.          23           10           Matthew Turner                 Dawsonville, GA                 40           $200
15.          10           11           Doug Horton                       Bruceton Mills, WV           40           $175
16.          18           87           Walker Arthur                    Forest, VA                            40           $150
17.          12           2              Dennis Franklin                  Chesnee, SC                         40           $140
18.          7              21m        Cody Martin (R) Christiana, TN                    40           $125
19.          25           18d         Tait Davenport                   Benton, KY                          39           $125
20.          24           27           Larry Harrod                     Plains, GA                            39           $125
21.          21           K2          John Over                            Uniontown, PA                    39           $125
22.          20           27L        Michael Lake                      Uniontown, PA                    38           $125
23.          22           1s            Jeremy Shaw (R)                Millport, AL                        38           $125
24.          6              21           Ivedent Lloyd Jr.               Ocala, FL                             35           $125
25.          19           32           Phillip Cobb                        Dover, FL                             23           $125

ENTRIES:  67
SMILEY’S RACING PRODUCTS FAST QUALIFIER:  Barrett, 15.115 Seconds

PROVISIONALS: Turner and Harrod
LEAD CHANGES:  None
LAPS LED:  Hollingsworth, 1-40
HEDMAN HUSLER OF THE RACE AWARD:  Fitzgerald (started 17th and finished 8th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE:  Martin
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD:  Lloyd
PRC JUST MISSED IT AWARD:  Joey Coulter
RACECAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD:  Mathews
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD:  Johnson
STEALTH RACING CARBURETORS 7TH-PLACE AWARD:  Teague
RACECAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD:  Fitzgerald
MODERN IMAGES 9TH-PLACE AWARD:  Gentry
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD:  S. Smith
MIKE’S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD:  Lee
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD:  Barrett
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD:  Collins
J.T. KERR RACING EQUIPMENT 14TH-PLACE AWARD:  Turner
KINSER AIR FILTERS 15TH-PLACE AWARD:  Horton
AR BODIES 16TH-PLACE AWARD:  Arthur
CAUTIONS:  4
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  .744 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  24 Minutes and 36.854 Seconds

SMILEY’S RACING PRODUCTS QUALIFYING:


GROUP 1:

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

21

Ivedent Lloyd Jr.

Ocala, FL

Scorpion

15.691

15.584

15.584

2

97

David McDonald

Brighton, ONT Can

Rocket

16.164

15.714

15.714

3

18

Ronny Hollingsworth

Northport, AL

Barry Wright

15.952

15.740

15.740

4

14

Johnny Collins

Jacksonville, FL

Mastersbilt

15.950

15.788

15.788

5

7f

Jason Fitzgerald

Middleburg, FL

GRT

15.935

15.993

15.935

6

33s

Sid Scarbrough

Florence, MS

Barry Wright

16.183

15.960

15.960

7

44w

Brandon Umberger

Rural Retreat, VA

Barry Wright

16.179

16.055

16.055

8

54

Dalton Myers

Riverview, FL

Snow Bros.

16.189

16.078

16.078

9

73

Greg Robertson

Waynesboro, VA

Rocket

16.121

16.119

16.119

10

18d

Tait Davenport

Benton, KY

Longhorn

16.336

16.170

16.170

11

K2

John Over

Uniontown, PA

Warrior

16.701

16.305

16.305

12

1c

Mike Pegher Jr.

Cranberry, PA

Rocket

16.612

18.717

16.612

GROUP 2:

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

21m

Cody Martin - R

Christiana, TN

Warrior

15.528

15.625

15.528

2

49

Jonathan Davenport

Blairsville, GA

Barry Wright

15.668

15.595

15.595

3

17s

Jeff Smith

Chatsworth, GA

Warrior

15.741

15.642

15.642

4

27

Michael Lake

Uniontown, PA

Warrior

15.836

15.742

15.742

5

1p

Darren Peters

Fort Erie, ON CAN

Rocket

15.760

16.203

15.760

6

38

Chase Washington

Houlka, MS

Barry Wright

15.867

15.771

15.771

7

4g

Bob Gardner

Metamora, IL

Rayburn

16.766

15.997

15.997

8

51p

John Polasini 

Leland, MS

Mastersbilt

16.845

16.295

16.295

9

25

Greg Belyea

Frankford, ON CAN

Rocket

16.857

16.403

16.403

10

10c

Ronnie Cooper

McKenzie, TN

Rocket

16.751

16.434

16.434

11

72

Frank Wilson

Harold, FL

Trak-Star

17.557

16.707

16.707

GROUP 3:

