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

November 30, 2012

WHITENER EARNS POLE FOR NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                OCALA, FL – Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL earned the pole position for Saturday night’s $10,000-to-win 100-lap 8th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Bubba Raceway Park. 

In Friday night preliminary action, three Florida drivers and four Florida cars won the four 15-lap heat races to take the top four starting spots for Saturday night’s big show.  The four preliminary races were highlighted by three and four-wide racing.

Whitener, the 2012 Bubba Raceway Park Late Model Champion, drove the B&B Produce/Dave’s Towing Special to fast time honors and then won the first 15-lap heat race in dominating fashion to earn the inside front row starting spot.

Kyle Bronson of Tampa, FL was the second quick qualifier and won the second 15-lap heat race on Friday night in the Brandon Ford Warrior to earn the outside front row starting spot for the 8th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race. 

Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, FL drove the Snow Brothers Special to third quick time and won the third heat race on Friday night, and will start on the inside of row two for Saturday night’s big show. 

The 2010 Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race winner, Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV, drove the Tampa, FL-based and Ken Nosbisch-owned Mainland Transport Warrior to a win in the fourth 15-lap heat race to start the Saturday night main event from the outside of row two.

In Friday night’s Group Qualifying, Whitener out-timed the 45-car field with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 15.477 seconds.  That gave him the pole position for the first heat race, which he went on to win.  The top four finishers in each of the four heat races on Friday night transferred into Saturday night’s World Championship Race.

Joining Whitener as transfer drivers out of the first heat race were Greg Martin of Oliver Springs, TN in the Biff Motorsports Special, Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL in the Transportation Specialist Warrior, and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior.

Following Bronson in second heat race transfer spots were Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL in the M&M Transport Refrigeration GRT, Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN in the Jim Beeman Lumber Special, and the 2012 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC in the CANCO Rocket.

Second through fourth in the third heat race behind Lloyd were Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC in the AES Racing Special, Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL in the High Roller Race Cars Special, and Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN in the Dale’s Auto Sales GRT.

Taking the transfer spots in the fourth heat race behind Horton were Mack McCarter of Sevierville, TN in the CVR Race Cars Special, Ryan Montgomery of Fairmont, WV in the T.J. Contracting Warrior, and David Smith of Inman, SC in the McCarter Towing TNT.

Drivers that finished fifth on back in their respective heat races on Friday night will have one more opportunity on Saturday night to make the $10,000-to-win 100 lap main event through one of two 20-lap B-Main races where the top three finishers will transfer to the big show. 

Among the 29 drivers still on the outside looking in is the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA.

Turner arrived at the last race of the season this weekend with a 16-point lead over David Earl Gentry.  Turner’s night started off well in the Hedman Husler Special, as he was the fourth fastest qualifier, and started on the pole position for the fourth heat race.  An ill-handling race car dropped him to a sixth-place finish.  Turner will start fourth in the first 20-lap B-Main.

At best, a B-Main win would see Turner starting 17th, and Gentry starting 13th.  That would give Turner an eight-point lead going into the main event.  Turner is the first driver eligible for the 23rd provisional starting spot.  That’s where Turner would start if he fails to transfer out of the B-Main race.  This scenario would give Gentry a four point lead starting the big show.

Other top ten NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series drivers still on the outside looking in are third-place Larry Harrod of Plains, GA, fourth-place Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL, fifth-place Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS, seventh-place Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS, and eighth-place Cody Kierre of Beebe, AR.

Others that will trying to race their way into the World Championship Race through a B-Main race on Saturday night include National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, Rodney Wing of Meridian, MS, and Jeff Mathews of Tampa, FL.

The action gets underway on Saturday night with Hot Laps at 7 p.m.  Bubba Raceway Park is located north of Ocala, FL at 9050 N.W. Gainesville Road, Ocala, FL 34482.  For more information call 352-622-9400, or visit the track web site at www.bubbaracewaypark.com and on Facebook at Bubba Raceway Park. 

