Buckingham Smokes The NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS East Bay Field

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TAMPA, FL – Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, TN welcomed a race with 11 caution flags to keep his tires cool and win the 50-lap NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race on Saturday night at East Bay Raceway Park driving the Rusty Wallace Toyota Bloomquist. Buckingham led wire-to-wire to earn the $3,000 top prize.

The cautions kept Buckingham’s tires cool and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN behind him. During an 11 lap green flag run, Buckingham was smoking the left-rear tire through the corners, and almost hit the wall going into turn three.

That enabled Gentry to close in to challenge for the lead, but a caution flag slowed his efforts and let Buckingham cool down his hot tires.

“The caution flags came just right for me because on that long run early in the race, I knew David Gentry was there,” Buckingham said. “I knew the left-rear was hot because it was hooking up so well that it almost pushed the right front into the turn three wall. The track got a little harder than we expected.”

Buckingham started the race from the pole position after out-timing the 49-car field in McLeod Construction Qualifying with a lap around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 15.552 seconds. It was Buckingham’s second McLeod Construction Fast Time Award in as many nights.

Although Gentry had to settle for second in the Eades Farms “Flying Deuce” Warrior, he took over the point lead in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National standings, and holds a ten point lead over Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL.

Jack Nosbisch of Riverview, FL finished third in the Adams Used Auto Parts Rocket, and Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL finished fourth for the third straight night in the Miller Lite Rocket. Jay Blair of Angie, LA picked up the Race Car Engineering Fifth-Place Award in the J&A Trucking Mastersbilt, and moved up to the fifth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points chase.

Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN drove the Pilot Travel Centers Rocket to a sixth-place finish, and moved into a tie for the third spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings with Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS. Boutwell took the seventh spot in the McLeod Construction Rocket.

Brian Rickman of Columbus, MS took the Race Car Engineering Eighth-Place Award in the Advance Logistics Mastersbilt powered by the only GM Performance 602 Crate Engine in the field. Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA was the Maximum Signs Ninth-Place Award winner in the Gardner Excavating Rocket.

Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA came back after a lap 13 spin to race his way from the back of the pack to round out the top ten in the Nasworthy Mechanical Bullet.

The hardest working man at the race track was flagman Julian Mullus, who had to wave the caution flag early and often. The first of 11 caution flags came out on the opening lap when Gentry and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA in the Turner Excavating DWB spun in turn three.

Buckingham grabbed the lead on the complete restart followed by Steve Mathis of Plant City, FL in the Mathis Farms Rayburn, Phillip Cobb of Riverview, FL in the Coastal Trucking GRT, defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA in the CSC Trailer Repair Mastersbilt, and Gentry.

Gentry passed Brindle for the fourth spot on lap two, but Brindle came right back to reclaim the spot on lap three. By the sixth lap, Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV had climbed up to the tenth spot after starting 13th in the Adams Used Auto Parts Warrior. Horton was looking for his third straight win in as many nights.

A multi-car pileup on the front straightaway on lap eight brought out the second caution flag. Bryan Bernhardt of Clearwater, FL broke the right-front suspension on his B&B Precision Mowers Rocket, and hit the wall. That collected the cars of Josh Peacock of Dover, FL, Steve Gillman of Plant City, FL, Travis Varnadore of Dover, FL, and Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA.

The wreck eliminated Bernhardt, Varnadore in the L. Miller & Associates Rayburn, and Rainey in the Hays Family Racing/Barto Enterprises Warrior. Rainey earned the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award. Peacock continued in the Frubob Fruit Float Warrior, as did Gillman in the Pearsco Rayburn.

On the restart, Keith Nosbisch, Horton, and Jeff Mathews of Dover, FL in the Night Hawk Towing Rocket tangled for the third caution flag. The chance for a “three-peat” ended for Horton, as his car was towed the pit area, while Nosbisch and Mathews lined up for the restart. Buckingham led Mathis, Cobb, Brindle, and Gentry down for the double-file restart.

