BRUNSWICK, GA – Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL was the man to beat on Friday night at Golden Isles Speedway, as he won Night 1 of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Edge took the lead from Ryan Carter of Blackshear, GA on lap three, and never looked back in the 50-lap race to claim the top prize of $2,500.
Edge started out the evening by out-qualifying the 29-car field with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in the Edge’s Gas Company Special in 16.344 seconds to earn the pole position for the bug show. Edge took the lead on the initial start, but a multi-car tangle in turn one brought about a complete restart.
Carter got the hole shot on the next green flag, and put his Mark’s Auto and Collision Special in the lead. Edge was able to get his momentum up on the second lap, and then sailed around Carter to take the lead he would never relinquish on the third tour around Golden Isles Speedway.
“Our car was fast from the time we unloaded it until we took the checkered flag.,” Edge said. “About the only mistake I made all night was on that restart when I let Ryan Carter get a jump on me. I really have taken a liking to Golden Isles Speedway because it’s big, fast, and it reminds me a lot of one of my home tracks, East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL. We’ll check the race car over real well in the morning and try to win another one tomorrow.”
Grant Garrison of Walton, KY finished second in the Darrell Lanigan Racing Special after a race-long duel with P.L. Williams of Dublin, GA in the Dublin Tire TNT, who took the third spot. Cale Conley of Davidson, NC drove the BMC Motorsports Special to a fourth-place finish, and Robert Diekemper of Bloomingdale, GA started 15th in the Chatham Classic Homes Special.
Will Herrington of Cochran, GA was sixth in the Herrington Auto Warrior and Joshua Bishop of Statesboro, GA took the seventh spot in the Augusta Industrial Services Special. Mallory Harvey of Baxley, GA finished eighth in the Rentz Farms Rocket, and Cecil Eunice of Blackshear, GA was ninth in the Ace Equipment Special.
Carter ran in the top three for most of the race, but faded in the closing laps to round out the top ten. In preliminary action, the two ten lap B-Main Races were won by Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL in the Southway Crane Rental GRT, and Chesley Dixon of Swainsboro, GA in the Central Fence Company Special.
With the victory, Edge now leads the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout point standings by 100 points over Conley. Edge has 360 points to Conley’s 260. Ryan King of Seymour, TN is third in the standings 256 points driving the Brian King Roofing Stinger.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series returns to Golden Isles Speedway for Night 2 of the RockAuto.com Winter Series with a 50-lap $3,000-to-win main event, Round 5 of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout, and a part of the Golden Isles Speedway Super Bowl of Racing. NeSmith Late Model Pre-Race Registration opens at 11 a.m. and Qualifying will be at 2 p.m.
Golden Isles Speedway is located 12 miles west of I-95 at Exit 29 on U.S. Highway 82. The physical address for Golden Isles Speedway is 101 Speedway Drive, Waynesville, GA 31566. For more information call 912-778-3767, or visit the track web site at www.goldenislesspeedway.com. You can also like their Facebook Page at Golden Isles Speedway Park.
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 OF THE ROCKAUTO.COM WINTER SHOOTOUT SERIES FOR THE NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1 1 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL 50 $2,500
2. 4 1 Grant Garrison Walton, KY 50 $1,250
3. 7 121 P.L. Williams Dublin, GA 50 $850
4. 6 21 Cale Conley Davidson, NC 50 $700
5. 15 48 Robert Diekemper Bloomingdale, GA 50 $650
6. 8 14 Will Herrington Cochran, GA 50 $550
7. 17 1j Joshua Bishop Statesboro, GA 50 $500
8. 16 29 Mallory Harvey Baxley, GA 50 $450
9. 13 22 Cecil Eunice Blackshear, GA 50 $400
10. 2 52 Ryan Carter – Y Blackshear, GA 50 $375
11. 9 C2 Jason Fitzgerald Middleburg, FL 49 $350
12. 3 42 Cla Knight North Augusta, SC 49 $300
13. 23 1n Nevin Gainey Fort White, FL 49 $280
14. 18 30 Ryan King Seymour, TN 49 $260
15. 21 5 Robbie Stevens Stoneville, NC 48 $250
16. 24 5d Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 47 $240
17. 5 9 Ryan Atkins Mount Airy, NC 31 $220
18. 12 88 Trent Ivey Union, SC 30 $200
