MERIDIAN, MS – Mike Boland of Cuba, MS drove the Ware Construction Trak Star to a dominating victory on Saturday night in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series Coca Cola 50-lap Labor Day Bash at Whynot Motorsports Park. Boland came from the ninth starting spot to take the lead on lap seven, and then checked out on the field in front of a packed house.
Boland had a half-lap lead on the field until a lap 31 caution flag bunched everyone up. Despite two more late-race cautions, Boland was able to pull away each time and took the checkered flag with a half-straightaway lead over the second place finisher David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN in the Dixon Plumbing Mastersbilt.
“After losing some close ones, it feels good to win here at Whynot Motorsports Park,” Boland said. “I didn’t know how big of a lead I had, but I knew Gentry was tough, and I figured he’d be there at the end. The car was really hooked up on the bottom, and I only had one close call with a lapped car.”
Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA made a late-race charge to finish third in the Universal Concrete Rocket. Ingram is now tied for the point lead with Gentry, the defending StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Champion, after 16 events have been completed in the 2007 season.
Polesitter Jeff Smith of Rocky Face, GA finished fourth in the AllSouth Racing Products Warrior. Smith out-timed the 43-car field with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 13.995 seconds, and he led the first six laps of the race.
Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS finished fifth after starting 20th in the Charlotte’s Toy GRT. That earned the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion and current point leader the NeSmith Chevrolet Hard Charger of the Race Award.
Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS took the sixth spot in the H.E. Mosley, Inc. GRT, and Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA was seventh in the Summerville Junkyard Mastersbilt. Jay Blair of Angie, LA finished eighth in the All Star Graphics Mastersbilt, and Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA drove the Dixon Hauling and Grading Warrior to a ninth-place finish. Curtis Cline of Douglasville, GA rounded out the top ten in the Pearson Construction Warrior.
When the field went green to start the race, Smith and outside front row starter Rainey led the field into turn one, as Gentry dove for the bottom from the inside row three starting spot to make it three-wide for the lead.
The field, however, was slowed for a three-car tangle in turn two involving Jim Till of Greenville, AL in the Dafor Heavy Timber Trak Star, Fields, and Stormy Derryberry of Monticello, AR in the DBR Race Cars Rocket. A complete restart saw Smith grab the lead followed by Rainey, Gentry, Boland, and Ingram.
Boland got under Gentry in turn four on lap two to move up to the third spot, and then shot under Rainey for the second position on lap four. Boland then quickly caught Smith, and took the lead on lap seven. From there, Boland quickly pulled away, and by lap 25 had a ½-lap lead over the field.
Gentry got around Smith for the second spot on lap 25, as McDuffie, Rainey, Ingram, Fields, Keeton, Blair and Terry Mosley of Gilbertown, AL in the Pee Wee’s Muffler GRT rounded out the top ten at the halfway point in the race.
The caution flag came out on lap 31 when Rainey spun in turn two. By this time, Boland had put every car up to the tenth spot one or more laps down. Smith and the rest of the top nine lined up single-file behind Boland, who lost over a ½-lap lead over Smith with the caution flag.
Keeton was the man on the move when the green flag came out, as he came from the seventh spot and passed Fields for sixth on lap 33. Boland pulled away as Gentry and Smith battled side-by-side for the second spot, with Gentry taking the spot on lap 35. A debris caution bunched the field back up on lap 36, but Boland pulled away again on the restart.
Ingram moved up to the third spot by passing Smith on lap 37, and was trying to chase down Gentry to battle for the point lead. With Gentry running second, and Ingram in third, the point lead was tied. By lap 40, Boland had pulled out to a full straightaway lead over Gentry, Ingram, Smith, McDuffie, Keeton, Fields, Blair, and Rainey. McDuffie got by Smith for fourth on lap 42.
A caution flag came out on lap 46 when Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA in the Brindle Brothers Auto Parts GRT and Till tangled in turn one. When the field went back to green, Ingram got around Gentry for the second spot and take over the point lead. But, the pass was negated when the caution flag came out for debris in turn one.
Boland checked out in the five-lap dash to the checkered flag, as Gentry held off Ingram for second. The best battle on the track was a three-car war for the fourth spot among McDuffie, Smith and Keeton. Smith got up on the high-side of the track, and made it work, as both he and Keeton got by McDuffie to finish fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.
During intermission, the Whynot Motorsports Park fans reached into their pockets to raise over $3,500 to benefit the American Cancer Society. Fans made bids during an auction and bought raffle tickets to get a ride with their favorite drivers in the “Ride For Life” two-seat dirt late model.
