FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2014
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Smith Dominates At Talladega Short Track For NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Win

Roby Helm
EASTABOGA, AL (July 3) – Jeff Smith of Chatsworth, GA was the dominant force Thursday night in winning the first of four Salute To America Nationals races for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division at Talladega Short Track driving the Hill Motorsports Warrior.

Smith never faced a challenger all night, as he was the fast qualifier among the 44 entrants at 14.676 seconds, and then led all 40 laps to record his second career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory.

At one point in the race, Smith held a half straightaway lead on Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN, who finished second in the A-Plus Collision Center GRT. The only time Morrow could get close to Smith was in heavy lapped traffic in the closing laps of the race, but he took the checkered flag .413 seconds behind Smith.

“We brought the same set up here that we use at Boyd’s Speedway, and the fast right out of the box tonight,” Smith said. “I was a little anxious towards the end of the race in lapped traffic because you never know how close someone is to you. This was a good opportunity for us here tonight because we love running at Talladega Short Track and we love running with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. We got the best of both worlds tonight.”

The 12-year-old sensation Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL showed the world that he is for real, as he drove the Skinner’s Body Shop Special to a third-place finish. The youngster showed that he knows his way around his home track where he has three NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model wins this season.

Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL finished fourth in the Old Man’s Garage Special and was the Rookie of the Race. The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point leader Adam Gauldin of Talladega, AL took the fifth spot in the Adam Gauldin Racing GRT at his home track where he also has three wins this season.

Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL drove the Eiland Pools Rocket to a sixth-place finish and Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL was seventh in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA finished eighth in the BDR Loopers Special.

The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN was a man on a mission Thursday night at Talladega Short. In true fashion for the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee, he arrived at the track late, but just in time to unload, and hit the track for his two lap qualifying run.

Johnson had the tenth fastest time which would have transferred him into the main event, but the only problem was, he failed to go through the pre-race technical inspection line and his qualifying time was disallowed. Johnson took a provisional, started 23rd, and finished ninth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.

Not only did Johnson dig himself out of a hole, but he gained two points on Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, MS, who finished tenth in the McCarter Lumber CVR. Johnson left Talladega Short Track on Thursday night with a 12-point lead over McCarter in the battle for the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship.

In preliminary action, the three ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Tanner Works of Cleveland, TN in the D&K Auto CVR, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS in the B&M Salvage Rocket, and Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN in the Car Smart Auto Sales CVR.

In a race slowed by only one caution flag, Smith completed the 40-lap journey in just a second under 15 minutes. A total of 17 cars finished on the lead lap, and 21 cars were still running when the checkered flag fell.

After taking the lead at the start of the race, Smith had opened up a half straightaway lead on Morrow, Skinner, Noah and Gauldin by lap nine when he began to encounter the cars on the tail end of the lead lap. The field did catch up to Smith on lap 11 when the only yellow flag of the race came out for Shay Knight of Columbus, MS, who stalled the Olive Branch Can Am Special in turn two.

On the restart, Gauldin jumped to the outside to challenge Noah for the fourth spot and took the position on lap 12. Noah came right back to reclaim fourth on lap 14. Smith was in lapped traffic again by lap 21, as Morrow closed to within six car lengths. Johnson had climbed from the 23rd starting spot to tenth by lap 22.

Johnson sailed around the outside of the his Championship challenger McCarter on lap 30 to take control of the ninth spot. Johnson then moved up to create a three-car battle for the seventh spot with Adkins and Brindle in the last eight laps of the race.

Smith was in heavy lapped traffic during the last two laps of the race. Morrow closed to within a couple of car lengths on the last lap, but with lapped cars all around him, he had nowhere to go to make a serious bid for the lead.

Night two of the four-race Salute To America Nationals for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will take place on Friday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL for a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race.

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series all-new web site at www.nesmithracing.com

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 12 AT TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK IN EASTABOGA, AL ON 7/3/14:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 17s Jeff Smith Chatsworth, GA 40 $2,000
2. 2 8a Todd Morrow East Ridge, TN 40 $1,000
3. 3 11 Cruz Skinner Oxford, AL 40 $700
4. 4 56 Chris Noah (R) Rainbow City, AL 40 $550
5. 5 17 Adam Gauldin Talladega, AL 40 $500
6. 7 55 Montana Dudley (R) Phenix City, AL 40 $425
7. 9 19m Josh Adkins Talladega, AL 40 $375
8. 10 38 Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 40 $350
9. 23 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 40 $325
10. 8 51 Mack McCarter Gatlinburg, TN 40 $300
11. 6 8 Grant Pearl Anniston, AL 40 $275
12. 11 T35 Tanner Works Cleveland, TN 40 $250
13. 13 J39 Jimmy Elliott Cleveland, TN 40 $225
14. 14 67 Kyle Clifton Ranburne, AL 40 $200
15. 19 B97 Lee Burdett Bessemer, AL 40 $175
16. 12 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 40 $150
17. 15 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL 40 $140
18. 20 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 39 $125
19. 17 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, AL 39 $125
20. 21 5d Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 38 $125
21. 24 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 38 $125
22. 22 7 Josh Trammell Hoover, AL 22 $125
23. 16 25 Justin McRee Woodstock, AL 13 $125
24. 18 3 Shay Knight Columbus, MS 10 $125

ENTRIES: 44
FAST QUALIFIER: Smith, 14.676 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Johnson and Blount
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Smith, 1-40
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Noah
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Brent Barrett
PRC JUST MISSED IT AWARD: Chad Winkles
STEALTH RACING CARBURETORS 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Adkins
SCHAEFFER’S OIL 8TH-PLACE AWARD PRESENTED BY CHAD WALLACE AND HEATHER NEWSOME: Brindle
MODERN IMAGES 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Johnson
AR BODIES 10TH-PLACE AWARD: McCarter
MIKE CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Pearl
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Works
KINSER AIR FILTERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD: Elliott
CAUTIONS: 1
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .413 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 14 Minutes and 59.294 Seconds

