WHEEL, TN – Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN won the 50-lap StormPay.com Dirt Late Model race Thursday night at Duck River Speedway. Rather than celebrate his second series points win of the season, as he climbed from his Miller Brothers Coal Warrior/604, R.J. was in more of a reflective mood.
“With this being Memorial Day weekend, I want to dedicate this win to my Dad,” Johnson said. “He passed away one year ago today, and he really helped me get started in racing.”
It was also on Memorial Day weekend 46 years ago that Joe Lee Johnson, a stock car legend in his own right, won the Inaugural World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After starting ninth, Johnson made his winning move on laps 25 and 26, as he went to the high side of the high-banked ¼-mile clay oval to pass David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN for second, and then got around early race leader Jay Brinkley of Shelbyville, TN for the point.
Gentry also got around Brinkley, then closed on the “Chattanooga Flash,” but had to settle for second in the Hawkins Equipment Mastersbilt/604.
“I know how tough David is here at Duck River, and I kept looking for him there at the end, but I never saw him,” Johnson said. “Once I got round David and Jay on the high side, I got back down on the bottom of the track, and concentrated on hitting my marks.”
Daniel Miller of Cullman, AL drove a steady race to finish third in the Weaver’s Welding and Fabrication GRT/604. Brandon King of Decatur, AL took the fourth spot in the Empire LNC Services Mastersbilt/604. Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS was fifth in the Stokes Racing GRT/604 after starting 21st and earned the NeSmith Chevrolet Hard Charger of the Race Award.
Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN finished sixth in the StormPay.com Warrior/604, and Jeff Smith of Villanow, GA came from the 23rd starting spot to finish seventh in the Smith and Sons Trucking Warrior/604. Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA drove his Summerville Junkyard Mastersbilt/604 home to an eighth-place finish.
StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Touring point leader Shannon Buckingham of Morristown, TN took the ninth spot in the S&S Millwright Barry Wright/604, and the defending StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Denny Slayton of Rossville, GA rounded out the top ten in the Pete Slayton Motorsports DWB/604.
Buckingham still holds the point lead, but Johnson has closed to within six points, and Gentry moved up to the third spot in the points chase, 14 points behind Johnson.
Brinkley earned the pole position for the main event by winning the StormPay.com Lightning Quick 6 Dash that saw the top six qualifiers start inverted. Fast qualifier Gentry came from the sixth starting hole to finish second, and start the big show from the outside of row one. Gentry out timed the 40-car field with a lap in 13.321 seconds.
When the field took the green flag, Brinkley took the early lead with a rim-riding Gentry battling Carnell Parker III of Clarksville, TN for second. Things got wild at the end of the first lap when Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA hit the front straightaway wall, and started a chain reaction that piled up three other cars.
Scott Cook hit the back of Turner’s car, rupturing the fuel cell of the Turner Excavating Rocket. Matt Odeneal of Shelbyville, TN, and Steven Ashby of Cunningham, TN were also involved. The track safety crew very carefully separated the cars in a pool of gasoline, and avoided a potentially dangerous situation.
The fans got a little extra bang for their buck, as track personnel set the front straightaway and part of the infield ablaze to burn off the spilled gasoline. Turner and Cook in the KES, Inc. Warrior were done for the night, but no one was injured. Odeneal in the Vinyl & Gutter Works TnT, and Ashby in The Wheel Shop Stinger were able to continue for the complete restart.
Brinkley took the lead on the restart with Gentry in hot pursuit. The leaders approached lapped traffic on lap 10, and things got busy by the 12th lap. On lap 14, Brinkley got trapped on the inside groove behind lapped cars, and Gentry went to the top of the track and took the lead. The pass was negated with several lapped cars collecting Brinkley in turn four.
The caution flag was charged to a lapped car, and Brinkley, with heavy damage on the nose piece of his A+ Moving Mastersbilt, was able to restart on the point, as the field went back to the last completed lap.
Brinkley gingerly worked turns one and two on the restart, as the nose of his car plowed through the dirt. Despite the change in his car, Brinkley was able to keep Gentry behind him. Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA was third followed by National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductees Johnson and Purvis.
Johnson was on a mission, as he moved up to the third spot on lap 15. A caution flag for a spin by Zach Nichols of Cedartown, GA in the B&B Specialized Hauling GRT in turn two bunched up the field on lap 20. Brinkley led Gentry, Johnson, Nipper, Miller, Purvis, Buckingham, Fields, Slayton and King down for the restart.