Cobb drifted high in turn one and Brindle drove by for the third spot. Brindle’s ride in the third spot was short-lived, as he spun on lap nine to light up the caution bulb. Buckingham now led Mathis, Gentry, Jack Nosbisch, Keith Nosbisch, Hunter Peacock, Blair, Cobb, Mathews, and Hall down for the restart.

Gillman spun in turn two on lap 11, and after the restart, Hunter Peacock passed Keith Nosbisch for the fourth spot on lap 12, but like Brindle, Peacock didn’t stay there long, as he spun in turn two on lap 13 to unravel the yellow bunting for the sixth time.

The reshuffled the restart order with Buckingham leading Mathis, Gentry, Jack Nosbisch, Keith Nosbisch, Blair, Hall, Cobb, Cooley in the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle and Mathews came down for the restart. After a lap 15 caution for debris, the field seemed to settle in, and the tire smoking began.

Gentry was able to drive under a high-riding Mathis for the second spot coming off the fourth turn on lap 16, as Buckingham had opened up a half-straightaway lead. At the halfway point, smoke could be seen coming off Buckingham’s left-rear tire, and he almost hit the third turn wall at the end of the back straightaway.

That enabled Gentry to close in and look for racing room. Mathis was also having his share of handling problems, as he spun from the third spot on lap 26 in turn four to bring out the eighth caution flag. During the caution period, Buckingham went straight for the loose dirt on the high side of the track to cool down his boiling left-rear tire.

Cooley brought out caution flag number nine on lap 28 when he cut down a right-rear tire while running in the eighth spot. Cobb and Mathews got together in turn three on lap 29 while battling for the eighth spot and battle continued after the wreck was over. Mathews climbed out of his car and assaulted Cobb while he was sitting in his race car.

NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series officials immediately disqualified Mathews from the event, and will hand out further disciplinary action next week.

After the restart, the field stayed green until lap 37 when the final yellow flag was brought out for debris in turn three. Buckingham was able to maintain a four car-length advantage over Gentry for the remaining 14 laps, and still keep the tires on his car to the checkered flag.

In preliminary action, the four eight-lap heat races were won by Jack Nosbisch, Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA in the Summerville Junkyard Mastersbilt, Turner, and Keith Nosbisch. The two 12-lap B-Main races were won by Josh Peacock and Ingram.

Although no Rookie drivers made the main event, Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS was the highest finishing Rookie in the B-Main races to earn the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Award.

The next event on the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series schedule will be a Columbus, MS “Crosstown Challenge” with a 40-lap $2,000-to-win race on April 17 at Columbus Speedway on the east side of Columbus, MS, and a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race on April 18 at Magnolia Motor Speedway on the west side of Columbus, MS.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 5 AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 2/21/09:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 50 Shanon Buckingham Morristown, TN 50 $3,100
2. 4 2 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 50 $1,500
3. 7 12n Jack Nosbisch Riverview, FL 50 $1,250
4. 10 102 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL 50 $1,100
5. 12 2x Jay Blair Angie, LA 50 $1,000
6. 6 47 Brad Hall Knoxville, TN 50 $850
7. 22 58 Larry Boutwell Baker, FL 50 $750
8. 21 90 Brian Rickman Columbus, MS 50 $700
9. 20 F9 Frank Ingram Woodstock, GA 50 $650
10. 15 12 Hunter Peacock Macon, GA 50 $600
11. 8 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 50 $550
12. 3 95 Steve Mathis Plant City, FL 50 $500
13. 24 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 50 $450
14. 2 32 Phillip Cobb Riverview, FL 50 $400
15. 19 21p Josh Peacock Dover, FL 47 $350
16. 5 38c Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 46 $300
17. 16 89 Steve Gillman Plant City, FL 35 $280
18. 14 49 Jeremy Hines Seymour, IN 30 $250
19. 9 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 10 $250
20. 13 11 Doug Horton Bruceton Mills, WV 7 $250
21. 11 B69 Bryan Bernhardt Clearwater, FL 7 $250
22. 23 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 7 $250
23. 18 41 Travis Varnadore Dover, FL 7 $250
24. 17 33 Jeff Mathews Dover, FL DQ $0

