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Roby Helm
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (July 10) - Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN took his 13th career win with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour on Saturday night in the Thunder On The Mountain 50 at Mountain Raceway Park driving the Miller Brothers Coal Mastersbilt. The victory kept the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee's streak alive of winning at least one race in each of the series' six seasons.
It was a typical Ronnie Johnson night, as he arrived at the track late, qualified 23rd quick without hot laps, came from seventh to third in his Qualifying Race, started the main event from 15th, took the lead with seven laps to go from early race leader Greg Martin of Oliver Springs, TN, and pulled away to the checkered flag with over a three second margin of victory.
"We've had a rough week, and an especially rough day, and I didn't think we were going to make it here tonight," Johnson said. "We got about halfway here, and I thought about turning around and going back home, but I'm glad we didn't. The fans that came here tonight made it all worth while, and I'm glad we were able to come out here and put on a show for them."
By starting 15th and coming up through the pack to win the race, Johnson was also the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger of the Race.
Martin had to settle for second in the Biff Motorsports Warrior, and after leading the first 43 laps of the race, was able to put everything in perspective after the race by saying, "When I looked up at the scoreboard and saw that Johnson was up to third, I knew we were about to have a bad night."
Jason Welshan of Madisonville, TN finished third in the A Lot Less Factory Outlet Trak-Star, and fast qualifier Kenny Compton of Bland, VA took the fourth spot in the Appalachian Leasing Barry Wright. Compton earned the pole position for the race with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 17.715 seconds.
Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN was the Race Car Engineering Fifth-Place Award winner in the Wade's Body Shop Bloomquist, and the defending NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Champion and current point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS picked up the KRC Sixth-Place Award in the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle.
Brian Kinnersley of Blairsville, GA grabbed the Joe Gibbs Driven Oil Seventh-Place Award in the Arrant Spreader Service Mastersbilt, and Steve Jones of Maryville, TN drove the Hicks and Law Insurance Warrior to the Race Car Engineering Eighth-Place Award. Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN took the Maximum Signs and Graphics Ninth-Place Award in the Williams and Sons Farms GRT.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA won the KRC Tenth-Place Award in the Turner Excavating DWB, and Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL picked up the Mike's Custom Tanks 11th-Place Award in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star. Cooley now leads Turner by 60 points in the Nesmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings.
Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS grabbed the Shorty's Shock Service 12-Place Award and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race driving the Billy Riels Racing Trak-Star. Lee also took over the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year point lead by 12 points over Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Mastersbilt. Henderson finished 23rd.
Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS earned the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award after being forced into the front straightaway wall during the four-wide "Salute To The Fans" Formation before the race, and then spent the rest of the race in and out of the pits for repairs to his Lamar Auto Salvage Trak-Star and ended up finishing 16th.
Martin took the lead at the start of the race from the outside front row starting spot followed by Compton, Welshan, Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN in the Byrd's Radiator GRT, and Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN in the Dale's Auto Sales GRT. Chuck Laney of Sevierville, TN brought out the first of six caution flags on lap five when he spun the FSR Rocket in turn four.
On the restart, Wilson passed Weaver for the fourth spot, as the two Crossville, TN drivers raced side-by-side until Weaver was able to regain the position on lap 15. Laney spun in turn four for the second time on lap 16 to bring out the second caution flag. During the caution period, Wilson gave up the fifth spot when he went to the pits and retired for the evening.
With Martin on the point, the rest of the field lined up behind him for a "Delaware-Style" double-file restart. The second-place driver Compton chose the outside, with Welshan going to the inside in the third spot. When the green flag out, Welshan drove under Compton to take over the second spot.
The third caution flag came out on lap 17 when Hunter Best of Louisville, TN spun in turn three while running eighth, and hit the wall with the Warrior Race Cars Warrior. On the restart, a multi-car pile-up in turn two brought the caution back out with McRee, Laney, Justin Summers of Greenback, TN in the Summers Motorsports TNT, Blount and Chris McElhenney of Lake, MS in the G&M Trak-Star involved.