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.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ROUND 22 AT BUBBA RACEWAY PARK IN OCALA, FL ON 11/30/12:

GROUP QUALIFYING:


1ST GROUP:

 

 

 

 

 

 

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

10

Matthew Turner

Dawsonville, GA

DWB

15.938

15.746

15.746

2

J4

John Garvin Jr.

Sarver, PA

Rocket

16.409

15.787

15.787

3

11

Doug Horton

Bruceton Mills, WV

Warrior

16.226

15.823

15.823

4

71

Mack McCarter

Sevierville, TN

CVR

15.856

15.874

15.856

5

12

Ryan Montgomery

Fairmont, WV

Warrior

15.975

15.880

15.880

6

18

Chase Edge

Lafayette, AL

Mastersbilt

16.203

15.962

15.962

7

111

Steven Roberts

Jesup, GA

Barry Wright

16.390

16.039

16.039

8

11s

David Smith

Inman, SC

TNT

16.366

16.191

16.191

9

2

Joey Coulter

Charlotte, NC

Rocket

16.424

16.409

16.409

10

19

Josh Adkins

Talladega, AL

Barry Wright

16.499

17.046

16.499

11

4g

Bob Gardner

Germantown Hills, IL

Rayburn

16.858

16.611

16.611

12

17k

Cody Kierre - R

Beebe, AR

GRT

17.032

17.356

17.032

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2ND GROUP:

 

 

 

 

 

 

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

58

Mark Whitener

Middleburg, FL

Barry Wright

15.712

15.477

15.477

2

5n

Keith Nosbisch

Valrico, FL

Warrior

15.744

15.734

15.734

3

11k

Austin Kirkpatrick

Ocala, FL

Barry Wright

16.396

16.052

16.052

4

24

Greg Martin

Oliver Springs, TN

Bloomquist

16.528

16.140

16.140

5

5

Ronnie Johnson

Chattanooga, TN

Mastersbilt

16.288

16.146

16.146

6

33

Carter Stokes

New Smyrna, FL

Rocket

16.346

17.091

16.346

7

17ss

Shan Smith

Dade City, FL

GRT

16.358

16.589

16.358

8

56

David Earl Gentry

Murfreesboro, TN

Warrior

16.543

16.728

16.543

9

25

Dalton Myers

Riverview, FL

Barry Wright

16.551

16.877

16.551

10

10w

Rodney Wing

Meridian, MS

Rocket

16.584

17.038

16.584

11

11r

Stacey Roberts

Sylvester, GA

Rocket

17.010

16.716

16.716

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3RD GROUP:

 

 

 

 

 

 

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

21

Ivedent Lloyd Jr.

Ocala, FL

Snow Bros.

15.814

15.721

15.721

2

B17

Justin McRee

Cottondale, AL

HRRC

15.842

15.981

15.842

3

27c

Dennis Franklin

Gaffney, SC

Barry Wright

16.436

16.005

16.005

4

23

Chris Ferguson

Mt. Holly, NC

Longhorn

16.034

16.176

16.034

5

10cw

Chris Wilson

Crossville, TN

GRT

16.304

16.382

16.304

6

27

Larry Harrod

Plains, GA

Scorpion

16.801

16.588

16.588

7

87

Walker Arthur

Forest, VA

Rocket

17.005

16.739

16.739

8

38c

John Gardner Jr.

Creve Coeur, IL

Rayburn

16.953

16.976

16.953

9

5d

Rodgerick Dykes

Smith Station, AL

Warrior

17.201

16.995

16.995

10

47

Shannon Lee

Lumberton, MS

GRT

17.076

17.148

17.076

11

8a

Todd Morrow

East Ridge, TN

GRT

17.265

17.511

17.265

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4TH GROUP:

 

 

 

 

 

 

