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Roby Helm
ODESSA, Mich. (May 16) - Rick Stout of Sheridan MI drove the Tom Benson Remax Realtor, Bert's Glass Rocket to victory in the 40 lap NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Northern Challenge Series race Saturday night at I-96 Speedway. Stout led all 40 laps in taking the win that was worth $2,000 for the former national modified champion.
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Kris Patterson of St. Johns, MI finished second in the Kentucky Fried Chicken Rocket, and the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth GA rounded out the top three in the C.J. Rayburn Race Cars "house car."
In victory lane, the soft spoken Stout said, "I want to thank my car owner Roger Wing and my crew for giving me this chance to race against some of the best in the business." For Stout, the win was his second in the three features races run so far this season. Teammate Wing of Middleton, MI won the other.
Bill Trueblood Jr. of Ionia, MI took the fourth spot, and Jeff Kohn of Sheridan, MI was fifth. Wing finished sixth in the Northstar Recovery and Towing Larry Shaw, and John McClure of Clarksville, MI drove the Sloan Motorsports Stealth to a seventh-place finish.
Scott Fisk of Saranac, MI finished eighth, Jeremy Hines of Seymour, IN charged from the 20th starting spot to take the ninth spot in the Bedford Transport Rayburn, and Scott Ehlert of Crystal, MI rounded out the top ten in the Ehlert Racing Rayburn.
After a very special four-wide salute for Armed Forces Day, with every driver carrying an American flag and fireworks off the back stretch, it was time to go racing. Stout and Trueblood brought the 22-car field to Tim Beebe's green flag.
Stout jumped into the lead, while the battle was on for second among Patterson, Trueblood, Brindle and Kohn. The red flag was needed during the 12th lap as eight cars came to rest in turn two. All drivers were O.K., but former I-96 Speedway Sportsman Champion Dan Hubble of Hastings, MI, and former Late Model champ Mike Nugent of Belding, MI were unable to continue.
During the red flag stoppage, many were wondering if the racing Hoosiers tires would cool off and make a difference in the outcome. With the green flag waving, and the Delaware double file restart in play, Patterson made several attempts to go around Stout on the outside, but to no avail.
Brindle was making his first-ever start at I-96 Speedway in a race car he had never driven before. The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and 2007 Rookie of the Year was impressed with both the race track and the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Northern Challenge Series competition.
"I like the track because it is very racy," Brindle said. "Once I got my line figured out I could really get going. I was hoping for one more yellow flag to see if I had anything for Patterson or Stout."
The victory in the double points race on Saturday night now gives Stout a 20-point advantage over Kohn in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Northern Challenge Series point standings. Stout has 392 points with two wins, and three top five finishes in three starts. Kohn has 372 points with three top fives in three starts.
Ehlert, Wing and Kohn took home preliminary heat race wins. Next Saturday night, May 24 is Round 4 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Northern Challenge Series. For more information visit the I-96 Speedway web site at www.i96speedway.com. For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 3 FOR THE NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL NORTHERN CHALLENGE SERIES AT I-96 SPEEDWAY IN LAKE ODESSA, MI ON 5/16/09:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN
1. 1 55s Rick Stout Stanton, MI
2. 4 0 Kris Patterson St. Johns, MI
3. 3 1 Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA
4. 2 35 Bill Trueblood Jr. Ionia, MI
5. 8 25 Jeff Kohn Sheridan, MI
6. 5 55 Roger Wing Middleton, MI
7. 16 12 John McClure Clarksville, MI
8. 8 60 Scott Fisk Saranac, MI
9. 20 49 Jeremy Hines Seymour, IN
10. 7 4e Scott Ehlert Crystal, MI
11. 9 2s Justin Shaw Greenwood, IN
12. 21 7 Trever Sloan Saranac, MI
13. 11 61 Jimmy Fairbanks Coopersville, MI
14. 14 2 Bry Sloan Lowell, MI
15. 12 6T Kris Patterson Jr. St. Johns, MI
16. 22 7c Matthew Christiansen Fruitport, MI
17. 13 94 Bill Bray Spring Lake, MI
18. 15 64 Zach Harrison Paw Paw, MI
19. 17 32 Dan Hubble Hastings, MI
20. 18 43 Mike Nugent Belding, MI
21. 19 4 Gary VanderMark Lowell, MI
22. 10 51 Jeff Sherwood Saranac, MI
HEAT RACE RESULTS:
1ST HEAT: 1. Ehlert; 2. Fisk; 3. Shaw; 4. Sherwood; 5. Bray; 6. McClure; 7. VanderMark; 8. Christiansen.
2ND HEAT: 1. Wing; 2. Patterson; 3. Stout; 4. Fairbanks; 5. B. Sloan; 6. Hubble; 7. Hines.
3RD HEAT: 1. Kohn; 2. Brindle; 3. Trueblood; 4. Patterson Jr.; 5. Harrison; 6. Nugent; 7. T. Sloan.
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