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

August 8, 2014

JOHNSON HAS A SIX-PACK WITH JACKSON MOTOR SPEEDWAY NeSMITH DLMS WIN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                JACKSON, MS – The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN zeroed in on his second straight $20,000 series title with his sixth win of the season on Friday night during night one of the Delta Dirt Nationals at Jackson Motor Speedway in the River Rumble 40 driving the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.

                The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee took the lead on the opening lap from his outside row starting spot and never looked back.  The only way the rest of the field could stay with Johnson was when they bunched up behind him for the four restarts after caution periods.  The Chattanooga Flash carried a 5.189 second margin of victory under the checkered flag.

                “The car wasn’t very good in hot laps, so we made some adjustments and that made the car good for the rest of the night,” Johnson said.  “This race car has been good to us this season, so we haven’t done much to it.  When a race car is as good as this one, you tend to just leave it alone.”

                Jason Cliburn of Star, MS put on a show for the fans by starting 12th and running the cushion just inches away from the wall on the high side of the track and driving the Cliburn Tank Lines GRT to a second-place finish.  Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL raced side-by-side with Cliburn in the closing laps, but had to settle for third in the Edge’s Gas Company Special.

                Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS turned a career-best fourth-place finish in the B&M Salvage Rocket and Cliff Williams of Star, MS raced as high as second before finishing fifth in the Cliff Williams Plumbing Trak-Star.  Pole sitter Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL took the sixth spot in the Old Man’s Garage Special and was the Rookie of the Race.

                Cliff Ross of Florence, MS finished seventh in the Pearl Tire and Auto Trak-Star and Jimmy Cliburn of Star, MS drove the Diversified Pest Management Special to an eighth-place finish.  Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS took the ninth spot in the Custom Spraying, Inc. GRT, and Hunter Carroll of Columbus, MS rounded out the top ten in the FBG Motorsports Special.

                In preliminary action, Noah out-qualified the 28-car field with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 15.962 seconds to earn the pole position for the River Rumble 40.  The two ten-lap B-Main races were won by Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT and Jason Cliburn.

                The first race of the Delta Dirt Nationals took the green flag with Johnson grabbing the lead followed by Noah, Edge, Henry Cooper of Star, MS in the Country Pleasin’ Sausage Special and Minga.  On lap two, Cooper got into the back of Edge causing him to spin in turn one to bring out the first caution flag of the race.  Cooper was ticketed with the caution flag, and Edge got his spot back.

                On the restart, Minga drove under Edge to take the third spot.  Williams charged from his ninth starting position to pass Edge for fourth on lap three.  Johnson had pulled out to a half-straightaway lead by lap five.

                Williams continued his charge to the front of the pack, as he stepped to the outside in turn three to pass Minga for the third spot.  Edge found a groove he and his race car liked at the bottom of the track, and he got underneath Minga in turn three to reclaim the fourth spot.  Johnson was setting a fast enough pace to begin lapping cars on the tail end of the lead lap by lap ten.

                The second caution flag of the race came out on lap 19 when Doug Sanchagrin of Florence, MS spun the Permanent Exterior Solutions Trak-Star in turn one.  When the field formed up for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart, Johnson had Noah, Williams, Edge, Kody Barber of Bogalusa, LA in the Barber’s Hardware Special, Minga, Jake Knight of Georgetown, MS in the Got Dirt, Inc. GRT, Jason Cliburn, Richie Beasley of Terry, MS in the Byrum Home Center Special and Jimmy Cliburn doubled up behind him.

                Jason Cliburn dusted off a groove just inches from the wall for the restart, and went from eighth to sixth when the green flag came out.  Williams drove underneath Noah to take over the second spot on lap 22.  Barber dropped off the pace from the fifth spot on lap 23 and parked his race car for the night in the infield, which moved Jason Cliburn up to the fifth.

                Johnson pulled away from the field and had a full straightaway lead by lap 25.  Cliburn sailed around the outside of Noah on lap 26 to take the third spot, and in doing so, scraped the wall which removed the right side of his rear spoiler.  Knight hit the third turn wall on lap 29 to bring out the third caution flag.

                The top ten for the double-file restart with 12 laps to go had Johnson on the point followed by Williams, Jason Cliburn, Noah, Edge, Jimmy Cliburn, Minga, Barrett, Beasley, Ross, and Carroll.  Beasley and Neil Baggett of Shannon, MS in the Montgomery Farms Special tangled on the backstretch after the restart to bring out the fourth and final caution flag.

                After the next green flag, Cliburn threw a slide job on Williams going into turn one and had enough momentum coming from the inside to the outside to take the second spot in turn two.  Edge was also able to drive under Williams in turn two to take over the third spot.  By lap 33, Johnson was able to open up a half straightaway lead on Jason Cliburn.

                Minga got under Williams to claim the fourth spot on lap 34.  Edge pulled to the inside of the high-flying Jason Cliburn to challenge for the second spot in the last five laps of the race.  Lap 37 saw Johnson pack his bags, turn in the key, and check out on the field with a full straightaway lead.  Cliburn hung on for the second spot, and Edge finished third.

