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Roby Helm
PHENIX CITY, Ala. (July 4) - The "Phenix City Assassin" Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL gunned down the field on Sunday night in front of a packed house at East Alabama Motor Speedway in the Salute To The Armed Forces 50 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour, the third race of the Firecracker Nationals.
Nowell started third in the main event, passed early race leader Larry Harrod of Plains, GA on lap 36, and then pulled away to post a 1.590 second margin of victory driving the Clarence's Truck Repair GRT.
"I kept looking inside Larry, and I think the longer the race went, the tighter his car got," Nowell said. "Our car kept getting better as the race went on, and when the track came to us, we were able to get underneath Larry and take the lead."
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series celebrated its 100th event since the inception of the series in 2005 on Sunday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway. Nowell's first career win with the series made him the 38th different winner in 100 races.
Harrod led the first 35 laps of the race after earning the pole position earlier during the evening in spectacular fashion driving the Harrod Logging Scorpion, but had to settle for second at the end of the race and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.
As the defending EAMS NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model Champion, Harrod was expected to be a favorite for the win at his home track.
In his first qualifying lap, Harrod sailed off the first turn banking and landed on a safety barrier pile of tires. After getting off the tires, and not knowing if his car suffered any damage, Harrod came back out on the track and began his second qualifying lap. "The Big Tree" turned in a lap in 16.461 seconds to take the Extreme Power Sports Fast Time Award.
Dana Eiland of Salem, AL took the third spot in the Andy's Auto Parts GRT, and Billy Franklin of Calera, AL finished third in the Franklin Enterprises Trak-Star. Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA was fifth in the Turner Excavating DWB. Turner was honored during the pre-race drivers meeting for making his 100th consecutive series race, the only driver to compete in every series event.
The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS drove the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle to a sixth-place finish. Cooley now leads Turner in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings by 52 points.
The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA came from the 15th starting spot to finish seventh in the Bryson Motorsports Mastersbilt, and NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region point leader Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL took the eighth spot in the Edge's Gas Company Mastersbilt.
Marc Gooden of Lafayette, AL started his RPI GRT from the 22nd starting spot and finished ninth to earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award. Russ Ogletree of Phenix City, AL rounded out the top ten in the Northeast Alabama Audiology Barry Wright.
Harrod took the lead at the start of the race, but the field saw the caution flag before the first lap was completed when Paul Walters of Valley, AL in the Gary Davis Construction Warrior, Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Mastersbilt, and Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS in the B&M Salvage Rocket tangled on the front straightaway.
Henderson, the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year point leader, had to pit for repairs, and returned to the track later several laps down. "Chargin' Charlie" completed just 18 laps before he retired for the evening. Henderson earned the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Harrod again took the lead on the complete restart followed by Nowell, Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL in the Bennett Logging RMRC, Eiland and Turner. Ogletree sailed off the turn three baking on lap two to bring out the caution flag.
The caution flag came out again on lap ten when Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA spun the Scotty's Muffler TNT in turn two collecting Ryan King of Anniston, AL in the True Bond Masonry TSR, and Danny Stroud of Salem, AL in the Stroud Construction Scorpion.
Harrod led Nowell, Stephens, Eiland, Turner, Franklin, Pat Wall of Columbus, MS in the Wimmer's Wrecker Service Rocket, Edge, Cooley and Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL in the Dyke's Towing GRT down for the restart. Business picked up when the field went back to green, as Eiland passed Stephens for the third spot on lap 11, and Franklin got by Turner for fifth.
Franklin kept up his momentum, and passed Stephens for the fourth spot on lap 12 before the field was slowed by the caution flag on lap 17 when Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL spun the Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star in turn four. When the field went back to green, Edge passed Wall for the seventh spot on lap 19, and Cooley got by Wall for the eighth position on lap 22.
King sailed off the first turn banking on lap 26 to light caution bulb for the fifth time in the race. The restart at the halfway point of the race saw Harrod leading Nowell, Eiland, Franklin, Stephens, Turner, Edge, Cooley, Dykes and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS in the Billy Riels Racing Trak-Star.
