NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series
Golden Isles Speedway
October 17, 2015
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Diekemper Earns Pole For NeSmith Late Model Showdown On The Coastby Roby Helm
BRUNSWICK, GA (October 16) - Robert Diekemper of Bloomingdale, GA drove the Chatham Classic Homes Special to victory in the first of four ten-lap Heat Races to earn the pole position for Saturday night’s 60-lap $5,000-to-win Showdown On The Coast race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Golden Isles Speedway.
The top four finishers in each of the four Heat Races earned a spot in the “Sweet 16” of the main event starting line-up filling the first eight rows of the 24-car field. Drivers that finished fifth on back in the four Heat Races will line-up in one of two B-Main Races that will be contested tomorrow night in which the first three finishers earn a spot in the Big Show.
Defending race champion Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL won the second Heat Race in the Edge’s Gas Company Special and will go for his second straight Showdown On The Coast win from the outside of the front row.
Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL won the third Heat Race in the Brandon Ford Rocket and starts the main event on the inside of the second row. Ryan Crane of Panama City, FL will start the Big Show from the outside of the second row after driving the Panama City Cycles Rocket to victory in the fourth heat race.
Joining Diekemper in the Sweet 16 from the first Heat Race were Phillip Cobb of Dover, FL in the Dynamic Painting Special, Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL in the Taylor Pools GRT, and second-generation driver Travis Pennington of Stapleton, GA in the Milford Body Special.
Drivers earning a spot in the main event with Edge in the second Heat Race were Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL in the AR Bodies Special, Ryan King of Seymour, TN in the Brian King Roofing Stinger, and Hunter Carter of Blackshear, GA in the Bud Light Special.
Second through fourth respectively behind Bronson in Heat three were the defending and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special, Mallory Harvey of Baxley, GA in the Rentz Farms Rocket, and Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS in the Ellis Welding Special.
Finishing behind Crane in the fourth heat in second through fourth respectively and earning a spot in the Big Show were Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL in the Billy Riels Racing Special, Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN in the Rebel Diesel Rocket Duayne Hommel Tribute Car, and third-generation driver Jimmy Thomas of Phenix City, AL in the Five Star Hyundai Special.
Ryan Carter of Blackshear, GA out-timed the 33-car field with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 16.395 seconds in the Mark’s Auto and Collision Special to pick up $200 from Wholesale Automotive. Carter will have to try and race his way into the main event through a B-Main after crashing at the start of the first Heat Race.
There are four Top 15 point drivers still on the outside looking in of the Main Event starting in a Saturday night B-Main that are also Provisional Eligible. They are sixth-place Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, tenth-place Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL, 11th-place Will Roland of Jasper, GA, and 12th-place Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS.
Minga starts fourth in the first B-Main, Dykes starts third in the first B-Main, Roland starts sixth in the first B-Main and Blount starts fifth in the second B-Main. The top three finishers in each B-Main transfer to the main event and fill in starting positions 17 through 22. Starting spots 23 and 24 are NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Provisional spots reserved for the Top 15 drivers in the point standings.
For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at
www.nesmithracing.comHeat #1
1 48 Robert Diekemper
2 03 Phillip Cobb
3 20 Jason Fitzgerald
4 01 Travis Pennington
5 9 Ches Chester
6 5 Rodgerick Dykes
7 55 Terrance Nowell
8 52 Ryan Carter
Heat #2
1 18E Chase Edge
2 5W Mark Whitener
3 30 Ryan King
4 25 Hunter Carter
5 85 Tom Maddox
6 14M JO Nobles
7 121 Michael Blount
8 170 Tom Egner
Heat #3
1 40B Kyle Bronson
2 5 Ronnie Johnson
3 29 Mallory Harvey
4 73 Evan Ellis
5 28 Henry Carter
6 19 Marcus Minga
7 22R Will Roland
8 3J Paul Jorgenson
Heat #4
1 10C Ryan Crane
2 447 Justin McRee
3 H2 Matt Henderson
4 22T Jimmy Thomas
5 45c Charlie Flowers
6 54 Tim Dixon
7 1 Zach Lloyd
8 22 Cecil Eunice
9 311 Chase Washington
Qualifying
Group #1
1 447 Justin McRee 16.742
2 10C Ryan Crane 16.799
3 22T Jimmy Thomas 16.924
4 22 Cecil Eunice 16.984
5 H2 Matt Henderson 17.117
6 311 Chase Washington 17.414
7 45c Charlie Flowers 17.504
8 1 Zach Lloyd 17.577
9 54 Tim Dixon 17.608
Group #2
1 40B Kyle Bronson 16.718
2 29 Mallory Harvey 16.982
3 5 Ronnie Johnson 17.222
4 73 Evan Ellis 17.364
5 19 Marcus Minga 17.413
6 28 Henry Carter 17.450
7 22R Will Roland 17.589
8 3J Paul Jorgenson 18.386
Group #3
1 52 Ryan Carter 16.395
2 03 Phillip Cobb 16.713
3 48 Robert Diekemper 16.775
4 01 Travis Pennington 16.848
5 55 Terrance Nowell 16.996
6 9 Ches Chester 17.039
7 5D Rodgerick Dykes 17.049
8 20 Jason Fitzgerald 17.219
Group #4
1 30 Ryan King 16.595
2 18E Chase Edge 16.658
3 5W Mark Whitener 16.844
4 25 Hunter Carter 16.913
5 85 Tom Maddox 17.211
6 121 Michael Blount 17.329
7 14M JO Nobles 17.626
8 5E Tom Egner 17.706
results unofficial