JOHNSON PACES THE WAY TO TST NeSMITH/DURRENCE LAYNE LATE MODEL WIN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

              EASTABOGA, AL – Three-time NeSmith/Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN picked up his series-leading 28th career win Saturday night at Talladega Short Track driving the Josh Roberts Trucking Special. The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee paced himself to lead all 50 laps of the race.

              Andy Picklesimer of Ooltewah, TN stayed within a couple of car-lengths of Johnson, but couldn’t muster up enough momentum to challenge for the lead and finished second in the Hyma Motorsports Special.  Michael Page of Douglasville, GA battled with Riley Hickman of Ooltewah, TN for most of the race.

              Page took the third spot in the Baird Transport Stinger and Hickman was fourth in the Hickman Manufacturing CVR. Heath Hindman started tenth and finished fifth in the Hindman Motorsports Special to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award. 

            Two-time and defending NeSmith/Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, TN padded his point lead with a sixth-place effort in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket. Sam Seawright of Fort Payne, AL took the seventh spot in the J&R Lumber Special.
           
            Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL drove the Braswell Bodies Warrior to an eighth-place finish, and ninth went to Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL in the Harrod Logging Special. Chase Walls of Decherd, TN rounded out the top ten in the Walls Racing Special. Ashton Winger of Senoia, GA finished 11th and was the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race.
           
            In preliminary action, Johnson out-timed the 45 entrants in Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Qualifying with a lap around Talladega Short Track in 14.928 seconds. The four ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Jake Knowles of Rome, GA in the Curbow Logging Rocket, Dykes, Winger, and Nowell.
           
            Johnson elected the outside front row starting spot for the start of the race and took the lead at the drop of the green flag followed by Picklesimer, Seawright, Hickman and Page. Hickman drove under Seawright for the third spot on lap five, and by lap 12, Johnson had caught the cars on the tail of the lead lap.
           
            The first of three caution flags came out on lap 13 when Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS stalled the B&M Salvage Rocket in turn four. The field lined up for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart with Johnson out front by himself followed by Picklesimer, Hickman, Seawright, Page, Hedgecock, Hindman, Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN in the Car Smart Auto Sales Special, Dykes and Nowell doubled up behind the leader.
           
            A false start brought out caution flag number two, but when the green light came back on, Page got by Seawright for fourth. Johnson had caught lapped traffic by lap 26, but it went away on lap 29 when the caution flag came out for T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL, who stalled the Brittain Hauling Warrior in turn two.
           
            Johnson had Picklesimer, Hickman, Page, Seawright, Hindman, Hedgecock, Dykes, Walls, and Nowell doubled up behind him for the restart. When the field went back to racing speed, Hindman and Hedgecock drove by Seawright to take over the fifth and sixth spots respectively. By lap 35, Johnson and Picklesimer had pulled out to a ten car-length lead over Hickman and Page, who were battling for the third spot.
           
            Johnson seemed to use his experience at one of his favorite tracks to pace himself just enough to keep Picklesimer behind him, and the lapped traffic in front of him during the final ten laps of the race. There was no pacing in the battle for third, as Page drove by Hickman for the position on lap 47. Johnson took the checkered flag with a .647 second margin of victory.
           
            The next two races on the 2018 NeSmith/Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series schedule will take them to South Georgia on May 18 and May 19. Oglethorpe Speedway Park in Savannah, GA is scheduled for a $2,000-to-win 40-lap race on Friday night, May 18, and then the action moves to Cochran Motor Speedway in Cochran, GA for a $2,500-to-win 50-lap event on Saturday night, May 19.

            For more information and rules 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. You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 4 AT TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK IN EASTABOGA, AL ON 4/28/18:

POS      STRT   CAR #  DRIVER                            HOMETOWN                  LAPS    $ WON
1.           1            85          Ronnie Johnson               Chattanooga, TN            50          $2,500
2.           2            P1         Andy Picklesimer           Ooltewah, TN                   50          $1,250
3.           4            18x       Michael Page                   Douglasville, GA             50          $850
4.           6            R1         Riley Hickman                Ooltewah, TN                   50          $700
5.           10          91          Heath Hindman               Eastaboga, AL                 50          $650
6.           5            23          Cory Hedgecock                            Loudon, TN                      50          $550
7.           3            16          Sam Seawright                Fort Payne, AL                50          $500
8.           12          5d          Rodgerick Dykes            Smith Station, AL           50          $450
9.           14          27t        Terrence Nowell                            Phenix City, AL               50          $400
10.         9            25          Chase Walls                     Decherd, TN                     50          $375
11.         13          12          Ashton Winger (R)         Senoia, GA                        50          $350
12.         7            J39       Jimmy Elliott                   Cleveland, TN                  50          $300
13.         11          66          Jake Knowles                  Rome, GA                         50          $280
14.         18          11          Cruz Skinner                   Oxford, AL                       50          $260
15.         16          232       Jamey Boland (R)           Cuba, AL                           50          $250
16.         20          17jr      Tyler Wood                      Hohenwald, TN                50          $240
17.         17          18          Chase Edge                       Lafayette, AL                  50          $220
18.         22          1b          Bryant Marsh (R)           Corinth, MS                     50          $200
19.         21          6            Clay Harris                      Jupiter, FL                       50          $200
20.         19          C6         Oakley Johns                   Hohenwald, TN                50          $200
21.         24          05          T.J. Brittain                     Centre, AL                        49          $200
22.         23          19          Marcus Minga                 Shannon, MS                    48          $200
23.         15          27          Brad Berry                       Attalla, AL                       32          $200
24.         8            67          Jadon Frame                    Decherd, TN                     2            $200

