Post by LMR on 03/22/15 at 12:46pm
Chevy Super Series
411 Motor Speedway
March 21, 2015
_______________________________________
Packed House Sees Johnson Go From 23rd To 1st For Chevy Super Series Win
by Roby Helm
SEYMOUR, TN (March 21) – The 2015 Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series season opener on Saturday night at 411 Motor Speedway was one for the ages, as defending series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN thrilled the packed house by starting 23rd, taking the lead on lap 35, and posting over a three second margin of victory at the end of 50 laps.
Johnson started 23rd after failing to post a time during qualifications when his left-rear tire rolled off the wheel on his first qualifying lap. At that time, Johnson thought his chances for a win were gone, but he would try to just take it easy, get a decent finish, and go on to the next race.
When Johnson pulled his NeSmith Chevrolet Special into Victory Lane after the race, he looked as surprised as anyone that he was actually there!
“I thought I had no chance to win this race from the 23rd starting spot, so I thought I would just ride around easy, stay out of trouble, and see if I could salvage close to a top ten finish,” Johnson said. “At about the halfway point of the race, we had a caution and I looked at the scoreboard at the top five cars. I then realized I was racing with those guys, and if I stepped it up a notch, I just might have a chance to win this thing!”
The “Chattanooga Flash” got up on the wheel and brought the capacity crowd to their feet while he showed them why he is an Inductee in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. By lap 29, Johnson was fourth, and on lap 30, he went from fourth to second. Johnson chased down the race leader Adam Martin of Talladega, AL and the pair raced side-by-side for the lead for three laps.
Johnson took the lead on lap 35, but he reached heavy lapped traffic on lap 40. This enabled Mario Gresham of Rome, GA to close in and begin to look for room to challenge Johnson for the lead. That opportunity never came, as a caution flag on lap 45 opened up a clear race track for Johnson, and he checked out to take the amazing win in the final six laps.
Gresham finished second in the Gresham Racing Parts Special and the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race Award. Martin hung on to take the third spot in the Seals Insurance Special and Pierce McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN was fourth in the McCarter Lumber CVR. Tim Busha of Boaz, AL drove the Kilpatrick Racing GRT to a fifth-place finish.
Tyler Crowder of Lamont, FL took the sixth spot in the Crowder Excavating Special and Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN was seventh in the Swallows Produce Special. Ryan King finished eighth and ninth, as Ryan King of Seymour, TN was eighth in the Brian King Roofing Stinger, and Ryan King of Anniston, AL was ninth in the David King Automotive Special.
Jadon Frame of Winchester, TN rounded out the top ten in the Poultry Electric/Pro Hardware Special. In preliminary action, Forrest Trent of Talbott, TN set Fast Time honors among the 25 entrants with a lap in 13.881 seconds in the Service 101 Rocket to earn the pole position for the 50-lap main event.
Gresham took the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting spot followed by Trent, Jake Knowles of Rome, GA in the Coosa Heating and Cooling Rocket, Williams, and Martin until the field was slowed for the first of eight times by the caution flag after a multi-car pile-up in turn four mid-pack through the field.
Gresham had Knowles, Williams, Trent, Martin, Busha, Crowder, McCarter, Lavon Sparks of Phenix City, AL in the Modern Images GRT and Tennessee Ryan King doubled up behind the leader for the “Dixie-Style Double-File Restart.” Williams was on the move when the field went back to green flag action, as he got under Knowles for the second spot in turn two.
Williams then took the lead from Gresham on lap five, bringing Knowles with him up into the second spot. Gresham fell back to fourth on lap seven when Martin got by him for third. Sparks stalled in turn two while running ninth to bring out the second caution flag of the race.
The polesitter Trent was falling back through the field, and while running sixth, spun on the restart in turn two. Williams led Knowles, Martin, Gresham, Busha, McCarter, and Crowder down for the double-file restart. Martin got by Knowles for second coming off the second turn, and on lap 11 he took the lead from Williams.
Once he took the point, Martin began to pull away from the field. By lap 12, Johnson had worked his way up to the tenth spot. On lap 15, Williams jumped the cushion in the fourth turn which opened the door for Knowles and Gresham to take over the second and third spots respectively.