On each restart, Nowell tried to dive under Harrod in a bid to challenge for the lead, but it seemed he could never get his tires up to temperature to get maximum bite off the corners before the next caution flag would come out. That trend continued after the halfway point, as Stroud spun in turn four on the lap 26 restart, and King spun on lap 27 in turn four.
Stephens tried to dive under Franklin in a bid to retake the fourth spot on the restart, but spun in turn four while running fifth. Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS was charging through the field from the 23rd starting spot in the Lamar Auto Salvage Trak-Star. Blount was closing in on the top ten when he left the track in turn two on lap 31 to bring out the ninth caution flag.
During the caution period, Lee went to the pits, giving up the ninth spot. The field didn't stay green long, as Stroud made his second scenic tour of the race off the third turn banking on lap 33. Harrod led the top ten with Nowell, Eiland, Franklin, Turner, Edge, Cooley, Dykes, Brindle, and Gooden following him back to the green flag.
Nowell kept chipping away at Harrod's lead trying the inside groove, while Harrod continued to run the high side. On lap 36, Nowell got along side Harrod in turn two, raced wheel-to-wheel with him down the backstretch, and bringing the capacity crowd to their feet. Nowell planted his car on the bottom of the track in turn three, and then slid up in front of Harrod to take the lead.
Once Nowell was out in front, he began to pull away from Harrod. Two late-race caution flags kept the field bunched up as Wall spun in turn two on lap 41, and Dykes spun out of the eighth spot in turn four on lap 43. On each restart, Nowell pulled away and took a 1.590 second margin of victory under the checkered flag.
The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour will be this Saturday night for a 50-lap $3,000-to-win race at Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, TN.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at NeSmith Racing. Becoming a fan of the NeSmith Racing Facebook page will make you eligible for special prizes that will be given away each month.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 14 AT EAST ALABAMA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN PHENIX CITY, AL ON 7/4/10:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 3 55 Terrance Nowell Phenix City, AL 50 $2,500
2. 1 27 Larry Harrod (R) Plains, GA 50 $1,350
3. 5 K9 Dana Eiland Salem, AL 50 $850
4. 7 17 Billy Franklin Calera, AL 50 $700
5. 2 77 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $650
6. 8 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 50 $650
7. 15 21b Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 50 $500
8. 10 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 50 $450
9. 22 52 Marc Gooden Lafayette, AL 50 $500
10. 16 88r Russ Ogletree Phenix City, AL 50 $375
11. 19 10 Joseph Joiner Milton, FL 50 $350
12. 6 14 Pat Wall Columbus, GA 50 $300
13. 14 5 Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 50 $280
14. 23 121 Michael Blount (R) Sumrall, MS 50 $260
15. 21 28 Chris McElhenney Lake, MS 47 $250
16. 13 47 Shannon Lee (R) Lumberton, MS 46 $240
17. 24 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 42 $220
18. 9 22 Danny Stroud Salem, AL 40 $200
19. 4 00 Richie Stephens Phenix City, AL 36 $200
20. 20 55k Ryan King Anniston, AL 27 $200
21. 11 P19 Paul Walters (R) Valley, AL 23 $200
22. 17 88 Charlie Henderson (R) Cottondale, AL 18 $200
23. 18 25 Justin McRee Tuscaloosa, AL 16 $200
24. 12 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 9 $200
ENTRIES: 32
EXTREME POWER SPORTS FAST QUALIFIER: Harrod, 16.461 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Blount and Minga
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Harrod, 1-35; Nowell, 36-50
LAPS LED: Harrod, 35; Nowell, 15
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Harrod
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Gooden (started 22nd and finished 9th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Henderson
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Turner
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Cooley
JOE GIBBS DRIVEN OIL 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Brindle
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Edge
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Gooden
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Ogletree
MIKE'S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Joiner
SHORTY'S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Wall
CAUTIONS: 12
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.590 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 1 Hour, 1 Minute, and 20.108 Seconds
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