PHENIX CITY ASSASSIN NOWELL GUNS DOWN NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS FIELD FOR EAMS WIN

               PHENIX CITY , AL – The “Phenix City Assassin” Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL gunned down the field on Sunday night in front of a packed house at East Alabama Motor Speedway in the Salute To The Armed Forces 50 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour, the third race of the Firecracker Nationals. 

               Nowell started third in the main event, passed early race leader Larry Harrod of Plains, GA on lap 36, and then pulled away to post a 1.590 second margin of victory driving the Clarence’s Truck Repair GRT .

               “I kept looking inside Larry, and I think the longer the race went, the tighter his car got,” Nowell said.  “Our car kept getting better as the race went on, and when the track came to us, we were able to get underneath Larry and take the lead.”

               The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series celebrated its 100^th event since the inception of the series in 2005 on Sunday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway .  Nowell’s first career win with the series made him the 38^th different winner in 100 races.

               Harrod led the first 35 laps of the race after earning the pole position earlier during the evening in spectacular fashion driving the Harrod Logging Scorpion, but had to settle for second at the end of the race and was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race.

As the defending EAMS NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model Champion, Harrod was expected to be a favorite for the win at his home track.

               In his first qualifying lap, Harrod sailed off the first turn banking and landed on a safety barrier pile of tires.  After getting off the tires, and not knowing if his car suffered any damage, Harrod came back out on the track and began his second qualifying lap.  “The Big Tree” turned in a lap in 16.461 seconds to take the Extreme Power Sports Fast Time Award.

               Dana Eiland of Salem, AL took the third spot in the Andy’s Auto Parts GRT , and Billy Franklin of Calera, AL finished third in the Franklin Enterprises Trak-Star.  Matthew Turner of Dawsonville , GA was fifth in the Turner Excavating DWB.  Turner was honored during the pre-race drivers meeting for making his 100^th consecutive series race, the only driver to compete in every series event.

Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA was honored at the pre-race drivers meeting and presented with a plaque and a cake in recognition of his 100th consecutive NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring event.  Turner is the only driver to participate in every series event held since its inception in 2005.  (Marcella Helm Photo)

               The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and current point leader Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS drove the 78 Towing and Recovery Victory Circle to a sixth-place finish.  Cooley now leads Turner in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings by 52 points.

               The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA came from the 15^th starting spot to finish seventh in the Bryson Motorsports Mastersbilt, and NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region point leader Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL took the eighth spot in the Edge’s Gas Company Mastersbilt.

               Marc Gooden of Lafayette, AL started his RPI GRT from the 22^nd starting spot and finished ninth to earn the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award.  Russ Ogletree of Phenix City, AL rounded out the top ten in the Northeast Alabama Audiology Barry Wright.

               Harrod took the lead at the start of the race, but the field saw the caution flag before the first lap was completed when Paul Walters of Valley, AL in the Gary Davis Construction Warrior, Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Mastersbilt, and Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS in the B&M Salvage Rocket tangled on the front straightaway.

               Henderson, the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year point leader, had to pit for repairs, and returned to the track later several laps down.  “Chargin’ Charlie” completed just 18 laps before he retired for the evening.  Henderson earned the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.

               Harrod again took the lead on the complete restart followed by Nowell, Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL in the Bennett Logging RMRC, Eiland and Turner.  Ogletree sailed off the turn three baking on lap two to bring out the caution flag. 

The caution flag came out again on lap ten when Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA spun the Scotty’s Muffler TNT in turn two collecting Ryan King of Anniston, AL in the True Bond Masonry TSR, and Danny Stroud of Salem, AL in the Stroud Construction Scorpion.

Harrod led Nowell, Stephens, Eiland, Turner, Franklin, Pat Wall of Columbus, MS in the Wimmer’s Wrecker Service Rocket, Edge, Cooley and Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL in the Dyke’s Towing GRT down for the restart.  Business picked up when the field went back to green, as Eiland passed Stephens for the third spot on lap 11, and Franklin got by Turner for fifth.

Franklin kept up his momentum, and passed Stephens for the fourth spot on lap 12 before the field was slowed by the caution flag on lap 17 when Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL spun the Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star in turn four.  When the field went back to green, Edge passed Wall for the seventh spot on lap 19, and Cooley got by Wall for the eighth position on lap 22.

King sailed off the first turn banking on lap 26 to light caution bulb for the fifth time in the race.  The restart at the halfway point of the race saw Harrod leading Nowell, Eiland, Franklin, Stephens, Turner, Edge, Cooley, Dykes and Shannon L ee of Lumberton, MS in the Billy Riels Racing Trak-Star. 

On each restart, Nowell tried to dive under Harrod in a bid to challenge for the lead, but it seemed he could never get his tires up to temperature to get maximum bite off the corners before the next caution flag would come out.  That trend continued after the halfway point, as Stroud spun in turn four on the lap 26 restart, and King spun on lap 27 in turn four,

Stephens tried to dive under Franklin in a bid to retake the fourth spot on the restart, but spun in turn four while running fifth.  Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS was charging through the field from the 23^rd starting spot in the Lamar Auto Salvage Trak-Star.  Blount was closing in on the top ten when he left the track in turn two on lap 31 to bring out the ninth caution flag.

