Chase Washington took his first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win on Sunday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway. Washington has been battling cancer since March and Sunday was his first race since his final chemotherapy treatment two weeks ago. Photo courtesy NeSmith Racing Media
In what has to be the comeback story of the year, Chase Washington of Houlka, MS has battled cancer, and won the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 40-lap main event on Sunday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS driving the Jerry Inmon Racing Special.
In March of this year, Washington was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer, had major surgery to remove a foot and half cancerous portion of his small intestine, and then went through six chemotherapy treatments over an 18-week period. The 22-year-old may have lost his hair and some of his strength, but the illness couldn’t take away his desire to race and the will to win.
Washington took the lead on lap 13 and never looked back. The 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Champion took the checkered flag with a 5.662 second margin of victory over the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.
“After all I’ve been through this year, I just can’t find the words to describe how much this win means to me,” an emotional Washington said in the winner’s circle. “I felt good when I got here today, and I really feel good now. I’ve been trying to win one of these NeSmith Touring races since 2009, and to win one, with a Hall of Famer like Ronnie Johnson in second, is like a dream come true.”
Washington also talked about a new good luck charm he had at the races Sunday night, and who will probably have a permanent seat in the hauler for future races.
“My Grandmother is here tonight, and it’s the first time she’s watched me race since 2008,” Washington said. “The last time she watched me race in 2008, we won, so I guess we’re going to have to bring her with us from now on.”
Washington also thanked Scott Dedwylder of Vossburg, MS, who filled in for Washington while he recovered from his surgery and went through his treatments, and said Dedwylder must have left some magic in the #38 machine. Dedwylder drove Washington’s car to two NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series wins in May.
Johnson came over and shook Washington’s hand after the race, and spoke for a lot of other competitors.
“To see Chase Washington in victory lane after all he’s been through is just an inspiration to us all,” Johnson said. “He didn’t just beat me and 22 other drivers tonight, he beat the toughest opponent there is in cancer. We get big checks and trophies for winning these races, and that can’t even come close to what Chase has won in his battle with cancer. His best years are yet to come.”
With his second-place finish, Johnson increased his NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead enough to all but clinch the $20,000 National Championship. All Johnson has to do is show up at the last two races of the season to win the title. When told of that scenario, Johnson said, “I guess I’d better be careful and not break a leg or something to keep me from those last two races.”
Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS finished third after driving the last three laps of the race with a three-wheeled Ellis Welding Special. Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS charged from the 16th starting spot and took the fourth spot in the B&M Salvage Rocket after a late race side-by-side duel with Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL.
McRee had to scramble just to make the race after a hard head-on crash into the fourth turn wall during the first B-Main. McRee got a provisional and climbed in teammate Chris O’Connor’s Gas Monkey Garage Special. After starting 24th, J-Mac blasted through the field and up to the fifth spot by lap 15. With his fifth place finish, McRee earned the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.
Neil Baggett of Columbus, MS was sixth in the Montgomery Farms GRT, while Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL finished seventh in the Brandon Ford Warrior and was the Rookie of the Race. Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL drove the Summit Resource Development GRT to the eighth spot and Grant Pearl of Anniston, AL was ninth in the Griffin Brothers Trucking Special.
Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS rounded out the top ten in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT. Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL was the Fast Qualifier among the 35 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile black gumbo clay oval in 14.581 seconds in the Zaxby’s Rocket. The two 12-lap B-Man Races were won by Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special and Bronson.
Dudley took the lead at the drop of the green flag to start the race followed by Kyle Shaw of Millport, AL in the Columbus Nissan Trak-Star, Pearl, Johnson, and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS in the Custom Spraying, Inc. GRT. Washington came from the sixth starting spot up to fourth when he passed Johnson on lap three.
Washington climbed up to the third spot on lap five when he got under Pearl coming off the fourth turn. By then, Dudley and Kyle Shaw were a full straightaway ahead of Washington. Ellis moved up to fourth on lap seven when he got under Pearl on the front stretch, and Johnson also got by Pearl for fifth on lap 10.
Shaw began to look inside Dudley on lap 10, as the battle for the lead began to heat up, and then came to a full boil on lap 13 when the two leaders tangled up and locked together coming off the second turn. Both cars hit the backstretch wall to bring out the only caution flag of the race. Dudley’s misfortune earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Washington assumed the lead for the restart with Ellis, Johnson, Pearl, Daniel Bridgmon of Meridian, MS in the Robinson Electric Supply Special, Jeremy Shaw, Cooley, Bronson, Barrett, and Baggett doubled up behind him. On the restart, Ellis and Johnson raced side-by-side for second, with Johnson running the top of the track, and Ellis planted on the bottom groove.
Also running the cushion on the high side of the track was McRee, who came from mid pack up to the fifth spot by lap 15. McRee sailed around the outside of Cooley for the fourth spot on lap 21, but Cooley came back to reclaim the position on lap 23. With Washington pulling away, Ellis was able to put some distance between himself and Johnson on lap 25.
Washington began to encounter heavy lapped traffic by lap 30, but Ellis could not close in to challenge for the lead. Behind the leaders, McRee pulled to the outside of Cooley, as they rekindled their side-by-side battle for the fourth spot.
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Ellis was riding in a comfortable second spot with no pressure from Johnson when he hit a utility tire used to mark the inside of the track on lap 37. The contact broke the left front suspension of Ellis’ car and he was attempting to hang on to the finish with the left front wheel just along for the ride.
Johnson was able to drive around the outside of Ellis and his wounded race car on lap 38 to take over the second spot. Once Johnson got to second, the leader was nowhere in sight. Washington was in a different zip code when the checkered flag fell and his took his first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win and the $2,000 top prize.
The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division will be on October 3-5 with the $5,000-to-win 6th Annual Gumbo Nationals at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at nesmithracing.com.
NeSmith Chevy Dirt Late Model Series
Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS
Race Results – Sept. 1, 2013
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 6 38 Chase Washington Houlka, MS 40 $2,000
2. 5 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 40 $1,000
3. 7 73 Evan Ellis
4. 16 19c Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 40 $550
5. 24 00 Justin McRee Cottondale, AL 40 $600
6. 14 1m Neil Baggett
7. 12 40 Kyle Bronson (R) Brandon, FL 40 $375
8. 10 1s Jeremy Shaw (R) Millport, AL 40 $350
9. 3 8 Grant Pearl Anniston, AL 40 $325
10. 8 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 40 $300
11. 9 09 Daniel Bridgmon Meridian, MS 40 $275
12. 4 110 Brent Barrett (R) Cleveland, MS 40 $250
13. 22 18d Tait Davenport Benton, KY 39 $225
14. 15 3 Shay Knight Columbus, MS 39 $200
15. 20 4u Hunter Carroll Columbus, MS 39 $175
16. 18 35 Tony Gray Coker, AL 39 $150
17. 19 01 Nick Thrash Meridian, MS 39 $140
18. 13 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 39 $125
19. 21 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 39 $125
20. 17 4j Josh Banes
21. 1 55 Montana Dudley Phenix City, AL 12 $125
22. 2 2s Kyle Shaw
23. 23 15 Chris O’Connor Cantonment, FL 4 $125
24. 11 19 Josh Adkins (R) Talladega, AL 2 $125
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