                The second and final race of the Delta Dirt Nationals for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be Saturday night at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS with the $2,500-to-win Rumble On The Gumbo 50.

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series all-new 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 17 AT JACKSON MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN JACKSON, MS ON 8/8/14:

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON 
1.             2              5              Ronnie Johnson                  Chattanooga, TN                40           $2,000
2.             12           888         Jason Cliburn                     Star, MS                                40           $1,000
3.             3              18           Chase Edge                          LaFayette, AL                     40           $700
4.             5              19           Marcus Minga                    Shannon, MS                       40           $550
5.             9              C11        Cliff Williams                     Star, MS                                40           $500
6.             1              56n         Chris Noah (R)                    Rainbow City, AL              40           $425
7.             16           C20        Cliff Ross                             Florence, MS                       40           $375
8.             13           4j            Jimmy Cliburn                   Star, MS                                40           $350
9.             15           110         Brent Barrett                      Cleveland, MS                     40           $325
10.          7              147         Hunter Carroll                   Columbus, MS                     40           $300
11.          8              54           Richie Beasley                    Terry, MS                            40           $275
12.          21           2              Tyler Burgess                     Quitman, MS                       39           $250
13.          24           01           Tyler Hudson                      Brandon, MS                       39           $225
14.          6              93           Jake Knight                         Georgetown, MS 27           $200
15.          22           21b         Neil Baggett                         Shannon, MS                       27           $175
16.          19           711         Steve Bynum                       Florence, MS                       27           $150
17.          10           21           Kody Barber                       Bogalusa, LA                      22           $140
18.          18           J88         Jered Smith                         Hazlehurst, MS                   21           $125
19.          17           33           Sid Scarbrough                   Florence, MS                       18           $125
20.          20           34           Doug Sanchagrin               Florence, MS                       17           $125
21.          4              14           Henry Cooper                     Star, MS                                13           $125
22.          14           38           Chase Washington             Houlka, MS                          8              $125
23.          23           R1           Michael Blount                   Sumrall, MS                        2              $125
24.          11           1              Johnny Stokes                     Columbus, MS                     1              $125

ENTRIES:  28
FAST QUALIFIER:  Noah, 15.962 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  Blount and Hudson
LEAD CHANGES:  None
LAPS LED:  Johnson, 1-40
ROOKIE OF THE RACE:  Noah
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD:  Stokes
PRC JUST MISSED IT AWARD:  Steve Bryan
STEALTH RACING CARBURETORS 7TH-PLACE AWARD:  Ross
SCHAEFFER’S OIL 8TH-PLACE AWARD PRESENTED BY CHAD WALLACE AND HEATHER NEWSOME: Ji. Cliburn
MODERN IMAGES 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Barrett
AR BODIES 10TH-PLACE AWARD:  Carroll
MIKE CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD:  Beasley
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 12TH-PLACE AWARD:  Burgess
KINSER AIR FILTERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD:  Hudson
CAUTIONS:  4
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  5.189 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  37 Minutes and 34.245 Seconds

QUALIFYING (Top 10 Transfer To Main Event):

B-MAINS (10 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):

                1ST B-MAIN:  1. Stokes; 2. Ji. Cliburn; 3. Barrett; 4. Scarbrough; 5. Bynum; 6. Burgess; 7. Hudson; 8. Blount; 9. Lott.

                2ND B-MAIN:  1. Ja. Cliburn; 2. Washington; 3. Ross; 4. Smith; 5. Sanchagrin; 6. Baggett; 7. Bryan; 8. Mayes; 9. Foreman.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 8/8/14:

1. 5 Ronnie Johnson – 1,444
2. 56n Chris Noah (R) – 1,274
3. 51 Mack McCarter – 1,158
4. 121 Michael Blount – 966
5. 1 Johnny Stokes – 956
6. 110 Brent Barrett – 930
7. 19 Marcus Minga – 874
8. 18 Chase Edge – 842
9. 87 Walker Arthur – 838
10. 19m Josh Adkins – 804
11. J39 Jimmy Elliott – 668
12. 73 Ashley Newman – 580
13. 25 Justin McRee – 564
14. 18d Tait Davenport – 552
15. 17 Ronald Dunn – 508
16. 8a Todd Morrow – 464
17. 55 Montana Dudley (R) – 430
18. 38 Chase Washington – 404
19. 64 Jacob Anderson – 336
20. 38c Chip Brindle - 332

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.  RockAuto.com is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Racecar Engineering is the Official Parts Supplier of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Renegade Race and Performance Fuels are a series Associate Sponsor and fuel supplier.  Schaeffer’s Oil Presented By Chad Wallace and Heather Newsome is the Official Oil of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  AR Bodies is an Associate Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2014 are Dominator Race Products, Stealth Racing Carburetors, Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, Schoenfeld Headers, Kinser Air Filters, Performance Rod & Custom, and David Smith Carburetors.  2014 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars. 

-30-