NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
May 20, 2011
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THOMAS TAKES NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS PENTON WIN



PENTON, AL – William Thomas of Phenix City, AL drove the J.W. Miller Land and Timber Special to a wire-to-wire win Friday Night in the Spring Nationals 40 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Tour at Penton Raceway. Thomas took the lead on lap one from his outside front row starting spot to post his fifth series career win.

Thomas swept around the outside of polesitter Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL in the PW Performance Special through turn one after the green flag came out, and the winner said that was the key to his victory.

“I knew I had to get a good start to get around the outside of Scott Knowles at the start because he is quick around here,” Thomas said. “It was a good race track tonight even though it changed a few times during the race, but my car was good enough that I could race just about anywhere.”

Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL highlighted a busy week on and off the track with a second-place finish in the Edge’s Gas Company Special. The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) Champion and the current VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year point leader moved up to the fifth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point standings.

Edge, who celebrated his 18th birthday on Monday, got to the track just in time to qualify for the race after attending his high school graduation with honors earlier in the evening in nearby Lafayette, AL. Edge then went out and won the first of four eight-lap heats races to earn the fifth starting spot for the main event. Edge was also the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.

Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN drove the Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Special to a third-place finish, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the fourth spot in the Hedman Husler. Albert Cosnahan of Stillmore, GA was fifth in the Braddy Electric GRT.

NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Danny Breuer of Troutman, NC started 18th and finished sixth to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award in the AES Racing Special. Breuer still leads the series standings with 542 points, followed by Gentry with 524 points, Turner with 500 points, Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS with 404 points in the Billy Riels Racing GRT, and Edge with 376 points.

Tod Darda of LaGrange, GA drove the PW Performance GRT to the seventh spot, and Frank Wilson of Harold, FL was eighth in the Wilson Lumber Trak-Star. Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN finished ninth in the Wade Body Shop Special and Doug Stephens of Griffin, GA rounded out the top ten in the American Pie Pizza GRT.

Thomas took the lead at the drop of the green flag followed by Knowles, Turner, Gentry and Cosnahan. The first of eight caution flags came out on lap two when Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC left the track in turn two. On the restart, Tony Lawson of Laurel, MS spun his Lawson Construction Special in turn two for the second yellow flag.

With Thomas in the lead, the second-place driver Knowles chose the inside for the Dixie-Style Double File Restart. That put Turner to Knowles’ outside, and Turner sailed around Knowles for the second spot on the restart. Knowles’ car sailed up the turn four banking and he dropped to the seventh spot by the time he gathered it up.

Knowles, who was the fast qualifier for the event with a lap in 14.606 seconds around the 3/8-mile clay oval, could go no further and he parked his car in the pits on lap five. That earned Knowles the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.

The third caution flag came out on lap eight when Ryan King of Anniston, AL spun the David King Automotive Special in turn two that collect several other cars. Both King and the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region point leader Jimmy Elkins Jr. of Talladega, AL in the ADP Special were done for the night.

The field lined up behind Thomas for the restart, and the second-place driver Turner chose the inside, which put the third-place driver Edge to his right on the outside. Edge used that to his advantage when the green flag came back out and he took the second spot from Turner. Gentry passed Turner for the third spot on lap ten.

Lawson had his second turn two spun on lap 19 to bring out the fourth caution flag, and the two spin rule ended his race. Thomas led Edge, Gentry, Turner, Cosnahan, Oliver Gentry of Newnan, GA in the Gentry Used Auto Parts GRT, Darda, Paul Walters of Valley, AL in The Lunch Box Warrior, Breuer and Wilson down for the restart.

Oliver Gentry sailed off the backstretch on lap 20 to light up the yellow bulb for the fifth time in the race. Another top ten driver had a problem on lap 23 when Walters stalled on the front straightaway for the sixth caution period. Stephens spun on the restart, so after the seventh caution period, series officials waved off the double-file restart.

The field stayed green for 12 laps, and during that time, Thomas was able to open up a half-straightaway lead on Edge. Thomas began to encounter lapped traffic on lap 30, and Edge was able to close in to within four car-lengths of the leader. The fourth-place drive Turner had a close call with the lapped car of Mark Tice on lap 35 when they got together on the backstretch.

Turner was able to keep going without losing a spot, but Tice stopped on the front stretch with a damaged left-rear quarter panel to bring out the eighth and final caution flag of the race. With the lapped traffic going to the tail of the field for the restart, Thomas had clear race track in front of him, and pulled away from Edge to post the $2,000 victory.

In preliminary action, the four eight-lap heat races were won by Edge, Darda, David Earl Gentry and Oliver Gentry. The 10-lap B-Main Race was won by Tice.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Tour moves to New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA on Saturday night for the $2,500-to-win Spring Nationals “Slick” 50, a tribute race for Georgia Racing Hall of Fame inductee Leon “Slick” Sells, who will be at the race to meet and greet the fans and sign autographs.

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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 6 AT PENTON RACEWAY IN PENTON, AL ON 5/20/11:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 22 William Thomas Phenix City, AL 40 $2,000
2. 5 18 Chase Edge (R) Lafayette, AL 40 $1,000
3. 7 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN 40 $700
4. 3 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 40 $550
5. 4 4U2 Albert Cosnahan Stillmore, GA 40 $500
6. 18 B7 Danny Breuer Troutman, NC 40 $525
7. 6 91 Tod Darda LaGrange, GA 40 $375
8. 12 72 Frank Wilson (R) Harold, FL 40 $350
9. 13 117 Jake Teague Oliver Springs, TN 40 $325
10. 10 77 Doug Stephens Griffin, GA 40 $300
11. 19 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS 40 $275
12. 23 2T Tootie Arnold (R) Bude, MS 38 $250
13. 21 24 Mark Tice (R) Avon, MS 34 $225
14. 9 P19 Paul Walters Valley, AL 24 $200
15. 22 5 Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 23 $175
16. 14 17 Mark Rosner Maryville, TN 22 $150
17. 8 03 Oliver Gentry Newnan, GA 19 $140
18. 11 18m Matt Dooley Brooks, GA 19 $125
19. 15 69 Tony Lawson Laurel, MS 17 $125
20. 17 17c Steve Cooke Mt. Airy, NC 16 $125
21. 16 55 Ryan King Anniston, AL 7 $125
22. 24 07 Jimmy Elkins Jr. Talladega, AL 7 $125
23. 1 66k Scott Knowles Lanett, AL 5 $125
24. 20 21s Jake Sanders Camp Hill, AL 2 $125

ENTRIES: 28
FAST QUALIFIER: Knowles: 14.606 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Thomas, 1-40
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Edge
HEDMAN HUSLER OF THE RACE: Breuer (started 18th and finished 6th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Knowles
INTEGRA SHOCKS JUST MISSED IT AWARD: Randall Walker
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Cosnahan
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Breuer
QA1 RACING PRODUCTS 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Darda
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Wilson
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Teague
KRC 10TH-PLACEWARD: Stephens
MIKE’S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Lee
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Arnold
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD: Tice
J.T. KERR RACING EQUIPMENT 14TH-PLACE AWARD: Walters
COFIELD RACING STARTERS 15TH-PLACE AWARD: Dykes
KINSER AIR FILTERS 16TH-PLACE AWARD: Rosner
CAUTIONS: 8