|
Roby Helm
DUBLIN, Ga. (July 3) - Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA cleaned house on Saturday night at 441 Speedway by winning his second-straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series main event in the Salute To America 50 driving the Faircloth Forrest Products Rayburn. For the second straight night, Faircloth got out his broom and swept the program with fast time honors and then led wire-to-wire in the main event.
Faircloth picked up where his left off on Friday night, when he swept the Stars and Stripes 40, on Saturday night earning the pole position during time trials with a fast lap in 18.097 seconds. When the race started, Faircloth took the lead and never looked back leading all 50 laps of the race.
"I just love this race track and I love this race car," Faircloth said. "They just seem to go together."
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA chased Faircloth for the entire feature race, but couldn't seem to get close enough to challenge for the win, as Faircloth maintained at least an eight car-length advantage. Turner had to settle for second in the Turner Excavating DWB.
Chargin' Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL finished third in the Century Dedicated, Inc, Mastersbilt, a full straightaway behind Turner, and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS was third in the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle.
Brad Comer of Gray, GA picked up the Race Car Engineering 5th-Place Award in the Central Carpet Outlaw, and the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA won the KRC 6th-Place Award. Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS was the Joe Gibbs Driven Oil 7th-Place Award winner in the Billy Riels Racing GRT.
Larry Harrod of Plains, GA grabbed the Race Car Engineering 8th-Place Award in the Harrod Logging Scorpion, and Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL was the Maximum Signs and Graphics 9th-Place Award winner driving the Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star.
Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS claimed the KRC 10th-Place Award in the Lamar Auto Salvage Trak-Star, while Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA took the Mike's Custom Tanks 11th-Place Award driving the Scotty's Muffler TNT, and Terry Lumley of Twin City, GA drove the S&J Timber Barry Wright to the Shorty's Shock Service 12th-Place Award.
Ricky Brantley of Ailey, GA started 20th in the J&B Steakhouse Walter Newman and finished 13th to earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award on a track that didn't lend itself to much passing.
Faircloth took the lead from the pole position at the start of the race followed by Turner, Brindle, Henderson, and Cooley. Debris in turn two on lap three brought out the first of five caution flags to close the field up for a restart. After the field went back to green flag action, Henderson began to work the inside groove on Brindle, and made a pass for the third spot going into turn one on lap four.
The leader dodged a big bullet on lap 13 as he approached the cars on the tail of the lead lap. Troy Dixon of Temple, GA spun the CT Transport Mastersbilt in turn three right in front of Faircloth, but he was just able to get slowed in time not to get collected as the caution flag came out.
Cooley got busy after the restart by putting pressure on Brindle for the fourth spot. Cooley got inside Brindle on lap 16 and made the pass for the fourth position going into turn three. One lap later, Comer made an inside move on Brindle in turn two to claim the fifth spot. By lap 25, Faircloth had pulled out to an eight car-length lead over Turner.
Chris McElhenney of Lake, MS stalled in turn two on lap 31 to bring out the third caution flag of the race. McElhenney was one of only two cars that failed to finish the race, and that earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award. When the field went back to green, Faircloth couldn't shake Turner, who stayed within eight car-lengths of the leader.
By lap 40, Faircloth and Turner had a full straightaway lead over the third-place of Henderson. The only thing that slowed Faircloth down in the last ten laps of the race were two caution flags: one for Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS who stalled the B&M Salvage Rocket in turn two on lap 45, and a caution flag for debris on lap 46.
The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 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. The race will mark the 100th NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring event since the series' inception in 2005.
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 13 AT 441 SPEEDWAY IN DUBLIN, GA ON 7/3/10:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 27f Ben Faircloth Swainsboro, GA 50 $2,500
2. 2 77 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $1,250
3. 4 88 Charlie Henderson (R) Cottondale, AL 50 $850
4. 5 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 50 $800
5. 6 C4 Brad Comer Gray, GA 50 $650
6. 3 21b Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 50 $550
7. 8 47 Shannon Lee (R) Lumberton, MS 50 $500
8. 7 27 Larry Harrod (R) Plains, GA 50 $450
9. 10 25 Justin McRee Tuscaloosa, AL 50 $400
10. 9 121 Michael Blount (R) Sumrall, MS 50 $375
11. 14 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 50 $350
12. 11 2T Terry Lumley Twin City, GA 50 $300
13. 20 45 Ricky Brantley Ailey, GA 50 $280
14. 12 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 50 $260
15. 15 55 Ryan King Anniston, AL 50 $250
16. 13 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 50 $240
17. 18 T9 Troy Dixon (R) Temple, GA 49 $220
18. 17 69 Tony Lawson Laurel, MS 49 $200
19. 16 28 Chris McElhenney Lake, MS 29 $200
20. 19 47x Billy Riels Big Level, MS 18 $200
ENTRIES: 20
FAST QUALIFIER: Faircloth, 18.097 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADERS: Faircloth, 1-50
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Henderson
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Brantley (started 20th and finished 13th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: McElhenney
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Comer
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Brindle
JOE GIBBS DRIVEN OIL 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Lee
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Harrod
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9TH-PLACE AWARD: McRee
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Blount
MIKE'S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Nipper
SHORTY'S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Lumley
CAUTIONS: 5
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .950 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 30 Minutes and 39.847 Seconds
|
