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

November 20, 2015

BRONSON GRABS THE POLE FOR THE NeSMITH LATE MODEL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                OCALA, FL – Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL earned the pole position for Saturday night’s $10,000-to-win 100-lap 11th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Bubba Raceway Park.  Bronson drove the Brandon Ford Rocket to Fast Time Honors and won the first 10-lap heat race in Friday night action.
                                                                                                                                                
                Bronson, who finished second in the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings and was the Rookie of the Year, won a spirited battle with second-generation driver Trent Ivey of Union, SC to win the first Heat Race and earn the pole position for the big show. 

                The pole sitter for Saturday night’s big show has momentum in his favor, as Bronson won the previous race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series in the Showdown On The Coast on October 17 at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, GA.  Bronson also has a NeSmith Late Model career win at Bubba Raceway in 2013.

                Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL will begin a three-way battle for the second spot in the NeSmith Late Model point standings from the outside of the front row in Saturday night’s season finale, as he won the second ten-lap heat race on Friday night driving the Edge’s Gas Company Special.  Edge is currently third in the National point standings, ten points behind Ryan King of Seymour, TN.

                Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC won the third Heat Race in the M&W Transportation Special on Friday night to earn the inside second row starting spot for Saturday night’s main event.  Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL will start outside Franklin in row two after driving the Adams Used Auto Parts Rocket to the win in the fourth heat race.  Nosbisch won Round 3 of the 2015 NeSmith Late Model season on January 30 at Bubba Raceway Park.

                The top four finishers in each of the four ten-lap heat races held on Friday night transferred into the Saturday night $10,000-to-win 100-lap 11th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race.  Drivers that finished fifth on back in each heat race on Friday night will have a second chance to race their way into the big show through one of two B-Main races on Saturday night.

                Joining Bronson in transfer spots out of the first heat race were Ivey in the Ivey Construction Special, Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year point leader King in the Brian King Roofing Stinger, and Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS in the B&M Salvage Rocket. 

                The 2012 World Championship Race Winner Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, FL in the Ocala Restaurant Supply Special followed Edge into the big show out of the second heat race along with Ryan Crane of Panama City, FL in the Panama City Cycle Rocket, and Tom Maddox of Centre, AL in the Race Vinson Engines Trak-Star.

                Second through fourth respectively behind Franklin in the third heat race and transferring into the main event were Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL in the Dave’s Towing Special, Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN in the NeSmith Chevrolet Trak-Star, and Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series driver 14-year-old Michael Lake of Uniontown, PA in the Bland’s Towing Warrior.

                By completing a qualification lap on Friday night, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Johnson earned enough points to make history and clinch his unprecedented third consecutive NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship that is worth $10,000.

                Cale Conley of Vienna, WV in the AAA General Contractors Special, 2011 World Championship Race Winner Doug Horton of Wimauma, FL in the Adams Used Auto Parts Warrior, and Monte Skinner of Saraland, AL in the M&M Lifts Special finished second through fourth respectively behind Nosbisch to transfer into the big show out of the fourth heat race.

                Among the drivers still on the outside looking in for a starting spot in the 11th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race are the defending race champion Walker Arthur of Forest, VA, and two drivers in the Top 12 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings, Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN and Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS.

                Henderson is among the trio of drivers battling for second in the NeSmith Late Model National point standings.  Henderson is fourth in the points chase, 22 points behind Edge and 32 points behind King, who he is also battling for the 2015 Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Award. 

The top three finishers in each B-Main Race on Saturday night will transfer to the main event in starting spots 17 through 22.  Henderson and Blount will be eligible for the two NeSmith Late Model Provisional 23rd and 24th starting spots.

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 awarded on a monthly basis.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR ROUND 22 AT BUBBA RACEWAY PARK IN OCALA, FL ON 11/20/15:

GROUP QUALIFYING:

HEAT RACES (10 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

                1ST HEAT:  1. Bronson; 2. Ivey; 3. King (R); 4. Minga; 5. Arthur; 6. Mac; 7. Cobb; 8. Britton (R); 9. Stokes DNS.

                2ND HEAT:  1. Edge; 2. Lloyd; 3. Crane (R); 4. Maddox; 5. Clem (R/Y); 6. Bernhardt; 7. Winger (Y); 8. Brown; 9. Cooper.

                3RD HEAT:  1. Franklin; 2. Whitener; 3. R. Johnson; 4. Lake (Y); 5. Ellis; 6. Spencer; 7. O’Connor; 8. Dillinger; 9. Richardson.

                4TH HEAT:  1. Nosbisch; 2. Conley; 3. Horton; 4. Skinner; 5. Shipley; 6. Kellum; 7. Henderson (R); 8. Blount; 9. B. Johnson.

“SWEET 16” STARTING LINE-UP FOR 11TH ANNUAL CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE:

ROW 1:
40b Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL – 18 Chase Edge, LaFayette, AL
ROW 2:
2 Dennis Franklin, Gaffney, SC – 02 Keith Nosbisch, Valrico, FL
ROW 3:
88 Trent Ivey, Union, SC – 21 Ivedent Lloyd Jr., Ocala, FL
ROW 4:
58 Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL – 14 Cale Conley, Vienna, WV
ROW 5:
30 Ryan King, Seymour, TN (R) – 10c Ryan Crane, Panama City, FL (R)
ROW 6:
5 Ronnie Johnson, Chattanooga, TN – 11 Doug Horton, Wimauma, FL
ROW 7:
19 Marcus Minga, Shannon, MS – 85 Tom Maddox, Centre, AL
ROW 8:
RJ1 Michael Lake, Uniontown, PA (Y) – 00m Monte Skinner, Saraland, AL

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

1ST B-MAIN:
87 Walker Arthur – 14c Tyler Clem (R/Y)
23 Jimmy Mac – B69 Bryan Bernhardt
03c Phillip Cobb – 12 Ashton Winger (Y)
15 Jason Britton (R) – 00 Russell Brown Jr.
33c Carter Stokes – 10 Ronnie Cooper

2ND B-MAIN:
73 Evan Ellis – 08 Justin Shipley
5s Blake Spencer – 41k John Kellum
03 Chris O’Connor – H2 Matt Henderson (R)
14d Braeden Dillinger – 121 Michael Blount
45 Bobby Richardson – 5 Brian Johnson

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

Y – Denotes Sunoco Young Gun 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.  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, and CVR Race Cars. 

-30-