ENTRIES: 49
McLEOD CONSTRUCTION FAST QUALIFIER: Buckingham, 15.552 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Rainey and Cooley
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Buckingham, 1-50
SUNOCO RACE FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Chase Washington
MECHANIX WEAR HARD CHARGER: Boutwell (started 22nd and finished 7th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Rainey
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Blair
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Brian Rickman
MAXIMUM SIGNS 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Ingram
CAUTIONS: 11
TIME OF THE RACE: 54 Minutes and 28.430 Seconds


McLEOD CONSTRUCTION QUALIFYING:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 50 Shanon Buckingham Morristown, TN Bloomquist 15.739 15.552 15.552
2 32 Phillip Cobb Riverview, FL GRT 16.189 15.751 15.751
3 95 Steve Mathis Plant City, FL Rayburn 15.853 15.967 15.853
4 2 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN Warrior 16.115 15.919 15.919
5 38c Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA Mastersbilt 16.172 16.010 16.010
6 47 Brad Hall Knoxville, TN Rocket 16.324 16.035 16.035
7 B69 Bryan Bernhardt Clearwater, FL Rocket 16.303 16.067 16.067
8 58 Larry Boutwell Baker, FL Rocket 16.307 16.160 16.160
9 33c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS Victory Circle 16.275 16.173 16.173
10 49 Jeremy Hines Seymour, IN Rayburn 16.194 16.755 16.194
11 12n Jack Nosbisch Riverview, FL Rocket 16.354 16.235 16.235
12 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA Mastersbilt 16.410 16.238 16.238
13 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA DWB 16.561 16.274 16.274
14 102 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL Rocket 16.301 16.314 16.301
15 21p Josh Peacock Dover, FL Warrior 16.315 16.376 16.315
16 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA Warrior 16.499 16.357 16.357
17 88 David Pollen Jr. Tampa, FL Rocket 16.499 16.358 16.358
18 41 Travis Varnadore Dover, FL Rayburn 16.439 16.398 16.398
19 00 Kyle Berry - R Poplar Bluff, MO GRT 16.569 16.412 16.412
20 38 Chase Washington - R Houlka, MS GRT 16.417 16.522 16.417
21 16B Daniel Baggerly Rural Retreat, VA Barry Wright 16.571 16.437 16.437
22 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS Mastersbilt 16.801 16.446 16.446
23 44 Roger Rolison Meridian, MS HOH 16.468 16.573 16.468
24 2x Jay Blair Angie, LA Mastersbilt 16.720 16.507 16.507
25 11 Doug Horton Bruceton Mills, WV Warrior 16.525 16.664 16.525
26 444 Ted Erskine Tampa, FL TnT 16.658 16.532 16.532
27 12 Hunter Peacock Macon, GA Bullet 16.542 16.673 16.542
28 89 Steve Gillman Plant City, FL Rayburn 16.688 16.550 16.550
29 33 Jeff Mathews Dover, FL Rocket 16.948 16.563 16.563
30 9w Jimmy Waldrop Seffner. FL Rocket 16.588 16.574 16.574
31 90 Brian Rickman Columbus, MS Mastersbilt 16.630 16.579 16.579
32 8s Steve Miller Tampa, FL Rocket 17.172 16.606 16.606
33 22 Jason Wilson - R Margaret, AL Warrior 17.082 16.608 16.608
34 22p Danny Peoples Margaret, AL Warrior 16.759 16.616 16.616
35 68 Eddie Rickman Columbus, MS Mastersbilt 16.640 16.908 16.640
36 21m Ben McCreary - R Baldwyn, MS Mastersbilt 16.676 16.729 16.676
37 11x Steven Roberts Sylvester, GA Rocket 16.677 16.757 16.677
38 8m Matt Miller Tampa, FL Rocket 16.703 16.678 16.678
39 24 Dennis Williams Zephyrhills, FL TnT 16.717 17.248 16.717
40 F9 Frank Ingram Woodstock, GA Rocket 16.884 16.749 16.749
41 2h Shane Hitt Buckhannon WV Rocket 17.056 16.750 16.750
42 30t Bert Tompkins Jr. Fitzpatrick, AL Barry Wright 17.160 16.758 16.758
43 86 Rick Rickman Columbus, MS Mastersbilt 16.810 16.850 16.810
44 7 Frankie Erskine Jr. Lutz, FL TnT 17.022 16.905 16.905
45 28 Chris McElhenney Lake, MS GRT 16.934 16.921 16.921
46 91 Guy Robinson - R Rockmart, GA TnT 17.405 17.004 17.004
47 21 Mike Allen Oak Hill, WV Rocket 17.453 17.389 17.389
48 0 Todd Alexander Plant City, FL TnT 18.083 17.595 17.595
49 105 David Schmauss Tampa, FL Warrior NT NT NT

