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Roby Helm
COLUMBUS, Miss. (September 6) - Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL picked up his second NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win in the last ten days by driving the Century Carriers, Inc. Trak-Star to victory Sunday night in the 40-lap main event at Magnolia Motor Speedway. McRee passed early race leader Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS on lap nine, and then checked out for the win.
"McDuffie slipped up just enough for me to get inside him in turn three to take the lead," McRee said. "I used to drive a lot of Super Late Models, but I really love this series using the GM Performance engines, and we're going to run the full series next season."
McRee's first series win came on August 28 at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS. McRee led the final 32 laps of the race on Sunday night, and his margin of victory was almost a half a lap.
Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL switched cars for the Sunday night race, and finished second in the McLeod Construction TNT, after a late-race battle with Mike Boland of Cuba, AL, who finished third in The Strength Center Trak-Star. Point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS took the fourth spot in the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle.
Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS was fifth in the Waddle Trucking Mastersbilt and earned the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Award and the Race Car Engineering Fifth-Place Award. McCreary also took over the point lead for the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Award, and is ahead of Chase Washington of Houlka, MS by two points.
McCreary and Washington are fifth and sixth respectively in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings. Washington started the Jerry Inmon Race Cars GRT in the 21st starting spot and finished 12th to earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA drove the Turner Excavating DWB to a sixth-place finish, and Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN finished seventh in the T.J. Hunt Trucking Mastersbilt. After just six starts on the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Tour, Morrow has moved up to the 15th spot in the points chase.
Klint Byars of Carrollton, MS took the eighth spot in the Southern Belle GRT to earn the Race Car Engineering Eighth-Place Award. Evan Ellis of Plantsville, MS finished ninth in the Ellis Certified Welders Trak-Start to earn the Maximum Signs Ninth-Place Award. Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL rounded out the top ten in the Gar's Cash Flow Mastersbilt.
McDuffie was the McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier with a lap around the 3/8-mile dirt oval in 14.258 seconds driving the H.E. Mosley, Inc. Trak-Star. McDuffie was the last qualifier, and turned the quick time on the last qualifying lap. McDuffie took the lead at the start of the race from the pole position followed by McRee, Boutwell, McCreary, and Cooley in the top five.
Cooley and Boland got by McCreary on lap three to move up to the fourth and fifth spots respectively. By lap five, McDuffie had pulled out to a half-straightaway lead over McRee. Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA spun the 78 Towing and Recovery Mastersbilt in turn two on lap seven to bring out the caution flag.
Rainey destroyed his primary ride, the Barto Enterprises Warrior, after a flip on Saturday night at Columbus Speedway. Cooley offered his back up car to Rainey to race at Magnolia Motor Speedway on Sunday night.
The second and final caution flag of the race came out on lap eight for a tangle involving Doug Sanchagrin of Florence, MS in the Permanent Exterior Solutions GRT, Blake Koenigsberger of Columbus, MS in the TJC Mortgage Mastersbilt, and Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL in the Century Carriers, Inc. Mastersbilt.
The two double-file restarts saw Cooley get by Boutwell for the third spot during the first one, and then Boutwell returned the favor on the second double-file restart to retake the third spot behind McDuffie and McRee.
The battle for the lead developed on lap nine, as McRee found an opening on the inside of McDuffie in turn three, and then drove underneath to take the lead. By lap 18, McRee took a full-straightaway lead into heavy lapped traffic.
McDuffie could not reel in McRee, as he slowed coming off the fourth turn on lap 19 and coasted to the infield. McDuffie's misfortune earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck of the Race Award.
While McRee checked out on the field, a three-way battle for the second spot took shape in heavy lapped traffic among Boutwell, Cooley, and Boland on lap 25. Boland was able to get by Cooley for the third spot on lap 27, and then started to look inside Boutwell for the second spot.
Boutwell was able to use the lapped cars to his advantage and keep Boland behind him for the runner-up spot. McCreary was able to pass Turner for the fifth spot on lap 32. With five laps to go, McRee had opened up almost a half-lap lead on Boutwell and Boland.
In preliminary action, the two 12-lap B-Main races were won by Boland and Turner.
Drivers Eric Cooley, Ben McCreary, Chase Washington, and Mike Boland participated in the Ride For Life Auction, as fans bid for rides in the two-seat dirt late model. Over $4,000 was raised to benefit the local chapter of the American Cancer Society on Saturday night at Columbus Speedway and Sunday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway.
The next race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be a non-points event with the $10,000-to-win Red Top Auto Auctions Dega 100 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL on September 17, 18, and 19.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 20 AT MAGNOLIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN COLUMBUS, MS ON 9/6/09:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 25 Justin McRee Woodstock, AL 40 $2,000
2. 3 58 Larry Boutwell Baker, FL 40 $1,000
3. 7 222 Mike Boland Cuba, AL 40 $700
4. 5 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 40 $550
5. 4 21 Ben McCreary (R) Baldwyn, MS 40 $500
6. 8 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 40 $425
7. 13 T16 Todd Morrow East Ridge, TN 40 $375
8. 10 5 Klint Byars Carrollton, MS 39 $350
9. 12 73 Evan Ellis Plantsville, MS 39 $325
10. 15 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 39 $300
11. 19 82 Jason Sanderford Pheba, MS 39 $275
12. 21 38 Chase Washington (R) Houlka, MS 39 $350
13. 14 90 Eddie Rickman Columbus, MS 39 $225
14. 11 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 39 $200
15. 22 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 39 $175
16. 17 49 Jeremy Hines Seymour, IN 39 $150
17. 6 33d Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 39 $140
18. 20 34 Doug Sanchagrin Florence, MS 39 $125
19. 24 25b Jay Burchfield Columbus, MS 37 $125
20. 1 760 Jim McDuffie Meridian, MS 18 $225
21. 23 52 Blake Koenigsberger Columbus, MS 7 $125
22. 18 88 Charlie Henderson Cottondale, AL 7 $125
23. 16 4 Kevin Henderson Cottondale, AL 6 $125
24. 9 66k Scott Knowles Lanett, AL 5 $125
ENTRIES: 30
McLEOD CONSTRUCTION FAST QUALIFIER: McDuffie, 14.258 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: McDuffie, 1-8; McRee, 9-40
LAPS LED: McRee, 32; McDuffie, 8
SUNOCO RACE FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: McCreary
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Washington (started 21st and finished 12th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: McDuffie
RACE CAR ENGINEERING FIFTH-PLACE AWARD: McCreary
RACE CAR ENGINEERING EIGHTH-PLACE AWARD: Byars
MAXIMUM SIGNS NINTH-PLACE AWARD: Ellis
CAUTIONS: 2
TIME OF THE RACE: 21 Minutes and 1.348 Seconds
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