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Jay Vaquer
PHENIX CITY, Ala. (March 1) - The 23rd Annual Jimmy Thomas Memorial was held at East Alabama Motor Speedway on a beautiful weekend opening the 2008 racing season. The 100 lap $10,000 to win Crate Late Model feature was dominated by Ronnie Johnson, The Chattanooga Flash.
Local rookie Richie Stephens surprised most by starting the feature from the pole. When the green flag dropped Johnson and Royce Bray took the high groove to pass Stephens in turn one. Bray was leading with the Flash in second, Derrick Rainey third, Jordy Nipper fourth, Stephens fifth, Jeff Fields sixth, and the patriarch's grandson William Thomas was in seventh. On lap 8 Larry Harrod got spun for a caution as local legend Dana Eiland took his K-9 to the pits for a left front flat. On the restart The Flash was all over Bray challenging for the lead. To the delight of thousands of fans , this fierce battle for the lead continued until lap 15 when the Flash took the lead and never looked back. Jordy Nipper and Thomas were locked in mortal combat over 4th place with Thomas too tough to shake. Jake Knowles was on a run and making Terrance Nowell's life difficult as he closed in on lap 23. The Flash encountered thick lap traffic and weaved his way through effortlessly as he began to put most of the field a lap down. Jeff Smith and Dana Eiland were sparring for position as the Flash whizzed by. At lap 44 the Flash darted by Mike Parkerson as he held a straightaway lead on second place Rainey. After lapping Larry Harrod and Keith Freeman The Flash was in clean air and picked up his lap time to low seventeens as the EAMS track surface was blacked over, dust free, pot hole free, and super fast. On lap 61 Thomas put it on Bray to take the third position and put Knowles down a lap. On lap 69 there were only 5 cars left on the lead lap. Johnson, Rainey, Thomas, defending Champion Frankie Beard, and Royce Bray in his # 21 Rolls Royce were the only drivers still in contention for the win. Stephens and Bobby Eiland collided in turn three which sent Eiland head over heels off turn three. Eiland jumped out of the mangled TR Motors 08 physically fine but obviously upset. After the red flag. on the restart Bray made a clean pass on Beard to move into fourth and go after Thomas. Rainey managed to get on the inside of Johnson and challenge for the lead but the Flash had all the right answers to hold Rainey back. Johnson came out of turn four on the high groove and as Rainey came out of turn four wide open, Stacey Roberts, a lap car, had just been given the move over flag to let the Flash by but he moved into the lower groove right in front of Rainey. Rainey had nowhere to go except into the back of Roberts for a horrible collision which not only took Rainey out of second place but took him out of the race as well. William Thomas was more than happy to be relegated second place as the green came back. Nipper was behind Beard and driving like the devil himself was chasing him. The Flash continued his unrelenting speed and pulled 10 carlengths ahead of Thomas. As Nipper tried to hang with the leaders he drifted high going into turn one and hit the outside retaining wall and came to a stop at the top of turn one for the lap 94 caution. When the green came back The Chattanooga Flash lived up to his moniker as he speed to the checkers his second win of the weekend.
Johnson also won the Late Model Sportsman event with brilliant track strategy and a perfectly set up race car. Johnson, a true Southern gentleman, said he was very proud to have honored Jimmy Thomas with this victory and will always cherish the accolade The Jimmy Thomas Memorial Champion. Jimmy Thomas was also no doubt proud to have his young grandson William finish second in this field of highly accomplished Late Model competitors. Royce Bray finished third, Frankie Beard fourth, Terrance Nowell fifth, Jason Hiett sixth, Jeff Fields seventh, Jeff Fortner eighth, Hunter Peacock ninth, and Jake Knowles rounded out the top ten in tenth.
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