Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series News Release: 
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
August 3, 2013

THOMAS 2 FOR 2 WITH EAST ALABAMA MOTOR SPEEDWAY CHEVY SUPER SERIES WIN

PHENIX CITY, AL (August 3) – William Thomas of Phenix City, AL made it two-in-row in Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series competition with his win on Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in the 50-lap main event driving the Alexander’s Industrial Service GRT.  In the last seven days, Thomas has won enough money to pay for his All-Aluminum Chevrolet Racing Engine twice over.

In addition to the two Chevy Super Series wins, Thomas had two wins last weekend to remain undefeated with his new Chevrolet Performance All-Aluminum Racing Engine and in the last seven days has earned $15,300 in prize money. 

Unlike Friday’s win in the inaugural Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series race at Penton Raceway in Penton, AL where Thomas set fast time and led all 50 laps, Thomas had to work hard from the fifth starting spot, and then get a little luck on Saturday night to double up.

Thomas took the lead on lap 43 after early race leader Tim Busha of Boaz, AL cut down a right-rear tire under his Kilpatrick Racing GRT.  Thomas led Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL in the last eight laps of the race, and took the $3,000 win with a 2.368 second margin of victory.

“It’s been an amazing week with this new Chevrolet Performance Engine,” Thomas said in Victory Lane.  “I could run down Busha in the long green flag runs, but I don’t know if I could have got around him for the win, if he hadn’t have had a cut tire.  He was strong tonight.”

Stephens finished second in the K&J Trucking Special after a busy day, just to make it to the race track to compete on Saturday.  Stephens took delivery of his Chevrolet Performance All-Aluminum Racing Engine at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning from NeSmith Chevrolet in Claxton, GA, installed it in the race car, and was ready to go by 4 p.m.

Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL finished third for the second straight night in the Edge’s Gas Company Special, and National Dirt Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN took the fourth spot in the Tommy Pope Construction Warrior.  Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS was fifth in the Custom Spraying GRT, and Busha came back to claim the sixth spot.

David Brannon of Elora, TN drove the Elora Gin Company Special to a seventh-place finish, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA started 14th in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Special and finished eighth.  Brad Smith of Winston-Salem, NC took the ninth spot in the Velocita Special, and Frank Wilson of Milton, FL rounded out the Top 10 in the Wilson Lumber Trak-Star.

Thomas now holds a 12-point lead over Johnson and Edge, who are tied for the second spot in the battle for the $10,000 Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series Championship in the ten-race series.

In Qualifications, Busha earned the pole position for the start of the 50-lap main event with a lap around East Alabama Motor Speedway in 15.024 seconds.  Busha took the lead at the start of the race followed by Johnson, Brannon, Thomas and Stephens.  By the tenth lap, Busha had opened up a half-straightaway lead over Johnson while Brannon and Thomas raced side-by-side for third.

Busha reached the cars on the tail of the lead lap on lap 12 and on lap 14, Thomas got by Brannon to take over the third spot.  One lap later, Thomas caught Johnson and began to battle the Chattanooga Flash for the second position. 

On lap 17, Thomas dove to the bottom of the track in turn four and drove under Johnson for second.  By that time, Busha had stretched his lead out to a full straightaway.  Stephens was also on the move, as he passed Brannon for the fourth position on lap 19.  Lap 21 saw Busha encounter lapped traffic, and Thomas began to close in.

By the halfway point on lap 25, Busha’s lead had evaporated to five car-lengths.  Stephens gained another spot at the halfway point, as he got by Johnson for third.  The field was slowed for the first time on lap 27 when Adam Martin of Talladega, AL spun the Seals Insurance Special in turn four. 

Busha led the field down for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart with Thomas, Stephens, Johnson, Brannon, Edge, Barrett, Ross Martin, Turner and Smith doubled up behind him.  When the field went green, Busha pulled away from Thomas, while Brannon got by Johnson for the fourth spot.

Johnson came back on the inside, and reclaimed the fourth spot on lap 28 when Brannon jumped the cushion on the outside of turn two.  By the time Brannon recovered, he had dropped back to the seventh spot.  Ross Martin gave up the eighth spot on lap 30 when he took the Blake Dorrsett Trucking GRT to the pit area.

Thomas began to reel in Busha on lap 35, and closed to within a couple of car lengths by lap 40.  On lap 43, Thomas dove for the bottom of the track in turn two, and passed Busha for the lead.  As Busha came off the second turn, his car bobbled and he slowed off the pace with a cut down right-rear tire.

Busha lined up in the eighth spot for the eight lap dash to the finish as the last car on the lead lap after going to the pits for a tire change.  Between Busha and the leader Thomas were Stephens in second followed by Johnson, Edge, Barrett, Brannon, and Turner. 

Thomas pulled away on the restart, while Edge got around Johnson for third.  Busha advanced from eighth to sixth in the final eight tours.  Eight cars finished on the lead lap of the race which took 24 minutes and 23 seconds to complete the 50 laps.

The next race Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series will be on August 10 at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN for a $3,000-to-win $300-to-start main event.

For more information about the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.525superseries.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series. 

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 2 AT EAST ALABAMA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN PHENIX CITY, AL ON 8/3/13:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 5 A19 William Thomas Phenix City, AL 50 $3,000
2. 4 00 Richie Stephens Salem, AL 50 $1,500
3. 6 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 50 $1,000
4. 2 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $850
5. 7 110 Brent Barrett Cleveland, MS 50 $750
6. 1 15 Tim Busha Boaz, AL 50 $700
7. 3 33 David Brannon Elora, TN 50 $650
8. 14 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $600
9. 12 14k Brad Smith Winston-Salem, NC 49 $550
10. 8 72 Frank Wilson Milton, FL 48 $500
11. 10 47 Ross Martin Talladega, AL 29 $475
12. 9 47m Adam Martin Talladega, AL 25 $450
13. 11 222 Carlton Freeman Eastaboga, AL 14 $425
14. 13 19 Jeremy Britton Alexander City, AL 8 $400

ENTRIES:  14
FAST QUALIFIER: Busha, 15.024 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Busha, 1-42; Thomas, 43-50
LAPS LED:  Busha, 42; Thomas, 8
CAUTIONS:  2
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  2.368 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  24 Minutes and 24.045 Seconds