Larry Harrod, seen here from earlier action, scored the NeSmith Late Model victory Saturday night at Malden Speedway in Malden, MO. Photo courtesy Albany Motor Speedway
As a logger, Larry Harrod of Plains, GA wouldn’t find many trees to cut down in the Bootheel of Missouri, but as a NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series driver, Harrod found Malden Speedway in Malden, MO to his liking on Friday night, as he swept the program driving the Harrod Logging Special to a new track, and the victory in the 40-lap main event.
Harrod also used the occasion to celebrate the birthday of his crew chief Melvin Welch, but instead of getting a cake, Welch got the trophy.
“I didn’t even realize it was Melvin’s birthday until we were on our way to the track, and my girlfriend told me on the phone to wish Melvin a happy birthday,” Harrod said. “All I’ve thought about since then was wouldn’t it be nice if we could win the race tonight and I would give Melvin the trophy for his birthday.”
Harrod had the dominate race car beginning in time trials when he out qualified the 28 entrants with a new Malden Speedway late model track record at 16.123 seconds around the 3/8-mile clay oval. That broke the old track record of 16.530 seconds set in September of 2000 by Dale Nelson. The top ten qualifiers were under the old track record.
Harrod took the lead at the start of the race and never looked back. He led all 40 laps, but he did get a challenge in lapped traffic from R.C. Whitwell of Tucson, AZ, who put pressure on Harrod looking inside on lap 31, but a late-race caution flag on lap 33 slowed the field, and the lapped cars went to the rear for the restart.
In the eight lap dash to the finish, Harrod was able hold Whitwell off to the checkered flag with a .478 second margin of victory.
“Today was the first time I’ve ever seen Malden Speedway, but Melvin Welch and the crew had a great set up on the car tonight,” Harrod said. “It was fast in hot laps, and it just got faster as the night went on.”
Whitwell settled for second in the Swafford’s Service GRT, a race car owned by a friend in the area, who asked the Arizona driver to fly in to drive the car. Like Harrod, Swafford had to get used to a new track, in addition to adjusting to a new race car and new weather conditions.
“It was as hot here as it is in the desert of Arizona, but I’m not used to sweating like this in the humidity,” Whitwell said. “I got a look inside Harrod in lapped traffic, but that was the only chance I had to get by him. These guys from the Midwest and the South race hard, and I really enjoyed racing with them. I’m looking forward to going to Tennessee tomorrow night and trying it again.”
Chase Washington of Houlka, MS took the third spot in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special, and Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC was fourth in the CANCO Rocket. Chris Ragan of Ramer, TN finished fifth in the Ragan Racing Trak-Star.
Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS started 15th in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT and finished sixth to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award. Ashley Newman of Ripley, TN drove the TS Race Shop GRT to a seventh-place finish, and Ricky Waggoner of Martin, TN grabbed the eighth spot in the Taylormade Performance Special.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS was ninth in the Bryson Motorsports Special, and Anthony White of Clinton, TN rounded out the top ten in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Stinger house car.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA finished 11th in the Hedman Husler, but it was a good enough finish to take over the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead after the sixth event of the 2012 season. In preliminary action, the two 12-lap B-Main races were won by Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL in the Edge’s Gas Company Special and Cooley.
Harrod took the lead at the start of the race followed by Whitwell, who charged from his fourth starting spot into second, Tait Davenport of Benton, KY in the Murtco, Inc. Special was third, Ragan was fourth, and Cantrell was fifth. On the second lap, Cantrell and Washington drove by Ragan to take over the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
Harrod and Whitwell had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Davenport by lap six, and the leaders began lapping cars on lap 11. Harrod dodged a bullet on lap 13 when Robby Moore of Brosley, MO spun the D&K Truck Repair Special in turn two right in front of the leader to bring out the first of six caution flags.
Harrod led Whitwell, Davenport, Cantrell, Washington, Ragan, David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN, Waggoner, Newman, and Cooley down for the restart. As the field exited turn two, Davenport spun and collected Gentry, Newman, Cooley, and Ronnie Cooper of McKenzie, TN in the Ronnie Cooper Trucking GRT.
Davenport was ticketed for the caution, while Gentry, Newman, Cooley and Cooper were able to continue and get their spots back for the restart. When the green flag came back out, Gentry drove his Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior around the outside of Ragan to take over the fifth spot.
The third caution flag came out on lap 17 when Jerry Buck of Paragould, AR spun the Buck’s Auto Care GRT in turn four. The next double file restart saw Washington pass Cantrell on the outside for the third spot, and Ragan got back around Gentry to retake the fifth position.
Gentry’s car suffered front end damage from the lap 13 restart, and he slowed off the pace on lap 19 when the front bumper and nose piece of his race car came loose and began to dig into the dirt racing surface. The two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion pulled off the track and out of the race on lap 21 to earn the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
The field was slowed by a debris caution on lap 24, as Harrod, Whitwell, Washington, Cantrell, Ragan, Newman, Waggoner, Stokes, Cooley and White made up the top ten for the restart. The fifth caution flag came out on the double-file restart for a multi-car pile-up behind the top ten. The double-file restarts then gave way to a single file restart.
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Meanwhile up at the front of the field, Harrod caught lapped traffic on lap 31 as Whitwell closed in to challenge for the point. Whitwell got the nose of his race car under Harrod on a couple of occasions, but the caution flag came out on lap 33 when Teague spun in turn four.
It was Harrod, Whitwell, Washington, Cantrell, Ragan, Newman, Stokes, Waggoner, White, and Turner lined up in the top ten for the eight lap dash to the checkered flag. Stokes got by Newman for the sixth spot on lap 34, and Cooley made a late race charge by Turner and White to take over the ninth spot.
Up front, Harrod was able to keep Whitwell behind him to take his third career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series career win and a memorable birthday present for his crew chief Melvin Welch.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit nesmithracing.com.
NeSmith Chevy Dirt Late Model Series
Malden Speedway – Malden, MO
Race Results – May 4, 2012
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 27 Larry Harrod Plains, GA 40 $2,000
2. 4 14jr R.C. Whitwell Tucson, AZ 40 $1,000
3. 6 38 Chase Washington Houlka, MS 40 $700
4. 2 114 Chris Cantrell – R Chester, SC 40 $550
5. 5 C16 Chris Ragan Ramer, TN 40 $500
6. 15 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 40 $525
7. 9 73 Ashley Newman Ripley, TN 40 $375
8. 7 00 Ricky Waggoner Martin, TN 40 $350
9. 12 33b Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 40 $325
10. 13 2x Anthony White Clinton, TN 40 $300
11. 19 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 40 $275
12. 11 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 40 $250
13. 18 11 Kyle Berry Portageville, MO 40 $225
14. 21 10c Ronnie Cooper McKenzie, TN 40 $200
15. 10 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 40 $175
16. 17 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 40 $150
17. 14 117 Jake Teague – R Oliver Springs, TN 40 $140
18. 22 69r Jaime Robards Brosley, MO 40 $125
19. 24 17k Cody Kierre – R Beebe, AR 38 $125
20. 16 81 Jerry Buck Paragould, AR 32 $125
21. 20 44c Jeff Cagle Jonesboro, AR 31 $125
22. 8 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN 19 $125
23. 3 44 Tait Davenport Benton, KY 12 $125
24. 23 66 Robby Moore Brosley, MO 12 $125
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