During the caution period, Lee went to the pits, giving up the ninth spot.  The field didn’t stay green long, as Stroud made his second scenic tour of the race off the third turn banking on lap 33.  Harrod led the top ten with Nowell, Eiland, Franklin, Turner, Edge, Cooley, Dykes, Brindle, and Gooden following him back to the green flag.

Nowell kept chipping away at Harrod’s lead trying the inside groove, while Harrod continued to run the high side.  On lap 36, Nowell got along side Harrod in turn two, raced wheel-to-wheel with him down the backstretch, and bringing the capacity crowd to their feet.  Nowell planted his car on the bottom of the track in turn three, and then slid up in front of Harrod to take the lead.

Once Nowell was out in front, he began to pull away from Harrod.  Two late-race caution flags kept the field bunched up as Wall spun in turn two on lap 41, and Dykes spun out of the eighth spot in turn four on lap 43.  On each restart, Nowell pulled away and took a 1.590 second margin of victory under the checkered flag.

The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour will be this Saturday night for a 50-lap $3,000-to-win race at Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, TN .

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 14 AT EAST ALABAMA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN PHENIX CITY , AL ON 7/4/10:

POS        STRT      CAR #   DRIVER                             HOMETOWN                   LAPS     $ WON  
1.            3             55           Terrance Nowell              Phenix City , AL                 50           $2,500
2.            1             27           Larry Harrod (R)             Plains, GA                         50           $1,350
3.            5             K9          Dana Eiland                       Salem , AL                           50           $850
4.            7             17           Billy Franklin                  Calera, AL                         50           $700
5.            2             77           Matthew Turner              Dawsonville, GA              50           $650
6.            8             33c         Eric Cooley                        Fulton , MS                         50           $650
7.            15           21b        Chip Brindle                     Chatsworth , GA                 50           $500
8.            10           18           Chase Edge                        Lafayette, AL                      50           $450
9.            22           52           Marc Gooden                    Lafayette, AL                      50           $500
10.          16           88r         Russ Ogletree                   Phenix City , AL                 50           $375
11.          19           10           Joseph Joiner                   Milton, FL                         50           $350
12.          6             14           Pat Wall                             Columbus, GA                  50           $300
13.          14           5             Rodgerick Dykes              Smith Station, AL             50           $280
14.          23           121        Michael Blount (R)         Sumrall, MS                      50           $260
15.          21           28           Chris McElhenney           Lake , MS                            47           $250
16.          13           47           Shannon L ee (R)               Lumberton , MS                46           $240
17.          24           19           Marcus Minga                  Shannon, MS                     42           $220
18.          9             22           Danny Stroud                    Salem , AL                           40           $200
19.          4             00           Richie Stephens                Phenix City , AL                 36           $200
20.          20           55k        Ryan King                          Anniston , AL                      27           $200
21.          11           P19        Paul Walters (R)              Valley, AL                           23           $200
22.          17           88           Charlie Henderson (R)   Cottondale, AL                 18           $200
23.          18           25           Justin McRee                     Tuscaloosa , AL                  16           $200
24.          12           1n           Jordy Nipper                    Gray , GA                            9  $200                    

ENTRIES:  32
EXTREME POWER SPORTS FAST QUALIFIER: Harrod, 16.461 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  Blount and Minga
LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Harrod, 1-35; Nowell, 36-50
LAPS LED:  Harrod, 35; Nowell, 15
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE :  Harrod
GM PERFORMANCE PARTS HARD CHARGER:  Gooden (started 22^nd and finished 9^th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD:  Henderson
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Turner
KRC 6^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Cooley
JOE GIBBS DRIVEN OIL 7^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Brindle
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Edge
MAXIMUM SIGNS AND GRAPHICS 9^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Gooden
KRC 10^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Ogletree
MIKE ’S CUSTOM TANKS 11^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Joiner
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Wall
CAUTIONS:  12
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  1.590 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE :  1 Hour, 1 Minute, and 20.108 Seconds

EXTREME POWER SPORTS QUALIFYING (Top 10 Transfer To Main Event):

HEAT RACES (12 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):

               1^ST HEAT:  1. Walters (R); 2. Lee (R); 3. Brindle; 4. Henderson (R); 5. Joiner; 6. McElhenney; 7. Cook; 8. Wilson (R); 9. Dixon (R); 10. Mason.

               2^ND HEAT:  1. Nipper; 2. Dykes;  3. Ogletree; 4. McRee; 5. King; 6. Gooden; 7. Roberts; 8. Minga; 9. Blount (R); 10. Lawson.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 7/4/10:

1. 33c Eric Cooley – 1,270
2. 77 Matthew Turner – 1,218
3. 25 Justin McRee – 1,140
4. 88 Charlie Henderson (R) – 1,044
5. 47 Shannon L ee (R) – 1,034
6. 27 Larry Harrod (R) – 996
7. 28 Chris McElhenney – 984
8. 121 Michael Blount (R) – 944
9. 19 Marcus Minga – 854
10. 25b Jay Burchfield (R) – 524
11. 21b Chip Brindle – 512
12. 1 Johnny Stokes – 490
13. T9 Troy Dixon (R) – 472
14. 18 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth – 464
15. C16 Chris Ragan – 430
16. 73 Evan Ellis (R) – 418
17. 72 Frank Wilson (R) – 416
18. 222 Mike Boland – 392
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.