HomeDirt Late Model NewsCrate Late Model Series NewsHorton Wins NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Season Opener

Horton Wins NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Season Opener

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NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model SeriesTAMPA, FL – 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

GROUP QUALIFYING:

GROUP 1:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA DWB 16.793 16.257 16.257
2 B69 Bryan Bernhardt Clearwater, FL Rocket 16.545 16.401 16.401
3 56 David Earl Gentry Lewisburg, TN Mastersbilt 16.713 16.451 16.451
4 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS Rocket 17.888 16.605 16.605
5 31 Bryan Force Indiana, PA Rocket 16.675 16.641 16.641
6 99w Shan Smith Dade City, FL TNT 16.905 16.925 16.905
7 41 Travis Varnadore Dover, FL Rayburn 17.071 17.246 17.071
8 33 Jeff Mathews Tampa, FL Rocket 17.374 17.325 17.325
9 K2 John Over Uniontown, PA Rocket 18.379 17.359 17.359
10 72 Frank Wilson – R Harold, FL Trak-Star 17.963 17.542 17.542
11 3d Dean Patterson Philadelphia, NY Rocket 18.822 18.441 18.441
12 M1 John Norris Lithia, FL GRT 18.626 18.755 18.626

GROUP 2:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 02 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL Rocket 16.588 16.579 16.579
2 32 Phillip Cobb Apollo Beach, FL Barry Wright 17.074 16.814 16.814
3 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS GRT 17.211 16.990 16.990
4 17c Steve Cooke Mt. Airy, NC Barry Wright 17.507 17.077 17.077
5 89 Credence Mott Vienna, IL Barry Wright 17.079 17.339 17.079
6 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS Victory Circle 17.460 17.264 17.264
7 21p Josh Pea(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) – R Dover, FL Warrior 17.461 17.357 17.357
8 38 Kevin Colston Frankfort, KY Rocket 17.566 17.469 17.469
9 29 Phillip Potts Brighton, ONT Can Lazer 17.911 17.510 17.510
10 19 Chase Washington Houlka, MS GRT 17.603 NT 17.603
11 116 Greg Robertson Waynesboro, VA Rocket 18.128 17.617 17.617
12 69 Tony Lawson – R Laurel, MS Rocket 17.780 17.879 17.780

GROUP 3:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 11 Doug Horton Bruceton Mills, WV Warrior 16.321 16.206 16.206
2 21b Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA Barry Wright 16.804 16.690 16.690
3 14 Mavrick Varnadore Dover, FL Rayburn 16.866 16.700 16.700
4 B7 Danny Breuer Troutman, NC Barry Wright 16.962 17.014 16.962
5 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS GRT 17.175 17.058 17.058
6 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS Trak-Star 17.472 17.125 17.125
7 105 Dave Schmauss Dover, FL Warrior 17.137 17.290 17.137
8 18 Chase Edge – R Lafayette, AL Mastersbilt 17.547 17.208 17.208
9 8s Steve Miller Tampa, FL Rocket 17.281 17.262 17.262
10 47T Tootie Arnold – R Bude, MS GRT 17.343 17.609 17.343
11 12 Ryan Montgomery Fairmont, WV Warrior 17.708 17.823 17.708

GROUP 4:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 12 Jack Nosbisch Jr. Riverview, FL Rocket 16.676 16.620 16.620
2 95 Steve Mathis Plant City, FL Barry Wright 17.123 16.672 16.672
3 24 Mark Tice – R Avon, MS Trak-Star 16.705 17.207 16.705
4 2* Shane Hitt Buckhannon, WV Warrior 16.876 16.717 16.717
5 07 Doug Watson Plant City, FL Rocket 16.936 16.890 16.890
6 50c Robert Cossell IV Connellsville, PA Warrior 16.994 17.007 16.994
7 67 Aaron Barley Green Cove Sprs., FL Rocket 17.031 17.336 17.031
8 27 Larry Harrod Plains, GA Scorpion 17.475 17.166 17.166
9 8m Matt Miller Tampa, FL Rocket 17.736 17.339 17.339
10 75 Frankie Erskine Jr. Lutz, FL TNT 18.044 17.706 17.706
11 93 Jake Knight – R Georgetown, MS Trak-Star 17.743 17.806 17.743

HEAT RACES (10 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST HEAT: 1. Brindle; 2. Horton; 3. Breuer; 4. M. Varnadore; 5. Stokes; 6. Schmauss; 7. Blount; 8. Edge (R); 9. S. Miller; 10. Montgomery; 11. Arnold (R).

2ND HEAT: 1. Bernhardt; 2. Turner; 3. Gentry; 4. Smith; 5. Mathews; 6. T. Varnadore; 7. Force; 8. Minga; 9. Over; 10. Wilson (R); 11. Norris; 12. Patterson.

3RD HEAT: 1. Cobb; 2. K. Nosbisch; 3. Cooke; 4. Lee; 5. Cooley; 6. Mott; 7. Colston; 8. Robertson; 9. Pea(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word); 10. Potts; 11. Lawson (R); 12. Washington DNS.

4TH HEAT: 1. J. Nosbisch Jr.; 2. Mathis; 3. Hitt; 4. Watson; 5. Cossell; 6. Tice (R); 7. Harrod; 8. Barley; 9. Knight (R); 10. M. Miller; 11. Erskine.

B-MAINS (12 Laps – Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN: 1. Cooley; 2. Stokes; 3. Schmauss; 4. Robertson; 5. Edge (R); 6. Mott; 7. Pea(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) (R); 8. Blount; 9. Montgomery; 10. Arnold (R); 11. S. Miller; 12. Potts; 13. Colston DNS; 14. Lawson (R) DNS; 15. Washington DNS.

2ND B-MAIN: 1. Cossell; 2. T. Varnadore; 3. Over; 4. Mathews; 5. Force; 6. Harrod; 7. Wilson (R); 8. M. Miller; 9. Barley; 10. Minga; 11. Erskine; 12. Norris; 13. Knight (R); 14. Patterson; 15. Tice (R).

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES TOURING POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 2/24/11:

1. 11 Doug Horton – 100
2. 12 Jack Nosbisch Jr. – 96
3. 02 Keith Nosbisch – 94
4. 56 David Earl Gentry – 92
5. B69 Bryan Bernhardt – 90
6. 10 Matthew Turner – 88
7. 21b Chip Brindle – 86
8. B7 Dan Breuer – 84
9. K2 John Over – 82
10. 41 Travis Varnadore – 80
11. 32 Phillip Cobb – 78
12. 33c Eric Cooley – 76
13. 07 Doug Watson – 74
14. 2* Shane Hitt – 72
15. 95 Steve Mathis – 70
16. 27 Larry Harrod – 68
17. 99w Shan Smith – 66
18. 1 Johnny Stokes – 64
19. 14 Mavrick Varnadore – 62
20. 50c Robert Cossell IV – 60

R – Denotes VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Candidate

NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the nation’s number one GM Powertrain Dealer four years running, and is also the nation’s number one volume dealer of Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC cars, trucks, SUVs and vans with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast. GM Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Hoosier Race Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. VP Racing Fuel is the Official Racing Fuel of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Hedman Hedders is the Official Hedder of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and the Hedman Husler Award sponsor. Old Man’s Garage (OMG) is the sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region. NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2011 are Dominator Race Products, Race Car Engineering, KRC, Maximum Signs and Graphics, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Schoenfeld Headers, Integra Racing Shocks, J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment, Colfield Racing Starters, Kinsler Air Filters, Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and Stinger Race Cars.

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