NeSmith Late Model Series
Bubba Raceway Park
1/29/16

OCALA, FL – Josh Richards of Shinnston, WV drove the Sallack Well Service Rocket to his first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win on Friday night at Bubba Raceway Park in Round 2 of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout.  Richards picked up the $2,500 win in the 40-lap main event after a hard fought battle with Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL.

                In the last half of the race, Bronson tried both high and low in the Brandon Ford Special to get around Richards for the lead.  On two occasions, Bronson looked like he was going to take the lead after getting alongside Richards, only to have caution flags spoil the effort.

                “This is only the second time I’ve run a race with a Chevrolet Performance 604 Racing Engine, and it takes a different style of driving that I’m still trying to learn,” Richards said.  “Kyle Bronson and I are both aggressive drivers, and he made me earn this one.  If it wasn’t for Bubba Clem and his track crew, we wouldn’t have had a track to race on tonight.  After all of the rain they’ve had here over the last few days, the track was still pretty wet.”

                After leading the first four laps of the race, Bronson finished second, .755 seconds behind Richards.  Walker Arthur of Forest, VA took the checkered flag in third, but he was disqualified in the post-race technical inspection with unapproved suspension components on his Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special. 

That moved Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, SC up to the third spot in the M&W Transport Special.  Tyler Bare of Rockridge Baths, VA was fourth in the Blue Grass Farm Special, and Justin Williams of Concord, VA drove the Ditch Witch Special to a fifth-place finish.  Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL came from the 18^th starting spot to finish sixth in the Image Skin Care Rocket.

Logan Robertson of Waynesboro, VA took the seventh spot in the Mike’s Tire and Auto Special, and Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL took over the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout point lead with an eighth-place finish in the Edge’s Gas Company Special.  Edge holds a 48-point lead over William Thomas of Phenix City, AL.

The ninth spot went to Jimmy Mac of Mooresville, NC in the Lake Norman Motors Special.  Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series driver, 15-year-old Bryan Marsh of Corinth, MS, rounded out the top ten in the Modern Woodmen Trak-Star after starting 22nd.

In preliminary action, Trent Ivey of Union, SC was the fast qualifier among the 53 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 15.060 seconds driving the Ivey Construction Special.  The four 12-lap B-Main Races were won by Shan Smith of Dade City, FL in the Smith Racing Rocket, Ralph Morgan Jr. of Mount Union, PA in the Morgan’s Excavating Special, Mike Pegher Jr. of Cranberry Township, PA in the Royal Flush, Inc. Rocket, and Ryan Carter of Blackshear, GA in the Mark’s Auto and Collision Special.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series returns to Bubba Raceway Park for a Saturday Double-Header.  There will be a Saturday afternoon show featuring Round 3 of the RockAuto.con Winter Shootout with a $3,000-to-win 50-lap main event.  The Saturday night show will be the non-points $10,000-to-win 100-lap 11^th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race.

Bubba Raceway Park is located north of Ocala, FL at 9050 N.W. Gainesville Road, Ocala, FL 34482.  For more information call 352-622-9400, or visit the track web site at www.bubbaracewaypark.com and on Facebook at Bubba Raceway Park. 

For more information and rules 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.  You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 2 FOR THE ROCKAUTO.COM WINTER SHOOTOUT AT BUBBA RACEWAY PARK IN OCALA, FL ON 1/29/16:

