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

October 4, 2013

THOMAS EARNS POLE POSITION FOR NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS GUMBO NATIONALS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                GREENVILLE, MS – William Thomas of Phenix City, AL drove the Alexander’s Industrial Service GRT to Fast Time honors and a win in the first of four 12-lap Heat Races on Friday night to earn the pole position for the 50-lap $5,000-to-win 7th Annual Gumbo Nationals at Greenville Speedway on Saturday night for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.

                Thomas out-timed the 36-car field in Qualifying with a lap around the ¼-mile black gumbo clay oval in 15.952 seconds to earn the pole position for the first Heat Race that he went on to win.  The top four finishers in each of the four heat races transferred into the Gumbo Nationals main event to make up the “Sweet 16.”

                Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS won the second 12-lap Heat Race to earn the outside front row starting spot in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT.  Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL will start the Gumbo Nationals from the inside second row starting spot after winning the third Heat Race in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special. 

Tait Davenport of Benton, KY drove the Murtco, Inc. Special to victory in the fourth Heat Race on Friday night to claim the outside second row starting spot in the Gumbo Nationals main event on Saturday night.

Transferring with Thomas into the big show from the first Heat Race were Neil Baggett of Columbus, MS in the Montgomery Farms GRT, NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special, and 2011 Gumbo Nationals Champion Ashley Newman of Ripley, TN in the Greg’s Sawmill Special.

If Johnson finishes the Gumbo Nationals with a 100 point lead or better, the National Dirt Hall of Fame Inductee will clinch the $20,000 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship.

Moving into the Gumbo Nationals starting field with Stokes in the second Heat Race were Mickey Trosclair of Luling, LA in the Sparks Motorsports Special, Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS in the Henderson Waste and Recycling Trak-Star, and Tyler Erb of Magnolia, TX in the First Class Septic Rocket.

Finishing second through fourth respectively in the third Heat Race behind Adkins and transferring into the Gumbo Nationals were Chase Washington of Houlka, MS in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special, Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS in the MP Trucking Trak-Star, and Mike Boland of Cuba, AL in the Boland Performance Trak-Star.

Joining Davenport in the Gumbo Nationals starting field out of the fourth Heat Race were defending Gumbo Nationals Champion Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL in the Summit Resource Development GRT, Jake Knight of Georgetown, MS in the Got Dirt, Inc. Trak-Star, and David Carpenter of Greenwood, MS in the C&C Auto Service Special.

Drivers that finished fifth through ninth in the four Heat Races will have one more opportunity to make the 24-car starting field for the Gumbo Nationals by finishing in one of the top three finishing spots in one of two ten-lap B-Main races that will be held on Saturday night.  The top three finishers in each B-Main will fill in starting positions 17 through 22 for the Gumbo Nationals.

There are still four drivers in the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings that are still on the outside looking in of the 24-car Gumbo Nationals starting field.  The second-place points driver and Rookie of the Year point leader Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL starts on the pole for the first B-Main race driving the Brandon Ford Warrior.

Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL is sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings and will start the High Roller Race Cars Special alongside Bronson in the first B-Main on the outside of the front row.  Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS is eighth in the standings and will start on the inside of the second row in the second B-Main in the Custom Spraying, Inc. GRT.

Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS is ninth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings and will start on the pole for the second B-Main race in the Lamar Auto Salvage GRT.  The 23rd and 24th starting spots for the Gumbo Nationals are NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Provisional starting spots reserved for Bronson, McRee, Barrett or Blount should they fail to transfer out of the B-Main, with preference according to their ranking in the point standings.

Should three or all four of the provisional-eligible drivers in the B-Mains race their way into the Gumbo Nationals, the 23rd and 24th starting spots will have the fourth-place in the B-Main races come into play.

If three of the four provisional-eligible drivers race their way into the Gumbo Nationals, the driver that doesn’t race his way in would get the 23rd Provisional starting spot, and the fourth-place drive in the first B-Main race would transfer into the 24th starting spot for the Gumbo Nationals.  If all four race their way in, the fourth place drivers in both B-Mains would start the Gumbo Nationals in the 23rd and 24th starting spots.

For more information 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.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ROUND 20 AT GREENVILLE SPEEDWAY IN GREENVILLE, MS ON 10/4/13:

QUALIFYING:

HEAT RACES (12 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

                1ST HEAT:  1. Thomas; 2. Baggett; 3. Johnson; 4. Newman; 5. Bronson (R); 6. Estes; 7. Hazzard; 8. McMahon; 9. Andrews.

                2ND HEAT:  1. Stokes; 2. Trosclair; 3. Jordan; 4. Erb; 5. Blount; 6. Barrett (R); 7. Beckwith; 8. Irby; 9. Ainsworth.

                3RD HEAT:  1. Adkins (R); 2. Washington; 3. Palasini; 4. Boland; 5. McRee; 6. Credidio; 7. Arnold; 8. Petty; 9. Botsford.

                4TH HEAT:  1. Davenport; 2. Shaw (R); 3. Knight; 4. Carpenter; 5. Lyles; 6. Rowan; 7. Colby; 8. Banes; 9. Craft DNS.

“SWEET 16” FEATURE RACE LINE UP:

ROW 1:
A19 William Thomas – 1 Johnny Stokes
ROW 2:
19m Josh Adkins (R) – 18d Tait Davenport
ROW 3:
1m Neil Baggett – 521 Mickey Trosclair
ROW 4:
38 Chase Washington – 1s Jeremy Shaw (R)
ROW 5:
5 Ronnie Johnson – J8 Bobby Jordan
ROW 6:
8 Mike Palasini Jr. – 93 Jake Knight
ROW 7:
73 Ashley Newman – 91 Tyler Erb
ROW 8:
222 Mike Boland – C55 David Carpenter

B-MAIN LINE UPS (10 Laps – Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN:
40b Kyle Bronson – 25 Justin McRee
70 Dewayne Estes – 50 Joey Credidio
7p Peter Hazzard – 20 Tyler Arnold
21m Drew McMahon – 47 Chandler Petty
3 Anthony Andrews – 1c Jason Botsford

2ND B-MAIN:

121 Michael Blount – D6 Lew Lyles
110 Brent Barrett – 56 Jonathan Rowan
84 Randall Beckwith – 21 Ryan Colby
88 Howard Irby Jr. – 4j Josh Banes
12 Cale Ainsworth – 26 Glenn Craft

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 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.  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2013 are Dominator Race Products, 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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