|
Roby Helm
COLUMBUS, Miss. (November 27) - Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS was in the right place at the right time to win the 4th Annual NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Fall Nationals Invitational 30-lap Race on Friday night at Columbus Speedway driving the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle. Cooley took the lead in lapped traffic on lap 20 and pulled away for the win.
Cooley took his second-straight series win at Columbus Speedway after earning an invitation to the race by winning the Columbus Speedway/Magnolia Motor Speedway Track Championship and placing fourth in the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region point standings.
"It was great winning a NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring race here, but to win two in a row is really special," Cooley said. "We'll be back tomorrow night to try and make it three-in-a-row."
The Fall Nationals Invitational win is another accomplishment during the 2009 season for Cooley, as he also won the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship. At 18-years-old, Cooley is the youngest National Champion in the history of dirt late model racing.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA led the first 19 laps of the race, and finished second driving the Turner Excavating DWB. Turner got caught behind the lapped car of Randall Beckwith of Kilmichael, MS in turn four on lap 20, and Cooley went to the outside to take the lead.
Turner was also the McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier with a lap around the ¼-mile clay oval in 14.909 seconds, and then went on to win the first ten-lap heat race to earn the pole position for the main event.
Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL finished third in the Century Carriers Trak-Star, and Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS took the fourth spot in the Ellis Certified Welders Trak-Star. The 2009 and three-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS was fifth in the Boland Performance Trak-Star.
The 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Rookie of the Year Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS drove the Waddle Trucking Mastersbilt to a sixth-place finish, and Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS finished seventh in the Lamar Auto Salvage Trak-Star.
Mark Stokes of Steens, MS was eighth in the Kountry Kitchen Trak-Star. Kelly Leonard of Opelika, AL took the ninth spot in the East Alabama Power Services Scorpion, and Lee Burdett of Hueytown, AL rounded out the top ten in the Struts GRT.
Turner took the lead at the drop of the green flag followed by Cooley, Ellis, McRee and Keeton. By lap seven, Turner was already beginning to lap the cars on the tail of the lead lap. The first of two caution flags came out on lap ten when Jimmy Elkins Jr. of Talladega, AL in the Millennium Mechanical Mastersbilt and Paul Walters of Valley, AL in the Gary Davis Construction GRT tangled on the front straightaway.
Turner led the field down for the double-file restart, and McRee was able to drive under Ellis for the third spot coming off the second turn, and Blount advanced from ninth to seventh. Lap 18 saw Turner once again encounter lapped traffic, as Cooley began to erase the ten car-length lead Turner enjoyed.
When Turner closed in on Beckwith's Hi-Grade Farm Supply Rocket on the bottom of the race track in turn three on lap 20, Cooley went to the outside. Beckwith got sideways in front of Turner, causing the leader to slow just enough for the high flying Cooley to take the lead coming off the fourth turn.
Jay Burchfield of Columbus, MS spun the Burchfield's Body Shop Barry Wright in turn two on lap 21 to bring out the final caution flag of the race. Cooley led Turner, McRee, Ellis, and Keeton down for the restart. When the green flag came out, Cooley pulled away, and nine laps later took the checkered flag with over a half-straightaway lead over Turner.
The three ten-lap heat races were won by Turner, Cooley, and Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL in the McLeod Construction TNT. Boutwell pulled off the track from his third starting spot just before the green flag came out with electrical problems. The ten-lap B-Main was won by the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS in the H.E. Mosley, Inc. Trak-Star.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour will be in action at Columbus Speedway on Saturday night with the non-points Fall Nationals Open 40-lap $2,500-to-win race. The pit gate opens at 10 a.m., and racing action is scheduled for 2 p.m.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE WEEKLY RACING SERIES FALL NATIONALS INVITATIONAL AT COLUMBUS SPEEDWAY IN COLUMBUS, MS ON 11/27/09:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 30 $2,000
2. 1 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 30 $1,100
3. 7 25 Justin McRee Woodstock, AL 30 $700
4. 5 73 Evan Ellis Plantersville, MS 30 $550
5. 4 22 Lucky Keeton Toomsuba, MS 30 $500
6. 6 21 Ben McCreary Baldwyn, MS 30 $425
7. 12 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 30 $375
8. 11 2 Mark Stokes Steens, MS 30 $350
9. 10 03 Kelly Leonard Opelika, AL 30 $325
10. 15 B97 Lee Burdett Hueytown, AL 30 $300
11. 16 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS 30 $275
12. 13 33 Sid Scarbrough Florence, MS 30 $250
13. 19 760 Jim McDuffie Meridian, MS 30 $225
14. 14 66k Scott Knowles Lanett, AL 30 $200
15. 8 88 Charlie Henderson Cottondale, AL 30 $175
16. 9 25b Jay Burchfield Columbus, MS 30 $150
17. 20 118 Randy Boyd Marion, MS 30 $140
18. 21 P19 Paul Walters Valley, AL 30 $125
19. 23 20 Kelly Lovorn Calhoun City, MS 30 $125
20. 18 07 Jimmy Elkins Jr. Talladega, AL 30 $125
21. 17 84 Randall Beckwith Kilmichael, MS 29 $125
22. 22 15 Bradley Blaylock Winona, MS 29 $125
23. 24 R7 Rodney Barber Saucier, MS 17 $125
24. 3 58 Larry Boutwell Baker, FL 0 $125
ENTRIES: 32
McLEOD CONSTRUCTION FAST QUALIFIER: Turner, 14.909 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Turner, 1-19; Cooley, 20-30
LAPS LED: Turner, 19; Cooley, 11
CAUTIONS: 2
TIME OF THE RACE: 13 Minutes and 3.348 Seconds
|
