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Roby Helm
TAMPA, Fla. (February 24) - Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV won the 40-lap season opener for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series on Thursday night at East Bay Raceway Park driving the Mainland Transport Warrior. Horton learned to like the tire choice car owner Ken Nosbisch made before the race at the halfway point when took the lead and never looked back.
Horton started fifth, and moved up to the second spot by lap 18. Horton then battled with early race leader Bryan Bernhardt of Clearwater, FL after a lap 19 restart, and took the lead with an inside move coming off the fourth turn on lap 20. Horton then kept the point and at one time pulled out to a full straightaway lead.
"I wasn't sure about the tire choice Ken made at the start of the race, but as the race went on, the car got faster, and I knew he made the right choice," Horton said. "I have to dedicate this win to my wife because on the way down here she asked me when she was going to get her picture made with me under the palm trees in victory lane. I've won a lot of races down here, but never when she was here. Hopefully there will be a couple more pictures with her after this one."
Jack Nosbisch Jr. of Riverview, FL ran in the top three all race long and finished second in the Buddy's Home Furnishings Rocket. Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL took the third spot in the Image Skin Care Rocket, and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Lewisburg, TN was fourth in the Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Special.
Bernhardt took the fifth spot in the Terry Eaglin Motorsports Rocket. Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA drove the Hedman Husler Special to a sixth-place finish in his 108th consecutive series event. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA was seventh in the Bryson Motorsports Special.
Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC finished eighth in the AES Racing Special, and John Over of Uniontown PA started 22nd and finished ninth in the K2 Motorsports Rocket to earn the Hedman Husler Award. Travis Varnadore of Dover, FL rounded out the top ten in the Sunstate International Trucks Special.
Bernhardt took the lead from polesitter Brindle at the start of the race followed by Jack Nosbisch Jr., Phillip Cobb of Apollo Beach, FL in the Wells Brothers Farms Special, and Turner. On lap two, Turner passed Cobb for the fourth spot, and on lap five, Jack Nosbisch Jr. made an outside move down the backstretch on Brindle to take the second spot.
Horton drove by Turner for the fourth spot on lap 10, and then began to chase down the leaders, who were working lapped traffic. On lap 12, Horton passed Brindle for the third spot with an inside move coming off the fourth turn. Horton caught Jack Nosbisch Jr. by lap 17 to challenge for second, and then got an inside run coming off the fourth turn on lap 18 to take the position.
The first of four caution flags came out on lap 19 for debris. Bernhardt led Horton, Jack Nosbisch Jr., Brindle, Turner, Keith Nosbisch, Gentry, Cobb, Steve Mathis of Plant City, FL in the Mathis Farms Special, and Breuer down for the double-file restart.
A tangle on the restart that spun Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS in the Billy Riels Racing GRT on the front straightaway brought out caution flag number two. Lee was done for the night, and that earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck of the Race Award.
On the next restart, Horton got to the inside of Bernhardt and the top two cars raced side-by-side for the entire lap. As the field took the crossed flags to signal the halfway point in the race, Horton took the lead, while Keith Nosbisch and Gentry climbed up to the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
Horton began to pull away from Bernhardt, but his advantage was erased on lap 27 when Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC spun the AES Racing Special in turn four to bring out the third caution flag of the race. A multi-car tangle on the restart brought out the fourth and final caution flag of the race, and sent Cobb to the tail of the lead lap cars for the restart.
Horton picked up where he left off after the next restart, while Jack Nosbisch Jr. challenged Bernhardt for the second spot, and took the position from Bernhardt coming off the fourth turn. By lap 29, Over had charged from the 22nd starting spot to move up to the seventh position, and Varnadore, who started 20th, was riding in eighth.
By lap 33, Horton had stretched his advantage over Jack Nosbisch Jr. to a full straightaway lead. Horton encountered lapped traffic on lap 35, but no one could close the gap. Keith Nosbisch got by Bernhardt for third on lap 37, and Gentry dropped Bernhardt to fifth by moving up to the fourth spot on lap 38. Horton's margin of victory was 4.184 seconds at the checkered flag.
Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL missed the main event in the Edge's Gas Company Special, but took the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race Award with the highest finishing position among the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Candidates in the B-Mains. Greg Robertson of Waynesboro, VA finished fourth in the first 12-lap B-Main Race in the Wyn Bridge Industrial Fabricators Rocket to earn the Integra Racing Shocks Just Missed It Award.
Horton was the fast qualifier among the 46 entrants with a lap around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 16.206 seconds. The four ten-lap heat races were won by Brindle, Bernhardt, Cobb, and Jack Nosbisch Jr.
The two 12-lap B-Mains were won by the defending and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS in the 78 Towing and Recovery Special and Robert Cossell IV of Connellsville, PA in the Sprouts Pick-A-Part Warrior.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series returns to East Bay Raceway Park on Friday night for a 40-lap $2,000-to-win event, and again on Saturday night for a 50-lap $3,000-to-win event.
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 1 AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 2/24/11:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 5 11 Doug Horton Bruceton Mills, WV 40 $2,000
2. 4 12 Jack Nosbisch Jr. Riverview, FL 40 $1,000
3. 7 02 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL 40 $700
4. 10 56 David Earl Gentry Lewisburg, TN 40 $550
5. 2 B69 Bryan Bernhardt Clearwater, FL 40 $500
6. 6 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 40 $425
7. 1 21b Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 40 $375
8. 9 B7 Dan Breuer Troutman, NC 40 $350
9. 22 K2 John Over Uniontown, PA 40 $425
10. 20 41 Travis Varnadore Dover, FL 40 $300
11. 3 32 Phillip Cobb Apollo Beach, FL 40 $275
12. 17 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 40 $250
13. 16 07 Doug Watson Plant City, FL 40 $225
14. 12 2* Shane Hitt Buckhannon, WV 39 $200
15. 8 95 Steve Mathis Plant City, FL 39 $175
16. 23 27 Larry Harrod Plains, GA 39 $150
17. 14 99w Shan Smith Dade City, FL 38 $140
18. 19 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 38 $125
19. 13 14 Mavrick Varnadore Dover, FL 38 $125
20. 18 50c Robert Cossell IV Connellsville, PA 27 $125
21. 11 17c Steve Cooke Mt. Airy, NC 26 $125
22. 21 105 Dave Schmauss Dover, FL 24 $125
23. 15 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS 17 $125
24. 24 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 17 $125
ENTRIES: 46
FAST QUALIFIER: Horton, 16.206 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Harrod and Blount
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Bernhardt, 1-19; Horton, 20-40
LAPS LED: Horton, 21; Bernhardt, 19
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Chase Edge
HEDMAN HUSLER AWARD: Over (started 22nd and finished 9th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Lee
INTEGRA SHOCKS JUST MISSED IT AWARD: Greg Robertson
RACECAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Bernhardt
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Turner
JOE GIBBS DRIVEN 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Brindle
RACECAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Breuer
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Over
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: T. Varnadore
MIKE'S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Cobb
SHORTY'S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Cooley
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD: Watson
J.T. KERR RACING EQUIPMENT 14TH-PLACE AWARD: Hitt
COLFIELD RACING STARTERS 15TH-PLACE AWARD: Mathis
KINSLER AIR FILTERS 16TH-PLACE AWARD: Harrod
CAUTIONS: 4
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 4.184 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 34 Minutes and 44.130 Seconds
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