David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN celebrates with NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Founder and Director Mike Vaughn (far left) and his crew after winning the Delta Nationals 50 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series on Saturday night at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS. (Best Photography Photo)
CARTERSVILLE, GA – Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN drove the Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Warrior to his first win of the season on Saturday night in the Delta Nationals 50 at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS. After a fierce battle with Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL, Gentry led the last 27 laps of the race.
The victory moved Gentry into a tie for the lead in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings with Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC, who started 13th and finished fifth in the AES Racing Special. Gentry and Breuer each have 1,160 points at the top of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS points list.
Gentry and Shaw swapped the lead three times during laps 22 through 24 with Gentry taking the lead on lap 24 and then pulling away in the second half of the race to win by a full straightaway, or 2.594 seconds over Shaw, who took second in the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star.
“This car is a new Warrior chassis and after I called Sanford Goddard at Goddard Performance today, he gave me a set up to try, and it worked great,” Gentry said. “We had a good race there at the halfway point with Shaw. It was close, but fun racing. I can’t wait to get back here to Greenville Speedway next month to battle Dan Breuer for the championship.”
The next race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be back at Greenville Speedway on November 3-5 for the $3,000-to-win Gumbo Nationals 50. Both Gentry and Breuer own wins this season on the ¼-mile high-banked gumbo clay oval, as Breuer took the win in the Rumble On The Gumbo 75 on April 9 at Greenville Speedway.
The 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion will receive $20,000 out of the $50,000 point fund at the end of the season in addition to the NeSmith Cup Trophy. There are still four races remaining on the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series schedule, but the championship battle is on.
Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS finished third in the Billy Riels Racing GRT, and Friday night’s Greenville Speedway winner Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS followed that up with a fourth-place effort on Saturday night in the TJC Mortgage/Maximum Signs and Graphics GRT with Breuer taking the fifth spot.
Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS was sixth in the Henderson Waste and Recycling Trak-Star and Greg Fore of Greenville, MS drove the Frost Top Special to a seventh-place finish. Mark Tice of Avon, MS was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race after an eighth-place finish in the Precision Marine Trak-Star.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the ninth spot in the Hedman Husler and VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year point leader Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL rounded out the top ten in the Tower Maintenance Special.
Hunter Carroll of Columbus, MS started the Muffler Magic Special from the 24th and last starting spot and finished 11th to earn the Hedman Husler Award. Duke Palasini of Leland, MS was scheduled to start the main event in the Palasini Farms Special, but his car was damaged in the first 15-lap B-Main race, and could not start the big show. That earned Palasini the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Shaw was the fast qualifier for the second straight night by turning in a lap of 15.277 seconds to earn the pole position for the Delta Nationals 50. Preliminary B-Main race winners were Ashley Newman of Mercer, TN in the 45 Race Shop GRT and Jordan.
At the drop of the green flag, Shaw took the lead from the pole position followed by Gentry, Stokes, Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC in the AES Racing Special and Lee. The first of six caution flags came out on lap two when Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS spun the Harrison Racing GRT in turn four.
On the restart, Fore drove by Lee on the front stretch to take the fifth spot, and on lap six, Gentry began challenging Shaw for the lead on the inside. Shaw held on to the point and began to lap the cars on tail of the lead lap on the tenth lap with Gentry and Stokes right on his heels.
Fore got by Cooke for the fourth spot on lap 12, but he wasn’t there long, as he spun in turn two on lap 13 to bring out the caution flag. Shaw led Gentry, Stokes, Cooke, Lee, Tice, Newman, Turner, Edge and Jordan down for the restart. Stokes drove around the outside of Gentry coming off the fourth turn after the restart to take over second place.
Lee and Newman both passed Cooke on lap 14 to move up to the fourth and fifth spots respectively, and Newman made an outside move on Lee in turn four on lap 18 to take over the fourth spot. Newman, however, brought out the caution flag on lap 20 when he stalled on the front straightaway.
Another top ten car had to go to the back of the back on the restart when Tice spun out of the sixth spot with a spin in turn four. Shaw had Stokes, Gentry, Lee, Cooke, Tice, Edge, Breuer, Turner and Jamie Elam of Senatobia, MS in the Save A Lot Used Cars Stinger in tow for the double-file restart.
After the green came back out, Gentry got under Stokes in turn one to retake the second spot and Cooke got around Lee for fourth. On lap 21, Cooke spun in turn two to bring out the fifth caution flag. After the next restart, things got hot and heavy among the top three drivers, Shaw, Gentry, and Stokes.
