Jeff Smith scored the victory in Saturday night’s Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series race at Senoia Raceway. Photo courtesy NeSmith Media
Earlier in the day, Jeff Smith of Dalton, GA was looking for reasons not to go the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series race on Saturday night at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA.
But by the end of the night, he had several thousand reasons, in the form of the $3,000 winner’s payday, that made him glad he made the trip. Smith waited out the rain, led all 50 laps of the race, and went home with a smile.
“We were thrashing at the shop trying to get the car ready to run both races this weekend, and we didn’t get done for Penton last night, so we got up this morning and I wasn’t too enthused about coming here,” Smith said. “But as the day went on, we got more and more done on the car, and I said let’s load it up and head for Senoia. I think that’s the best decision I’ve made in a long time.”
Smith set second fast time and started the race from the outside front row. Smith moved into the lead coming off the second turn on the first lap, and led all 50 to the checkered flag. Defending Chevy Super Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN challenged Smith on a couple of restarts, so Smith did have some work to do.
“I was well aware Ronnie Johnson was there on those restarts, and if there is one thing Ronnie has taught me through the years, it’s that in this type of racing, you had better not try to take it easy because he’s not going to when he’s trying to beat you, “ Smith said. “He was definitely trying to beat me on those restarts, and there was no way I was going to take it easy.”
Johnson finished second in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special, and Tyler Crowder of Lamont, FL took the third spot. Johnson and Crowder came into the race tied for the series point lead, and Johnson left Senoia Raceway with a two-point advantage over Crowder in the battle for the $10,000 National Championship.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA finished fourth and Oliver Gentry of Newnan, GA was fifth. Chad Wallace of LaGrange, GA took the sixth spot and Lavon Sparks of Phenix City, AL drove to a seventh-place finish.
Ross Martin of Talladega, AL was eighth and Jake Knowles of Rome, GA took the ninth spot. Forrest Trent of Talbott, TN rounded out the top ten.
Tony Thompson of Ohatchee, AL started 24th and finished 11th to earn the Hard Charger of the Race Award and Adam Martin of Talladega, AL finished 12th to earn the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race Award winner.
In preliminary action, Johnson out-timed the 24-car field with a lap around Senoia Raceway in 14.406 seconds to earn the pole position for the 50-lap main event. The two ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Jadon Frame of Winchester, TN and Clint Smith of Senoia, GA.
At the drop of the green flag after a 30 minute rain delay, Johnson and Jeff Smith raced side-by-side into turn one, but on the exit of turn two, Smith had the lead followed by Johnson, Crowder, Gentry and Sparks. Hunter Peacock of Dublin, GA raced into the top five by lap three.
The field raced clean and green until lap 20 when Trevor Thomson of Dallas, GA stalled on the front straightaway. Smith led the field with Johnson, Crowder, Peacock, Gentry, Sparks, Wallace, Adam Martin, Turner and Clint Smith doubled up behind him for the “Dixie-Style” double-file restart.
Johnson looked to the inside of Smith in turn one when the field went back to green flag action and pulled along aide in turn two. Smith got hooked up coming off the second turn to remain the leader. The second caution flag came out on lap 28 when Knowles cut down a right-rear tire on the front straightaway.
When the field went back to green flag racing, Clint Smith got busy on the high side of the track and came from the eighth spot to challenge Sparks for sixth. They got together coming off the fourth turn and the big one was on down the front straightaway. The wreck also collected Frame, Matt Dooley of Brooks, GA and Matt Larson of Marietta, GA.
Mario Gresham of Rome, GA was also involved in the wreck, but restarted in the ninth spot. After the field went back to green, Gresham’s car did a hard right down the backstretch on lap 31 and hit the wall getting the car up on its side.
The car came back down on all four wheels, but darted to the right once again in turn three getting up on the wall and on its side. The once again landed on all four wheels, came to a stop and Gresham climbed out okay. The restart saw Smith leading with Johnson, Crowder, Gentry, Peacock, Turner, Wallace, Sparks, Ross Martin and Trent behind him single file.
