Dennis “Rambo” Franklin (27) works underneath Doug Watson (07) in turn two to take the lead with three laps to go in Saturday night's NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series feature at East Bay Raceway Park. Franklin went on to score the victory. Photo courtesy East Bay Raceway Park
Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC drove the AES Racing Special to his second straight win on Saturday night in the 50-lap main event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Tour at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL.
After a race-long duel with Doug Watson of Plant City, FL, Franklin took the lead on lap 47 and then cruised to a 2.401 second victory.
The 36th Annual Winternationals was a good one for Franklin, as he finished second on Thursday night and followed that up with wins on Friday and Saturday night. Franklin leads the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings with 296 points and holds a 24-point advantage over Jack Nosbisch Jr. of Riverview, FL.
“I kept working the inside on Watson and he finally made a bobble in turn two where we got by him at the end of the race,” Franklin said. “I’ve got to thank Steve Cooke and the AES Racing Team for letting drive this car here. It was a great race car all week.”
Watson held off a late-race charge from Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV to finish second. Horton overcame fuel problems early in the night to take the third spot. Horton won the first 15-lap B-Main race, started 16th in the main event and earned the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA was fourth, and William Thomas of Phenix City, AL finished fifth. Dave Schmauss of Dover, FL drove to a sixth-place finish and Mark Tice of Avon, MS was seventh.
Walker Arthur of Forest, VA finished eighth, and Nosbisch took the ninth spot. Phillip Cobb of Apollo Beach, FL rounded out the top ten, and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.
The four 12-lap heat races were won by Franklin, Watson, Austin Hubbard of Sanford, DE, and Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC. The 15-lap B-Main races were won by Horton and Nosbisch. Franklin made it a clean sweep of the program by setting fast time honors among the 45 entrants with a lap around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 15.708 seconds.
Franklin took the lead at the start of the race when Watson jumped the cushion in turn two. That enabled Hubbard to move up to second, but when the field got to turn four, several cars got tangled up midway in the pack, and Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC flipped and collected several other cars to bring out the red flag.
Cantrell was uninjured, but his race car was done for the evening. His misfortune earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
The field lined back up for a complete restart, and Watson took the lead followed by Franklin, Hubbard, Cooke, and Devin Dixon of Apollo Beach, FL.
Horton was working through the field, and charged from 16th to 10th by lap four. Lap seven saw Franklin looking inside to challenge Watson for the lead. Dixon and Turner got by Cooke on lap nine to take over the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
The second of seven caution flags came out on lap ten when Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS spun. Watson led the doubled-up field down for the restart followed by Franklin, Hubbard, Dixon, Turner, Cooke, Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL, Tice, Horton and Thomas.
Dixon spun on the restart in turn two and collected ten other cars for the third caution flag. After the restart, Hubbard spun out of the third spot with a spin in turn two on lap 11 for the fourth caution flag. Watson led for the restart with Franklin, Turner, Cooke, Edge, Tice, Horton, Thomas, Arthur and Blount doubled up behind him.
Horton passed Tice for the sixth spot on the restart, and Schmauss moved into the top ten on lap 12. Horton closed in on Edge to battle for the fifth spot on lap 18, while up front, Franklin worked to the inside of Watson to challenge for the lead. For the next five laps, Watson and Franklin raced side-by-side for the lead while Edge and Horton raced side-by-side for fifth.
Dennis Franklin pocketed $3,000 for Saturday night's win. Photo courtesy East Bay Raceway Park
Lap 23 saw Horton made the pass on Edge for the fifth spot. Up front, Watson and Franklin continued their battle for the lead as they approached lapped traffic at the halfway point in the race. Edge slammed the backstretch wall on lap 27 to light up the caution bulb for the fifth time. The 2011 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year was uninjured, but his car was done for the night.
After the field went back to green flag racing, Franklin again camped out on the inside of Watson. Franklin could gain on Watson entering the corners, but Watson was faster getting off the turns to keep the lead. Thomas passed Tice for the sixth spot on lap 28.
Franklin got a good run on Watson in turn one on lap 36, and stayed alongside the leader down the backstretch. Watson used the “sweet spot” he found on the high side of turn four to keep Franklin behind him. The race was slowed by the sixth caution flag on lap 38 when Blount spun in turn two.
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Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN stalled in turn four on lap 41 with an overheating problem for the seventh caution flag. Watson lined up for the single-file restart followed by Franklin, Horton, Turner, Thomas, Cooke, Tice, Schmauss, Arthur and Nosbisch.
Franklin put the inside pressure on Watson for the next five laps, as the lead pair raced side-by-side. Watson slipped slightly on the high side of turn two on lap 47, which opened the door for Franklin, who made the best of his opportunity to take the lead going down the backstretch. Once he cleared Watson, Franklin opened up a 2.401 second lead at the checkered flag.
The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be on April 6-7 with a $5,000-to-win two-day show at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS highlighted with a 75-lap main event.
For more information, visit nesmithracing.com.
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL
Winternationals Night Three Results – Feb. 4, 2012
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER
2. 2 07 Doug Watson Plant City, FL 50 $1,250
3. 16 11 Doug Horton Bruceton Mills, WV 50 $950
4. 6 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $700
5. 9 22 William Thomas Phenix City, AL 50 $650
6. 18 105 Dave Schmauss Dover, FL 50 $550
7. 12 24 Mark Tice
8. 15 87 Walker Arthur Forest, VA 50 $450
9. 17 01 Jack Nosbisch Jr. Riverview, FL 50 $400
10. 19 32 Phillip Cobb (R) Apollo Beach, FL 50 $375
11. 24 41 Travis Varnadore Dover, FL 50 $350
12. 8 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 50 $300
13. 4 17c Steve Cooke Mt. Airy, NC 49 $280
14. 22 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN 40 $260
15. 14 2* Shane Hitt
16. 3 37c Austin Hubbard Sanford, DE 37 $240
17. 20 99w Shan Smith
18. 7 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 26 $200
19. 5 95 Devin Dixon Apollo Beach, FL 9 $200
20. 21 17x Anthony White Clinton, TN 9 $200
21. 23 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS 8 $200
22. 25 95jr Maverick Varnadore Dover, FL 7 $200
23. 10 114 Chris Cantrell Chester, SC 0 $200
24. 11 51 Mack McCarter Sevierville, TN 0 $200
25. 13 T1 Todd Morrow East Ridge, TN 0 $200