While Brinkley continued to cover the bottom of the track in an effort to keep Gentry behind him, Johnson dusted off a groove on the high side of the track, and worked the cushion in an effort to close on the top two cars. Johnson kept gaining ground, and passed Gentry for the second spot on lap 25.
Johnson continued his high riding momentum on lap 26, taking the lead from Brinkley. Gentry got under Brinkley for the second spot on lap 30. On lap 36, Brinkley slowed on the track allowing Miller and Purvis to get by. Brinkley finally had to park ill-handling machine.
In the second half of the race, Johnson tried to pull away, but Gentry stayed close, but couldn’t make a challenge for the lead. Johnson covered the bottom groove, and took his second win of the season with a three car-length advantage over Gentry at the checkered flag.
Michael Page of Douglasville, GA finished 14th in the T&T Trucking Mastersbilt to earn the Rookie of the Race honors. Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA in the Old 29 Golf Carts Barry Wright, and Cook won the 12-lap B-Mains.
The StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series “Salute To The Armed Forces” Tour continues on Friday night at Thunderhill Raceway in Lawrenceburg, TN, and winds up on Saturday night at Clarksville StormPay.com Speedway in Clarksville, TN. If Johnson can win one of those races, or another driver win both upcoming races, they will pick up a $1,000 bonus.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND FIVE AT DUCK RIVER SPEEDWAY IN WHEEL, TN ON 5/25/06:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 9 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $3,000
2. 2 1 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 50 $1,500
3. 11 5m Daniel Miller Cullman, AL 50 $1,250
4. 14 14 Brandon King Decatur, AL 50 $1,100
5. 21 1s Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 50 $1,100
6. 7 15 Jeff Purvis Clarksville, TN 50 $850
7. 23 00 Jeff Smith Villanow, GA 50 $750
8. 4 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 50 $700
9. 10 44 Shannon Buckingham Morristown, TN 50 $650
10. 12 99s Denny Slayton Rossville, GA 50 $700
11. 6 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 50 $550
12. 20 17 Zach Nichols Cedartown, GA 50 $500
13. 13 17s Shane Roberts Bristol. TN 41 $450
14. 8 19 Michael Page (R) Douglasville, GA 38 $400
15. 15 02 Josh Lawwell Shelbyville, TN 37 $350
16. 1 27 Jay Brinkley Shelbyville, TN 36 $500
17. 19 99b Matt Barrett (R) Knoxville, TN 33 $280
18. 17 21b Frankie Beard (R) Hartwell, GA 31 $250
19. 16 16o Matt Odeneal (R) Shelbyville, TN 24 $250
20. 3 75 Carnell Parker III Clarksville, TN 20 $250
21. 24 97 Mike Bechelli Elizabethtown, IN 20 $250
22. 22 16a Steven Ashby Cunningham, TN 13 $250
23. 5 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 0 $250
24. 18 13 Scott Cook Shelbyville, TN 0 $250
ENTRIES: 40
FAST QUALIFIER: Gentry, 13.321 Seconds, 67.562 Miles Per Hour
STORMPAY.COM QUICK 6 DASH POLE AWARD: Brinkley
PROVISIONAL: Smith
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Brinkley, 1-25; Johnson, 26-50
LAPS LED: Brinkley, 25; Johnson, 25
NeSMITH CHEVROLET HARD CHARGER: Stokes (started 21st and finished 5th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Michael Page
CAUTIONS: 9
STORMPAY.COM LIGHTNING QUICK 6 DASH – 6 LAPS: 1. Brinkley; 2. Gentry; 3. Parker; 4. Fields; 5. Turner; 6. Nipper.
1ST B-MAIN – 12 LAPS: 1. Beard (R); 2. Barrett (R); 3. Stokes; 4. Bechelli; 5. T. Lawwell; 6. Bush; 7. Carlson; 8. Ma. Taylor; 9. Mi. Taylor; 10. Gifford; 11. Keener.
2ND B-MAIN – 12 LAPS: 1. Cook; 2. Nichols; 3. Ashby; 4. Albright; 5. Lumley; 6. Berry; 7. Hall; 8. Sammons; 9. Caudle; 10. Ma. Page (R); 11. Smith.
STORMPAY.COM DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 5/25/06:
“With this being Memorial Day weekend, I want to dedicate this win to my Dad,” Johnson said. “He passed away one year ago today, and he really helped me get started in racing.”