Gentry drove under Shaw to take the lead coming off the fourth turn on lap 22. At the same place on the next lap, it was Shaw passing Gentry for the lead on the outside. Lap 24 saw Gentry slide under Shaw to claim the point coming off the fourth turn.
Shaw tried to come back around on the outside on lap 25, and there was some contact among Gentry, Shaw, and Stokes coming off the fourth turn. Stokes got sideways and was pointed towards the infield, but he gathered it up and got it pointed in the right direction without losing the third spot. At the halfway point in the race it was Gentry followed by Shaw, Stokes, Lee, Breuer, Jordan, Turner, Tice, Fore, and Edge.
Gentry began to pull away from Shaw, and the leader began to work lapped traffic on lap 30. The field got bunched up one more time on lap 38 when Kenny Carpenter of Cleveland, MS spun the George’s Lawn Mower Service GRT to bring out the sixth and final caution flag of the race. When the field went back to green, Gentry began to once again pull away.
Lee got by Stokes for the third spot on lap 39, and with ten laps to go, Gentry had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Shaw. By the time Gentry took the checkered flag for his ninth NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series career win; he had a full straightaway lead over Shaw.
During intermission, fans bid for rides in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series two-seat race car with Stokes, Breuer, Jordan, Tice, Harrison, Palasini, and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS. Fans also bought tickets for a drawing to win a ride with John Polasini of Leland, MS. Over $7,600 was collected to benefit the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.
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 13 AT GREENVILLE SPEEDWAY IN GREENVILLE, MS ON 10/8/11:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 3 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN 50 $2,500
2. 1 1s Jeremy Shaw Millport, AL 50 $1,350
3. 4 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS 50 $850
4. 2 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 50 $700
5. 13 B7 Dan Breuer Troutman, NC 50 $650
6. 12 J8 Bobby Jordan McCarley, MS 50 $550
7. 7 5 Greg Fore Greenville, MS 50 $500
8. 8 24 Mark Tice (R) Avon, MS 50 $450
9. 14 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $400
10. 9 18 Chase Edge (R) Lafayette, AL 50 $375
11. 24 27 Hunter Carroll Columbus, MS 50 $450
12. 19 72 Frank Wilson (R) Harold, FL 50 $300
13. 23 46 Kenny Carpenter Cleveland, MS 48 $280
14. 5 2T Tootie Arnold Bude, MS 48 $260
15. 22 C55 David Carpenter Greenwood, MS 48 $250
16. 21 85 Mitch Thornton Columbia, TN 47 $240
17. 20 17 Chad Washington Greenville, MS 33 $220
18. 16 7 Justin Carter Pontotoc, MS 33 $200
19. 17 56h Bubba Harrison Cleveland, MS 28 $200
20. 6 17c Steve Cooke Mt. Airy, NC 20 $200
21. 11 19n Ashley Newman Mercer, TN 19 $200
22. 15 8 Jamie Elam Senatobia, MS 19 $200
23. 18 93 Jake Knight (R) Georgetown, MS 19 $200
24. 10 51 John Polasini Leland, MS 2 $200
ENTRIES: 36
FAST TIME: Shaw, 15.277 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: 3
LAPS LEADERS: Shaw, 1-21; Gentry, 22; Shaw, 23; 56, 24-50
LAPS LED: Gentry, 28; Shaw, 22
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Tice
HEDMAN HUSLER AWARD: Carroll (started 24th and finished 11th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Duke Palasini
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Breuer
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Jordan
QA RACE PRODUCTS 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Fore
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Tice
MODERN IMAGES 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Turner
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Edge
MIKE’S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Carroll
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Wilson
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD: K. Carpenter
J.T. KERR RACING EQUIPMENT 14TH-PLACE AWARD: Arnold
COFIELD RACING STARTERS 15TH-PLACE AWARD: D. Carpenter
