William Thomas picked up his second NeSmith Chevy DLMS victory of the year by winning the Stars and Stripes 50 at Penton Raceway Saturday night. Photo courtesy NeSmith Chevy DLMS
The numbers were working for William Thomas of Phenix City, AL on Saturday night at Penton Raceway in La Fayette, AL. His car number is 22, and in his second NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race of the season, he took his second win in the “Stars and Stripes 50 and his second straight win at Penton Raceway driving the J.W. Miller Land and Timber Special.
It was a clean sweep for Thomas as he set fast time among the 31 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 14.420 seconds to earn the pole position for the main event, and he led all 50 laps of the race to win with a 2.609 second margin of victory over Tod Darda of LaGrange, GA in the PW Performance GRT.
The only time Darda could get close to Thomas was on restarts and on one occasion in lapped traffic, an episode Thomas remembered well.
“I really had one close call in lapped traffic as we went three-wide in the corner, and I made contact with someone and almost had to stop,” Thomas said. “Other than that, it was a good race for this new car, and the first win for it.”
Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL took the third spot in the Edge’s Gas Company Special and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race. Bob Robertson of Evans, GA finished fourth in the Huddle House Special, and NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC drove the AES Racing Special to a fifth-place finish.
Russ Ogletree of Phenix City, AL finished sixth in the Northeast Alabama Audiology Special, and Chris Cantrell of Chester, SC took the seventh spot in the CANCO Rocket. Ryan King of Anniston, AL was eighth in the David King Automotive Special, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA drove the Hedman Husler to a ninth-place finish.
David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN rounded out the top ten in the Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Warrior. Gentry now trails Breuer in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings by 32 points.
Thomas beat outside front row starter Robertson into the first turn at the drop of the green flag, but the first of four caution flags came out on lap one when Mark Tice of Avon, MS spun in turn two to necessitate a complete restart. When the field went back to green, Thomas took the lead again, followed by Darda, Robertson, Edge and Breuer.
The second caution flag out on lap three after a multi-car chain-reaction crash in turn four. Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC got sideways in turn four, and when the dust cleared, Larry Harrod of Plains, GA, Oliver Gentry of Newman, GA and Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL were stacked up.
Gentry was able to continue, but Harrod and Stephens were done for the night. That earned Harrod the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award. The “Dixie-Style” double-file restart saw Edge get by Robertson for the third spot, Ogletree pass Cantrell for the sixth position and David Earl Gentry climbed into the top ten.
Thomas took an eight car-length advantage into lapped traffic on lap nine, and by the 15th lap he had pulled out to a half-straightaway lead over Darda, Edge, Robertson and Breuer. On lap 30, Breuer had a close call, as he stalled going down the backstretch, but his slowing car came back to life in turn three, and back up to race speed. Breuer had a big enough advantage over Ogletree that he didn’t lose a position.
Thomas had stretched his lead out to a full straightaway over Darda by lap 35, but that would be erased with a caution flag on lap 39 when Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS spun in turn four and collected David Earl Gentry. Gentry got his spot back for the restart.
Thomas led Darda, Edge, Robertson, Breuer, Ogletree, Cantrell, Dana Eiland of Salem, AL, King and David Earl Gentry down for the restart. Thomas pulled out to a six car-length advantage over Darda by the time the field got to turn three. Darda was busy trying to hold Edge off for the second spot, while Eiland and King battled for the eighth spot.
King was able to get by Eiland on lap 43, but one lap later, the two made contact and King spun in turn four. Eiland was charged with the caution flag and King got his spot back for the restart. In the seven lap dash to the finish, Thomas once again pulled away and stretched out to a half-straightaway lead by lap 48.
The best battle on the track was for the third spot between Edge and Robertson, who kept trying to get an inside run on Edge coming off the corners. Edge was able to hang on to take third behind Thomas and Darda.
Frank Wilson of Harold, FL started 24th and finished 16th to earn the Hedman Husler Award. The four ten-lap preliminary heat races were won by Darda, Breuer, Edge, and Cantrell.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series “Ride For Life” two-seat dirt late model was on hand at the Stars and Stripes 50. Race fans bid for rides with Thomas, Edge, Breuer, Eiland, and Paul Walters of Valley, AL in a special auction, and fans also bought raffle tickets for a chance to win a ride at race speed. Just over $2,000 was raised to benefit the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at NeSmith Racing. Becoming a fan of the NeSmith Racing Facebook page will make you eligible for special prizes that will be given away each month.
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
Stars and Stripes 50 – July 2, 2011
Penton Raceway, La Fayette, AL
Race Results
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 22 Williams Thomas Phenix City, AL 50 $2,500
2. 3 91 Tod Darda LaGrange, GA 50 $1,250
3. 5 18 Chase Edge (R) Lafayette, AL 50 $850
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5. 4 B7 Dan Breuer Troutman, NC 50 $650
6. 8 88 Russ Ogletree Phenix City, AL 50 $550
7. 6 114 Chris Cantrell Chester, SC 50 $500
8. 7 55 Ryan King Anniston, AL 50 $450
9. 16 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $400
10. 12 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN 50 $375
11. 13 117 Jake Teague Oliver Springs, TN 50 $350
12. 10 10w Chris Wilson Crossville, TN 50 $300
13. 17 17 Mark Rosner Maryville, TN 49 $280
14. 20 03 Oliver Gentry Newman, GA 49 $260
15. 11 17c Steve Cooke Mt. Airy, NC 49 $250
16. 24 72 Frank Wilson (R) Harold, FL 49 $340
17. 23 24 Mark Tice (R) Avon, MS 49 $220
18. 18 P19 Paul Walters Valley, AL 49 $200
19. 19 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS 48 $200
20. 9 K9 Dana Eiland Salem, AL 43 $200
21. 22 00 Allen Netherland Angie, LA 17 $200
22. 21 18d Cord Dodgen Lafayette, AL 7 $200
23. 15 00s Richie Stephens Phenix City, AL 2 $200
24. 14 27 Larry Harrod Plains, GA 2 $200
ENTRIES: 31
FAST QUALIFIER: Thomas, 14.420 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Tice and F. Wilson
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADER: Thomas, 1-50
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Edge
HEDMAN HUSTLER AWARD: F. Wilson (started 24th and finished 16th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Harrod
INTEGRA RACING SHOCKS JUST MISSED IT AWARD: Randall Walker
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Breuer
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Ogletree
QA1 RACING PRODUCTS 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Cantrell
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: King
MODERN IMAGES 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Turner
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: D. Gentry
MIKE’S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Teague
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: C. Wilson
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD: Rosner
J.T. KERR RACING EQUIPMENT 14TH-PLACE AWARD: O. GENTRY
COFIELD RACING STARTERS 15TH-PLACE AWARD: Cooke
KINSER AIR FILTERS 16TH-PLACE AWARD: F. Wilson
CAUTIONS: 4
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 2.609 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 31 Minutes and 29.258 Seconds