The highest bid of the night was $1,100 for a ride with Lucky Keeton, who was so excited during the bidding, he threw in an additional $100 after the ride was sold. Boland, track owner Rodney Wing, David Gentry, and Larry Murphy also donated their driving skills in the Ride For Life car.
Gentry and Ingram will now take their Championship battle to Rounds 17 and 18 of the 2007 StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series season at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS for a pair of 40-lap $2,500-to-win race on September 14 and 15.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 16 AT WHYNOT MOTORSPORTS PARK IN MERIDIAN, MS ON 9/1/07:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 9 4 Mike Boland Cuba, MS 50 $3,000
2. 3 56 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 50 $1,600
3. 7 F9 Frank Ingram Woodstock, GA 50 $1,250
4. 1 00 Jeff Smith Rocky Face, GA 50 $1,100
5. 20 22 Lucky Keeton Toomsuba, MS 50 $1,100
6. 8 1 Jim McDuffie Meridian, MS 50 $850
7. 11 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 50 $750
8. 14 2x Jay Blair Angie, LA 50 $700
9. 2 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 50 $650
10. 15 44c Curtis Cline Douglasville, GA 49 $600
11. 19 V8 Kerry Vicknair Denham Springs, LA 49 $550
12. 17 8 Chris Tays Corinth, MS 49 $500
13. 24 302 Robert Stutts (R) Murfreesboro, TN 49 $450
14. 22 311 Stormy Derryberry Monticello, AR 49 $400
15. 13 22t Terry Mosley Gilbertown, AL 49 $350
16. 18 F21 Frankie Beard Hartwell, GA 49 $300
17. 25 27 Larry Murphy Meridian, MS 49 $280
18. 21 44r Roger Rolison Meridian, MS 49 $250
19. 4 77 Michael Santangelo St. Rose, LA 48 $250
20. 23 38c Chip Brindle (R) Chatsworth, GA 48 $250
21. 6 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 48 $250
22. 16 07 Talbert Goldman Meridian, MS 37 $250
23. 12 03 Chris O’Connor Cantonment, FL 33 $250
24. 5 44t Jim Till (R) Greenville, AL 15 $250
25. 10 55 J.J. Nye Ballground, GA 13 $250
ENTRIES: 43
FAST QUALIFIER: Smith, 13.995 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Brindle and Stutts
PROMOTER’S PROVISIONAL: Murphy
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAPS LEADERS: Smith, 1-6; Boland, 7-50
LAPS LED: Boland, 44; Smith, 6
NeSMITH CHEVROLET HARD CHARGER: Keeton (started 20th and finished 5th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Stutts
CAUTIONS: 5
Boland had a half-lap lead on the field until a lap 31 caution flag bunched everyone up. Despite two more late-race cautions, Boland was able to pull away each time and took the checkered flag with a half-straightaway lead over the second place finisher David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN in the Dixon Plumbing Mastersbilt.
“After losing some close ones, it feels good to win here at Whynot Motorsports Park,” Boland said. “I didn’t know how big of a lead I had, but I knew Gentry was tough, and I figured he’d be there at the end. The car was really hooked up on the bottom, and I only had one close call with a lapped car.”
Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA made a late-race charge to finish third in the Universal Concrete Rocket. Ingram is now tied for the point lead with Gentry, the defending StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Champion, after 16 events have been completed in the 2007 season.
Polesitter Jeff Smith of Rocky Face, GA finished fourth in the AllSouth Racing Products Warrior. Smith out-timed the 43-car field with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 13.995 seconds, and he led the first six laps of the race.
Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS finished fifth after starting 20th in the Charlotte’s Toy GRT. That earned the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion and current point leader the NeSmith Chevrolet Hard Charger of the Race Award.
Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS took the sixth spot in the H.E. Mosley, Inc. GRT, and Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA was seventh in the Summerville Junkyard Mastersbilt. Jay Blair of Angie, LA finished eighth in the All Star Graphics Mastersbilt, and Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA drove the Dixon Hauling and Grading Warrior to a ninth-place finish. Curtis Cline of Douglasville, GA rounded out the top ten in the Pearson Construction Warrior.
When the field went green to start the race, Smith and outside front row starter Rainey led the field into turn one, as Gentry dove for the bottom from the inside row three starting spot to make it three-wide for the lead.
The field, however, was slowed for a three-car tangle in turn two involving Jim Till of Greenville, AL in the Dafor Heavy Timber Trak Star, Fields, and Stormy Derryberry of Monticello, AR in the DBR Race Cars Rocket. A complete restart saw Smith grab the lead followed by Rainey, Gentry, Boland, and Ingram.
Boland got under Gentry in turn four on lap two to move up to the third spot, and then shot under Rainey for the second position on lap four. Boland then quickly caught Smith, and took the lead on lap seven. From there, Boland quickly pulled away, and by lap 25 had a ½-lap lead over the field.