KINSER AIR FILTERS 16TH-PLACE AWARD: Thornton
CAUTIONS: 6
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 2.594 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes and 45.307 Seconds
QUALIFYING (Top 10 Transfer To Main Event):
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME
1 1s Jeremy Shaw Millport, AL Trak-Star 15.505 15.277 15.277
2 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS GRT 15.590 15.306 15.306
3 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN Warrior 15.386 15.551 15.386
4 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS GRT 15.828 15.411 15.411
5 2T Tootie Arnold - R Bude, MS GRT 15.907 15.516 15.516
6 17c Steve Cooke Mt. Airy, NC Barry Wright 15.572 15.788 15.572
7 5 Greg Fore Greenville, MS Mastersbilt 15.591 15.885 15.591
8 24 Mark Tice – R Avon, MS Trak-Star 15.856 15.645 15.645
9 18 Chase Edge - R Lafayette, AL Mastersbilt 15.747 15.756 15.747
10 51 John Polasini Leland, MS Mastersbilt 15.787 16.328 15.787
11 V8 Duke Palasini Leland, MS Larry Shaw 15.799 16.097 15.799
12 J8 Bobby Jordan McCarley, MS Trak-Star 15.874 15.822 15.822
13 19n Ashley Newman Mercer, TN GRT 16.238 15.881 15.881
14 7 Justin Carter Pontotoc, MS Mastersbilt 16.133 15.907 15.907
15 14 Chance Inman Bruce, MS GRT 20.318 15.921 15.921
16 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA DWB 15.921 16.778 15.921
17 B7 Danny Breuer Troutman, NC Barry Wright 16.083 15.929 15.929
18 93 Jake Knight - R Georgetown, MS Trak-Star 18.988 15.933 15.933
19 72 Frank Wilson - R Harold, FL Trak-Star 16.364 15.950 15.950
20 110 Brent Barrett Cleveland, MS GRT 16.127 15.954 15.954
21 8 Jamie Elam Senatobia, MS Stinger 20.423 15.961 15.961
22 17 Chad Washington Greenville, MS GRT 16.135 16.022 16.022
23 56h Bubba Harrison Cleveland, MS GRT 18.000 16.120 16.120
24 91 Billy Tedford Pontotoc, MS GRT 16.394 16.183 16.183
25 85 Mitch Thornton Columbia, TN Rocket 16.740 16.195 16.195
26 26 Glenn Craft Greenville, MS GRT 16.752 16.278 16.278
27 21 Neil Baggett Shannon, MS Mastersbilt 16.341 16.278 16.278
28 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS Rocket 16.767 16.322 16.322
29 46 Kenny Carpenter Cleveland, MS GRT 18.034 16.427 16.427
30 C55 David Carpenter Greenwood, MS Rocket 16.848 16.463 16.463
31 33 Wesley Brown Greenville, MS Trak-Star 16.488 16.742 16.488
32 31m Travis Mosley Bearden, AR Larry Shaw 17.323 16.678 16.678
33 34 Bo Gordon Shaw, MS Rocket 17.731 16.692 16.692
34 7e Eric Pollan Cleveland, MS GRT 17.070 19.513 17.070
35 44 Peyton Wilkerson Greenville, MS Rocket 17.388 17.081 17.081
36 27 Hunter Carroll Columbus, MS Mastersbilt 16.284 16.487 NT-LT
B-MAINS (15 Laps - Top 7 Transfer To Main Event):
1ST B-MAIN: 1. Newman; 2. Breuer; 3. Elam; 4. Harrison; 5. Wilson (R); 6. Thornton; 7. Palasini; 8. K. Carpenter; 9. Baggett; 10. Wilkerson; 11. Inman; 12. Brown; 13. Gordon DNS.
2ND B-MAIN: 1. Jordan; 2. Turner; 3. Carter; 4. Knight; 5. Washington; 6. D. Carpenter; 7. Carroll; 8. Craft; 9. Minga; 10. Mosley; 11. Barrett; 12. Pollen; 13. Tedford.
NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 10/8/11:
1. B7 Dan Breuer – 1,160
1. 56 David Earl Gentry – 1,160
3. 10 Matthew Turner – 1,054
4. 18 Chase Edge – 954
5. 47 Shannon Lee – 926
6. 17c Steve Cooke – 902
7. 24 Mark Tice – 870
8. 72 Frank Wilson – 782
9. 2T Tootie Arnold – 650
10. 17 Mark Rosner – 548
11. 1 Johnny Stokes – 444
12. 117 Jake Teague – 400
13. 27 Larry Harrod – 344
14. 4U2 Albert Cosnahan – 322
15. 22 Chase Washington – 318
16. 91 Tod Darda – 316
17. 21x Bob Robertson – 302
18. 22 William Thomas – 300
19. 114 Chris Cantrell – 296
20. 12 Jack Nosbisch Jr. – 288
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, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast. GM Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Hoosier Racing 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, QA 1 Precision Products, Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Schoenfeld Headers, Integra Racing Shocks, J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment, Cofield Racing Starters, Kinser Air Filters, Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and Stinger Race Cars.