Martin led Welshan, Compton, Weaver, Teague, Cooley, Kinnersley, Johnson, Williams and Turner back to the green flag. On lap 19, Jones passed Turner to move into the top ten, and on lap 20, Weaver drove by Compton to take over the third spot. At the halfway point on lap 25, Blount stalled on the front straightaway to bring out the fifth caution flag.
When the field went back to green flag action, Johnson got busy from the eighth spot, and began his charge to the front. Johnson passed Kinnersley for seventh on the restart, and drove by Cooley for sixth on lap 26. Johnson moved up to fifth when Weaver dropped out on lap 28 with a cut down right-rear tire while running third.
On the next restart, Johnson stepped to the outside and passed Teague and Compton to capture the third spot. R.J. then chased down Welshan, went to the outside, and grabbed the second spot on lap 37. Five laps later, Johnson caught Martin on lap 42 and began to challenge for the lead.
The "Chattanooga Flash" got to the inside of Martin going into turn one on lap 44, and made the pass for the lead going down the backstretch. Once out front, Johnson checked out in the final seven laps and took the checkered flag with over a half straightaway over Martin.
In preliminary action, the two 12-lap Qualifying Races were won by Turner and Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN in the Pilot Travel Centers Rayburn.
The next three outings for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour will be on July 30 with a 40-lap $2,000-to-win race at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS, and again at Greenville Speedway on July 31 with a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race. The series will visit Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS on August 1 with a 40-lap $2,000-to-win race.
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 15 AT MOUNTAIN RACEWAY PARK IN MARYVILLE, TN ON 7/10/10:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 15 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $3,100
2. 2 24 Greg Martin Oliver Springs, TN 50 $1,250
3. 3 129 Jason Welsham Madisonville, TN 50 $850
4. 1 10c Kenny Compton Bland, VA 50 $700
5. 6 117 Jake Teague Oliver Springs, TN 50 $650
6. 7 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 50 $650
7. 9 27 Brian Kinnersley Blairsville, GA 50 $500
8. 21 1 Steve Jones Maryville, TN 50 $450
9. 10 95 Brandon Williams Crossville, TN 50 $400
10. 11 77 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $375
11. 23 25 Justin McRee Tuscaloosa, AL 50 $350
12. 17 47 Shannon Lee (R) Lumberton, MS 50 $300
13. 16 99 Justin Summers Greenback, TN 49 $280
14. 14 89 Adam Beeler Knoxville, TN 49 $260
15. 5 116 Randy Weaver Crossville, TN 43 $250
16. 24 121 Michael Blount (R) Sumrall, MS 41 $240
17. 19 10 Larry Harrod (R) Plains, GA 41 $220
18. 8 007 Hunter Best Louisville, TN 16 $200
19. 20 28 Chris McElhenney Lake, MS 16 $200
20. 18 91 Chuck Laney Sevierville, TN 16 $200
21. 4 10w Chris Wilson Crossville, TN 15 $200
22. 12 47h Brad Hall Knoxville, TN 15 $200
23. 13 88 Charlie Henderson (R) Cottondale, AL 15 $200
24. 22 X Tyler Millwood Kingston, GA 15 $200
ENTRIES: 29
FAST QUALIFIER: Compton, 17.715 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: McRee and Blount
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAPS LEADERS: Martin, 1-43; Johnson, 44-50
LAPS LED: Martin, 43; Johnson, 7
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Lee
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Johnson (started 15th and finished 1st)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Blount
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH_PLACE AWARD: Teague
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Cooley
JOE GIBBS DRIVEN OIL 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Kinnersley
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Jones
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Williams
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Turner
MIKE'S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: McRee
SHORTY'S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Lee
CAUTIONS: 6
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 3.440 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 1 Hour, 00 Minutes, and 40.483 Seconds
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