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

August 7, 2015

KING STAYS ON THE THRONE WITH SECOND STRAIGHT NeSMITH LATE MODEL WIN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                PENTON, AL – For the past six days in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, it has been good to be King – Ryan King of Seymour, TN that is – and he’s not yet willing to give up the throne.  King drove the Brian King Roofing Stinger to his second straight NeSmith Late Model win on Friday night at Penton Raceway in Penton, AL.

                That followed up King’s first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win that came last Saturday night at Cochran Motor Speedway in Cochran, GA.  The Penton race was also the second straight NeSmith Late Model event where King set Fast Time and started from the pole position. 

King turned Penton Raceway in 14.616 seconds in time trials, and then led all 40 laps of the race on Friday night to collect the $2,000 top prize and pull off a clean sweep of the racing program where he was also the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race. 

The win on Friday night at Penton Raceway also moved King into the second spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings behind point leader Ronnie Johnson, who is looking for his third straight title.

“This win wasn’t as easy as it looked because the track was pretty rough, and it was all I could do to hang on,” King said.  “We’re on a roll here, and I just hope we can keep it up.  That first win was pretty awesome, the second win is even better, and if we can make it three in a row, that would be off the chart.”

Ryan Crane of Panama City, FL finished second in the Panama City Cycles Rocket for his best NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series finish of the 2015 season.  Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN took the third spot in the #H2 Duayne Hommel Tribute Car Rebel Diesel Rocket.  The top three finishers in the race were Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Candidates.

Shep Lucas of McKenzie, AL was fourth in the Lucas Farms Special and Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL finished fifth in the Edge’s Gas Company Special.  Cody Martin of Christiana, TN started 20th in the Martin Motorsports Warrior and finished sixth to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award.

Justin Shipley of Douglasville, GA took the seventh spot in the Rogers Mechanical Special and Tom Maddox of Centre, AL was eighth in the Race Vinson Engines Trak-Star.  Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL finished ninth in the Skinner’s Body Shop CVR and the 13-year-old driver was the Sunoco Young Gun of the Race.  Joe Noogin of Boaz, AL rounded out the top ten in the Noogin Body Shop GRT.

Caution flags slowed the event ten times, with the most dramatic ones involving top ten drivers.  King took the lead at the start of the race followed by Lucas, Johnson, Crane, and Ronnie Cooper of McKenzie, TN in the Ronnie Cooper Trucking.  Asphalt late model ace Bubba Pollard of Gay, GA spun the Pollard Motorsports Rocket in two on lap two while running seventh.

On the restart, Maddox spun out of the ninth spot and then on the next restart, Cord Dodgen of LaFayette, AL spun the Jeff Dodgen Logging Special out of the sixth spot.  The third time was a charm, especially for Crane, who came from fifth to get by Lucas for the second spot.

Cooper and Johnson got by Lucas for third and fourth respectively on lap three.  Cooper’s charge to the front would end on lap four when he spun in turn two to bring out the caution flag.  Johnson was also collected and cut down a tire.  Cooper was done for the night, but Johnson would return and restart at the tail of the field.              

King had Crane, Lucas, Edge, Henderson, Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN in the Dale’s Auto Sales Rocket, and Skinner doubled up behind him for the restart.  The race went green for two more laps before Taylor Mitcham of LaFayette, AL spun the Mitcham Auto Parts Trak-Star in turn two while running seventh.  A lap 14 restart saw Wilson spin out of the sixth spot.

King led Crane, Lucas, Edge, Henderson, Shipley, Skinner, Noogin, and Maddox down for the restart, and Crane hooked a rut in turn one that got his car airborne.  While Crane landed his machine, the field bowed up on the bottom groove of the track, except for Henderson, who sailed around the outside, and into the third spot.

The halfway point of the race on lap 20 saw King with a half straightaway advantage over Crane.  King took on heavy lapped traffic by lap 25, but Crane could not gain any ground on the leader.  With four laps to go, King again was in heavy lapped traffic, but this time, Crane closed the gap to within three car-lengths.

Instead of engaging the lapped traffic and risk opening the door for Crane, King covered the bottom groove of the track, and took a .528 second margin of victory under the checkered flag for his second straight win.  The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race on Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL.

