EASTABOGA, AL – David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN drove his Gentry Racing Mastersbilt to victory in the 10-lap Hoosier Race Tire Quick Six Dash on Saturday night to earn the pole position for Sunday afternoon’s StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series NeSmith Chevrolet 40 at Talladega Short Track as a part of the 16th Annual Ice Bowl.
With the top six qualifiers starting inverted, Gentry, who was the third fastest qualifier among the 78 entrants, came from the fourth starting position to take the lead at the halfway point, and the then pull away from the rest of the field.
Second quick qualifier Zach Nichols of Cedartown, GA finished second and will start the $2,500-to-win NeSmith Chevrolet 40 from the outside of row one in the B&B Specialized Hauling GRT. Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA took the third spot in the Fields Racing Mastersbilt, and the inside second row starting spot.
Carey Craft of Lavonia, GA was the fourth fastest qualifier, finished fourth in the Dash, and will start the big show from the fourth starting spot in the Craft Racing Mastersbilt. Craft had the fastest steel-head “602” GM Performance Crate Engine.
The third row will have fast qualifier Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA on the inside in the Old 29 Golf Carts Barry Wright, and the defending StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Denny Slayton of Rossville, GA on the outside in the Slayton Racing GRT.
Beard turned the 1/3-mile clay oval in 14.468 seconds for an average speed of 82.942 miles per hour. Beard’s lap time with his GM Performance factory-sealed Crate Engine was only .25 seconds behind the Super Late Model fast time for the Ice Bowl for only one-tenth of the Super Late Model engine cost.
The top 18 of the 78 Saturday qualifiers are locked into the NeSmith Chevrolet 40 on Sunday afternoon. Rounding out the top ten qualifiers were Blake Stewart of Centre, AL, Ted Lackey of Munford, AL, Jimmy Kay of Taylorsville, GA, and Don Jenkins of Kingston, GA.
The rest of “Elite 18” in the order they qualified from the 11th spot are Jeff Smith of Villanow, GA, Travis Pennington of Winston, GA, Tim Day of Alpharetta, GA, NASCAR star Kenny Wallace of St. Louis, MO, Michael Paige of Douglasville, GA, Carnell Parker III of Clarksville, TN, Jimmy Hodgins of Talladega, AL, and Tracy Watson of Carlton, GA.
Qualifiers 19 through 78 will have a final opportunity to qualify for the NeSmith Chevrolet on Sunday afternoon in one of three 12-lap B-Main races. The top two finishers in each B-Main will transfer to the main event to fill starting spots 19 through 24.
The 25th and 26th starting spots will go to the highest point drivers from the 2005 top 15 StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National points. Among the top 15 drivers from last season still on the outside looking in are third-place Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, fourth-place Curtis Cline of Douglasville, GA, and sixth-place Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN.
Purvis turned in the ninth-fastest time in qualifications, but his time was disallowed when his car came up light at the scales. Other top 15 drivers from last season not yet in the big show are ninth-place Stephen Ashby of Cunningham, TN, 11th-place Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, and 13th-place Shannon Buckingham of Morristown, TN.
Other noteworthy drivers running a B-Main on Sunday afternoon include Mike Head of Ellenwood, GA, NASCAR Nextel Cup star Ken Schrader of Fenton, MO, and Rookie of the Year candidate Chris Turley of Oxford, AL.
With the top six qualifiers starting inverted, Gentry, who was the third fastest qualifier among the 78 entrants, came from the fourth starting position to take the lead at the halfway point, and the then pull away from the rest of the field.
Second quick qualifier Zach Nichols of Cedartown, GA finished second and will start the $2,500-to-win NeSmith Chevrolet 40 from the outside of row one in the B&B Specialized Hauling GRT. Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA took the third spot in the Fields Racing Mastersbilt, and the inside second row starting spot.
Carey Craft of Lavonia, GA was the fourth fastest qualifier, finished fourth in the Dash, and will start the big show from the fourth starting spot in the Craft Racing Mastersbilt. Craft had the fastest steel-head “602” GM Performance Crate Engine.
The third row will have fast qualifier Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA on the inside in the Old 29 Golf Carts Barry Wright, and the defending StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Denny Slayton of Rossville, GA on the outside in the Slayton Racing GRT.
Beard turned the 1/3-mile clay oval in 14.468 seconds for an average speed of 82.942 miles per hour. Beard’s lap time with his GM Performance factory-sealed Crate Engine was only .25 seconds behind the Super Late Model fast time for the Ice Bowl for only one-tenth of the Super Late Model engine cost.
The top 18 of the 78 Saturday qualifiers are locked into the NeSmith Chevrolet 40 on Sunday afternoon. Rounding out the top ten qualifiers were Blake Stewart of Centre, AL, Ted Lackey of Munford, AL, Jimmy Kay of Taylorsville, GA, and Don Jenkins of Kingston, GA.
The rest of “Elite 18” in the order they qualified from the 11th spot are Jeff Smith of Villanow, GA, Travis Pennington of Winston, GA, Tim Day of Alpharetta, GA, NASCAR star Kenny Wallace of St. Louis, MO, Michael Paige of Douglasville, GA, Carnell Parker III of Clarksville, TN, Jimmy Hodgins of Talladega, AL, and Tracy Watson of Carlton, GA.
Qualifiers 19 through 78 will have a final opportunity to qualify for the NeSmith Chevrolet on Sunday afternoon in one of three 12-lap B-Main races. The top two finishers in each B-Main will transfer to the main event to fill starting spots 19 through 24.
The 25th and 26th starting spots will go to the highest point drivers from the 2005 top 15 StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National points. Among the top 15 drivers from last season still on the outside looking in are third-place Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, fourth-place Curtis Cline of Douglasville, GA, and sixth-place Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN.
Purvis turned in the ninth-fastest time in qualifications, but his time was disallowed when his car came up light at the scales. Other top 15 drivers from last season not yet in the big show are ninth-place Stephen Ashby of Cunningham, TN, 11th-place Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, and 13th-place Shannon Buckingham of Morristown, TN.
Other noteworthy drivers running a B-Main on Sunday afternoon include Mike Head of Ellenwood, GA, NASCAR Nextel Cup star Ken Schrader of Fenton, MO, and Rookie of the Year candidate Chris Turley of Oxford, AL.