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON
1.             2              17b         Josh Richards                     Shinnston, WV                    40           $2,500
2.             3              40           Kyle Bronson                      Brandon, FL                        40           $1,250
3.             8              2              Dennis Franklin                  Gaffney, SC                         40           $850
4.             6              30b         Tyler Bare                           Rockridge Baths, VA         40           $700
5.             5              1w           Justin Williams                  Concord, VA                        40           $650
6.             18           02           Keith Nosbisch                    Valrico, FL                          40           $550
7.             7              17r         Logan Robertson               Waynesboro, VA                40           $500
8.             15           18           Chase Edge                          LaFayette, AL                     40           $450
9.             13           23           Jimmy Mac                         Mooresville, NC                 40           $400
10.          22           1m          Bryant Marsh (Y)               Corinth, MS                         40           $375
11.          17           71           Hudson O’Neal                   Martinsville, IN                  40           $350
12.          21           10           Ryan Crane                         Panama City, FL                38           $300
13.          1              88           Trent Ivey                            Union, SC                             35           $280
14.          11           RJ1        Mike Pegher Jr.                  Cranberry, PA                    34           $260
15.          9              45           Shan Smith                           Dade City, FL                      24           $250
16.          10           44           Ralph Morgan Jr.              Mount Union, PA                23           $240
17.          16           94           Bryan Davis                        Hornell, NY                         18           $220
18.          14           5              Mark Whitener                   Middleburg, FL                  10           $200
19.          12           52           Ryan Carter                        Blackshear, GA                  9              $200
20.          23           7a           Cory Almond                      Appomattox, VA 9              $200
21.          24           J17         Joe Kump                             Lake Helen, FL                   7              $200
22.          19           21b         Billy Beacher                      Franklin, NY                       3              $200
23.          20           72           Frank Wilson                      Milton, FL                            1              $200
24.          4              87           Walker Arthur                    Forest, VA                            40           $0/DQ-Sspntn

ENTRIES:  53
FAST QUALIFIER:  Ivey, 15.060 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Bronson, 1-4; Richards, 5-40
CAUTIONS:  4
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  .755 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  28 Minutes and 37.836 Seconds

QUALIFYING (Top 8 Advance To Main Event):

B-MAINS (Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

                1^ST B-MAIN:  1. Smith; 2. Mac; 3. O’Neal; 4. Crane; 5. Lewis; 6. Kirkpatrick; 7. Berry; 8. Clem (Y); 9. White; 10. Dawson; 11. Stokes DNS; 12. Barrett DNS.

                2^ND B-MAIN:  1. Morgan; 2. Whitener; 3. Nosbisch; 4. Marsh (Y); 5. Bowman; 6. Shipley; 7. Halford; 8. Cooper; 9. Blair; 10. Skinner; 11. Lake (Y).

                3^RD B-MAIN:  1. Pegher; 2. Edge; 3. Beachler; 4. Almond; 5. Conley; 6. Maher; 7. King; 8. Spencer; 9. Mike; 10. Maddox; 11. Lloyd.

                4^TH B-MAIN:  1. Carter; 2. Davis; 3. Wilson; 4. Kump; 5. Thomas; 6. Knight; 7. Bayhi; 8. Scott; 9. Roland (Y); 10. Britton; 11. Basham.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES ROCKAUTO.COM WINTER SHOOTOUT POINT STANDINGS AFTER 2 OF 7 ROUNDS:

1. 18 Chase Edge – 178
   2. 19 William Thomas – 130
   3. 14 Tyler Clem (Y) – 106
   4. 17b Josh Richards – 100
   5. 53 Ray Cook – 96
   5. 40 Kyle Bronson – 96
   7. 2 Dennis Franklin – 94
   8. 39 Jimmy Elliott – 92
   8. 85 Tom Maddox – 92
   8. 30b Tyler Bare – 92
   11. 25z John Ownbey – 90
   11. 00m Monte Skinner – 90
   11. 1w Justin Williams – 90
   14. 11 Cruz Skinner (Y) – 88
   14. 02 Keith Nosbisch – 88
   16. 3 Ethan Hunter – 86
   16. 17r Logan Roberson – 86
   18. 30 Ryan King – 84
   18. 22 Will Roland (Y) – 84
   20. 24 Greg Martin – 82
   20. 23 Jimmy Mac – 82

Y – Denotes Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series Driver

NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the nation’s number one GM Powertrain and Performance Dealer six years running, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast.  Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  RockAuto.com is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  Beyea Headers is the NeSmith Late Model Hard Charger Sponsor.  Sunoco Race Fuels is the Official Race Fuel of the NeSmith Late Models.  Panama City Cycles is the Official ATV Provider of the NeSmith Late Models.  AR Bodies is an Associate Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  NeSmith Late Model Contingency Sponsors for 2015 are CrateInsider.Com, Integra Racing Shocks, Image Screen Printing, and Gresham Race Parts.  2015 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.