It was also on Memorial Day weekend 46 years ago that Joe Lee Johnson, a stock car legend in his own right, won the Inaugural World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After starting ninth, Johnson made his winning move on laps 25 and 26, as he went to the high side of the high-banked ¼-mile clay oval to pass David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN for second, and then got around early race leader Jay Brinkley of Shelbyville, TN for the point.
Gentry also got around Brinkley, then closed on the “Chattanooga Flash,” but had to settle for second in the Hawkins Equipment Mastersbilt/604.
“I know how tough David is here at Duck River, and I kept looking for him there at the end, but I never saw him,” Johnson said. “Once I got round David and Jay on the high side, I got back down on the bottom of the track, and concentrated on hitting my marks.”
Daniel Miller of Cullman, AL drove a steady race to finish third in the Weaver’s Welding and Fabrication GRT/604. Brandon King of Decatur, AL took the fourth spot in the Empire LNC Services Mastersbilt/604. Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS was fifth in the Stokes Racing GRT/604 after starting 21st and earned the NeSmith Chevrolet Hard Charger of the Race Award.
Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN finished sixth in the StormPay.com Warrior/604, and Jeff Smith of Villanow, GA came from the 23rd starting spot to finish seventh in the Smith and Sons Trucking Warrior/604. Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA drove his Summerville Junkyard Mastersbilt/604 home to an eighth-place finish.
StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Touring point leader Shannon Buckingham of Morristown, TN took the ninth spot in the S&S Millwright Barry Wright/604, and the defending StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Denny Slayton of Rossville, GA rounded out the top ten in the Pete Slayton Motorsports DWB/604.
Buckingham still holds the point lead, but Johnson has closed to within six points, and Gentry moved up to the third spot in the points chase, 14 points behind Johnson.
Brinkley earned the pole position for the main event by winning the StormPay.com Lightning Quick 6 Dash that saw the top six qualifiers start inverted. Fast qualifier Gentry came from the sixth starting hole to finish second, and start the big show from the outside of row one. Gentry out timed the 40-car field with a lap in 13.321 seconds.
When the field took the green flag, Brinkley took the early lead with a rim-riding Gentry battling Carnell Parker III of Clarksville, TN for second. Things got wild at the end of the first lap when Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA hit the front straightaway wall, and started a chain reaction that piled up three other cars.
Scott Cook hit the back of Turner’s car, rupturing the fuel cell of the Turner Excavating Rocket. Matt Odeneal of Shelbyville, TN, and Steven Ashby of Cunningham, TN were also involved. The track safety crew very carefully separated the cars in a pool of gasoline, and avoided a potentially dangerous situation.
The fans got a little extra bang for their buck, as track personnel set the front straightaway and part of the infield ablaze to burn off the spilled gasoline. Turner and Cook in the KES, Inc. Warrior were done for the night, but no one was injured. Odeneal in the Vinyl & Gutter Works TnT, and Ashby in The Wheel Shop Stinger were able to continue for the complete restart.
Brinkley took the lead on the restart with Gentry in hot pursuit. The leaders approached lapped traffic on lap 10, and things got busy by the 12th lap. On lap 14, Brinkley got trapped on the inside groove behind lapped cars, and Gentry went to the top of the track and took the lead. The pass was negated with several lapped cars collecting Brinkley in turn four.
The caution flag was charged to a lapped car, and Brinkley, with heavy damage on the nose piece of his A+ Moving Mastersbilt, was able to restart on the point, as the field went back to the last completed lap.
Brinkley gingerly worked turns one and two on the restart, as the nose of his car plowed through the dirt. Despite the change in his car, Brinkley was able to keep Gentry behind him. Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA was third followed by National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductees Johnson and Purvis.
Johnson was on a mission, as he moved up to the third spot on lap 15. A caution flag for a spin by Zach Nichols of Cedartown, GA in the B&B Specialized Hauling GRT in turn two bunched up the field on lap 20. Brinkley led Gentry, Johnson, Nipper, Miller, Purvis, Buckingham, Fields, Slayton and King down for the restart.
While Brinkley continued to cover the bottom of the track in an effort to keep Gentry behind him, Johnson dusted off a groove on the high side of the track, and worked the cushion in an effort to close on the top two cars. Johnson kept gaining ground, and passed Gentry for the second spot on lap 25.
