FAIRCLOTH DOMINATES HOME TURF FOR 441 SPEEDWAY NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS WIN

               DUBLIN, GA – Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA won the Stars and Stripes 40 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour on Friday night at 441 Speedway in dominating fashion driving the Faircloth Forrest Products Rayburn.  Faircloth set fast time at 18.131 seconds to earn the pole position, and then led all 40 laps to post the victory in night one of the Firecracker Nationals.

               Faircloth drove under the checkered flag with 2.260 second margin of victory over second-place Michael Blount of Sumrall , MS in the Lamar Auto Salvage Trak-Star.  Blount was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.  Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL took the third spot in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star.

               The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS was fourth in the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle, and Brian Connor of Martinez, GA finished fifth in the Lazar’s Trailers Barry Wright.  Brad Comer of Gray, GA took the sixth spot in the Central Carpet Outlaw.

               Terry Lumley of Twin City, GA started 13^th and finished seventh in the S&J Timber Barry Wright to earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger Award.  The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth , GA drove the Bryson Motorsports Mastersbilt to an eighth-place finish.

               Shannon L ee of Lumberton, MS was ninth in the Billy Riels Racing GRT , and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA rounded out the top ten in the Turner Excavating DWB.  Cooley now leads Turner in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings by 58 points.

               “I’m wore out,” Faircloth said in victory lane after posting his first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring win.  “I’ve got a lot of laps around this place and it paid off tonight.”

               It took three tries to get the race started, as crashes brought the caution flag out on the first two tries.  On the first start, Ken Ricks of Adriana, GA in the Ricks Glass Walter Newman and Ryan King of Anniston, AL in the True Bond Masonry TSR tangled in turn four.  On the second try, Jordy Nipper of Gray , GA spun the Scotty’s Muffler TNT in turn four and collected Chris McElhenney of Lake , MS in the G&M Trucking Trak-Star.

The third try saw Faircloth take the lead in turn one followed by Albert Cosnahan of Metter, GA in the Davis Produce GRT , Blount, Comer and Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Mastersbilt.  The third yellow flag came out on lap two when Ricks cut down a right-rear tire.

               Faircloth led Cosnahan, Blount, Comer, Henderson, McRee, Nipper, Cooley, Connor, and Lee down for the restart.  Henderson got by Comer for the fourth spot on lap three in turn one, and Comer reclaimed the spot in turn three.  Henderson made the pass again on Comer in turn one on lap five, while McRee and Nipper took over the fifth and sixth spots respectively in turn three, dropping Comer back to seventh.

               Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL driving the Edge’s Gas Mastersbilt slowed in turn two on lap eight to bring out the fourth caution flag.  The top ten for the restart were Faircloth, Cosnahan, Blount, Henderson, McRee, Nipper, Comer, Cooley, Connor, and Lee.  McRee and Nipper moved up to fourth and fifth respectively on lap ten, dropping Henderson back to the sixth spot.

               Blount passed Cosnahan for the second spot on lap 11, and Henderson dropped out of the top ten on lap 12.  Caution flag number five came out on lap 15 when Phil Pittman of Vidalia, GA in the A&P Metal Barry Wright and Brindle got together in turn one.  Pittman was ticketed with the caution flag, and Brindle returned to the tenth spot for the restart.

               During the caution period, Nipper went to the pits and retired for the evening.  Faircloth led Blount, Cosnahan, McRee, Comer, Cooley, Connor, Larry Harrod of Plains, GA in the Harrod Logging Scorpion, Lumley, and Brindle back to the green flag.  Josh Noles of LaGrange, GA spun the Noles Racing TNT on the restart for the sixth caution flag of the race.

               On the next restart, Cooley got by Comer for the fifth spot, and Harrod passed Comer for sixth on alp 16.  At the halfway mark, Faircloth had opened up a half-straightaway lead over Blount, and by lap 30, the lead increased to a full straightaway.  Behind the leader, Cosnahan turned up the wick and began to challenge Blount for the second spot in lapped traffic.

               Cosnahan reclaimed the second position with a pass on Blount on lap 33, and the seventh and final caution flag of the race came out on lap 34 when Harrod stalled in turn four with a cut tire while running sixth.  When the field went back to green, Faircloth began to pull away, while Cosnahan and Blount raced side-by-side for the second spot.  Blount made the pass coming off the fourth turn.

               With four laps to go, Faircloth had opened up another half-straightaway led over Blount, while McRee got by Cosnahan for the third spot.  In the closing laps, Cosnahan began to fall off the pace, had dropped to sixth on lap 38, and he went to the pits and out of the top ten on lap 39.  That earned Cosnahan the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.

               Faircloth went on to complete his perfect night of racing with the victory followed by Blount, McRee, Cooley, Connor, Comer, Lumley, Brindle, Lee and Turner.  In preliminary events, Nipper and Cooley won the ten-lap heat races, and Tyler Millwood of Kingston , GA won the 12-lap B-Main race in the Millwood Plumbing Rocket.

