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Roby Helm
EASTABOGA, Ala. (January 3) - Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL was the McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier among the 87 NeSmith Smith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series competitors on Saturday afternoon to earn the pole position for the Ice Bowl 50-lap $3,000-to-win main event on Sunday at Talladega Short Track.
Knowles turned a lap around the ¼-mile clay oval in 14.638 seconds driving the All-Star Graphics Warrior as the fast qualifier in the first of six qualifying groups. That earned the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year $100 from McLeod Construction of Hammond, LA and the inside front row starting spot for the big show on Sunday.
Tim Busha of Boaz, AL drove his Kilpatrick Chevrolet GRT to the second quick time of 14.658 seconds and will start Sunday's main event from the outside of the front row. Busha's time was turned in among the second group, as was the third fastest time overall, a 14.692 second lap turned in by two-time NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN.
That gave Gentry the pole position in the Pogue Body Shop GRT for the first of six 15-lap heat races that were scheduled to be run on Saturday, but were rained out, and will be run on Sunday afternoon. The top two finishers from each heat race will transfer to the main event on Sunday in starting spots three through 14.
The second heat race will have Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN starting his Tazewell Speedway Rocket on the pole position after being the fast qualifier in the sixth group. Group four fast qualifier Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA starts the third heat from the pole in the Universal Concrete Rocket.
Jimmy Elkins Jr. of Talladega, AL was the quick timer in the third group and starts his Millennium Mechanical Mastersbilt from the pole in the fourth heat. Tyler Hurst of Lineville, AL starts the fifth heat from the pole after being the fast qualifier in the fifth group driving the T&M Farms TSR.
Kyle Berry of Poplar Bluff, MO was the second quick qualifier to Knowles in the first group, and will start his Berry Roofing GRT from the pole of the sixth heat race. Drivers finishing third on back in the six heat races will have another opportunity on Sunday to make the big show through one of four 15-lap B-Main races.
The top two finishers from each B-Main will fill in starting spots 15 through 22 for the main event. Starting spots 23 and 24 are NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Provisional spots reserved for the top two drivers from the Top 15 in the 2008 final point standings that fail to qualify for the main event through qualifying, heat races, or B-mains.
On Sunday, the gates open at 8 a.m., the drivers meeting will be at 10:30 a.m., and racing is scheduled for 11 a.m. For more information visit the Talladega Short Track web site at www.talladegashorttrack.com.
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