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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 14 AT PENTON RACEWAY IN PENTON, AL ON 8/7/15:

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON 
1.             1              30           Ryan King (R)                     Seymour, TN                       40           $2,125
2.             4              10           Ryan Crane (R)                   Panama City, FL                40           $1,125
3.             8              H2          Matt Henderson (R)           Loudon, TN                         40           $825
4.             2              57           Shep Lucas                           McKenzie, AL                     40           $550
5.             10           18           Chase Edge                          LaFayette, AL                     40           $625
6.             20           21m        Cody Martin (R) Christiana, TN                    40           $550
7.             16           08           Justin Shipley                      Douglasville, GA                40           $375
8.             9              11t          Tom Maddox                      Centre, AL                           40           $350
9.             13           11           Cruz Skinner (Y)                Oxford, AL                          40           $325
10.          14           21n         Joe Noogin                           Boaz, AL                              40           $300
11.          21           22           Will Roland (Y)                  Jasper, GA                           40           $275
12.          3              5              Ronnie Johnson                  Chattanooga, TN                39           $375
13.          12           66d         Dylan Knowles                    Lanett, AL                            39           $225
14.          23           5c            Mike Combs                        Odenville, AL                      39           $200
15.          17           19           Marcus Minga                    Shannon, MS                       32           $300
16.          11           10w        Chris Wilson                       Crossville, TN                     27           $150
17.          22           17           Adam Gauldin                    Talladega, AL                     20           $140
18.          15           105         Taylor Mitcham                 LaFayette, AL                     12           $125
19.          6              26           Bubba Pollard                    Gay, GA                                12           $125
20.          18           5d           Rodgerick Dykes                Smith Station, AL               6              $125
21.          5              10c         Ronnie Cooper                    McKenzie, TN                     3              $125
22.          7              18d         Cord Dodgen                       LaFayette, AL                     2              $125
23.          19           121         Michael Blount                   Sumrall, MS                        1              $125

ENTRIES:  30
FAST QUALIFIER:  King, 14.616 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  None
LEAD CHANGES:  None
LAP LEADER:  King, 1-40
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE:  King
SUNOCO YOUNG GUN OF THE RACE:  Skinner
BEYEA HEADERS HARD CHARGER AWARD:  Martin (started 20th and finished 6th)
INTEGRA SHOCKS FIFTH-PLACE AWARD:  Edge
CRATE INSIDER.COM SIXTH-PLACE AWARD:  Martin
GRESHAM RACE PARTS SEVENTH-PLACE AWARD:  Shipley
IMAGE SCREEN PRINTING NINTH-PLACE AWARD:  Skinner
AR BODIES TENTH-PLACE AWARD:  Noogin
CAUTIONS:  10
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  .528 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  42 Minutes and 28.408 Seconds
NEXT RACE:  August 8, East Alabama Motor Speedway, Phenix City, AL 50-laps, $2,500-to-win

QUALIFYING:

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 8/7/15:

1. 5 Ronnie Johnson – 1,200
2. 30 Ryan King (R) – 1,092
3. 18 Chase Edge – 1,086
4. H2 Matt Henderson (R) – 1,042
5. 10 Ryan Crane (R) – 982
6. 21m Cody Martin (R) – 916
7. 19 Marcus Minga – 748
8. 5d Rodgerick Dykes – 488
9. 14 Cale Conley – 482
10. 87 Walker Arthur – 464
11. 14c Tyler Clem (R/Y) – 438
12. 25 Justin McRee – 432
13. 33b Eric Cooley – 370
14. 4 Jeremy Faircloth – 356
15. 19t William Thomas – 348
16. 2x Nick Lyons – 332
17. 11 Cruz Skinner (Y) – 310
18. 1 Johnny Stokes – 304
19. 17 Adam Gauldin – 294
19. 22 Will Roland (Y) - 294

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

Y – Denotes Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series Driver

NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  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 Late Models.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  RockAuto.com is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  Racecar Engineering is the Official Parts Supplier of the NeSmith Late Models.  Beyea Headers is the NeSmith Late Model Hard Charger Sponsor.  Sunoco Race Fuels is the Official Race Fuel of the NeSmith Late Models.  Panama City Cycles is the Official ATV Provider of the NeSmith Late Models.  AR Bodies is an Associate Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  NeSmith Late Model Contingency Sponsors for 2015 are CrateInsider.Com, Integra Racing Shocks, Image Screen Printing, and Gresham Race Parts.  2015 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars. 

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