19. 11 7 Jordan Lockhart Hortense, GA 30 $200
20. 10 3 Chesley Dixon Swainsboro, GA 11 $200
21. 22 J17 Joe Kump Lake Helen, FL 9 $200
22. 14 27 David Smith Inman, SC 5 $200
23. 20 2 Terry Lumley Twin City, GA 5 $200
24. 19 44 Rhett Carter Blackshear, GA 0 $200
ENTRIES: 29
FAST QUALIFIER: Edge, 16.344 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Ry. Carter, 1-2; Edge, 3-50
LAPS LED: Edge, 48; Ry. Carter, 2
CAUTIONS: 4
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 2.671 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 35 Minutes and 49.645 Seconds
NEXT RACE: February 6, Golden Isles Speedway, Brunswick, GA, 50-laps $3,000-to-win
QUALIFYING (Top 8 Transfer To Main Event):
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS 1ST LAP 2ND LAP TIME
1 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL Mastersbilt 16.545 16.344 16.344
2 52 Ryan Carter – Y Blackshear, GA Mastersbilt 16.836 16.531 16.531
3 42 Cla Knight North Augusta, SC Longhorn 16.952 16.575 16.575
4 1 Grant Garrison – T Walton, KY Club 29 16.705 17.045 16.705
5 9 Ryan Atkins – T Mount Airy, NC Longhorn 17.428 16.779 16.779
6 21c Cale Conley Davidson, NC Pierce 17.429 16.909 16.909
7 121 Pearson Lee Williams Dublin, GA TNT 17.050 16.913 16.913
8 14 Will Herrington Cochran, GA Warrior 17.280 16.915 16.915
9 7 Jordan Lockhart – T Hortense, GA Barry Wright 17.165 16.919 16.919
10 3 Chesley Dixon Swainsboro, GA Barry Wright 17.138 16.939 16.939
11 C2 Jason Fitzgerald Middleburg, FL GRT 17.167 16.964 16.964
12 88 Trent Ivey Union, SC Barry Wright 16.980 17.077 16.980
13 22 Cecil Eunice Blackshear, GA Mastersbilt 17.287 17.022 17.022
14 27 David Smith Inman, SC Barry Wright 17.060 17.478 17.060
15 48 Robert Diekemper Bloomingdale, GA Barry Wright 17.199 17.108 17.108
16 5d Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL Warrior 17.282 17.113 17.113
17 5 Robbie Stevens – T Stoneville, NC Warrior 17.450 17.123 17.123
18 2 Terry Lumley Twin City, GA GRT 17.526 17.201 17.201
19 20 Cole Godowns Louisville, GA Newman 17.649 17.233 17.233
20 30 Ryan King – R Seymour, TN Stinger 17.589 17.256 17.256
21 J1 Joshua Bishop Statesboro, GA Newman 17.909 17.288 17.288
22 29 Mallory Harvey Baxley, GA Rocket 17.325 17.534 17.325
23 1s Nevin Gainey Fort White, FL Snow Bros. 17.866 17.378 17.378
24 45 Damon Flowers Hortense, GA Innovator 17.744 17.440 17.440
25 6 Blake Spencer St. Augustine, FL GRT 17.644 17.589 17.589
26 J17 Joe Kump Lake Helen, FL GRT 17.945 NT 17.945
27 72 Frank Wilson Milton, FL HRRC 19.126 18.269 18.269
28 44 Rhett Carter – T Blackshear, GA Rocket 17.050 16.718 NT/DQ-Deck
29 4 Jeremy Faircloth Swainsboro, GA Warrior 17.038 16.668 NT/DQ – Deck
B-MAINS (10 Laps – Top 8 Transfer To Main Event):
1ST B-MAIN: 1, Fitzgerald; 2. Lockhart; 3. Eunice; 4. Diekemper; 5. Bishop; 6. Rh. Carter; 7. Stevens; 8. Gainey; 9. Spencer; 10. Godowns; 11. Wilson.
2ND B-MAIN: 1. Dixon; 2. Ivey; 3. Smith; 4. Harvey; 5. King; 6. Lumley; 7. Kump; 8. Dykes; 9. Flowers; 10. Faircloth DNS.
ROCKAUTO.COM WINTER SHOOTOUT SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 2/5/16:
1. 18 Chase Edge – 360
2. 21 Cale Conley – 260
3. 30 Ryan King – 256
4. 14 Tyler Clem (Y) – 210
5. 40b Kyle Bronson – 196
6. 19 William Thomas – 194
7. 17b Josh Richards – 184
8. 30b Tyler Bare – 172
8. 52 Ryan Carter (Y) – 172
10. 88 Trent Ivey – 168
11. 17 Logan Roberson – 164
12. 1w Justin Williams – 162
12. J17 Joe Kump – 162
14. 5 Mark Whitener – 158
15. 14 Will Herrington – 156
16. 1 Bryant Marsh (Y) – 150
17. 45 Shan Smith – 146
18. 00m Monte Skinner – 144
19. 58 Austin Kirkpatrick – 136
19. 111 Max Blair – 136
Y – Denotes Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series Driver
NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the nation’s number one GM Powertrain and Performance Dealer six years running, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast. Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. RockAuto.com is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. Beyea Headers is the NeSmith Late Model Hard Charger Sponsor. Sunoco Race Fuels is the Official Race Fuel of the NeSmith Late Models. Panama City Cycles is the Official ATV Provider of the NeSmith Late Models. AR Bodies is an Associate Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. NeSmith Late Model Contingency Sponsors for 2015 are CrateInsider.Com, Integra Racing Shocks, Image Screen Printing, and Gresham Race Parts. 2015 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.