Pennsylvania's Mike Pegher Jr. Picks Up $2,000 Cochran Speedway Payday

Cochran, GA - The long haul to Cochran Motor Speedway for rounds 6 and 7 of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout for the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series was worth the trip as Cranberry Township, PA driver Mike Pegher Jr. picked up the $2,000, 40 lap feature win on Friday night March 10th at the 3/8th mile dirt oval in Cochran, GA. Pegher drove his Royal Flush sponsored Rocket XR1 Chassis to a dominating performance by setting fast time and leading from flag to flag for the first of two nights of action at Chris and Joni Martin's speedway. Pegher's win made him the 6th different winner in the 6 events held so far in 2017 during the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout proving the competitiveness of the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series competitors.

37 of the best NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series drivers from across the country signed in for night one's action which utilized Sunoco Race Fuels Group A & B Qualifying to determine the lineup for the first 5 rows of the feature and B-Main Line Ups to set the remainder of the 24-car starting field. While Pegher grabbed overall fast qualifier honors, which earned him and additional bonus from local sponsor Last Air Heating and Cooling, it was Blackshear, GA's Ryan Carter who set atop the chart for Group B in his Mark's Auto Body CVR putting him on the outside front row for the feature.

The Top 5 Qualifiers from Group A & B locked into the feature with three Chevrolet Performance B-Mains to determine the remainder of the starting grid. Riley Hickman picked up Chevrolet Performance B-Main #1 Win in his Hickman Manufacturing CVR. Tyrone, GA native Jody Knowles picked up B-Main #2 Win in his Knowles Trucking/Gentry Auto Parts machine, and the "MagicMan" Mark Whitener piloted his ULC Motorsports #5 machine to the win for B-Main #3.

Mike Pegher Jr. would lead the field to green and quickly go to work setting a blistering pace. The field would quickly get to work when recent winner Jamie Perry would slow his #P4 machine down the back straightaway to draw the first caution flag of the night on lap 6. On the lap 6 restart Pegher would once again get back to business with fierce action taking place among the top 5. Caution would wave once again on lap 28 for the 101 machine of Forrest Trent after contact with another machine put him against the inside wall at the start/finish line. From the lap 28 restart it would appear that Pegher had the field easily covered up to that point, but as the laps wound down Brandon, FL's Kyle Bronson had put Pegher in his sights. With the white flag waving, Bronson would pull to within four car lengths heading down the back straightaway, and made one final charge at Pegher exiting turn four with the Sunoco Checkered flag waving. Bronson would come up just short with Pegher taking the win, Bronson second, Cleveland, TN hot shoe Jimmy Elliott third, Forrest Trent fourth, and Mark Whitener rounding out the top 5.

The NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series returns to Cochran Motor Speedway Saturday Night March 11th for round 7 of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout Series featuring a $5,000 to win, 60 lap main event. Gates will open at 12 Noon with Driver's Meeting Scheduled for 5 P.M. EST. For more information about Cochran Motor Speedway visit their official website at www.cochranspeedway.com.  

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:

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Entries: 37

Fast Qualifier: Mike Pegher Jr. - 15.083

Provisionals: None

Lead Changes: None

Lap Leaders: Pegher Jr. - 1-40

Margin of Victory: 0.968 seconds

Time of Race: 16 minutes, 03 seconds
NEXT RACE:  March 11th - Cochran Motor Speedway - $5,000 to win March

NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the Official Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.

Chevrolet Performance is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.

Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire of the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series.

Sunoco Race Fuels is the Official Race Fuel of the Series.

Cruise with the Champions is the Official Vacation and Rookie of the Year Sponsor for the Series.

RockAuto.com is an Associate Sponsor of the Series and Official Sponsor of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout Series.

David Smith Carburetors is the Official Carburetor of NeSmith Racing.

Contingency Sponsors Include: Crate Insider.com, AR Bodies, FreeStyle Graphix, Out Pace Performance, and Knowles Racing Parts and Bodies.