Austin Smith raced from the back of the field to score the Southern Nationals Bonus Series victory Thursday night at Tri-County Race Track. Photo by Chris Tilley
Austin Smith is finally a Southern Nationals Bonus Series winner.
After being crowned the perfect attendance champion from the 2014 season and going winless on the tour, the 19-year-old from Cedartown, GA captured his first-career series victory at Tri-County Race Track in Brasstown, NC Thursday night and picked up the $3,000 payday during the annual Independence Championship race.
Smith rolled into victory lane while driving the Cedartown Electric, Engineered Systems and GW Performance-sponsored Clements Racing Engines-powered Capital Race Car.
David Payne and Kenny Collins brought the field to life for the start of the 40-lapper in front of a packed house, with Collins going to the early lead on the high side. Smith, who arrived late due to mechanical problems on his hauler, started 12th. Smith had muscled his way to fifth by the fourth lap, with Payne was breathing down the neck of Collins for the race lead.
By lap 15, Smith had rolled to the third spot and was knocking on the door for the second spot. By lap 26, Smith and Payne would do battle for the second spot while Collins tried to work around the slower car of George Mashburn.
On lap 28, Smith would go to the lead on the bottom before the caution came out for Mashburn stopping. Smith would hold on to the point for the restart with Collins in hot pursuit on the topside. The yellow would wave again two circuits later and Collins wouldn’t have enough on the next restart to catch Smith. With eight laps to go, Jamie Oliver would make his move and slip past Payne for third. Smith would go on to the $3,000 triumph over Collins, Oliver, Payne and Aaron Ridley.
“It was fun for me,” Smith said. “The race car was good and the race track was excellent. Ray (Cook) done a great job with the race track. I honestly thought it was going to be pretty dry as hot as its been. We really haven’t gotten much rain, or we haven’t down south, but he done a good job. The car was good, it was fun moving up through there.”
Racing with eventual runner-up Kenny Collins and David Payne was fun for Smith.
“It’s always fun racing those guys you know me,” Smith said. “Kenny and David, we all race pretty clean. I seen them two catching that lap car and I thought ‘here’s my opportunity’ and they kind of got caught up, we just got by them. I don’t know if we could have got by them in clear race track, but, oh well, it doesn’t matter now.”
Three caution flags slowed the main event. A debris caution fell on the first completed lap while Shawn Chastain slowed the field for the second yellow on lap 28. The last caution came out on lap 30 as George Mashburn came to a stop in turn one.
The next event for the Southern Nationals Bonus Series by Collins Signs will be on Saturday, July 18 at the Richmond Raceway in Kentucky for the 28th annual Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial.
For more info, visit SouthernNationalsSeries.com.
Southern Nationals Bonus Series
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Independence Championship – July 9, 2015
1. Austin Smith-Cedartown, GA
2. Kenny Collins-Colbert, GA
3. Jamie Oliver-Murphy, NC
4. David Payne-Murphy, NC
5. Aaron Ridley-Chatsworth, GA
6. Ross White-Knoxville, TN
7. George Mashburn-Murphy, NC
8. Shawn Chastain-Murphy, NC
9. Ashton Winger-Senoia, GA
10. Anthony Rymer-Copperhill, TN
11. Glenn Barnett-Murphy, NC
12. Charlie Parker-Hayesville, NC
DNS: Johnny Chastain-Murphy, NC
DNS: Bo Eaton-Blue Ridge, GA
DNS: Ronnie Payne-Murphy, NC
Time of Race: 17 minutes, 23 seconds
Margin of Victory: 03.384 seconds
Yellow Flags: Three (laps 1, 28, 30)
Red Flags: None
Lap Leaders: Collins (1-27); Smith (28-40)
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