Brandon Williams Wins 26th Annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track

Eastaboga, AL - Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN piloted his B&R Kustoms sponsored CVR Race Car to victory lane at the 26th Annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL. Williams took the lead from his inside pole starting position and lead 50-laps in route to the $2,500 victory during the opening round of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout. The victory came on the re-scheduled weekend for the 26th running of the annual Winter Time event that was coincidentally "iced" out on the original January 5-8th weekend. 70 degree weather and abundant sunshine greeted the racers for the return trip to the 1/3rd mile high-banked oval setting just across the street from one of the largest tracks in the world, Talladega Super Speedway.

Williams crossed the start finish line just 0.734 seconds ahead of second place finisher and fellow Tennessee native Riley Hickman. Hickman roused the capacity crowd with what many will consider the move of the weekend as he made a move in turn 4 to try and pass race-long leader Williams for the lead, but spun his Hickman Manufacturing sponsored mount at the exit of turn 4. With Williams crossing the checkered flag and Hickman headed in the wrong direction, a fierce battle had ensued for the remainder of the top 5 positions. Hickman quickly jammed his car into reverse, re-fired his Chevrolet Performance 604 engine, and made a dash towards the start finish line. Ronnie Johnson had held the third position for several laps, but lost rear brakes on his CVR Race Cars house-car #5 allowing the field to run him down. As the stampede barreled toward the checkered flag, Hickman hustled in reverse where he was able to just edge Johnson across the start finish line to claim the runner up spot. Johnson held on to finish in third ahead of Jimmy Elliott in his Mighty Muffler and Brake Center mount, and local hot shoe Jeff Helms rounded out the top 5 in his familiar #10H.

The race was slowed for three minor incidents for flat tires. Cale Conley had a flat left rear tire after hard racing contact which put out the yellow flag on lap 9. Just three laps later, the damage from the incident once again punctured Conley's left rear tire on lap 12. A scary lap 19 accident in which Matt Black's #00 machine came to rest on top of Pierce McCarter's McCarter Farms/Parkway Liquor Store in the middle of turn 3 and 4. Caution would wave once again on lap 34 for the 2016 NeSmith Weekly Racing Series track champion at Talladega Short Track, Cruz Skinner, who had a flat tire.

Brandon Williams now sits atop the standings as the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series will now move to the next three events for the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL January 26th-28th. Open Practice will be available on January 25th, followed by $2,000 to win - 40 lap complete programs on both Thursday and Friday, January 26th and 27th. Then to cap the weekend the 12th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship paying $10,000 to win and 100 laps will finish up the Bubba Army Winter National weekend.

For more information about the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series, please visit the official website at www.nesmithracing.com.

You can also follow NeSmith Racing on all of your favorite social media outlets as well:
Facebook - NeSmith Racing
Twitter - @NeSmithRacing
Instagram - nesmithracing