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Roby Helm
DUBLIN, Ga. (July 2) - Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA won the Stars and Stripes 40 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour on Friday night at 441 Speedway in dominating fashion driving the Faircloth Forrest Products Rayburn. Faircloth set fast time at 18.131 seconds to earn the pole position, and then led all 40 laps to post the victory in night one of the Firecracker Nationals.
Faircloth drove under the checkered flag with 2.260 second margin of victory over second-place Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage Trak-Star. Blount was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL took the third spot in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star.
The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS was fourth in the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle, and Brian Connor of Martinez, GA finished fifth in the Lazar's Trailers Barry Wright. Brad Comer of Gray, GA took the sixth spot in the Central Carpet Outlaw.
Terry Lumley of Twin City, GA started 13th and finished seventh in the S&J Timber Barry Wright to earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger Award. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA drove the Bryson Motorsports Mastersbilt to an eighth-place finish.
Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS was ninth in the Billy Riels Racing GRT, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA rounded out the top ten in the Turner Excavating DWB. Cooley now leads Turner in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings by 58 points.
"I'm wore out," Faircloth said in victory lane after posting his first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring win. "I've got a lot of laps around this place and it paid off tonight."
It took three tries to get the race started, as crashes brought the caution flag out on the first two tries. On the first start, Ken Ricks of Adriana, GA in the Ricks Glass Walter Newman and Ryan King of Anniston, AL in the True Bond Masonry TSR tangled in turn four. On the second try, Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA spun the Scotty's Muffler TNT in turn four and collected Chris McElhenney of Lake, MS in the G&M Trucking Trak-Star.
The third try saw Faircloth take the lead in turn one followed by Albert Cosnahan of Metter, GA in the Davis Produce GRT, Blount, Comer and Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Mastersbilt. The third yellow flag came out on lap two when Ricks cut down a right-rear tire.
Faircloth led Cosnahan, Blount, Comer, Henderson, McRee, Nipper, Cooley, Connor, and Lee down for the restart. Henderson got by Comer for the fourth spot on lap three in turn one, and Comer reclaimed the spot in turn three. Henderson made the pass again on Comer in turn one on lap five, while McRee and Nipper took over the fifth and sixth spots respectively in turn three, dropping Comer back to seventh.
Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL driving the Edge's Gas Mastersbilt slowed in turn two on lap eight to bring out the fourth caution flag. The top ten for the restart were Faircloth, Cosnahan, Blount, Henderson, McRee, Nipper, Comer, Cooley, Connor, and Lee. McRee and Nipper moved up to fourth and fifth respectively on lap ten, dropping Henderson back to the sixth spot.
Blount passed Cosnahan for the second spot on lap 11, and Henderson dropped out of the top ten on lap 12. Caution flag number five came out on lap 15 when Phil Pittman of Vidalia, GA in the A&P Metal Barry Wright and Brindle got together in turn one. Pittman was ticketed with the caution flag, and Brindle returned to the tenth spot for the restart.
During the caution period, Nipper went to the pits and retired for the evening. Faircloth led Blount, Cosnahan, McRee, Comer, Cooley, Connor, Larry Harrod of Plains, GA in the Harrod Logging Scorpion, Lumley, and Brindle back to the green flag. Josh Noles of LaGrange, GA spun the Noles Racing TNT on the restart for the sixth caution flag of the race.
On the next restart, Cooley got by Comer for the fifth spot, and Harrod passed Comer for sixth on alp 16. At the halfway mark, Faircloth had opened up a half-straightaway lead over Blount, and by lap 30, the lead increased to a full straightaway. Behind the leader, Cosnahan turned up the wick and began to challenge Blount for the second spot in lapped traffic.
Cosnahan reclaimed the second position with a pass on Blount on lap 33, and the seventh and final caution flag of the race came out on lap 34 when Harrod stalled in turn four with a cut tire while running sixth. When the field went back to green, Faircloth began to pull away, while Cosnahan and Blount raced side-by-side for the second spot. Blount made the pass coming off the fourth turn.
With four laps to go, Faircloth had opened up another half-straightaway led over Blount, while McRee got by Cosnahan for the third spot. In the closing laps, Cosnahan began to fall off the pace, had dropped to sixth on lap 38, and he went to the pits and out of the top ten on lap 39. That earned Cosnahan the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Faircloth went on to complete his perfect night of racing with the victory followed by Blount, McRee, Cooley, Connor, Comer, Lumley, Brindle, Lee and Turner. In preliminary events, Nipper and Cooley won the ten-lap heat races, and Tyler Millwood of Kingston, GA won the 12-lap B-Main race in the Millwood Plumbing Rocket.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour returns to 441 Speedway on Saturday night for the $2,500-to-win Salute To America 50, night two of the three-race Firecracker Nationals. The third night of the Firecracker Nationals will be on Sunday night with the $2,500-to-win Salute To The Armed Forces 50 at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL.
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 12 AT 441 SPEEDWAY IN DUBLIN, GA ON 7/2/10:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 27f Ben Faircloth Swainsboro, GA 40 $2,000
2. 5 121 Michael Blount (R) Sumrall, MS 40 $1,000
3. 6 25 Justin McRee Tuscaloosa, AL 40 $700
4. 8 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 40 $650
5. 10 777 Brian Connor Martinez, GA 40 $500
6. 3 C4 Brad Comer Gray, GA 40 $425
7. 13 2T Terry Lumley Twin City, GA 40 $475
8. 12 21b Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 40 $350
9. 11 47 Shannon Lee (R) Lumberton, MS 40 $325
10. 16 77 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 40 $300
11. 17 28 Chris McElhenney Lake, MS 40 $275
12. 4 88 Charlie Henderson (R) Cottondale, AL 40 $250
13. 9 27 Larry Harrod (R) Plains, GA 40 $225
14. 19 X Tyler Millwood Kingston, GA 40 $200
15. 15 3 Phil Pittman Vidalia, GA 39 $175
16. 22 444 Brian Ligon Augusta, GA 39 $150
17. 23 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 39 $140
18. 2 4u2 Albert Cosnahan Metter, GA 38 $125
19. 20 16 Josh Noles LaGrange, GA 22 $125
20. 7 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 14 $125
21. 14 12 Ken Ricks Adriana, GA 10 $125
22. 24 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 6 $125
23. 18 55 Ryan King Anniston, AL 0 $125
24. 21 69 Tony Lawson Laurel, MS 0 $125
ENTRIES: 27
FAST QUALIFIER: Faircloth, 18.131 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADERS: Faircloth, 1-40
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Blount
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Lumley (started 13th and finished 7th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Cosnahan
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Connor
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Comer
JOE GIBB DRIVEN OIL 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Lumley
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Brindle
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Lee
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Turner
MIKE'S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: McElhenney
SHORTY'S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Henderson
CAUTIONS: 7
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 2.260 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 39 Minutes and 13.345 Seconds
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