QUALIFYING (Top 10 Transfer To Main Event):

POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 17s Jeff Smith Chatsworth, GA Warrior 14.676 14.690 14.676
2 8a Todd Morrow East Ridge, TN GRT 14.847 14.918 14.847
3 11 Cruz Skinner Oxford, AL Mastersbilt 14.871 15.454 14.871
4 56n Chris Noah - R Rainbow City, AL Mastersbilt 15.000 14.935 14.935
5 17g Adam Gauldin Talladega, AL GRT 15.252 14.979 14.979
6 8 Grant Pearl Anniston, AL Barry Wright 15.049 15.208 15.049
7 55 Montana Dudley - R Phenix City, AL Rocket 15.101 15.071 15.071
8 51 Mack McCarter Gatlinburg, TN CVR 15.092 15.481 15.092
9 19m Josh Adkins Talladega, AL Barry Wright 15.179 15.118 15.118
10 38 Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA Pro 1 15.231 15.138 15.138
11 67 Kyle Clifton Ranburne, AL GRT 15.372 15.201 15.201
12 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS Rocket 15.228 15.460 15.228
13 J39 Jimmy Elliott Cleveland, TN CVR 15.510 15.242 15.242
14 110 Brent Barrett Cleveland, MS GRT 15.343 15.288 15.288
15 5d Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL Warrior 15.451 15.289 15.289
16 25 Justin McRee Woodstock, AL HRRC 15.354 15.417 15.354
17 05 T.J. Brittain Centre, AL Warrior 15.379 15.376 15.376
18 18e Chase Edge LaFayette, AL Mastersbilt 15.634 15.386 15.386
19 00 Matt Black Douglasville, GA GRT 15.419 15.577 15.419
20 T35 Tanner Works Cleveland, TN CVR 15.501 15.441 15.441
21 3 Shay Knight Columbus, MS Pierce 15.446 15.580 15.446
22 B97 Lee Burdett Bessemer, AL GRT 15.448 15.614 15.448
23 55 Ryan King Anniston, AL TSR 15.594 15.505 15.505
24 18f Cale Finley Athens, AL Pierce 15.707 15.507 15.507
25 5 Mike Combs Odenville, AL TSR 15.537 15.983 15.537
26 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS GRT 15.548 15.769 15.548
27 13r Brent Rhodes Boaz, AL Mastersbilt 15.561 15.655 15.561
28 13 Chad McCool Millport, AL Mastersbilt 15.603 15.571 15.571
29 17 Ronald Dunn Corinth, MS Barry Wright 15.676 15.585 15.585
30 55 Terrance Nowell Phenix City, AL Warrior 15.624 16.046 15.624
31 00c J.D. Pass Brandon, MS HRRC 16.102 15.625 15.625
32 105 Taylor Mitcham LaFayette, AL Trak-Star 15.635 15.776 15.635
33 1T Terry Mosley Gilbertown, AL Rayburn 15.771 15.648 15.648
34 7 Josh Trammell Hoover, AL Mastersbilt 15.767 15.687 15.687
35 12 Chad Winkles Hartselle, AL Warrior 17.343 15.702 15.702
36 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS Trak-Star 15.703 15.927 15.703
37 57 Maddox Mullinax Birmingham, AL GRT 15.704 15.823 15.704
38 25 Jammie Gowers Vincent, AL GRT 15.832 17.316 15.832
39 10c Ronnie Cooper McKenzie, TN Rocket 15.944 15.878 15.878
40 22 Billy Franklin Calera, AL Rocket 16.127 15.883 15.883
41 14 Tyler Clem St. Petersburg, FL Rocket 16.535 16.016 16.016
42 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN Mastersbilt 15.135 15.281 NT/DQ
43 4 Bradley Whittle Ranburne, AL GRT 15.944 15.949 NT/DQ
44 J8 Justin Angle Anniston, AL Rocket NT NT NT

B-MAINS (10 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN: 1. Works; 2. Clifton; 3. Brittain; 4. Stokes; 5. Winkles; 6. Mitcham; 7. Dunn; 8. Clem; 9. Gowers; 10. King; 11. Barrett.

2ND B-MAIN: 1. Minga; 2. Edge; 3. Knight; 4. Dykes; 5. Cooper; 6. Blount; 7. Rhodes; 8. Mosley; 9. Whittle; 10. Finley; 11. Nowell.

3RD B-MAIN: 1. Elliott; 2. McRee; 3. Burdett; 4. Trammell; 5. McCool; 6. Johnson; 7. Combs; 8. Black; 9. Mullinax; 10. Pass; 11. Franklin.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 7/3/14:

1. 5 Ronnie Johnson – 984
2. 51 Mack McCarter – 972
3. 56 Chris Noah (R) – 842
4. 87 Walker Arthur – 838
5. 121 Michael Blount – 672
6. 19m Josh Adkins – 610
7. 1 Johnny Stokes – 572
8. 110 Brent Barrett – 522
8. J39 Jimmy Elliott – 522
10. 19 Marcus Minga – 494
11. 25 Justin McRee – 472
12. 18d Tait Davenport – 460
13. 18 Chase Edge – 458
14. 17 Ronald Dunn – 420
15. 73 Ashley Newman – 418
16. 38 Chase Washington – 348
17. 64 Jacob Anderson – 336
18. 8a Todd Morrow – 330
19. T35 Tanner Works – 310
20. 56r Jonathan Rowan - 280