Martin had to slow his pace down a tad by lap 18 when he began to encounter lapped traffic. By lap 20, Johnson had worked his way up to the seventh spot. The field was slowed at the halfway point of the race on lap 25 when Josh Johnson of Winchester, TN spun the Johnson Flooring Special on the front straightaway.
Martin led Knowles, Gresham, Williams, McCarter, Crowder, Johnson, Busha, Tennessee Ryan King, and Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, TN in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket down for the restart. Hedgecock brought out the sixth caution flag when he stalled in turn four on lap 27. In the meantime, Johnson moved up another spot and was sixth for the next restart.
Lap 29 saw Knowles and Gresham tangle on the front straightaway while battling for second. Knowles was charged with the caution flag, and Gresham restarted in the second spot behind race leader Martin.
Before the green flag came out for the restart, the fans in the stands were pointing and waving. Johnson had their full attention now. Martin led Gresham and McCarter in second and third respectively. Johnson restarted fourth and was in full attack mode now. The riding around strategy was out the window!
On lap 30, Johnson drove under McCarter down the backstretch to take the third spot, and then got under Gresham in turn three for second. By lap 32, Johnson was alongside Martin battling for the lead, but the young second-generation driver would not give up the point without a fight.
Martin and Johnson battled side-by-side for the lead for three laps before Johnson moved underneath to take the lead coming off the fourth turn on lap 35. Gresham was able to regroup to pass Martin for the second spot on lap 38.
As Johnson came up on heavy lapped traffic, Gresham was closing fast, but before he could try to make a move to challenge for the lead, the caution flag came out on lap 45 when Rusty Ballenger of Sevierville, TN stalled the East Tennessee Metal Special in turn four to bring out the eighth and final caution flag.
With clear race track in front of him for the restart, Johnson pulled away in the final six laps of the race to seal the deal and end his miraculous 50-lap 23rd to first journey with a 3.101 second margin of victory at the checkered flag and a standing ovation salute from an appreciative crowd at 411 Motor Speedway.
The Chevy Super Series will now head to Mississippi for its next two races in April. Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS will host the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series on Friday night, April 24 for a 40-lap $2,000-to-win race, and then it’s on to Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS on Saturday night, April 25 for a 50-lap $3,000-to-win event.
For more information about the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.525superseries.com
OFFICIAL FINISH OF ROUND 1 AT 411 MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN SEYMOUR, TN ON 3/21/15:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 23 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $3,000
2. 2 21 Mario Gresham (R) Rome, GA 50 $1,500
3. 5 47a Adam Martin (R) Talladega, AL 50 $1,000
4. 10 71 Pierce McCarter Gatlinburg, TN 50 $850
5. 8 15 Tim Busha Boaz, AL 50 $750
6. 7 47c Tyler Crowder Lamont, FL 50 $700
7. 3 95 Brandon Williams (R) Crossville, TN 50 $650
8. 12 30 Ryan King Seymour, TN 50 $600
9. 22 55 Ryan King (R) Anniston, AL 50 $550
10. 19 J8 Jadon Frame Winchester, TN 50 $500
11. 11 47r Ross Martin Talladega, AL 50 $475
12. 17 99g Jacob Grizzle Blairsville, GA 49 $450
13. 16 23 Trevor Thompson (R) Dallas, GA 48 $425
14. 18 29 Rusty Ballenger Sevierville, TN 42 $400
