Ross Martin is all smiles in victory lane after winning the 22nd annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track Sunday. Photo courtesy NeSmith Chevy DLMS
Ross Martin of Talladega, AL won the 22nd Annual Ice Bowl Super Late Model Race on Sunday afternoon at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL driving a three-year-old GRT Chassis that was won by his son Adam and powered by a four-year-old $7,000 Chevrolet Performance CT 525 Engine purchased from NeSmith Chevrolet in Claxton, GA.
Martin started third in the 50-lap race and worked his way up to the lead on lap 31, passing pole sitter Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, TN. Martin never looked back and scored the biggest win of his 30-year career and the $6,000 top prize. Martin said his race car was so good, it made him very nervous.
“When we unloaded the car on Friday, it was perfect and we were in the top 5 in times in every practice session,” Martin said. “My son Adam told me to just be quiet and not brag that we won hot laps. Then we qualified third fastest without much effort, and I knew we had the car to beat. We were so good, I was nervous about it.”
But Martin’s nerves turned into confidence after taking some valuable advice from a Hall of Fame driver.
“Right before the race, Mike Head told me this race was ours to win, and to just relax and let it happen,” Martin said. “Mike told me we had the right set-up, the right engine, and the right tires. After he told me that, I quit being nervous and was just busting with confidence.”
The right engine was a four-year-old $7,000 Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine that Martin credits for making his race car the one to beat. Martin had won some weekly shows at Talladega Short Track with the engine, but Sunday was the race he wanted to win more than any.
“The Ice Bowl is more than just a race, it an event, I’ve raced in every one of them, and it feels great to finally win one,” Martin said. “I think I spent less to win this race than anyone else in history. I had a $7,000 Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine, and my three-year-old GRT Chassis was the one my son Adam got in 2008 for winning the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Championship.”
Martin dropped back to fourth spot at the start of the race because he said it was only time in the race he spun the tires. After that, the Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine gave the GRT Chassis nothing but traction. Martin got by Ray Cook for the third spot with an inside move by the completion of the first lap, and then took over the second spot from David Brannon on a lap ten restart.
By the halfway point in the race, Martin began to look inside Ogle to challenge for the lead before making the pass for the top spot on lap 31. Once in the lead, the nerves that plagued Martin before the race returned for the final 18 laps.
“When you have a four-year-old engine that all you’ve ever had to do to it was change the oil and put in one set of spark plugs, you begin to wonder if there is enough there to get you to the checkered flag,” Martin said. “Even though they weren’t actually there, I began to hear noises and rattles in my head. But the engine did its job with no problems like it has over the last four years. I’ve won enough money to pay for that engine four times over.”
Martin said he won enough money on Sunday by winning the Ice Bowl that he can now buy a new Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine.
“This is the biggest win of my 30-yesr career and I’ll be calling NeSmith Chevrolet in Claxton, GA this week to buy a new CT525 Engine to get ready for the new series that will be using these engines this year,” Martin said. “We’ll keep this four-year-old engine and use it as a backup engine for me and Adam, but the way these engines are trouble-free, we probably won’t need it.”
The new series Martin spoke of is one that will be announced in the coming days by Crate Racin’ USA, the sanctioning body of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. The new series will feature dirt late models powered exclusively by the Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine. The series is planning ten races for 2013.
The 2013 Ice Bowl Champion Ross Martin and his son, 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion Adam Martin will compete in the new series along with National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN leading the growing list of drivers using the Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
In other Ice Bowl action, Riley Hickman topped a 25-car field to score the Crate Late Model feature victory. William Thomas finished second, with Michael Ashberry in third, Ray Cook in fourth and Jason Welshan in fifth.
In Limited Late Model/Sportsman action, Aaron Ridley beat Forrest Gifford to the checkered flag for the win. Lamar Scoggins finished third, with Doug King in fourth, and Michael Page in fifth.
Justin Shipley came home first in the Bomber/Thundercar feature. Tyler Brown finished second, followed by Robert George in third, Chris Yarbrough in fourth, and Amory Chambers in fifth.
In Street Stocks action, it was Dustin Homan beating Chad Williams for the victory. Kyle Berry finished third, with Jerry Fifield in fourth, and Trevor Woodard in fifth.
Taylor Gowers came home with the win in the Hot Shots feature. Brad Cross, Corey Pressley, Jonathan Merritt, and Terry Meritt rounded out the top five.
In KMSA Mini Stocks, it was Jimmy Elliott picking up the feature victory, with Tim Ladd in second, Michael Godfrey in third, Adam Smith in fourth, and David Todd in fifth.