               The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour returns to 441 Speedway on Saturday night for the $2,500-to-win Salute To America 50, night two of the three-race Firecracker Nationals.  The third night of the Firecracker Nationals will be on Sunday night with the $2,500-to-win Salute To The Armed Forces 50 at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City , AL .

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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 12 AT 441 SPEEDWAY IN DUBLIN , GA ON 7/2/10 :

POS        STRT      CAR #   DRIVER                             HOMETOWN                   LAPS     $ WON  
1.            1             27f         Ben Faircloth                   Swainsboro, GA               40           $2,000
2.            5             121        Michael Blount (R)         Sumrall, MS                      40           $1,000
3.            6             25           Justin McRee                     Tuscaloosa , AL                  40           $700
4.            8             33c         Eric Cooley                        Fulton , MS                         40           $650
5.            10           777        Brian Connor                   Martinez , GA                    40           $500
6.            3             C4          Brad Comer                      Gray, GA                           40           $425
7.            13           2T          Terry Lumley                    Twin City, GA                  40           $475
8.            12           21b        Chip Brindle                     Chatsworth , GA                40           $350
9.            11           47           Shannon L ee (R)               Lumberton , MS                40           $325
10.          16           77           Matthew Turner              Dawsonville, GA              40            $300
11.          17           28           Chris McElhenney           Lake , MS                            40           $275
12.          4             88           Charlie Henderson (R)   Cottondale, AL                 40           $250
13.          9             27           Larry Harrod (R)             Plains, GA                         40           $225
14.          19           X            Tyler Millwood                Kingston , GA                    40           $200
15.          15           3             Phil Pittman                     Vidalia, GA                       39           $175
16.          22           444        Brian Ligon                      Augusta, GA                      39           $150
17.          23           19           Marcus Minga                  Shannon, MS                     39           $140
18.          2             4u2        Albert Cosnahan              Metter, GA                        38           $125
19.          20           16           Josh Noles                         LaGrange, GA                  22           $125
20.          7             1n           Jordy Nipper                    Gray , GA                            14           $125
21.          14           12           Ken Ricks                          Adriana , GA                       10           $125
22.          24           18           Chase Edge                        Lafayette, AL                      6             $125
23.          18           55           Ryan King                          Anniston , AL                      0             $125
24.          21           69           Tony Lawson                     Laurel , MS                         0             $125

ENTRIES:  27
FAST QUALIFIER:  Faircloth, 18.131 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  None
LEAD CHANGES:  None
LAP LEADERS:  Faircloth, 1-40
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE :  Blount
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER:  Lumley (started 13^th and finished 7^th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD:  Cosnahan
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Connor
KRC 6^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Comer
JOE GIBB DRIVEN OIL 7^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Lumley
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Brindle
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Lee
KRC 10^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Turner
MIKE ’S CUSTOM TANKS 11^TH-PLACE AWARD:  McElhenney
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Henderson
CAUTIONS:  7
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  2.260 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE :  39 Minutes and 13.345 Seconds

QUALIFYING (Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):

HEAT RACES (10 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

               1^ST HEAT:  1. Nipper; 2. Harrod (R); 3. Lee (R); 4. Lumley; 5. Pittman; 6. McElhenney; 7. Lawson; 8. Brantley; 9. Edge; 10. Millwood; 11. Noles.

               2^ND HEAT:  1. Cooley; 2. Connor; 3. Brindle; 4. Ricks; 5. Turner; 6. King; 7. Ligon; 8. Minga; 9. Dixon (R); 10. Chester.

B- MAIN (12 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):  1. Millwood; 2. Noles; 3. Lawson; 4. Ligon; 5. Minga; 6. Edge; 7. Dixon (R); 8. Brantley; 9. Chester DNS.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 7/2/10 :

1. 33c Eric Cooley – 1,090
2. 77 Matthew Turner – 1,032
3. 25 Justin McRee – 1,004
4. 88 Charlie Henderson (R) – 894
5. 47 Shannon L ee (R) – 880
6. 28 Chris McElhenney – 852
7. 27 Larry Harrod (R) – 816
8. 121 Michael Blount (R) – 792
9. 19 Marcus Minga – 720
10. 25b Jay Burchfield (R) – 524
11. 1 Johnny Stokes – 490
12. 18 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth – 464
13. C16 Chris Ragan – 430
14. 73 Evan Ellis (R) – 418
15. 222 Mike Boland – 392
16. 72 Frank Wilson (R) – 386
17. T9 Troy Dixon (R) – 376
18. 22 William Thomas – 366
19. 21b Chip Brindle – 338
20. 116 Randy Weaver - 296

R – Denotes VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Candidate

NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the nation’s number one GM Powertrain Dealer four years running, and is also the nation’s number one volume dealer of Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC cars, trucks, SUVs and vans with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast.  GM Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and Hard Charger Award sponsor.  Hoosier Race Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  VP Racing Fuel is the Official Racing Fuel of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2010 are Dominator Race Products, Race Car Engineering, KRC , Joe Gibbs Driven, Maximum Signs and Graphics, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Warrior Race Cars , Trak-Star Race Cars, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and Rocket Chassis.