HEAT RACES (8 Laps – Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST HEAT: 1. J. Nosbisch; 2. Bernhardt; 3. H. Peacock; 4. J. Peacock; 5. Berry (R); 6. E. Rickman; 7. R. Rickman; 8. Rolison; 9. B. Rickman; 10. Williams; 11. Allen.

2ND HEAT: 1. Fields; 2. Blair; 3. Gillman; 4. Boutwell; 5. Rainey; 6. Ingram; 7. McCreary (R); 8. S. Miller; 9. Alexander; 10. F. Erskine; 11. Washington (R).

3RD HEAT: 1. Turner; 2. Horton; 3. Mathews; 4. Cooley; 5. Pollen; 6. Baggerly; 7. Wilson (R); 8. Roberts; 9. Schmauss; 10. Hitt; 11. McElhenney.

4TH HEAT: 1. K. Nosbisch; 2. Hines; 3. Varnadore; 4. Waldrop; 5. Minga; 6. T. Erskine; 7. Peoples; 8. Tompkins; 9. M. Miller; 10. Robinson (R).

B-MAINS (12 Laps – Top 2 Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN: 1. J. Peacock; 2. B. Rickman; 3. R. Rickman; 4. E. Rickman; 5. McElhenney; 6. Baggerly; 7. Cooley; 8. Roberts; 9. Rolison; 10. Allen; 11. Williams; 12. Pollen; 13. Berry (R); 14. Hitt; 15. Schmauss; 16. Wilson (R) DNS.

2ND B-MAIN: 1. Ingram; 2. Boutwell; 3. Waldrop; 4. Washington (R); 5. Rainey; 6. McCreary (R); 7. Robinson (R); 8. Alexander; 9. Minga; 10. Peoples DNS; 11. Tompkins DNS; 12. T. Erskine DNS; 13. F. Erskine DNS; 14. M Miller DNS; 15. S. Miller DNS.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 2/21/09:

1. 2 David Gentry – 394
2. 58 Larry Boutwell – 384
3. 47 Brad Hall – 370
3. 33c Eric Cooley – 370
5. 2x Jay Blair – 362
6. 38c Chip Brindle – 358
7. 12 Hunter Peacock – 340
8. 87 Derrick Rainey – 332
9. 22 Jason Wilson (R) – 330
10. F9 Frank Ingram – 324
11. 16 Jeff Fields – 316
12. 102 Keith Nosbisch – 276
13. 11 Doug Horton – 260
14. 50 Shanon Buckingham – 254
15. 10 Matthew Turner – 244
16. 22p Danny Peoples – 234
17. 90 Brian Rickman – 230
18. B69 Bryan Bernhardt – 222
19. 00 Kyle Berry (R) – 220
20. Jeremy Hines - 218

R – Denotes Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Candidate
 




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