Talladega Short Track’s 2013 schedule is slated to be released soon. Visit www.talladegashorttrack.com for updates.
Talladega Short Track – Eastaboga, AL
Ice Bowl XXII – Jan. 6, 2013
Super Late Models
1. Ross Martin
2. Billy Ogle
3. Jason Wilson
4. Jason Heitt
5. David Brannon
6. Michael Page
7. Ray Cook
8. William Thomas
9. Logan Yates
10. Riley Hickman
11. Bret Holmes
12. Larry Timms
13. Kyle Beard
14. Tony Knowles
15. Ethan Hunter
16. Tim Roszell
17. Chad Winkles
18. Lamar Scoggins
19. Kevin Gill
20. Terry Smith
21. Larry Boutwell
22. Ryan King
23. Frank Ingram
24. Josh Putnam
Crate Late Models
1.Riley Hickman
2. William Thomas
3. Michael Ashberry
4. Ray Cook
5. Jason Welshan
6. Michael Page
7. Logan Yates
8. Jeff Smith
9. Jimmy Elliott
10. Kyle Maye
11. Rick Hixson
12. Austin Smith
13. Tony Gray
14. Josh Watson
15. Bobby Mayse
16. Brandon Williams
17. Kyle Berry
18. Mike Combs
19. Grant Pearl
20. Curtis Cline
21. Kasey Hall
22. John Ownbey
23. Mack McCarter
24. Josh Adkins
25. Todd Gray
Limited Late Model/Sportsman
1. Aaron Ridley
2. Forrest Gifford
3. Lamar Scoggins
4. Doug King
5. Michael Page
6. Tod Hernandez
7. Justin Litchford
8. Mark Haddon
9. Dewayne Powell
10. Adam Cummings
11. Clyde Petty
12. David Seibers
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14. Mack McCarter
15. John Parker
16. David Kay
17. Nick Yancy
18. Jeff Jones
19. Chris Fennell
20. Cory Korreckt
21. Shane Holmes
22. Tony Thompson
23. Parrish Duncan
24. Mike McConnell
25. Kevin Gill
Bomber/Thundercars
1. Justin Shipley
2. Tyler Brown
3. Robert George
4. Chris Yarbrough
5. Amory Chambers
6. Jamie Rowan
7. Randy Walston
8. Dean Travis
9. Austin Horton
10. Mike McCrelles
11. Joel Landers
12. Matt Nicholson
13. Shane Smith
14. Booger Brooks
15. Dan Meadows
16. Ronnie Sanders
17. Luke Gaskins
18. David Tucker
19. Zac Shelton
20. Cory Hillman
21. Billy Bright
22. Cliffton Moran
23. Andy Morris
24. Mike Bruner
Street Stocks
1. Dustin Homan
2. Chad Williams
3. Kyle Berry
4. Jerry Fifield
5. Trevor Woodard
6. Steve Hedley
7. Chris Howell
8. Dean Travis
9. Brandon Puckett
10. Chad Purgahn
13. Garrett McDonald
14. Sam Norman
15. Jeff Harry
16. Greg Wilkins
17. Troy Bagwell
18. Jason Mount
19. Scott Pulley
20. Patrick Taylor
21. Shawn Mitchell
22. Michael Franklin
23. Rodney Himes
24. Justin Cagle
Hot Shots
1. Taylor Gowers
2. Brad Cross
3. Corey Pressley
4. Jonathan Merritt
5. Terry Meritt
6. Jordan Wilkins
7. Cruz Skinner
8. Katelyn Pressley
9. Chase McAvoy
10. Sam Martin
11. Jason Bednell
12. Ros Perez
13. Kyle Smith
14. Thomas Champion
15. Jake Catlett
16 Brent Gowers
17. T.J. Partridge
18. Rodney Collier
19. Cody Herron
20. Quenton Wooten
21. Zach Reed
KMSA Mini Stocks
1. Jimmy Elliott
2. Tim Ladd
3. Michael Godfrey
4. Adam Smith
5. David Todd
6. Clyton Groves
7. David Gfiffith
8. Rocky McNabb
9. Jeremy Edwards
10. Bo Minor
11. Billy Pate
12. David Nichols
13. Austin Steele
14. Phillip Hathcock
15. Mike Minor
16. Bennie Raynor
17. Austin Baxley
18. Henry Hanger
19. John Smart
20. Dustin Stephens
21. Matt Dunn
22. Adam Thornton
23. John Martin
24. P.J. Williams
25. Eric Hogsed
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