15. 21 58 Tony Thompson Ohatchee, AL 34 $375
16. 1 101 Forrest Trent Talbott, TN 33 $350
17. 4 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA 28 $325
18. 24 23h Cory Hedgecock Loudon, TN 25 $300
19. 15 85 Jeff Smith Dalton, GA 23 $300
20. 13 J1 Josh Johnson (R) Winchester, TN 22 $300
21. 6 A19 Adam Beeler (R) Knoxville, TN 21 $300
22. 20 23a Barry Anderson Andrews, NC 9 $300
23. 9 11 Lavon Sparks Phenix City, AL 8 $300
24. 14 18 Matt Dooley (R) Brooks, GA 4 $300
ENTRIES: 25
FAST QUALIFIER: Trent, 13.881 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: 3
LAP LEADERS: Gresham, 1-4; Williams, 5-10; A. Martin, 11-34; R. Johnson, 35-50
LAPS LED: A. Martin, 24; Johnson, 16; Williams, 6; Gresham, 4
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Gresham
CRATE INSIDER.COM 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Crowder
SCHAEFFER’S OIL 8TH-PLACE AWARD: King (TN)
MODERN IMAGES 9TH-PLACE AWARD: King (AL)
DAVID SMITH CARBURETORS 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Frame
MIKE’S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: R. Martin
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Grizzle
KINSER AIR FILTERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD: Thompson
CAUTIONS: 8
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 3.101 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 44 Minutes, and 45.234 Seconds
NEXT RACE: Magnolia Motor Speedway, Columbus, MS, April 24
QUALIFYING:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 101 Forrest Trent Talbott, TN Rocket 15.279 13.881 13.881
2 21 Mario Gresham - R Rome, GA Mastersbilt 14.319 13.882 13.882
3 95 Brandon Williams - R Crossville, TN Mastersbilt 14.183 13.916 13.916
4 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA Rocket 14.135 13.927 13.927
5 47a Adam Martin - R Talladega, AL Barry Wright 13.928 14.909 13.928
6 A19 Adam Beeler - R Knoxville, TN GRT 14.126 13.928 13.928
7 47c Tyler Crowder Lamont, FL Longhorn 14.105 13.931 13.931
8 15 Tim Busha Boaz, AL GRT 14.041 13.933 13.933
9 11 Lavon Sparks Phenix City, AL GRT 13.973 14.624 13.973
10 71 Pierce McCarter Gatlinburg, TN CVR 14.189 14.045 14.045
11 47r Ross Martin Talladega, AL Barry Wright 14.059 NT 14.059
12 30 Ryan King Seymour, TN Stinger 14.085 14.301 14.085
13 J1 Josh Johnson - R Winchester, TN Revelution 14.206 14.119 14.119
14 18 Matt Dooley - R Brooks, GA Capital 14.455 14.166 14.166
15 85 Jeff Smith Dalton, GA Warrior 15.057 14.252 14.252
16 23 Trevor Thompson - R Dallas, GA Rocket 14.830 14.289 14.289
17 99g Jacob Grizzle Blairsville, GA Capital 14.334 14.291 14.291
18 29 Rusty Ballenger Sevierville, TN Mastersbilt 14.742 14.308 14.308
19 J8 Jadon Frame Decherd, TN Revelution 14.330 14.420 14.330
20 23a Barry Anderson Andrews, NC Mastersbilt 14.516 14.717 14.516
21 58 Tony Thompson Ohatchee, AL TSR 15.137 15.444 15.137
22 55 Ryan King (AL) - R Anniston, AL TSR NT NT NT
23 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN Mastersbilt NT NT NT
24 23h Cory Hedgecock Loudon, TN Rocket 13.715 13.749 DQ/LT
25 24 Barry Goodman Spring City, TN Rocket NT NT NT
CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 3/21/15:
1. 5 Ronnie Johnson – 100
2. 21 Mario Gresham (R) – 96
3. 47a Adam Martin (R) – 94
4. 71 Pierce McCarter – 92
5. 15 Tim Busha – 90
6. 47c Tyler Crowder – 88
7. 95 Brandon Williams – 86
8. 30 Ryan King (TN) – 84
9. 55 Ryan King (AL) (R) – 82
10. J8 Jadon Frame – 80
11. 47r Ross Martin – 78
12. 99g Jacob Grizzle – 76
13. 23 Trevor Thompson (R) – 74
14. 29 Rusty Ballenger – 72
15. 58 Tony Thompson – 70
16. 101 Forrest Trent – 68
17. 66 Jake Knowles – 66
18. 23h Cory Hedgecock – 64
19. 85 Jeff Smith – 62
20. J1 Josh Johnson (R) – 60