FAIRCLOTH CLEANS HOUSE WITH SECOND STRAIGHT NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS 441 SPEEDWAY WIN

               DUBLIN, GA – Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA cleaned house on Saturday night at 441 Speedway by winning his second-straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series main event in the Salute To America 50 driving the Faircloth Forrest Products Rayburn.  For the second straight night, Faircloth got out his broom and swept the program with fast time honors and then led wire-to-wire in the main event.

               Faircloth picked up where his left off on Friday night, when he swept the Stars and Stripes 40, on Saturday night earning the pole position during time trials with a fast lap in 18.097 seconds.  When the race started, Faircloth took the lead and never looked back leading all 50 laps of the race.

               “I just love this race track and I love this race car,” Faircloth said.  “They just seem to go together.”

               Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA chased Faircloth for the entire feature race, but couldn’t seem to get close enough to challenge for the win, as Faircloth maintained at least an eight car-length advantage.  Turner had to settle for second in the Turner Excavating DWB. 

               Chargin’ Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL finished third in the Century Dedicated, Inc, Mastersbilt, a full straightaway behind Turner, and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.  The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS was third in the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle.

               Brad Comer of Gray, GA picked up the Race Car Engineering 5^th-Place Award in the Central Carpet Outlaw, and the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA won the KRC 6^th-Place Award.  Shannon L ee of Lumberton, MS was the Joe Gibbs Driven Oil 7^th-Place Award winner in the Billy Riels Racing GRT .

               Larry Harrod of Plains, GA grabbed the Race Car Engineering 8^th-Place Award in the Harrod Logging Scorpion, and Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL was the Maximum Signs and Graphics 9^th-Place Award winner driving the Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star.

Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS claimed the KRC 10^th-Place Award in the Lamar Auto Salvage Trak-Star, while Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA took the Mike’s Custom Tanks 11^th-Place Award driving the Scotty’s Muffler TNT , and Terry Lumley of Twin City, GA drove the S&J Timber Barry Wright to the Shorty’s Shock Service 12^th-Place Award.

Ricky Brantley of Ailey, GA started 20^th in the J&B Steakhouse Walter Newman and finished 13^th to earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award on a track that didn’t lend itself to much passing.

Faircloth took the lead from the pole position at the start of the race followed by Turner, Brindle, Henderson, and Cooley.  Debris in turn two on lap three brought out the first of five caution flags to close the field up for a restart.  After the field went back to green flag action, Henderson began to work the inside groove on Brindle, and made a pass for the third spot going into turn one on lap four.

The leader dodged a big bullet on lap 13 as he approached the cars on the tail of the lead lap.  Troy Dixon of Temple, GA spun the CT Transport Mastersbilt in turn three right in front of Faircloth, but he was just able to get slowed in time not to get collected as the caution flag came out. 

Cooley got busy after the restart by putting pressure on Brindle for the fourth spot.  Cooley got inside Brindle on lap 16 and made the pass for the fourth position going into turn three.  One lap later, Comer made an inside move on Brindle in turn two to claim the fifth spot.  By lap 25, Faircloth had pulled out to an eight car-length lead over Turner.

Chris McElhenney of Lake , MS stalled in turn two on lap 31 to bring out the third caution flag of the race.  McElhenney was one of only two cars that failed to finish the race, and that earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.  When the field went back to green, Faircloth couldn’t shake Turner, who stayed within eight car-lengths of the leader.

By lap 40, Faircloth and Turner had a full straightaway lead over the third-place of Henderson .  The only thing that slowed Faircloth down in the last ten laps of the race were two caution flags:  one for Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS who stalled the B&M Salvage Rocket in turn two on lap 45, and a caution flag for debris on lap 46.

The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 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.  The race will mark the 100^th NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring event since the series’ inception in 2005.

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 13 AT 441 SPEEDWAY IN DUBLIN , GA ON 7/3/10 :

POS        STRT      CAR #   DRIVER                             HOMETOWN                   LAPS     $ WON  
1.            1             27f         Ben Faircloth                   Swainsboro, GA              50        $2,500
2.            2             77           Matthew Turner              Dawsonville, GA              50        $1,250
3.            4             88           Charlie Henderson (R)   Cottondale, AL                 50           $850
4.            5             33c         Eric Cooley                        Fulton , MS                         50           $800
5.            6             C4          Brad Comer                      Gray, GA                           50           $650
6.            3             21b        Chip Brindle                     Chatsworth , GA                50           $550
7.            8             47           Shannon L ee (R)               Lumberton , MS                50           $500
8.            7             27           Larry Harrod (R)             Plains, GA                         50           $450
9.            10           25           Justin McRee                     Tuscaloosa , AL                  50           $400
10.          9             121        Michael Blount (R)         Sumrall, MS                      50           $375
11.          14           1n           Jordy Nipper                    Gray , GA                            50           $350
12.          11           2T          Terry Lumley                    Twin City, GA                  50           $300
13.          20           45           Ricky Brantley                 Ailey, GA                           50           $280
14.          12           18           Chase Edge                        Lafayette, AL                      50           $260
15.          15           55           Ryan King                          Anniston , AL                      50           $250
16.          13           19           Marcus Minga                  Shannon, MS                     50           $240
17.          18           T9          Troy Dixon (R)                 Temple , GA                        49           $220
18.          17           69           Tony Lawson                     Laurel , MS                         49           $200
19.          16           28           Chris McElhenney           Lake , MS                            29           $200
20.          19           47x         Billy Riels                          Big Level, MS                   18           $200

ENTRIES:  20
FAST QUALIFIER:  Faircloth, 18.097 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  None
LEAD CHANGES:  None
LAP LEADERS:  Faircloth, 1-50
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE :  Henderson
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER:  Brantley (started 20^th and finished 13^th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD:  McElhenney
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Comer
KRC 6^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Brindle
JOE GIBBS DRIVEN OIL 7^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Lee
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Harrod
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9^TH-PLACE AWARD:  McRee
KRC 10^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Blount
MIKE ’S CUSTOM TANKS 11^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Nipper
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Lumley
CAUTIONS:  5
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  .950 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE :  30 Minutes and 39.847 Seconds

QUALIFYING (Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):

HEAT RACES (10 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):

               1^ST HEAT:  1. Cooley; 2. Harrod (R); 3. Blount (R); 4. Lumley; 5. Minga; 6. King; 7. Lawson; 8. Riels.

              2^ND HEAT:  1. Comer; 2. Lee (R); 3. McRee; 4. Edge; 5. Nipper; 6. McElhenney; 7. Dixon (R); 8. Brantley.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 7/3/10:

1. 33c Eric Cooley – 1,182
2. 77 Matthew Turner – 1,128
3. 25 Justin McRee – 1,086
4. 88 Charlie Henderson (R) – 988
5. 47 Shannon L ee (R) – 966
6. 28 Chris McElhenney – 914
7. 27 Larry Harrod (R) – 900
8. 121 Michael Blount (R) – 872
9. 19 Marcus Minga – 788
10. 25b Jay Burchfield (R) – 524
11. 1 Johnny Stokes – 490
12. 18 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth – 464
13. T9 Troy Dixon (R) – 442
14. C16 Chris Ragan – 430
15. 21b Chip Brindle – 426
16. 73 Evan Ellis (R) – 418
17. 222 Mike Boland – 392
18. 72 Frank Wilson (R) – 386
19. 22 William Thomas – 366
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.