NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
411 Motor Speedway
April 5, 2014
_______________________________________
Beeler Breezes To NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS 411 Motor Speedway Winby Roby Helm
SEYMOUR, TN (April 5) – Adam Beeler of Knoxville, TN finally got it all together to win his first NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race in the Ole Smoky Moonshine 50 on Saturday night at 411 Motor Speedway driving the Mighty Muffler and Brakes CVR. Beeler swept the program as fast qualifier, and then led all 50 laps for the $3,000 victory.
“These NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series races are hard to win,” Beeler said. “We’ve been fast qualifier a couple of times and led a few races, but we could never put it all together to win one of these races, so it feels really good to finally do it.”
The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN got back into the 2014 title hunt with a last lap, last turn pass to finish second in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special. Jared Hawkins of Fairmont, WV held off Johnson for several laps, but had to settle for third in the Bland’s Towing Rocket.
Friday night 411 Motor Speedway winner Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN finished fourth in the Car Smart Auto Sales CVS, and Ashley Newman of Ripley, TN was fifth in the Greg’s Sawmill Special. Point leader Walker Arthur of Forest, VA took the sixth spot in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special. Arthur now holds a 24-point lead in the standings.
Todd Coffman of Parksville, KY charged from the 22nd starting spot to finish seventh in the Coffman Photography Rocket, and Brett Wyatt of Crossville, TN was eighth in the Wyatt Builders Special. Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN took the ninth spot in the Mighty Muffler and Brakes CVR, and Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL rounded out the top ten in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special.
In preliminary action, Beeler earned the pole position for the Ole Smoky Moonshine 50 by out-qualifying the 27-car field with a lap around the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval in 14.128 seconds. The two ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Ryan King of Seymour, TN in the Brian King Roofing Stinger and Brad Coffey of Maryville, TN in the CDE Electric Warrior.
The first start of the race was marred by a multi-car pile-up in turn two that sidelined Evan Taylor of Clarksville, TN in the Elite Motors Special, and forced a complete restart. Beeler took the lead on the next try followed by Elliott, Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN in the Vic Davis Construction TNT, Hawkins, Jacob Anderson of Murphy, NC in the Scrapy’s Metals Special.
The red flag was displayed on lap two when Coffey spun in turn two collecting King, Wyatt, and Rusty Ballenger of Sevierville, TN in the East Tennessee Metals Special. King flipped his race car, but was uninjured. King’s misfortune earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
On the restart, Ford and Anderson passed Elliott to move up to second and third respectively. A quick lap three debris caution reset the field, and on the restart, Ford pulled under Beeler, and the lead duo raced side-by-side until Beeler powered off the outside of turn four to take the lead outright.
The caution flag came out on lap six when Brian Courtney of Knoxville, TN spun the Quality Machine and Welding CVR in turn two. On the restart, Elliott was able to drive around the outside of Anderson to reclaim the fourth spot. Johnson moved into the top five by lap eight. Courtney spun for the second time on lap 11 in turn three, and was done for the night.
Beeler had Ford, Hawkins, Elliott, Johnson, Anderson, Ballenger, Newman, Henderson and Arthur staked up behind him for the “Dixie-Style” double-file restart. When the green flag came back out, Hawkins got by Ford for second, and Johnson passed Elliott for the fourth spot.
Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN stalled the CVR Race Cars Special in turn four on lap 16 to bring out the caution flag. Ford spun out of the fourth spot on the restart. On the next restart, Hawkins challenged Beeler for the lead, but Beeler was not to be denied the point. By the halfway point in the race, Beeler had stretched his lead over Hawkins to a half-straightaway advantage.
The race stayed green until lap 32 when Henderson spun with help from Anderson, who was ticketed with the caution flag. Beeler led the field down for the restart, followed by Hawkins, Johnson, Elliott, Newman, Arthur, Coffman, Wyatt, Henderson, and Ballenger. Johnson turned up the wick to challenge Hawkins for the second spot.
Johnson looked to the inside of Hawkins for several laps, but could not get a good enough run to take the second spot. While Hawkins and Johnson battled for second, Beeler pulled out to another half-straightaway lead by lap 45.
On the last lap of the race, Johnson scrapped the inside strategy and stepped to the outside of Hawkins in turn three, and made the pass for second coming off the fourth turn headed for the checkered flag.
The next pair of races for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division will be on May 2-3 for the Ozark Nationals at Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, AR featuring a pair of 50-lap $2,500-to-win races.
For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series all-new web site at
www.nesmithracing.comA-Main
1 1 66 Adam Beeler
2 10 5 Ronnie Johnson
3 4 1RJ Jarod Hawkins
4 2 39J Jimmy Elliott
5 14 73N Ashley Newman
6 12 87 Walker Arthur
7 22 35 Todd Coffman
8 18 17W Brett Wyatt
9 13 17H Matt Henderson
10 19 19M Josh Adkins
11 3 24 Jensen Ford
12 5 29 Rusty Ballenger
13 20 51 Mack McCarter
14 23 18D Tait Davenport
15 6 64 Jacob Anderson
16 21 121 Michael Blount
17 15 7 Roger Best
18 9 56 Jonathan Rowen
19 16 56N Chris Noah
20 17 71 Brian Courtney
21 11 8A Todd Morrow
22 8 88 Brad Coffey
23 7 52 Ryan King
24 24 36 Evan Taylor
B-Main #1
1 52 Ryan King
2 56 Jonathan Rowen
3 8A Todd Morrow
4 17H Matt Henderson
5 7 Roger Best
6 71 Brian Courtney
7 19M Josh Adkins
8 121 Michael Blount
9 18D Tait Davenport
10 7 William Overbey
11 23 Barry Anderson
B-Main #2
1 88 Brad Coffey
2 5 Ronnie Johnson
3 87 Walker Arthur
4 73N Ashley Newman
5 56N Chris Noah
6 17W Brett Wyatt
7 51 Mack Mccarter
8 35 Todd Coffman
9 36 Evan Taylor
10 17 Ronald Dunn
Pages: 1