Matt Henderson talks to announcer Roby Helm in victory lane after scoring his first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win Saturday night at Golden Isles Speedway. Photo by Adam Stewart
Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN drove the #H2 “Tough As Nails” Duane Hommel Tribute car, the Mighty Muffler and Brakes Rocket to a clean sweep Saturday night with his first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win during night one of East Coast Battle Royal at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, GA.
Henderson started off the evening by setting fast time among the 30 entrants with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 16.701 seconds to earn the pole position for the main event. Henderson then took the lead at the start of the race and never looked back, leading all 50 laps of the race.
“This win is so special because we put Duane Hommel’s H2 back in victory lane,” Henderson said. “Duane was always an idol of mine, and one day he told me that he started racing with number 17 like I did, but he really started going places when he switched to the H2. He told me maybe I should start running the H2 and see if it would be as good to us as it was for him.”
Hommel was just coming into his own on the national stage of dirt late model racing when it was cut short by a highway accident several years ago that ended his driving career.
“I’ll text Duane when we get back to the pits tonight, but I’ll wait to call him next week because I know that will get pretty emotional,” Henderson said. “I can’t wait for our races in East Tennessee this year where Duane can come in person and be a part of this.”
Henderson said the victory was also important in getting his team back on track in competing for the 2015 NeSmith Late Model National Championship and the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Award.
“We got behind in the first two races of the season with electrical issues, but once we got that taken care of, the race car was good for the third race,” Henderson said. “We knew when we came here we would have to turn it up to kill to get back in the points race. We made some changes this past week, and they worked out well for us. We can’t wait to do it again tomorrow night.”
NeSmith Late Model point leader Walker Arthur of Forest, VA battled his way through the pack to finish second after winning the second ten-lap B-Main race and starting the feature in the 12th starting spot. Walker now has a 68-point lead in the NeSmith Late Model point standings.
William Thomas of Phenix City, AL returned to NeSmith Late Model action after taking off most of last season off with a third-place showing. Corey Gordon of Charlotte, NC drove to a fourth-place finish in his first ever start with the NeSmith Late Models.
Jeremy Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA took the fifth spot and Ches Chester of Twin City, GA started 23rd and finished sixth to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award. Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL drove to a seventh-place finish.
Ryan Crane of Panama City, FL, formerly of Jefferson, GA, finished eighth and Jimmy Schiltz of Hickory, NC was ninth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special. Joey Coulter of Concord, NC rounded out the top ten.
Henderson took the lead at the start of the race from the pole position followed by Thomas, Faircloth, Chesley Dixon of Swainsboro, GA and Gordon. Edge hustled up from his eighth starting spot to move up to fifth on lap three, and then grabbed the fourth spot on lap five.
The first of five caution flags slowed the pace on lap nine when Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA stalled the Scotty’s Muffler Special in turn four. Henderson had Thomas, Edge, Faircloth, Dixon, Gordon, Cody Martin of Christiana, TN, Schiltz, Ryan King of Seymour, TN and Arthur doubled up behind him for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart.
Two-time and defending NeSmith Late Model National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN had just worked his way into the top ten, when the second ten-lap B-Main winner slowed in turn four on lap 17 to light the caution bulb for the second time.
The top ten for the double-file restart had Henderson leading Thomas, Edge, Faircloth, Dixon, Martin, Arthur, King, Schiltz, and Gordon. Dixon was the man on the move when the green flag came out as he charged from fifth to third, and brought Walker with him up to the fourth spot.
Walker’s march to the front continued on lap 30 when he made an inside move on Dixon in turn one to move up to the third spot. Caution flag three came out on lap 32 when Charlie Flowers of Hortense, GA spun in turn four.
When the green flag came out, Walker performed a cross over move on Thomas down the backstretch, and began to look inside to challenge for the second spot. While Thomas and Arthur battled side-by-side for the second spot, Henderson began to pull away in the lead.
The two second-place combatants would wage a door-to-door war for the next 12 laps with Arthur on the inside and Thomas on the outside. The only thing that would interrupt Henderson’s big lead and the fight for second between Thomas and Arthur were two caution flags.
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Debris in turn two brought out a caution flag on lap 40, and Robert Diekemper of Bloomingdale, GA cut down a left-rear tire in turn three on lap 41. The race went green the rest of the way, and Arthur got under and clear of Thomas in turn two on lap 44. By that time, Henderson had a half straightaway lead and took a 3.067 second margin of victory under the checkered flag.
For more information on the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at NesmithRacing.com.
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
Golden Isles Speedway – Brunswick, GA
Race Results – Feb. 14, 2015
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 H2 Matt Henderson (R) Loudon, TN 50 $2.625
2. 12 87 Walker Arthur Forest, VA 50 $1,375
3. 3 19 William Thomas Phenix City, AL 50 $850
4. 4 23 Corey Gordon Charlotte, NC 50 $700
5. 2 4 Jeremy Faircloth Swainsboro, GA 50 $650
6. 23 9 Ches Chester Twin City, GA 50 $550
7. 8 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL 50 $625
8. 19 10 Ryan Crane (R) Panama City, FL 50 $575
9. 10 24 Jimmy Schiltz Hickory, NC 50 $400
10. 14 2c Joey Coulter Concord, NC 50 $375
11. 6 3 Chesley Dixon Swainsboro, GA 50 $350
12. 18 5d Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 49 $300
13. 20 77 Charlie Flowers Hortense, GA 48 $280
14. 21 K3 Jamey Smith Purvis, MS 47 $260
15. 22 29 Mallory Harvey Baxley, GA 40 $250
16. 13 48 Robert Diekemper Bloomingdale, GA 40 $240
17. 5 21m Cody Martin (R) Christiana, TN 31 $220
18. 9 55 Montana Dudley Phenix City, AL 31 $200
19. 24 07 Gib Gibbons Manning, SC 26 $200
20. 11 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 24 $325
21. 7 30 Ryan King (R) Seymour, TN 19 $325
22. 16 14 Cale Conley Vienna, WV 12 $325
23. 15 16 Mitchell Coble Mt. Airy, NC 8 $200
24. 17 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 8 $200
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