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Roby Helm
PENTON, Ga. (July 18) - William Thomas of Phenix City, AL led wire-to-wire to dominate the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 40-lap main event on Friday night at Penton Raceway driving the J.W. Miller Land and Timber Scorpion. Thomas took the lead from his outside front row starting spot and never looked back to post his second career series victory.
"We usually run this car in Super Late Model competition, but we put our GM Performance 604 Crate Engine in it for the first time for this race," Thomas said. "We had to make a few adjustments to the car, but it really liked the engine."
Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA finished second in the Hays Family Racing/Barto Enterprises Warrior, and Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL took the third spot and the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Award in the All-Star Graphics GRT. Point leader Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA was fourth in the CSC Trailer Repair/Brindle Brothers Auto Parts GRT.
Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA grabbed the Race Car Engineering fifth spot in the Dixon Hauling and Grading Rocket, and Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL was sixth in the McLeod Construction TNT. Steve Miller of Tampa, FL finished seventh in the L. Miller & Associates Rocket.
Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA took the Race Car Engineering eighth spot in the J&J Transport Mastersbilt, and Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL finished ninth in the N&N Motors GRT to earn the Maximum Signs Ninth-Place Award. Stacey Roberts of Sylvester, GA rounded out the top ten in the Sunbelt Ford Rocket to take the Old 29 Golf Carts Tenth-Place Award.
When the green flag dropped Thomas took the lead from polesitter Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL in the K&R Racing Scorpion, and it didn't take long for the first caution flag to wave, as Stephens spun in turn two.
Earlier in the evening, Stephens out qualified the 48-car field with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 14.424 seconds to earn the pole position. Stephens had to go to the tail of the 24-car main event field for the restart, and pulled to the pit area after completing six laps. Stephens misfortune in the main event earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck of the Race Award.
Thomas took the lead on the restart followed by Rainey, Knowles, and Brindle. Knowles moved up to challenge Rainey for the second spot on lap three, but Rainey was able to hold the position. By lap five, Thomas had a half straightaway lead over Rainey, and stretched it out to a full straightaway by lap 10.
At that point in the race, Thomas began to encounter lapped traffic, and Rainey cut the gap in half by lap 17. The second caution flag came out on lap 20 when Cory Korreckt of Lincoln, AL spun his Montana Saloon Rocket in two. Thomas led Rainey, Knowles, Brindle and Ingram down for the restart, and once again pulled away from the field.
The third caution flag came out on lap 26 when Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS spun his Tiffin Motorhomes Mastersbilt in turn four, and collected Chris Smith of Brewton, AL in the Mac Attack Mastersbilt. The fourth and final caution flag was on lap 29 when Ted Lackey of Munford, AL stalled his C.S. Beatty Construction Warrior on the backstretch.
Thomas once again opened up a half straightaway lead on Rainey by lap 32 after the restart, and maintained that advantage to the checkered flag of the race that saw 18 cars still running on the lead lap. Chris Tays of Corinth, MS took a provisional, started 23rd and finished 16th in the Bud Coley Trucking/Circle H Concrete Trak-Star to earn the Hard Charger of the Race Award.
The preliminary 12-lap Qualifying Races were won by Hiett, Dana Eiland of Salem, AL in the Andy's Auto Parts Swartz, Adam Martin of Talladega, AL in the Martin Racing Barry Wright, and Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA in the Universal Concrete Rocket.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour now moves to East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL for a 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event on Saturday night. If Thomas can double up and win at his home track, he will pick up the Alabama Bonus Bucks of $2,000.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 11 AT PENTON RACEWAY IN PENTON, AL ON 7/18/08:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 22 William Thomas Phenix City, AL 40 $2,500
2. 3 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 40 $1,250
3. 5 66k Scott Knowles (R) Lanett, AL 40 $850
4. 4 38c Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 40 $700
5. 7 F9 Frank Ingram Woodstock, GA 40 $650
6. 6 58 Larry Boutwell Baker, FL 40 $550
7. 9 8s Steve Miller Tampa, FL 40 $500
8. 10 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 40 $450
9. 11 1 Jason Hiett (R) Lincoln, AL 40 $400
10. 8 11 Stacey Roberts Sylvester, GA 40 $375
11. 16 16k Tony Kemp Carrollton, GA 40 $350
12. 14 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 40 $300
13. 18 34 Chad Wallace (R) LaGrange, GA 40 $280
14. 15 21 Royce Bray Hull, GA 40 $260
15. 21 12 Hunter Peacock (R) Macon, GA 40 $250
16. 23 8 Chris Tays Corinth, MS 40 $340
17. 19 33c Eric Cooley (R) Fulton, MS 40 $220
18. 22 88 Chris Smith Brewton, AL 40 $200
19. 25 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 39 $200
20. 20 52 Marc Gooden Lafayette, AL 35 $200
21. 12 K9 Dana Eiland Salem, AL 25 $200
22. 24 41 Ted Lackey Munford, AL 25 $200
23. 17 k17 Cory Korreckt Lincoln, AL 22 $200
24. 13 47 Adam Martin Talladega, AL 19 $200
25. 1 00 Richie Stephens Phenix City, AL 6 $200
ENTRIES: 48
FAST QUALIFIER: Stephens, 14.424 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Tays and Lackey
TRACK PROVISIONAL: Edge
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADER: Thomas, 1-40
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE: Tays (started 23rd and finished 16th)
SUNOCO RACE FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Knowles
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Stephens
RACE CAR ENGINEERING FIFTH-PLACE AWARD: Ingram
RACE CAR ENGINEERING EIGHTH-PLACE AWARD: Fields
MAXIMUM SIGNS NINTH-PLACE AWARD: Hiett
OLD 29 GOLF CARTS TENTH-PLACE AWARD: Roberts
CAUTIONS: 4
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