NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
December 3, 2011

AES RACING TEAM CASHES IN ON A $35,000 NIGHT IN NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS EAST BAY FINALE



TAMPA, FL – The AES Racing Team was the big winner on Saturday night in the 7th Annual GM Performance Parts World Championship Race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Tour at East Bay Raceway Park thanks to Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA, Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, SC and Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC.

Davenport won the 100-lap main event to pick up the $10,000 top prize, Franklin finished second to pocket $5,000, and Breuer won the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship. It was a $35,000 night for the AES Racing Team in the 2011 series finale in front of a packed house at East Bay Raceway Park.

After starting seventh, Davenport took the lead from Devin Dixon of Apollo Beach, FL on the 26th lap and never looked back to take a 1.780 second advantage over Franklin at the checkered flag. While Davenport looked dominate on the race track, it didn’t feel or sound that way to the race winner.

“The car was stumbling the whole race, except for the last two laps when it went away and ran fine,” Davenport said. “Barry Wright gave us a good set up for tonight and that was the big advantage we had. There was some tough competition out here tonight, and it feels good to win against a very competitive field. I want to thank Steve Cooke and the AES Racing crew for giving me a fast car tonight.”

Davenport was also the fast qualifier among the 53 entrants. On Friday night, Davenport turned in a lap in 15.758 seconds around the 1/3-mile clay oval. Davenport finished second in the first of six 15-lap heat races on Friday night to earn the seventh starting spot for the main event.

Breuer earned the $20,000 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship by taking the green flag for the 100-lap feature. Breuer had to take a provisional to make the race, as did his closest challenger for the title, two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN in the Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Warrior.

Breuer finished 14th and Gentry finished 19th in the main event. Breuer ended up with 1,510 points, with Gentry trailing by 64 points at 1,446 points. During the season, Breuer had two wins on his way to the title. He credited his crew and a little luck to winning the championship.

“This AES Racing crew worked hard all season long to keep us in the championship hunt because David Earl Gentry is a tough competitor,” Breuer said. “We had some bad luck and David moved up to tie us with four races left in the season. But then David had some bad luck in the last three races, and that enabled us to pull ahead. David is a great driver to race with, and it was an enjoyable season.”

Dixon finished third in the Mathis Farms Special after leading the first 25 laps of the race. Polesitter Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL was fourth in the Dave’s Towing Special. Brandon Overton of Appling, GA took the fifth spot in the Budweiser Rocket, and Steve Francis of Ashland, KY was sixth in the CVR Race Cars Special.

Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN drove the Outlaw Race Products GRT to a seventh-place finish, and in doing so, clinched the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Chassis Manufacturers Championship for GRT Race Cars of Greenbrier, AR. GRT Race Cars also won the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Championship.

Phillip Cobb of Apollo Beach, FL finished eighth in the Suldea Motorsports Special, and Rodney Wing of Meridian, MS was ninth in the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Rocket. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA rounded out the top ten in the Bryson Motorsports Rocket.

Even though he missed the show, Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL was honored as the 2011 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year and will pick up a $5,000 check from VP Racing Fuels at the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Awards Banquet next month. Edge finished one spot short of making the big show in the first 20-lap B-Main and earned the Integra Racing Shocks Just Missed It Award.

Dave Schmauss of Dover, FL qualified for the main event on Friday night by finishing third in the fifth heat race. In hot laps before the main event on Saturday night, a major mechanical malfunction sidelined his Cardinal Paint and Body Warrior. Schmauss stepped into the Parkway Liquor Store Special entered by Mack McCarter of Sevierville, TN for the main event.

Having never sat in the McCarter car, Schmauss had to start on the tail of the field for the for the 100-lap main event, but he brought the car home in the 15th spot to earn the Hedman Husler Award, a $100 bonus from Hedman Husler Hedders.

Dixon grabbed the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting spot followed by Whitener, Franklin, Wing, and Royce Bray of Hull, GA in the Junk Monkey Recycling Warrior. The first of ten caution flags came out on lap three when Jeff Smith of Chatsworth, GA in the Hill Motorsports Warrior and Steve Banal of Troutman, NC in the Banal Racing Special tangled in turn two.

On the double-file restart, Franklin got by Whitener for second in turn one, and Wing dropped Whitener to fourth coming off the fourth turn. Davenport got by Whitener for the fourth spot on lap four. Davenport continued his charge to the front when he passed Wing for third on lap five.

Dixon began lapping cars on lap 12, while Davenport closed in on his AES Racing Teammate Franklin to challenge for the second spot. On lap 18, Davenport stepped to the outside and passed Franklin for second coming off the fourth turn. Whitener regrouped and was making up earlier ground he had lost. On lap 22, Whitener got inside Franklin to take the third spot coming off the fourth turn.

Davenport caught Dixon in heavy lapped traffic on lap 25. Dixon had to go to the high side in turn four on lap 26, and that opened the door for Davenport to scoot underneath and take the lead. Once he was on the point, Davenport began to pull away from Dixon.

The second caution flag of the race came out on lap 41 when the defending race champion Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV stalled the Adams Used Auto Parts Warrior on the front straightaway in a cloud of smoke. That erased the half straightaway lead Davenport had opened up on Dixon.

The double file restart saw Davenport leading with Dixon, Whitener, Franklin, Wing, Bray, Overton, Weaver, Francis and Ivedent Lloyd of Ocala, FL in the CURS Rocket doubled up behind him. When the field went green, Davenport and Dixon began to pull away from Whitener.

