CLARKSVILLE WIN MAKES THOMAS FOUR FOR FIVE IN CHEVY SUPER SERIES

CLARKSVILLE, TN – William Thomas of Phenix City, AL drove the Alexander’s Industrial Service GRT to his fourth win in five races on Saturday night in the James Corlew Chevrolet 50 at Clarksville Speedway for the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Thomas led all 50 laps to pick up the $3,000 top prize.

Thomas left Clarksville Speedway with a 42-point lead in the championship standings over National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, who finished second in the Tommy Pope Construction Warrior.  Johnson could get close to Thomas at times in the race, but Thomas was able to keep “The Chattanooga Flash” behind him.

“We didn’t think the track would get as slick as it did, but it was still a good surface to race on and we just had to adjust our driving style for it,” Thomas said.  “I knew Ronnie Johnson was back there, so I knew I had to run hard, but at the same time, not overdrive the race track.  We still have a lot of racing left in this season, and if I do win this championship, I know Ronnie is going to make me earn it.”

Tim Busha of Boaz, AL made a late race charge to claim the third spot in the Kilpatrick Racing GRT, and Tait Davenport of Benton, KY finished fourth in the Murtco, Inc. Special.  Ted Lackey of Munford, AL was fifth in the C.S. Beatty Construction Warrior, and Ross Martin of Talladega, AL drove the Blake Dorsett Trucking GRT to a sixth-place finish.

David Brannon of Elora, TN finished seventh in the Elora Gin Company Special, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA started 15^th and charged to the eighth spot in the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Special.  Adam Martin of Talladega, AL was ninth in the Seals Insurance Special and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS rounded out the top ten in the Custom Spraying, Inc. GRT.

Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL set fast time in Qualifying with a lap around the ¼-mile clay oval in 13.067 seconds driving the Edge’s Gas Company Special to earn the pole position for the James Corlew Chevrolet 50.  Edge led the field down for the green flag and took the lead from outside front row starter Thomas.

But the start was waved off when Ross Martin spun in turn one, which set off a chain reaction behind him.  All cars were able to line back up for a complete restart, and on the second try, Edge and Thomas raced side-by-side for the lead, until Thomas claimed the point coming off the fourth turn to lead lap one followed by Edge, Johnson, Ross Martin and Lackey.

Ross Martin pulled to the inside of Johnson on lap three to set up a side-by-side battle for the third spot that was waged for six laps.  Johnson was able to settle back into third and open up a car length advantage over Ross Martin by lap nine.  With the tight confines of Clarksville Speedway, it didn’t take long for Thomas to catch the cars on the tail end of the lead lap by lap eight.

Edge was unable to gain any ground on Thomas in lapped traffic.  Thomas could drive his car anywhere he wanted to on the race track to get through the traffic, and by 18 he had a full straightaway lead over Edge.  Edge was able to catch up with Thomas on lap 19 when the caution flag came out for debris in turn four.

With Thomas at the front of the field for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart, as the field lined-up side-by-side behind him.  Edge chose the inside and had the third-place car of Johnson to his right on the outside.  Fourth through tenth respectively were Ross Martin, Lackey, Busha, Davenport, Brannon, Jeff Walston of Paducah, KY, and Brad Smith of Winston-Salem, NC.

The caution flag came out on the restart when Carlton Freeman of Eastaboga, AL spun the Advanced Lazer and Machine Special in turn four, and Walston gave up the ninth spot when he took the Mason’s Recycling Special to the pit area.

When the field went back to green flag action, Johnson sailed around the outside of Edge to take over the second spot coming off the second turn, and was right on Thomas’ back bumper going down the backstretch.  Thomas gave Johnson the inside line as they sailed into turn three, but Thomas was able to pull Johnson one car-length coming off the fourth turn.

Johnson suddenly slowed off the pace down the front straightaway on lap 24 that set up a scramble Ross Martin was able to capitalize on, as he moved up to the second spot.  Johnson came back up to speed in turn two and settled back into the third spot, with Lackey moving up to fourth, and Edge dropping back to fifth.

Freeman spun in turn three on lap 29 collecting Mark Dowdy of Waterloo, AL in the Action Track Chair Special to bring out the caution flag and eliminating both cars.  Thomas had Ross Martin, Johnson, Lackey, Edge, Busha, Davenport, Brannon, Adam Martin, and Turner doubled up behind him for the restart.

Ross Martin chose the inside for the restart and had Johnson to his right on the outside.  When the green flag came out, Johnson passed Martin for second, and Edge followed him around Lackey to reclaim the third spot.

Smith spun the Velocita Special in two on lap 30 to light up the yellow caution bulb for the fifth time.  After the field went back to green flag action, Busha was on the move, as he got around Davenport and Lackey to move up to the fifth spot.  Edge gave up the third spot when he slowed with a cut tire on lap 31 to bring the caution flag back out over the field.

The restart saw Thomas leading Johnson, Ross Martin, Busha, Lackey, Davenport, Brannon, Adam Martin, Turner and Barrett.  On lap 36, Ross Martin got sideways in turn three, and created a wild scramble behind him.  All of the cars continued without stopping, but the aftermath left debris on the track, and caution flag came out on lap 37.

The turn three action reshuffled the top ten for the restart from second on back.  Thomas and Johnson still held the first two spots, but Busha moved up to third followed by Davenport, Lackey, Ross Martin, Brannon, Adam Martin, Turner and Barrett.

In the closing laps of the race, Johnson could keep Thomas in his sights, but he couldn’t get close enough to challenge for the win.  Thomas picked his way through lapped traffic in the final eight laps of the race, keeping at least one lapped car between himself and Johnson to take a .768 second margin of victory at the checkered flag.

The Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series will take part in a triple racing weekend next week with a trio of $3,000-to-win $300-to-start events.  The three upcoming races will be Rounds 6, 7 and 8 of the 2013 season.

The action begins on Friday night at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA with the Mountain View Chevrolet 50.  The second race will be the Volunteer Chevrolet 50 on Saturdaynight at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN.  The third race will be the completion of the West Chevrolet 50 on Sunday night at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN.

For more information about the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.525superseries.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.

 

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 5 AT CLARKSVILLE SPEEDWAY IN CLARKSVILLE, TN ON 9/14/13:

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON
1.             2              A19        William Thomas                                Phenix City, AL                  50           $3,000
2.             4              5              Ronnie Johnson                  Chattanooga, TN                50           $1,500
3.             7              15           Tim Busha                           Boaz, AL                              50           $1,000
4.             9              18d         Tait Davenport                   Benton, KY                          50           $850
5.             6              41           Ted Lackey                          Munford, AL                       50           $750
6.             3              47           Ross Martin                         Talladega, AL                     50           $700
7.             8              33           David Brannon                   Elora, TN                             50           $650
8.             15           10           Matthew Turner                 Dawsonville, GA                 50           $600
9.             11           47m        Adam Martin                      Talladega, AL                     50           $550
10.          12           110         Brent Barrett                      Cleveland, MS                     50           $500
11.          16           36           Evan Taylor                        Woodlawn, TN                    50           $475
12.          1              18           Chase Edge                          Lafayette, AL                      50           $450
13.          13           19           Gavin Schmidt                    Tennessee Ridge, TN         50           $425
14.          17           89           Credence Mott                    Vienna, IL                            49           $400
15.          20           127         Robert Ardry                      Lavergne, TN                      48           $375
16.          21           5t            Mitch Thornton                  Columbia, TN                     47           $350
17.          19           72           Frank Wilson                      Milton, FL                            47           $325
18.          5              14k         Brad Smith                          Winston-Salem, NC           29           $300
19.          14           88d         Mark Dowdy                       Waterloo, AL                      26           $300
20.          18           B17        Carlton Freeman               Eastaboga, AL                    26           $300
21.          10           56           Jeff Walston                        Paducah, KY                       18           $300

 

ENTRIES:  21
FAST QUALIFIER:  Edge, 13.067 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES:  None
LAP LEADER:  Thomas, 1-50
CAUTIONS:  7
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  .768 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  40 Minutes and 42.091 Seconds

 

QUALIFYING:

POS	CAR #	DRIVER	HOMETOWN	CHASSIS	LAP 1	LAP 2	TIME
1	18	Chase Edge	Lafayette, AL	Mastersbilt	13.502	13.067	13.067
2	A19	William Thomas	Phenix City, AL	GRT	13.382	13.080	13.080
3	47	Ross Martin	Talladega, AL	GRT	13.116	13.411	13.116
4	5	Ronnie Johnson	Chattanooga, TN	Warrior	13.148	13.361	13.148
5	14k	Brad Smith	Winston-Salem, NC	Lazer	13.913	13.214	13.214
6	41	Ted Lackey	Munford, AL	Warrior	13.906	13.239	13.239
7	15	Tim Busha	Boaz, AL	GRT	13.278	13.277	13.277
8	33	David Brannon	Elora, TN	Barry Wright	13.608	13.285	13.285
9	18d	Tait Davenport	Benton, KY	Longhorn	13.309	13.546	13.309
10	56	Jeff Walston	Paducah, KY	Mastersbilt	13.484	13.324	13.324
11	47m	Adam Martin	Talladega, AL	Barry Wright	13.531	13.422	13.422
12	110	Brent Barrett	Cleveland,, MS	GRT	13.606	13.512	13.512
13	19	Gavin Schmidt	Tennessee Ridge, TN	GRT	13.715	13.544	13.544
14	88d	Mark Dowdy	Waterloo, AL	Killer	13.555	14.886	13.555
15	10	Matthew Turner	Dawsonville, GA	DWB	14.731	13.567	13.567
16	36	Evan Taylor	Woodlawn, TN	PPM	13.660	13.605	13.605
17	89	Credence Mott	Vienna, IL	Barry Wright	13.749	13.625	13.625
18	B17	Carlton Freeman	Eastaboga, AL	HRRC	14.094	13.866	13.866
19	72	Frank Wilson	Milton, FL	Trak-Star	14.529	14.051	14.051
20	127	Robert Ardry	Lavergne, TN	Rayburn	14.978	NT	14.978
21	5	Mitch Thornton	Columbia, TN	Warrior	NT	NT	NT

 

CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 9/14/13:

 

1. A19 William Thomas – 494
2. 5 Ronnie Johnson – 452
3. 10 Matthew Turner – 440
4. 18 Chase Edge – 432
4. 15 Tim Busha – 432
6. 110 Brent Barrett – 430
7. 72 Frank Wilson – 386
8. 47m Adam Martin – 378
9. 14k Brad Smith – 364
10. 222 Carlton Freeman – 352
10. 47 Ross Martin – 352
12. 33 David Brannon – 344
13. B17 Ted Lackey – 244
14. 88d Mark Dowdy – 230
15. 1 Johnny Stokes – 144
15. 42 Steve Kirk – 144
17. 19b Jeremy Britton – 140
18. 00 Richie Stephens – 126
19. 1s Jeremy Shaw – 96
20. 2s Kyle Shaw – 92
20. 18d Tait Davenport

 

Chevrolet Performance Parts is the Title Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Hedman Hedders is the Official Hedder of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series and the Hedman Husler Award sponsor.  Bilstein Shocks is the Official Spec Shock of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2013 are Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, AR Bodies, Velocita Racewear, and KRC Power Steering.