Gentry got around Smith for the second spot on lap 25, as McDuffie, Rainey, Ingram, Fields, Keeton, Blair and Terry Mosley of Gilbertown, AL in the Pee Wee’s Muffler GRT rounded out the top ten at the halfway point in the race.
The caution flag came out on lap 31 when Rainey spun in turn two. By this time, Boland had put every car up to the tenth spot one or more laps down. Smith and the rest of the top nine lined up single-file behind Boland, who lost over a ½-lap lead over Smith with the caution flag.
Keeton was the man on the move when the green flag came out, as he came from the seventh spot and passed Fields for sixth on lap 33. Boland pulled away as Gentry and Smith battled side-by-side for the second spot, with Gentry taking the spot on lap 35. A debris caution bunched the field back up on lap 36, but Boland pulled away again on the restart.
Ingram moved up to the third spot by passing Smith on lap 37, and was trying to chase down Gentry to battle for the point lead. With Gentry running second, and Ingram in third, the point lead was tied. By lap 40, Boland had pulled out to a full straightaway lead over Gentry, Ingram, Smith, McDuffie, Keeton, Fields, Blair, and Rainey. McDuffie got by Smith for fourth on lap 42.
A caution flag came out on lap 46 when Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA in the Brindle Brothers Auto Parts GRT and Till tangled in turn one. When the field went back to green, Ingram got around Gentry for the second spot and take over the point lead. But, the pass was negated when the caution flag came out for debris in turn one.
Boland checked out in the five-lap dash to the checkered flag, as Gentry held off Ingram for second. The best battle on the track was a three-car war for the fourth spot among McDuffie, Smith and Keeton. Smith got up on the high-side of the track, and made it work, as both he and Keeton got by McDuffie to finish fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.
During intermission, the Whynot Motorsports Park fans reached into their pockets to raise over $3,500 to benefit the American Cancer Society. Fans made bids during an auction and bought raffle tickets to get a ride with their favorite drivers in the “Ride For Life” two-seat dirt late model.
The highest bid of the night was $1,100 for a ride with Lucky Keeton, who was so excited during the bidding, he threw in an additional $100 after the ride was sold. Boland, track owner Rodney Wing, David Gentry, and Larry Murphy also donated their driving skills in the Ride For Life car.
Gentry and Ingram will now take their Championship battle to Rounds 17 and 18 of the 2007 StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series season at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS for a pair of 40-lap $2,500-to-win race on September 14 and 15.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 16 AT WHYNOT MOTORSPORTS PARK IN MERIDIAN, MS ON 9/1/07:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 9 4 Mike Boland Cuba, MS 50 $3,000
2. 3 56 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 50 $1,600
3. 7 F9 Frank Ingram Woodstock, GA 50 $1,250
4. 1 00 Jeff Smith Rocky Face, GA 50 $1,100
5. 20 22 Lucky Keeton Toomsuba, MS 50 $1,100
6. 8 1 Jim McDuffie Meridian, MS 50 $850
7. 11 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 50 $750
8. 14 2x Jay Blair Angie, LA 50 $700
9. 2 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 50 $650
10. 15 44c Curtis Cline Douglasville, GA 49 $600
11. 19 V8 Kerry Vicknair Denham Springs, LA 49 $550
12. 17 8 Chris Tays Corinth, MS 49 $500
13. 24 302 Robert Stutts (R) Murfreesboro, TN 49 $450
14. 22 311 Stormy Derryberry Monticello, AR 49 $400
15. 13 22t Terry Mosley Gilbertown, AL 49 $350
16. 18 F21 Frankie Beard Hartwell, GA 49 $300
17. 25 27 Larry Murphy Meridian, MS 49 $280
18. 21 44r Roger Rolison Meridian, MS 49 $250
19. 4 77 Michael Santangelo St. Rose, LA 48 $250
20. 23 38c Chip Brindle (R) Chatsworth, GA 48 $250
21. 6 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 48 $250
22. 16 07 Talbert Goldman Meridian, MS 37 $250
23. 12 03 Chris O’Connor Cantonment, FL 33 $250
24. 5 44t Jim Till (R) Greenville, AL 15 $250
25. 10 55 J.J. Nye Ballground, GA 13 $250
ENTRIES: 43
FAST QUALIFIER: Smith, 13.995 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Brindle and Stutts
PROMOTER’S PROVISIONAL: Murphy
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAPS LEADERS: Smith, 1-6; Boland, 7-50
LAPS LED: Boland, 44; Smith, 6
NeSMITH CHEVROLET HARD CHARGER: Keeton (started 20th and finished 5th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Stutts
CAUTIONS: 5
