CARTERSVILLE, GA – After the first five events of the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season, a pair of familiar names that have represented success in the series in years past, have teamed up and gotten off to a fast start.
THE TWO-TIME CHAMP IS BACK – Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN is on top of the National points chase. Gentry has changed his look, his number, and his chassis brand in his quest of a third NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series title.
Gentry unveiled a new Warrior chassis for the three race series at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL on February 19-21 featuring a vibrant blue wrap from Maximum Signs and Graphics of Corinth, MS with a bright yellow number 2 on the doors.
The new number represents the “Flying Deuce” in honor of his father-in-law Butch Eades, who carried the famous digit to many wins in Volunteer State competition through the years. The color scheme offers a representation of Gentry’s “Lewisburg Lightning” nickname.
In the first five races of the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS season, Gentry has totaled 394 points with two top five finishes, three top ten finishes, and one McLeod Construction Fast Time Award. Gentry leads Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL by ten points in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings.
WARRIOR RACE CARS IS OFF TO A FAST START – The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Chassis Manufacturers Champion Warrior Race Cars, built by Goddard Performance of Knoxville, TN, is off to a fast start after the first five events of the 2009 season.
Warrior Race Cars have won three of the first five events with National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN taking the win at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS on January 31, and Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV picking up a pair of wins at East Bay Raceway Park on February 19 and 20.
In addition to Gentry leading the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings, the 2006 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion Jason Wilson of Margaret, AL leads the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year point standings in a Warrior Race Car, and is ninth overall in the National points.
Drivers in Warrior Race Cars have also led 122 of a possible 210 laps of series competition. Horton has led a series-leading 76 laps, 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL has led 30 laps, Johnson has led 15 laps, and Danny Peoples of Margaret, AL has led one lap.
MR. SECOND-PLACE: Larry Boutwell is trying to shake off his recent distinction of being stuck in second-place. Boutwell finished second in the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National point standings, and has been in the second spot of the 2009 standings since the third race of the season. Boutwell has three top ten finishes in the first five events of the 2009 season.
“We struggled a little bit at East Bay, so we feel fortunate to be where we are in the point standings,” Boutwell said. “I hope once we get to some tracks we run better at, we can get over that second-place hump, but if we can get into the point lead, we’re going to have to work even harder to stay there.”
HALL OVERCOMES PROBLEMS WITH STYLE – Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN went into the East Bay trio of races leading the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point standings after a win at the season opener at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL on January 4, and a second-place finish at Round 2 in Columbus, MS.
Hall received a lot of national media attention for his early-season success in that it came in a five-year-old Rocket Chassis powered by a $3,000 two-year-old 350 horsepower steel-head GM Performance 602 Crate Engine with the original factory sealing bolts.
Hall became the “Poster Boy” for economy racers, as he pulled his race car to TST on an open trailer with a ½-ton pick-up truck off his father’s used car lot. The pick-up was sold after the TST race, and Hall pulled his open trailer with a ten-year-old cube van to Columbus and East Bay.
The Marketing Director of the Knoxville-based Pilot Oil Company read about Hall’s “David Defeats Goliath” story, and they stepped up to the plate to provide Hall with sponsorship from the Pilot Travel Centers just before Hall pointed the cube van pulling the open trailer to Tampa, FL.
On February 19, Hall struggled during McLeod Construction Qualifying, turning in the 30th fastest time out of 44 entries. That started Hall deep in the fourth heat race, and a seventh-place finish put him in the middle of the line-up for the B-main race.
Hall kept working on his race car, and found the handle, as he rallied to finish second in the B-main and earn the 22nd starting spot for the main event. The positive momentum for Hall continued in the main event, as he charged up to the ninth spot by the 13th lap. But just as quick as he bolted to the front of the pack, the tired 602 engine overheated and ended his evening.
Fearing damage to the cooked 602, Hall pulled a 400-horsepower aluminum-head GM Performance 604 Crate Engine out of the back of the cube van and got ready for February 20 action. Hall never got the car accustom to the added 150 pounds of weight the 604 engine requires on February 20. He qualified 46th out of 47 entries, but he kept working, and hoped for better results.
Using the heat race and the B-main as test sessions on February 20 paid off on February 21. Hall found something, as he qualified sixth-quick, and finished sixth in the feature race. That finish, and all of the hard work the night before, kept Hall in the championship hunt, as he is currently third in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points chase with 370 points, just 24 points behind first-place.
BRIAN RICKMAN CARRIES THE 602 TORCH – After Hall had problems with his GM Performance 602 Crate Engine, Brian Rickman of Columbus, MS picked up the economy torch of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS with the 602 power plant under the hood of his race car.
On February 21 at East Bay, Rickman raced his way into the main event through the B-main race to earn the 21st starting spot, and then charged home to finish eighth in the 50-lap big show.
COOLEY’S NEW RIDE FOR SOPHOMORE SEASON – Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS has embarked on his sophomore season of NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS competition with a new Victory Circle chassis built by National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Billy Moyer. After finishing seventh in the series National standings last year in his rookie season, the 17-year-old driver is off to a good start for 2009.
