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Roby Helm
PENTON, Ala. (May 29) - Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL remained undefeated at Penton Raceway in 2009 by winning the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Stars and Stripes 40 on Saturday night in the All-Star Graphics Warrior. Knowles has won every NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series event so far this season at Penton Raceway and the National Tour win added to his total.
Knowles, the 2008 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year, took the lead on a lap 14 restart from Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA in the Hays Family Racing/Barto Enterprises Warrior. Knowles got to the inside of Rainey in turn one, and grabbed the lead coming off the second turn.
"I've got to thank Derrick Rainey for racing me clean," Knowles said. "I tried a couple of times earlier on the race to get under him, but on that restart, he pushed up just enough for me to get under him to take the lead. I also want to thank the lapped cars for staying up high late in the race, and giving us plenty of room."
Knowles, who is also the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region point leader, will now be eligible for the Alabama Bonus Bucks. If Knowles is the top point driver from the Penton Raceway event on Friday night and the East Alabama Motor Speedway race on Saturday night in Phenix City, AL, he will pick up a $1,000 bonus.
If Knowles can win at East Alabama Motor Speedway on Saturday night, he will grab another $1,000 bonus from GM Performance Parts to earn a weekend payday of $6,500.
Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL finished second in the McLeod Construction Rocket, and third went to Aaron Ridley of Chatsworth, GA in the True Temp Heating and Air Barry Wright. Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS was fourth in the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle, and Jay Blair of Angie, LA rounded out the top five in the J&A Trucking Mastersbilt.
Jeff Landrum of Lanett, AL was sixth in the Mitcham Auto Parts Scorpion, and Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, GA was the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race with a seventh-place finish in the Waddle Trucking Mastersbilt. Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National champion and current point leader David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN finished eighth in the Dixon Plumbing Mastersbilt.
Chase Washington of Houlka, MS took the ninth spot in the Jerry Inmon Race Cars GRT, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA charged from the 17th starting spot to round out the top ten in the Turner Excavating DWB.
Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year point leader Jason Wilson of Margaret, AL was the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger of the Race after starting 23rd and finishing 15th in the Tommy Pope Construction Warrior.
Rainey earned two awards on Friday night; one good, and one not so good. Rainey started out the evening by earning the McLeod Construction Fast Time Award with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 14.418 seconds. Rainey started the race from the pole position and led the first 13 laps.
Rainey tried to stay within striking distance of Knowles for the next ten laps, but he stalled in turn four on lap 24 to bring out the caution flag, and had to retired for the evening with front end damage. That earned Rainey the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Boutwell took over the second spot for the restart, and the race went green the rest of the way. Boutwell could only stay within six car-lengths of Knowles, but it looked like lapped traffic might give him an opportunity to close in and challenge for the lead in closing laps of the race.
The lapped cars of Michael Keener of Temple, GA in the Gardner Excavating Rocket and Randy Hester of Columbus, GA in the Fox Appliance Parts GRT did a good job of adhering to the move over flag, stayed up high, and did not slow Knowles' momentum. Knowles beat Boutwell to the checkered flag by 1.126 seconds.
In preliminary action, the three 15-lap Heat Races were won by Ridley, Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL in the Tri-City Machine Works GRT, and Blair. Blair also picked up the Race Car Engineering Fifth-Place Award, and Gentry took the Race Car Engineering Eighth-Place Award. Washington grabbed the Maximum Signs Ninth-Place Award.
Gentry still leads the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings going into Saturday night's East Alabama Motor Speedway event, but Cooley moved to within 14 points of Gentry, while Boutwell's second-place effort closed him to within eight points of Cooley, and 22 points behind Gentry.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 9 AT PENTON RACEWAY IN PENTON, AL ON 5/29/09:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 66k Scott Knowles Lanett, AL 40 $2,000
2. 3 58 Larry Boutwell Baker, FL 40 $1,000
3. 5 81 Aaron Ridley Chatsworth, GA 40 $700
4. 4 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 40 $550
5. 7 2x Jay Blair Angie, LA 40 $500
6. 10 23 Jeff Landrum Lanett, AL 40 $425
7. 9 21 Ben McCreary (R) Baldwyn, MS 40 $375
8. 8 2 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 40 $350
9. 12 38 Chase Washington (R) Houlka, MS 40 $325
10. 17 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 40 $300
11. 13 11 Steven Roberts Sylvester, GA 40 $275
12. 18 34 Chad Wallace LaGrange, GA 40 $250
13. 14 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 40 $225
14. 19 0 Anthony Meadows Lanett, AL 40 $200
15. 23 22 Jason Wilson (R) Margaret, AL 40 $275
16. 20 2h Randy Hester Columbus, GA 39 $150
17. 16 8 Michael Keener Temple, GA 39 $140
18. 1 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 23 $225
19. 6 5 Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 22 $125
20. 15 22p Danny Peoples Margaret, AL 13 $125
21. 24 52 Marc Gooden Lafayette, AL 13 $125
22. 11 s21 Shane Stodghill Lanett, AL 13 $125
23. 21 21s Jake Sanders Camp Hill, AL 13 $125
24. 22 44 Mike Parkerson Columbus, GA 13 $125
ENTRIES: 32
McLEOD CONSTRUCTION FAST QUALIFIER: Rainey, 14.418 Seconds
PROVISIONAL: Wilson
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Rainey, 1-13; Knowles, 14-40
LAPS LED: Knowles, 27; Rainey, 13
SUNOCO RACE FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: McCreary
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Wilson (started 23rd and finished 15th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Rainey
RACE CAR ENGINEERING FIFTH-PLACE AWARD: Blair
RACE CAR ENGINEERING EIGHTH-PLACE AWARD: Gentry
MAXIMUM SIGNS NINTH-PLACE AWARD: Washington
CAUTIONS: 7
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.126 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 49 Minutes, 16.014 Seconds
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