Johnson continued his high riding momentum on lap 26, taking the lead from Brinkley. Gentry got under Brinkley for the second spot on lap 30. On lap 36, Brinkley slowed on the track allowing Miller and Purvis to get by. Brinkley finally had to park ill-handling machine.
In the second half of the race, Johnson tried to pull away, but Gentry stayed close, but couldn’t make a challenge for the lead. Johnson covered the bottom groove, and took his second win of the season with a three car-length advantage over Gentry at the checkered flag.
Michael Page of Douglasville, GA finished 14th in the T&T Trucking Mastersbilt to earn the Rookie of the Race honors. Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA in the Old 29 Golf Carts Barry Wright, and Cook won the 12-lap B-Mains.
The StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series “Salute To The Armed Forces” Tour continues on Friday night at Thunderhill Raceway in Lawrenceburg, TN, and winds up on Saturday night at Clarksville StormPay.com Speedway in Clarksville, TN. If Johnson can win one of those races, or another driver win both upcoming races, they will pick up a $1,000 bonus.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND FIVE AT DUCK RIVER SPEEDWAY IN WHEEL, TN ON 5/25/06:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 9 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $3,000
2. 2 1 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 50 $1,500
3. 11 5m Daniel Miller Cullman, AL 50 $1,250
4. 14 14 Brandon King Decatur, AL 50 $1,100
5. 21 1s Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 50 $1,100
6. 7 15 Jeff Purvis Clarksville, TN 50 $850
7. 23 00 Jeff Smith Villanow, GA 50 $750
8. 4 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 50 $700
9. 10 44 Shannon Buckingham Morristown, TN 50 $650
10. 12 99s Denny Slayton Rossville, GA 50 $700
11. 6 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 50 $550
12. 20 17 Zach Nichols Cedartown, GA 50 $500
13. 13 17s Shane Roberts Bristol. TN 41 $450
14. 8 19 Michael Page (R) Douglasville, GA 38 $400
15. 15 02 Josh Lawwell Shelbyville, TN 37 $350
16. 1 27 Jay Brinkley Shelbyville, TN 36 $500
17. 19 99b Matt Barrett (R) Knoxville, TN 33 $280
18. 17 21b Frankie Beard (R) Hartwell, GA 31 $250
19. 16 16o Matt Odeneal (R) Shelbyville, TN 24 $250
20. 3 75 Carnell Parker III Clarksville, TN 20 $250
21. 24 97 Mike Bechelli Elizabethtown, IN 20 $250
22. 22 16a Steven Ashby Cunningham, TN 13 $250
23. 5 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 0 $250
24. 18 13 Scott Cook Shelbyville, TN 0 $250
ENTRIES: 40
FAST QUALIFIER: Gentry, 13.321 Seconds, 67.562 Miles Per Hour
STORMPAY.COM QUICK 6 DASH POLE AWARD: Brinkley
PROVISIONAL: Smith
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Brinkley, 1-25; Johnson, 26-50
LAPS LED: Brinkley, 25; Johnson, 25
NeSMITH CHEVROLET HARD CHARGER: Stokes (started 21st and finished 5th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Michael Page
CAUTIONS: 9
STORMPAY.COM LIGHTNING QUICK 6 DASH – 6 LAPS: 1. Brinkley; 2. Gentry; 3. Parker; 4. Fields; 5. Turner; 6. Nipper.
1ST B-MAIN – 12 LAPS: 1. Beard (R); 2. Barrett (R); 3. Stokes; 4. Bechelli; 5. T. Lawwell; 6. Bush; 7. Carlson; 8. Ma. Taylor; 9. Mi. Taylor; 10. Gifford; 11. Keener.
2ND B-MAIN – 12 LAPS: 1. Cook; 2. Nichols; 3. Ashby; 4. Albright; 5. Lumley; 6. Berry; 7. Hall; 8. Sammons; 9. Caudle; 10. Ma. Page (R); 11. Smith.
STORMPAY.COM DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 5/25/06:
- Shannon Buckingham – 452
- Ronnie Johnson – 446
- David Gentry – 432
- Frankie Beard (R) – 406
- Jeff Fields – 402
- Denny Slayton – 392
- Jeff Smith – 392
- Carnell Parker III – 370
- Zach Nichols – 352
- Michael Page (R) – 346
- Jimmy Kay – 326
- Matthew Turner – 290
- Jeff Purvis – 262
- Jordy Nipper – 254
- Curtis Cline - 212