Cooley is currently tied with Brad Hall for third in the national points chase with 370 points, 24 points behind point leader David Gentry. Cooley has two top ten finishes in five starts.
HORTON COMES UP SHORT IN HIS QUEST FOR THE EAST BAY HAT TRICK – Doug Horton seemed to have every thing going his way in the first of three East Bay events, having won the first two after starting second both nights. Horton went into the third night as a heavy favorite to earn the “Hat Trick” with three wins in as many nights.
Horton did not find the magic he enjoyed the first two nights, as he qualified 25th quick out of 49 entries. After starting mid-pack in the third heat race, Horton rallied to finish second, and earn the 13th starting spot for the big show.
By lap six, Horton worked his way up to the tenth spot. That’s as far as he got, as Horton was involved in a tangle coming off the fourth turn on a lap eight restart that damaged the right-front suspension of his race car and put him in the pits for the night.
BUCKINGHAM KEEPS CASHING IN AT EAST BAY – Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, TN has found a cash cow at East Bay Raceway Park. In his last four starts in NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS competition at EBRP, Buckingham has earned almost $15,000 in prize money with his Bloomquist Race Car built by National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Scott Bloomquist.
Buckingham won the 4th Annual NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS World Championship Race at EBRP in December and the $10,000 top prize. On February 19, Buckingham was running fourth, but cut down a left-front tire under caution on lap 14. Instead of changing the tire and restarting at the back of the pack, Buckingham said he didn’t want to risk tearing the car up.
His decision to save the car for the next two nights paid off, as he was the fast qualifier and led four laps on February 20 in an exciting side-by-side battle with Horton. Buckingham finished second to Horton to earn $1,350. On February 21, Buckingham was once again the fastest qualifier, and led wire-to-wire for the $3,100 win.
EAST BAY BY THE NUMBERS – A total of 51 different drivers entered the three NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS events at East Bay Raceway Park on February 19-21. A total of 15 drivers made the main event for all three shows.
Eleven different states were represented by the 51 drivers that included 19 form Florida, nine from Mississippi, eight from Georgia, four from Tennessee, three each from Alabama and West Virginia, and one each from Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, and Virginia.
NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS SPRING BREAK – The next NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring event will be held on April 17 and 18 in Columbus, MS at two different tracks for the “Crosstown Challenge.”
Columbus Speedway on the east side of town will host a 40-lap $2,000-to-win event on April 17, and Magnolia Motor Speedway on the west side of town will present a 50-lap $2,500-to-win main event on April 18.
THE TWO-TIME CHAMP IS BACK – Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN is on top of the National points chase. Gentry has changed his look, his number, and his chassis brand in his quest of a third NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series title.
Gentry unveiled a new Warrior chassis for the three race series at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL on February 19-21 featuring a vibrant blue wrap from Maximum Signs and Graphics of Corinth, MS with a bright yellow number 2 on the doors.
The new number represents the “Flying Deuce” in honor of his father-in-law Butch Eades, who carried the famous digit to many wins in Volunteer State competition through the years. The color scheme offers a representation of Gentry’s “Lewisburg Lightning” nickname.
In the first five races of the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS season, Gentry has totaled 394 points with two top five finishes, three top ten finishes, and one McLeod Construction Fast Time Award. Gentry leads Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL by ten points in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings.
WARRIOR RACE CARS IS OFF TO A FAST START – The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Chassis Manufacturers Champion Warrior Race Cars, built by Goddard Performance of Knoxville, TN, is off to a fast start after the first five events of the 2009 season.
Warrior Race Cars have won three of the first five events with National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN taking the win at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS on January 31, and Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV picking up a pair of wins at East Bay Raceway Park on February 19 and 20.
In addition to Gentry leading the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings, the 2006 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion Jason Wilson of Margaret, AL leads the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year point standings in a Warrior Race Car, and is ninth overall in the National points.
Drivers in Warrior Race Cars have also led 122 of a possible 210 laps of series competition. Horton has led a series-leading 76 laps, 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL has led 30 laps, Johnson has led 15 laps, and Danny Peoples of Margaret, AL has led one lap.
MR. SECOND-PLACE: Larry Boutwell is trying to shake off his recent distinction of being stuck in second-place. Boutwell finished second in the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National point standings, and has been in the second spot of the 2009 standings since the third race of the season. Boutwell has three top ten finishes in the first five events of the 2009 season.
“We struggled a little bit at East Bay, so we feel fortunate to be where we are in the point standings,” Boutwell said. “I hope once we get to some tracks we run better at, we can get over that second-place hump, but if we can get into the point lead, we’re going to have to work even harder to stay there.”
HALL OVERCOMES PROBLEMS WITH STYLE – Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN went into the East Bay trio of races leading the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point standings after a win at the season opener at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL on January 4, and a second-place finish at Round 2 in Columbus, MS.