POS

CAR #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

CHASSIS

LAP 1

LAP 2

TIME

1

40b

Kyle Bronson

Tampa, FL

Warrior

15.744

15.597

15.597

2

7f

Jason Fitzgerald

Middleburg, FL

GRT

16.177

16.803

16.177

3

7

Don O'Neal

Martinsville, IN

Mastersbilt

16.187

16.360

16.187

4

54

Brandon Overton

Appling, GA

Mastersbilt

16.243

16.881

16.243

5

33

Jeff Mathews

Valrico, FL

Rocket

16.408

16.579

16.408

6

69

Tony Lawson

Laurel, MS

Scorpion

16.866

16.523

16.523

7

110

Brent Barrett

Cleveland, MS

GRT

16.600

16.705

16.600

8

114

Chris Cantrell - R

Chester, SC

Rocket

16.640

16.657

16.640

9

121

Michael Blount

Sumrall, MS

GRT

17.001

16.718

16.718

10

10c

Ronnie Cooper

McKenzie, TN

GRT

17.252

16.781

16.781

11

1

Johnny Stokes

Columbus, MS

GRT

16.826

17.013

16.826

HEAT RACES (15 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

                1ST HEAT:  1. Whitener; 2. Martin; 3. Nosbisch; 4. Gentry; 5. Johnson; 6. Kirkpatrick; 7. Sta. Roberts; 8. C. Stokes; 9. Myers; 10. S. Smith; 11. Wing.

                2ND HEAT:  1. Bronson; 2. Fitzgerald; 3. O’Neal; 4. Cantrell (R); 5. Blount; 6. Mathews; 7. Cooper; 8. Barrett; 9. Lawson; 10. J. Stokes; 11. Overton.

                3RD HEAT:  1. Lloyd; 2. Franklin; 3. McRee; 4. Wilson; 5. Arthur; 6. Dykes; 7. Harrod; 8, Lee; 9. Ferguson; 10. Morrow; 11. J. Gardner.

                4TH HEAT:  1. Horton; 2. McCarter; 3. Montgomery; 4. D. Smith; 5. Coulter; 6. Turner; 7. B. Gardner; 8. Adkins; 9. Ste. Roberts; 10. Edge; 11. 17k Kierre (R); 12. Garvin.

“SWEET 16 FEATURE RACE LINE-UP:

ROW 1:
58 Mark Whitener – 40 Kyle Bronson
ROW 2:
21 Ivedent Lloyd Jr. – 11 Doug Horton
ROW 3:
24 Greg Martin – 7f Jason Fitzgerald
ROW 4:
27c Dennis Franklin – 71 Mack McCarter
ROW 5:
5n Keith Nosbisch – 7b Don O’Neal
ROW 6:
B17 Justin McRee – 12 Ryan Montgomery
ROW 7:
56 David Earl Gentry – 114 Chris Cantrell (R)
ROW 8:
10w Chris Wilson – 11s David Smith

B-MAIN LINE-UPS (20 Laps – Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN:
5 Ronnie Johnson – 87 Walker Arthur
11k Austin Kirkpatrick – 5d Rodgerick Dykes
11r Stacey Roberts – 27 Larry Harrod
33 Carter Stokes – 47 Shannon Lee
25 Dalton Myers – 23 Chris Ferguson
17ss Shan Smith – 8a Todd Morrow
11w Rodney Wing – 38c John Gardner Jr.

2ND B-MAIN:
121 Michael Blount – 2 Joey Coulter
33 Jeff Mathews – 10 Matthew Turner
10c Ronnie Cooper – 4g Bob Gardner
110 Brent Barrett – 19 Josh Adkins
69 Tony Lawson – 111 Steven Roberts
1 Johnny Stokes – 18 Chase Edge
54 Brandon Overton – 17k Cody Kierre
4 John Garvin Jr.

R – Denotes VP Racing Fuels 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 Dealer four 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.  VP Racing Fuel is the Official Racing Fuel 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.  RockAuto.com is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2012 are Dominator Race Products, Race Car Engineering, KRC, QA 1 Precision Products, Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Schoenfeld Headers, Integra Racing Shocks, J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment, Kinser Air Filters, Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and Stinger Race Cars. 

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