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Roby Helm
PHENIX CITY, Ala. (May 30) - Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL swept the Alabama Bonus Bucks Weekend by driving his All-Star Graphics Warrior to his second straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win on Saturday night in the Salute To The Armed Forces 50 in front of a packed house at East Alabama Motor Speedway.
Knowles took the lead on lap four, and went on to post the $2,500 victory. With his $2,000 win on Friday night at Penton Raceway in Penton, AL, Knowles was the top point driver in the two race series for a $1,000 bonus, and he also picked up a $1,000 bonus from GM Performance Parts for winning both races. That brought his two-day earnings to $6,500.
"When I woke up this morning, I never dreamed I could win two of these races in a row," Knowles said. "This has been the best weekend of my career. I was going to concentrate on trying to win the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Championship, but I may have to run some more of these National Touring events."
Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL finished second in The Racing Zone GRT, and challenged Knowles for the lead after a late-race restart, but Knowles was up to the challenge and pulled away to take the checkered flag just over three seconds ahead of Nowell.
"I just about gave the race away after that restart to Terrance Nowell, and we had to race hard for a lap before I could get going," Knowles said. "Terrance is a good clean racer, and I think we got together there once, but I know it was nothing intentional by either one of us, and it was just hard racing."
Defending NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Track Champion Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL took the third spot in the Darda Tire GRT, and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS was awarded the fourth spot after the Ride 95.3 Scorpion driven by Travis Pennington of Winston, GA was light at the scales during the post-race weigh-in. Washington was the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race.
Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS drove his 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle to the Race Car Engineering fifth position, and took over the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point lead over two-time National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN by 20 points. Gentry retired his Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Mastersbilt on lap four, and finished 22nd.
Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL started his Gar's Cash Flow Mastersbilt 18th, and finished sixth to earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award. Jay Blair of Angie, LA was seventh in the J&A Trucking Mastersbilt, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA grabbed the Race Car Engineering eighth spot in the Turner Excavating DWB.
Aaron Ridley of Chatsworth, GA was the Maximum Signs ninth-place finisher in the True Temp Heating and Air Barry Wright, and Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL rounded out the top ten in the Tri-City Machine Works GRT. Cooley finished second to Knowles in the weekend point standings to pocket an extra $300, while Blair and Ridley tied for the third spot and each driver was awarded $100.
Pennington started off the evening earning the $200 McLeod Construction/Extreme Powersports Fast Time Award and earned the pole position for the main event by turning a lap in 15.660 seconds. When the green flag fell for the main event, Pennington grabbed the lead followed by Knowles, Dana Eiland of Salem, AL, Larry Eldridge of Columbus, GA, and Washington.
Knowles challenged Pennington for the lead on lap four looking to the high side coming off the second turn. Pennington slid up the track coming off turn four, while Knowles made a hard left, and drove under Pennington to take the lead down the front straight away.
One lap later, the most serious crash of the night took place when Bobby Eiland of Phenix City, AL hit the front straightaway wall in the Dry Creek/Paradise Pools GRT, and then ricocheted into turn one in front of oncoming traffic. Eiland was t-boned by Anthony Meadows of Lanett, AL in the All-Star Graphics Barry Wright.
What followed was an explosion of parts and piece from both destroyed race cars that brought out the red flag for 12 minutes. All the safety features built into the race cars driven by Bobby Eiland and Meadows did their jobs, and both drivers walked away uninjured. Bobby Eiland earned the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck of the Race Award.
On the restart, Dana Eiland spun his Andy's Auto Parts GRT in turn two while running third, that sent several cars, including Gentry over the outside banking. Gentry's was retired for the evening from the damage. Knowles led Pennington, Eldridge, Washington, and Nowell down for the restart.
Nowell was able to shoot by Washington for the fourth spot after a lap nine restart, and Stephens moved up to the top five, getting around Washington on lap ten. Nowell moved up to challenge Eldridge for the third spot, and took the position one lap later coming off turn four.
A lap 17 restart saw Stephens and Eldridge battling for the fourth position, swapping the spot on laps 17 and 18. Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA put his Hays Family Racing Warrior on the outside, and charged from the 19th starting spot to ninth by lap 17. Rainey's run to the front came to an end on lap 31 when his car broke a left-rear axle.
Pennington dodged a bullet on a lap 37 restart when he almost spun in turn four and lost two spots, but a yellow flag for debris in turn two saved him, and he started behind Knowles for the restart. When the field went back to green, Stephens got by Eldridge to take over the fourth spot, while Nowell moved up to challenge Pennington for second.
Nowell passed Pennington for second on a lap 44 restart. The next lap saw Stephens get sideways coming off the second turn. Stephens gather his car back up, but Eldridge spun the Outdoor Products Warrior out of the fifth position.
On the restart, Knowles couldn't quite find the handle on his race car, and Nowell pulled along side to challenge for the lead coming off turn two. By lap 45, Knowles' race car came to life, and he pulled away to take the win and a big payday.
In preliminary action, the three ten-lap heat races were won by Bobby Eiland, Washington and Stephens. The two ten-lap B-Main races were won by Rainey and Gentry.
The next two NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring events will be held at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg, MS with a $2,000-to-win 40-lap main event on June 12, and at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS on June 13 with a $2,500-to-win 50-lap feature race.
OFFICIAL FINISH OF ROUND 10 AT EAST ALABAMA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN PHENIX CITY, AL ON MAY 30, 2009:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 3 66k Scott Knowles Lanett, AL 50 $4,500
2. 5 7 Terrance Nowell Phenix City, AL 50 $1,250
3. 9 91 Richie Stephens Phenix City, AL 50 $850
4. 8 38 Chase Washington (R) Houlka, MS 50 $700
5. 12 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 50 $950
6. 18 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL 50 $650
7. 11 2x Jay Blair Angie, LA 50 $600
8. 10 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $450
9. 16 81 Aaron Ridley Chatsworth, GA 50 $500
10. 13 5 Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 50 $375
11. 4 34 Chad Wallace LaGrange, GA 49 $350
12. 23 58 Larry Boutwell Baker, FL 49 $300
13. 21 21 Ben McCreary (R) Baldwyn, MS 48 $280
14. 15 55 Montana Dudley Phenix City, AL 45 $260
15. 6 99 Larry Eldridge Columbus, GA 44 $250
16. 14 2h Randy Hester Columbus, GA 35 $240
17. 19 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 30 $220
18. 2 K9 Dana Eiland Salem, AL 30 $200
19. 24 15 Jimmy Evilsizer Salem, AL 26 $200
20. 22 11 Steven Roberts Sylvester, GA 16 $200
21. 7 K8 Bobby Eiland Phenix City, AL 4 $200
22. 20 2 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 4 $200
23. 17 0 Anthony Meadows Lanett, AL 4 $200
24. 1 95 Travis Pennington Winston, GA 50 $200-LT
ENTRIES: 37
McLEOD CONSTRUCTION FAST QUALIFIER: Pennington, 15.660 Seconds
PROVISIONAL: Boutwell
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAPS LEADERS: Pennington, 1-3; Knowles, 4-50
LAPS LED: Knowles, 47; Pennington, 3
SUNOCO RACE FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Washington
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Edge (started 18th and finished 6th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Bobby Eiland
RACE CAR ENGINEERING FIFTH-PLACE AWARD: Cooley
RACE CAR ENGINEERING EIGHTH-PLACE AWARD: Turner
MAXIMUM SIGNS NINTH-PLACE AWARD: Ridley
CAUTIONS: 12 (1 Red Flag for 12 Minutes)
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 3.048 Seconds
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