ENTRIES: 45
KNOWLES RACE PARTS AND BODIES FAST QUALIFIER: Johnson, 14.928 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Minga and Brittain
LEAD CHANGES: None
DURRENCE LAYNE CHEVROLET ROLL WITH COLE AWARD: Johnson, Led 50 Laps
BEYEA HEADERS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Hindman (started 10th and finished 5th)
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Winger
CAUTIONS: 3
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .647 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 19 Minutes and 58.618 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: May 18, Oglethorpe Raceway Park, Savannah, GA, $2,000-to-win, 40-laps; May 19, Cochran Motor Speedway, Cochran, GA, $2,500-to-win, 50-laps.


HEDGECOCK SWEEPS TST NIGHT ONE FOR NeSMITH LATE MODELS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

              EASTABOGA, AL – The defending and two-time NeSmith/Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, TN served notice that he is the early season front runner to claim his third straight title after winning the 40-lap Main Event Friday night at Talladega Short Track in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket.

              The only challenge Hedgecock had to stave off was a late-race restart challenge from Michael Page of Douglasville, GA, and led all 40 laps to earn the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Roll With Cole Award to go with the $2,000 top prize. Page was able to stick the nose of his Baird Transport Stinger inside of Hedgecock’s left-rear quarter panel, but that’s as close as he got.

              Hedgecock started out the evening in Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Qualifying by setting a new track record of 13.925 seconds to set fast time among the 50 entrants and earn the pole position for the main event. Fast time honors and leading all 40 laps gave Hedgecock a clean sweep of the event and his second straight NeSmith/Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Model win of the season.

              Douglas had to settle for second and third went to three-time NeSmith/Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN in the Josh Roberts Trucking Special. Andy Picklesimer of Ooltewah, TN was fourth in the Hyma Motorsports Special.

              Dingus Griffin of Eastaboga, AL took the fifth spot in the Griffin Motorsports Special and 2015 VP Racing Fuels and Lubricants Young Gun Challenge Series Champion Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL finished sixth in the Skinner’s Body Shop CVR. T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL drove the Brittain Hauling Warrior to a seventh-place finish and Tyler Clem of St, Petersburg, FL was eighth in the Big Frog Motorsports Rocket.

              Sam Seawright of Fort Payne, AL finished ninth in the J&R Lumber Special and Chase Walls of Decherd, TN rounded out the top ten in the Walls Racing Special. Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN started 22nd and finished 11th to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award, and Ashton Winger of Senoia, GA finished 12th in the Keyser Manufacturing Rocket to earn the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race honors.

              In other preliminary action, the four ten-lap B-Main Races were won by John Ownby of Cleveland, TN in the Frazier Rentals Special, Cody Smith of Holt, FL in the Smith Performance Engineering Rocket, Clem, and Winger.

              Hedgecock chose the outside front row spot to start the race, and took the lead at the drop of the green flag followed by Picklesimer, Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN in the B&M Salvage Rocket, Page, and Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL in the Boland Performance Trak-Star. Brittain had moved into the top five on lap five, and Johnson moved up from his ninth starting spot to challenge for fifth on lap six.

              Hedgecock had pulled out to an eight car-length advantage while Picklesimer, Henderson and Page battled for the second spot. Johnson took over sole possession of fifth by lap ten, and Hedgecock caught the cars on the tail of the lead lap by lap 11. The lapped traffic went away on lap 12 when Boland spun on the high side of turn three to bring out the caution flag.

              Behind the leader Hedgecock, Picklesimer, Henderson, Page, Johnson, Brittain, Ownby, Walls. Clem, and Skinner doubled up for the Dixie-Style Double-File restart. When the green bulb was refired, Henderson got by Picklesimer for second, and Johnson passed Page for fourth. Johnson was on the move, as he got by Picklesimer for third on lap 13.

              Page reloaded and took a shot at Johnson in a battle for the third spot, and Page reclaimed the position on lap 18. The second yellow flag of the race was unfurled on lap 19 when Austin Burns of Georgetown, IN spun the Sub Surface of Indiana Special in turn four. During the caution period, Henderson stopped on the backstretch and had to be towed to the infield, giving up the second position.