The top five shuffled up on lap 33 when Gentry jumped the cushion in turn two and lost two spots, as Peacock and Turner moved up to take over the fourth and fifth spots respectively. Turner was able to get by Peacock for the fourth spot just before the final caution flag of the race came out on lap 46 when Adam Martin spun in turn three.
During the caution period, Peacock rammed Turner, and Chevy Super Series officials parked Peacock for the rest of the race. The five-lap dash to the finish saw Smith leading Johnson, Crowder, Turner, Gentry, Wallace, Sparks, Ross Martin, Trent and Knowles.
The next two races for the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series will be a pair of East Tennessee 50-lap $3,000-to-win events at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, TN on August 14, and at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN on August 15.
For more information about the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series, visit 525SuperSeries.com.
Several of Senoia Raceway’s local divisons were also in action Saturday night, as Parrish Duncan scored the B Cadet feature victory. Dyland Knowles, Cindy Anderson, Johnny Stinchcomb and Bennie Croy rounded out the top five.
Ben Wells took the victory in the Hobby Stock feature. Scott Sherrer finished in second, with Curtis Turner in third, Wilson Boozer in fourth and Wesley Scott in fifth.
Tim Harmon was the winner in the Bomber feature, with Winford Minix in second, Dustin Smith in third, Josh Roddy in fourth and Chris Holt in fifth.
James Stansel was the Mini Stock feature winner, with Bo Chambers second, Robert Caldwell third, Jamie Nicholson in fourth and Harold Leath in fifth.
Senoia Raceway is back in action on Saturday, July 25. For more info, visit SenoiaRaceway.com.
Editor’s note: RWI’s Brandon Reed contributed to the local division portion of this story.
Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series
Senoia Raceway – Senoia, GA
Race Results – July 18, 2015
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER
1. 2 85 Jeff Smith
2. 1 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $1,500
3. 6 47c Tyler Crowder Lamont, FL 50 $1,000
4. 9 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $850
5. 3 03 Oliver Gentry Newman, GA 50 $750
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7. 5 11 Lavon Sparks Phenix City, AL 50 $650
8. 14 47r Ross Martin Talladega, AL 50 $600
9. 13 66 Jake Knowles Rome, GA 50 $550
10. 19 101 Forrest Trent Talbott, TN 50 $500
11. 24 58 Tony Thompson Ohatchee, AL 47 $475
12. 4 47a Adam Martin (R) Talladega, AL 44 $450
13. 7 12 Hunter Peacock Dublin, GA 44 $425
14. 18 21 Mario Gresham (R) Rome, GA 30 $400
15. 11 J8 Jadon Frame Winchester, TN 29 $375
16. 16 25 Matt Larson Marietta, GA 29 $350
17. 17 18 Matt Dooley (R) Brooks, GA 29 $325
18. 12 44 Clint Smith
19. 10 95 Brandon Williams (R) Crossville, TN 19 $300
20. 23 23 Trevor Thompson (R) Dallas, GA 18 $300
21. 17 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA
22. 21 5x Tim Busha
23. 22 72 Frank Wilson Milton, FL 9 $300
24. 20 16 Tony Kemp Carrollton, GA 8 $300
B Cadet
1. Parrish Duncan
2. Dylan Knowles
3. Cindy Anderson
4. Johnny Stinchcomb
5. Bennie Croy
6. Brian Womack
7. Josh Copeland
8. Joseph Brown
Hobby Stock
1. Ben Wells
2. Scott Sherrer
3. Curtis Turner
4. Wilson Boozer
5. Wesley Scott
6. Steven Tippens
7. Josh Stamps
8. Ben Steele
9. Chris Steele
Bomber
1. Tim Harmon
2. Winford Minix
3. Dustin Smith
4. Josh Roddy
5. Chris Holt
6. Blake Harmon
7. Brent Harmon
8. Michael Couch
9. Jim Jackson
10. Casey Watts
11. Joe Phillips
Mini Stock
1. James Stansel
2. Bo Chambers
3. Robert Caldwell
4. Jamie Nicholson
5. Harold Leath
6. Joe Spencer
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