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

40b

Kyle Bronson

Brandon, FL

Warrior

15.553

15.453

15.453

2

25

Justin McRee

Cottondale, AL

HRRC

15.845

15.512

15.512

3

17ss

Shan Smith

Dade City, FL

TNT

16.195

15.737

15.737

4

2s

Andrew Satterlee

Rochester Mills, PA

Rocket

15.829

16.072

15.829

5

24

Mark Tice

Avon, MS

Mastersbilt

15.963

15.899

15.899

6

11k

Austin Kirkpatrick - R

Ocala, FL

Barry Wright

16.087

15.961

15.961

7

68

Brad Smith

Clemmons, NC

Lazer

16.212

16.032

16.032

8

19

Josh Adkins - R

Talladega, AL

Barry Wright

16.088

16.154

16.088

9

51

Mack McCarter

Gatlinburg, TN

CVR

16.274

16.175

16.175

10

22

Cecil Eunice

Blackshear, GA

Snow Bros.

16.207

16.446

16.207

11

11p

Jorden Peters

Fort Erie, ON CAN

Rocket

17.081

16.582

16.582

GROUP 4:

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

45

Bobby Richardson

Eustis, FL

Mastersbilt

15.359

15.927

15.359

2

02

Keith Nosbisch

Valrico, FL

Rocket

15.602

15.644

15.602

3

5

Ronnie Johnson

Chattanooga, TN

Mastersbilt

15.713

15.655

15.655

4

311

Kenneth Monahan - R

Lakeland, FL

CVR

15.825

15.805

15.805

5

47

Shannon Lee

Lumberton, MS

GRT

16.030

15.891

15.891

6

12

Ryan Montgomery

Fairmont, WV

Warrior

15.953

16.141

15.953

7

121

Michael Blount

Sumrall, MS

GRT

16.025

16.135

16.025

8

1s

Jeremy Shaw - R

Millport, AL

Trak-Star

16.378

16.031

16.031

9

2

Joey Coulter

Concord, NC

Rocket

16.402

16.276

16.276

10

29

Jason Welshan

Maryville, TN

Mastersbilt

16.447

16.408

16.408

11

19

Marcus Minga

Shannon, MS

Rocket

16.613

16.643

16.613

GROUP 5:

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

110

Brent Barrett

Cleveland, MS

GRT

15.155

15.308

15.155

2

117

Jake Teague

Oliver Springs, TN

Bloomquist

15.581

15.453

15.453

3

11

Doug Horton

Bruceton Mills, WV

Warrior

15.535

15.681

15.535

4

D2

Noland Dalton

Morgantown, WV

Warrior

15.841

15.868

15.841

5

51w

Randy Walters

Laurel, MS

Rayburn

16.003

16.168

16.003

6

21f

Todd Frank

Mellen, WI

Rocket

16.054

16.393

16.054

7

66k

Scott Knowles

Lanett, AL

Warrior

16.245

16.129

16.129

8

14k

Karl Willard

Cochran, GA

Rocket

16.538

16.174

16.174

9

9

Ches Chester

Twin City, GA

Barry Wright

16.390

16.321

16.321

10

99

Matthew Turner

Dawsonville, GA

Stinger

16.355

16.588

16.355

11

99jr

Phillip Pittman

Vidalia, GA

Rocket

16.423

16.473

16.423

GROUP 6:

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

32

Phillip Cobb

Dover, FL

Barry Wright

15.806

15.661

15.661

2

56

David Earl Gentry

Murfreesboro, TN

Warrior

15.831

15.892

15.831

3

1

Johnny Stokes

Columbus, MS

GRT

15.993

15.926

15.926

4

2

Dennis Franklin

Chesnee, SC

Barry Wright

15.823

15.559

15.559

5

33

Jeff Mathews

Valrico, FL

Warrior

15.181

15.230

15.181

6

C11

Cliff Williams

Star, MS

Trak-Star

15.988

15.849

15.849

7

91

Billy Tedford

Thaxton, MS

Trak-Star

16.884

16.541

16.541

8

87

Walker Arthur

Forest, VA

Mastersbilt

15.841

16.354

15.841

9

R1

Riley Hickman

Cleveland, TN

Mastersbilt

16.107

16.153

16.107

10

94

Wendell Chavous - R

Hephzibah, GA

Barry Wright

16.229

15.907

15.907

11

27

Larry Harrod

Plains, GA

Scorpion

16.060

16.060

HEAT RACES (12 Laps – Top 2 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST HEAT:  1. Hollingsworth; 2. Lloyd; 3. Fitzgerald; 4. Collins; 5. Myers; 6. Davenport; 7. Over; 8. Pegher; 9. McDonald; 10. Scarbrough; 11. Umberger; 12. Robertson.

                2ND HEAT:  1. Davenport; 2. Martin (R); 3. D. Peters; 4. Gardner; 5. Lake; 6. Washington; 7. Cooper; 8. Belyea; 9. Polasini; 10. J. Smith DNS; 11. Wilson DNS.

                3RD HEAT:  1. Bronson; 2. McRee; 3. S. Smith; 4. Kirkpatrick; 5. Tice; 6. Adkins (R); 7. Satterlee; 8. McCarter; 9. Eunice; 10. B. Smith; 11. J. Peters.

                4TH HEAT:  1. Nosbisch; 2. Johnson; 3. Lee; 4. Monahan; 5. Shaw (R); 6. Coulter; 7. Montgomery; 8. Welshan; 9. Blount; 10. Minga; 11. Richardson.

                5TH HEAT:  1. Teague; 2. Horton; 3. Barrett; 4. Dalton; 5. Frank; 6. Walters; 7. Willard; 8. Knowles; 9. Chester; 10. Pittman; 11. Turner.

                6TH HEAT:  1. Mathews; 2. Gentry; 3. Franklin; 4. Arthur; 5. Cobb; 6. Stokes; 7. Williams; 8. Hickman; 9. Chavous (R); 10. Tedford; 11. Harrod.

B-MAINS (12 Laps – Top 2 Transfer To Main Event):

                1ST B-MAIN:  1. Franklin; 2. Fitzgerald; 3. Shaw (R); 4. Dalton; 5. Adkins; 6. Cooper; 7. Chester; 8. Peters; 9. Minga; 10. Pegher DNS; 11. Hickman DNS.

                2ND B-MAIN:  1. Collins; 2. Arthur; 3. Coulter; 4. Frank; 5. Chavous (R); 6. McDonald; 7. Belyea; 8. D. Peters; 9. Satterlee; 10. Richardson; 11. Pittman DNS.

                3RD B-MAIN:  1. S. Smith; 2. Cobb; 3. Montgomery; 4. McCarter; 5. Myers; 6. Walters; 7. Scarbrough; 8. Turner; 9. Tedford; 10. Polasini; 11. Gardner.

                4TH B-MAIN:  1. Lee; 2. Lake; 3. Stokes; 4. Welshan; 5. J. Smith; 6. Umberger; 7. Harrod; 8. Davenport; 9. Eunice; 10. Kirkpatrick; 11. Willard.

                5TH B-MAIN:  1. Barrett; 2. Over; 3. Tice; 4. Washington; 5. Robertson; 6. Monahan (R); 7. Williams; 8. Blount; 9. B. Smith; 10. Knowles; 11. Wilson.

LAST CHANCE RACE (10 Laps – Winner Transfers To Main Event):  1. Davenport; 2. Williams; 3. Tice; 4. Dalton; 5. Coulter; 6. Stokes; 7. Minga; 8. Kirkpatrick; 9. Belyea; 10. Myers DNS.

R – Denotes Rookie of the Year Candidate

 

NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the nation’s number one GM Powertrain and Performance Dealer six years running, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast.  Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Hedman Hedders is the Official Hedder of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and the Hedman Husler Award sponsor.  Bilstein Shocks is the Official Spec Shock of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Old Man’s Garage is the sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series.  RockAuto.com and VP Racing Fuels are Official Sponsors of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2013 are Dominator Race Products, Race Car Engineering, KRC, Stealth Racing Carburetors, Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Schoenfeld Headers, J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment, Kinser Air Filters, AR Bodies, Velocita Racewear, and Performance Rod & Custom.  2013 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, Stinger Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars. 

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