              Hedgecock had Page, Johnson, Picklesimer, Ownby, Walls, Brittain, Griffin, Skinner and Clem doubled up behind him for the restart. Ownby raced around Picklesimer for fourth on the restart, but the field was slowed for a third time on lap 20 when Victor Turner Jr. of Pell City, AL stalled the Advantage Plus Mobile Home Service Rocket in turn four.

              Smith stalled on the restart, but once the field got rolling, Hedgecock once again opened up a lead, but behind the point man, a four-car-under-a-blanket battle for the second spot was being waged among Page, Johnson, Ownby and Picklesimer on a track with two distinct racing grooves just as fast as each other up high and down low.

              The four drivers swapped grooves at will racing just inches apart. The battle got a little too intense for Ownby, who jumped the cushion in turn three on lap 28, slid off the race track, and came to rest outside turn four to light up the yellow caution bulb for the fifth time. The top ten for the restart was Hedgecock, Page, Johnson, Picklesimer, Brittain, Griffin, Skinner, Wallis, Winger, and Clem.

              Hedgecock once again said audios to the field on the restart, but Johnson dove to the inside of Page to challenge for the second spot. Page and Johnson raced side-by-side for three laps until Page cleared the “The Chattanooga Flash” on lap 30. Griffin was on the move and raced his way up into the fourth spot by lap 33.

              With five laps to go, Hedgecock held an eight car-length lead over Page, but that went away on lap 37 when Burns spun for the second time on the race in turn four to bring out the sixth and final caution flag. On the restart, Page got to the inside of Hedgecock’s left-rear quarter panel, but that’s as close as anyone got to the leader all night long.

              With his second straight win, Hedgecock now has 288 points after the first three races of the 2018 NeSmith/Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season and holds a 24-point lead over Winger. Jake Knowles of Rome, GA is third in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Rocket with 244 points.

              The NeSmith/Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series returns to Talladega Short Track on Saturday night for Night 2 of the NASCAR Weekend festivities with a $2,500-to-win 50-lap event, Round 4 of the 2018 season.

            For more information and rules 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. You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 3 AT TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK IN EASTABOGA, AL ON 4/27/18:

POS      STRT   CAR #  DRIVER                            HOMETOWN                  LAPS    $ WON
1.           1            23          Cory Hedge cock            Loudon, TN                      40          $2,000
2.           5            18x       Michael Page                   Douglasville, GA             40          $1,000
3.           9            85          Ronnie Johnson               Chattanooga, TN            40          $700
4.           2            P1         Andy Picklesimer           Ooltewah, TN                   40          $550
5.           15          8            Dingus Griffin                 Eastaboga, AL                 40          $500
6.           10          11          Cruz Skinner                   Oxford, AL                       40          $425
7.           7            05          T.J. Brittain                     Centre, AL                        40          $375
8.           13          58          Tyler Clem                       St. Petersburg, FL           40          $350
9.           19          16          Sam Seawright                Fort Payne, AL                40          $325
10.         8            25          Chase Walls                     Decherd, TN                     40          $300
11.         22          J39       Jimmy Elliott                   Cleveland, TN                  40          $275
12.         14          12          Ashton Winger (R)         Senoia, GA                        40          $250
13.         11          J0          John Ownby                     Cleveland, TN                  40          $225
14.         16          1m        Bryant March (R)           Corinth, MS                     40          $200
15.         23          19          Marcus Minga                 Shannon, MS                    40          $175
16.         18          66          Jake Knowles                  Rome, GA                         40          $150
17.         6            6            Clay Harris                      Jupiter, FL                       40          $140
18.         20          5D         Rodgerick Dykes            Smith Station, AL           40          $125
19.         24          22          Austin Burns                    Georgetown, IN               34          $125
20.         21          14jr      Victor Turner                  Pell City, AL                    27          $125
21.         12          3            Cody Smith                       Holt, FL                             20          $125
22.         3            17          Matt Henderson                             Loudon, TN                      18          $125
23.         17          R1         Riley Hickman                Cleveland, TN                  11          $125
24.         4            232       Jamey Boland                  Cuba, AL                           10          $125                    

ENTRIES: 50
KNOWLES RACE PARTS AND BODIES QUALIFYING: Hedgecock, 13.925 Seconds (NTR)
PROVISIONALS: Minga and Burns
LEAD CHANGES: None
DURRENCE LAYNE CHEVROLET ROLL WITH COLE AWARD: Hedgecock, Led 40 Laps
BEYEA HEADERS HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE: Elliott (started 22nd and finished 11th)
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Winger
CAUTIONS: 6
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .577 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 34 Minutes and 51.981 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: April 28, Talladega Short Track, $2,500-to-win, 50 Laps