On lap 42, Doug Watson of Plant City, FL flipped the Brandon Auto Services Rocket in turn one to bring out the red flag. Watson was uninjured in the hard crash, but his misfortune earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.

On the restart, Overton made a big move by passing Bray and Wing to move up to the fifth spot. One lap later, Bray came to a stop in turn two with a cut tire. In the next restart, Gentry spun in turn three to bring out the fifth caution flag of the race. Davenport led Dixon, Whitener, Franklin, Overton, Wing, Francis, Lloyd, Weaver and Shan Smith of Dade City, FL in the Outlaw Race Parts TNT down to the green flag.

Weaver had moved up to the seventh spot on lap 45, and on lap 46, Franklin got by Whitener to take the third position. Davenport had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Dixon at the halfway point in the race, and the leader began to work lapped traffic on lap 54.

While in heavy lapped traffic on lap 60, Dixon had to check up and Franklin shot inside Dixon on the backstretch to grab the second spot. Brindle cut down a tire on lap 62 to bring out the sixth caution flag. The top ten for the restart was Davenport, Franklin, Dixon, Whitener, Overton, Francis, Weaver, Wing, Cobb and Lloyd.

The seventh caution flag came out on the restart when Jeff Mathews of Tampa, FL in the Nighthawk Towing Rocket and Shan Smith tangled in turn two. The restart saw the only challenge Davenport had all night, as Franklin pulled to the inside of his teammate, and they raced side-by-side for the lead until Davenport pulled ahead on lap 63.

Overton passed Whitener for the fourth spot on lap 63 coming off the second turn. Caution flag number eight came out for debris on lap 69. Business picked up on the restart as Dixon got by Franklin for the second spot Whitener passed Overton for fourth, Francis passed Weaver for sixth, and Brindle moved up to tenth.

The ninth caution flag came out on lap 75 when Shan Smith spun in turn four. The restart saw more position shuffling among the top ten drivers as Franklin got by Dixon for second, and Brindle moved around Wing to take over the ninth spot. Wing drove to the inside of Brindle to reclaim the ninth spot on lap 80.

With 15 laps to go, Davenport had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Franklin, but that advantage would be erased on lap 93 when Lloyd stalled in turn one to bring out the caution flag. Davenport led Franklin, Dixon, Whitener, Overton, Francis, Weaver, Cobb, Wing and Brindle down for the restart and the eight lap dash to the finish.

That’s the order they stayed in to the checkered flag, as Davenport pulled away to take the win with almost a two second advantage over Franklin. The checkered flag brought a close to the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season, but the 2012 season will begin right back at the “Clay By The Bay” on February 2, 3 and 4.

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 17 AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 12/3/11:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 7 37 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA 100 $10,000
2. 3 27 Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC 100 $5,000
3. 2 95 Devin Dixon Apollo Beach, FL 100 $3,000
4. 1 58 Mark Whitener Middleburg, FL 100 $2,000
5. 6 76 Brandon Overton Appling, GA 100 $1,750
6. 13 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY 100 $1,500
7. 9 116 Randy Weaver Crossville, TN 100 $1,300
8. 15 32 Phillip Cobb Apollo Beach, FL 100 $1,200
9. 4 10 Rodney Wing Meridian, MS 100 $1,100
10. 18 21b Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 100 $1,000
11. 10 12 Jack Nosbisch Jr. Riverview, FL 100 $800
12. 16 8Ball Randy Korte Highland, IL 100 $700
13. 11 33 Jeff Mathews Tampa, FL 99 $600
14. 22 B7 Dan Breuer Troutman, NC 98 $500
15. 24 51 Dave Schmauss Dover, FL 97 $550
16. 8 33x Ivedent Lloyd Ocala, FL 91 $440
17. 12 99w Shan Smith Dade City, FL 83 $430
18. 5 21 Royce Bray Hull, GA 52 $420
19. 23 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN 42 $400
20. 17 07 Doug Watson Plant City, FL 41 $400
21. 19 02 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY 41 $400
22. 25 41 Travis Varnadore Dover, FL 41 $400
23. 14 11 Doug Horton Bruceton Mills, WV 40 $400
24. 21 17s Jeff Smith Chatsworth, GA 16 $400
25. 20 8 Steve Banal Troutman, NC 2 $400

ENTRIES: 53
FAST QUALIFIER: Davenport, 15.758 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Breuer and Gentry
TRACK PROVISIONAL: T. Varnadore
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Dixon, 1-25; Davenport, 26-100
LAPS LED: Davenport, 75; Dixon, 25
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Chase Edge
HEDMAN HUSLER OF THE RACE AWARD: Schmauss (started 24th and finished 15th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Watson
INTEGRA RACING SHOCKS JUST MISSED IT AWARD: Edge
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Overton
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Francis
QA1 RACE PRODUCTS 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Weaver
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Cobb
MODERN IMAGES 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Wing
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Brindle
MIKE’S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Nosbisch
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Korte
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD: Mathews
J.T. KERR RACING EQUIPMENT 14TH-PLACE AWARD: Breuer
COFIELD RACING STARTERS 15TH-PLACE AWARD: Schmauss
KINSER AIR FILTERS 16TH-PLACE AWARD: Lloyd
CAUTIONS: 10 (1 Red Flag)
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.780 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 1 Hour, 17 Minutes and 39.250 Seconds