Hall received a lot of national media attention for his early-season success in that it came in a five-year-old Rocket Chassis powered by a $3,000 two-year-old 350 horsepower steel-head GM Performance 602 Crate Engine with the original factory sealing bolts.
Hall became the “Poster Boy” for economy racers, as he pulled his race car to TST on an open trailer with a ½-ton pick-up truck off his father’s used car lot. The pick-up was sold after the TST race, and Hall pulled his open trailer with a ten-year-old cube van to Columbus and East Bay.
The Marketing Director of the Knoxville-based Pilot Oil Company read about Hall’s “David Defeats Goliath” story, and they stepped up to the plate to provide Hall with sponsorship from the Pilot Travel Centers just before Hall pointed the cube van pulling the open trailer to Tampa, FL.
On February 19, Hall struggled during McLeod Construction Qualifying, turning in the 30th fastest time out of 44 entries. That started Hall deep in the fourth heat race, and a seventh-place finish put him in the middle of the line-up for the B-main race.
Hall kept working on his race car, and found the handle, as he rallied to finish second in the B-main and earn the 22nd starting spot for the main event. The positive momentum for Hall continued in the main event, as he charged up to the ninth spot by the 13th lap. But just as quick as he bolted to the front of the pack, the tired 602 engine overheated and ended his evening.
Fearing damage to the cooked 602, Hall pulled a 400-horsepower aluminum-head GM Performance 604 Crate Engine out of the back of the cube van and got ready for February 20 action. Hall never got the car accustom to the added 150 pounds of weight the 604 engine requires on February 20. He qualified 46th out of 47 entries, but he kept working, and hoped for better results.
Using the heat race and the B-main as test sessions on February 20 paid off on February 21. Hall found something, as he qualified sixth-quick, and finished sixth in the feature race. That finish, and all of the hard work the night before, kept Hall in the championship hunt, as he is currently third in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points chase with 370 points, just 24 points behind first-place.
BRIAN RICKMAN CARRIES THE 602 TORCH – After Hall had problems with his GM Performance 602 Crate Engine, Brian Rickman of Columbus, MS picked up the economy torch of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS with the 602 power plant under the hood of his race car.
On February 21 at East Bay, Rickman raced his way into the main event through the B-main race to earn the 21st starting spot, and then charged home to finish eighth in the 50-lap big show.
COOLEY’S NEW RIDE FOR SOPHOMORE SEASON – Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS has embarked on his sophomore season of NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS competition with a new Victory Circle chassis built by National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Billy Moyer. After finishing seventh in the series National standings last year in his rookie season, the 17-year-old driver is off to a good start for 2009.
Cooley is currently tied with Brad Hall for third in the national points chase with 370 points, 24 points behind point leader David Gentry. Cooley has two top ten finishes in five starts.
HORTON COMES UP SHORT IN HIS QUEST FOR THE EAST BAY HAT TRICK – Doug Horton seemed to have every thing going his way in the first of three East Bay events, having won the first two after starting second both nights. Horton went into the third night as a heavy favorite to earn the “Hat Trick” with three wins in as many nights.
Horton did not find the magic he enjoyed the first two nights, as he qualified 25th quick out of 49 entries. After starting mid-pack in the third heat race, Horton rallied to finish second, and earn the 13th starting spot for the big show.
By lap six, Horton worked his way up to the tenth spot. That’s as far as he got, as Horton was involved in a tangle coming off the fourth turn on a lap eight restart that damaged the right-front suspension of his race car and put him in the pits for the night.
BUCKINGHAM KEEPS CASHING IN AT EAST BAY – Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, TN has found a cash cow at East Bay Raceway Park. In his last four starts in NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS competition at EBRP, Buckingham has earned almost $15,000 in prize money with his Bloomquist Race Car built by National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Scott Bloomquist.
Buckingham won the 4th Annual NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS World Championship Race at EBRP in December and the $10,000 top prize. On February 19, Buckingham was running fourth, but cut down a left-front tire under caution on lap 14. Instead of changing the tire and restarting at the back of the pack, Buckingham said he didn’t want to risk tearing the car up.
His decision to save the car for the next two nights paid off, as he was the fast qualifier and led four laps on February 20 in an exciting side-by-side battle with Horton. Buckingham finished second to Horton to earn $1,350. On February 21, Buckingham was once again the fastest qualifier, and led wire-to-wire for the $3,100 win.
EAST BAY BY THE NUMBERS – A total of 51 different drivers entered the three NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS events at East Bay Raceway Park on February 19-21. A total of 15 drivers made the main event for all three shows.
Eleven different states were represented by the 51 drivers that included 19 form Florida, nine from Mississippi, eight from Georgia, four from Tennessee, three each from Alabama and West Virginia, and one each from Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, and Virginia.
NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS SPRING BREAK – The next NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring event will be held on April 17 and 18 in Columbus, MS at two different tracks for the “Crosstown Challenge.”
Columbus Speedway on the east side of town will host a 40-lap $2,000-to-win event on April 17, and Magnolia Motor Speedway on the west side of town will present a 50-lap $2,500-to-win main event on April 18.
