GRIFFIN WINS CHEVY SUPER SERIES SEASON OPENER AT TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK

EASTABOGA, AL – Dingus Griffin of Ohatchee, AL drove the Tommy Pope Construction Special to victory on Saturday night in the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series season opener at Talladega Short Track.  After starting third, Griffin took the lead on lap three and never looked back to take the $3,000 win.

“This is a big win for us, as we have worked some long hours during the last week just to get the car ready,” Griffin said.  “I have to thank Tommy Pope for giving me this opportunity because I haven’t been racing a lot, and I only raced one time last year.  This was a great car to drive tonight.”

National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN started sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special and finished second after an exciting battle with Jake Knowles of Tyrone, GA, who took the third spot in the Cedartown Electric Rocket.  Knowles was the fast qualifier among the 25 entrants with a lap of 13.347 seconds around the ¼-mile clay oval.

Tyler Crowder of Lamont, FL came from the 12^th starting spot to finish fourth in the Crowder Trucking Rocket, and Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL was the Rookie of the Race with a fifth-place effort in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special.

Jacob Grizzle of Blairsville, GA drove the Carolina Performance Special to a sixth place finish and Ross Martin of Talladega, AL took the seventh spot after leading the first two laps of the race in the Dorrsett Trucking GRT.   Lavon Sparks of Phenix City, AL was eighth in the Modern Images GRT and 15-year-old Jadon Frame of Winchester, TN finished ninth in the Poultry Electric and Pro Hardware Special.

Adam Martin of Talladega, AL rounded out the Top 10 in the Seals Insurance Special.  Griffin, Knowles, Crowder, Grizzle, Sparks and Frame were all making their first career starts with the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  In preliminary action, the two 10-lap B-Main races were won by Tim Busha of Boaz, AL in the Kilpatrick Racing GRT and Ted Lackey of Munford, AL in the C.S. Beatty Construction Warrior.

Ross Martin took the lead from his outside front row starting spot at the start of the race followed by Knowles, Griffin, Grizzle and Adam Martin.  The first of eight caution flags came out on lap three when Steve Kirk of Munford, AL stalled the Advance Lazer and Machine Special in turn three.

Ross Martin had Knowles and Griffin side-by-side behind him for the “Dixie-Style” double-file restart.  When the field went back to green flag action, Griffin cleared Knowles off the second turn to take the second spot, and then got around Ross Martin for the lead coming off the fourth turn to complete lap three.

On lap four, Busha charged from seventh to fifth, and then climbed into the fourth spot on lap six.  Griffin began to put some distance between himself and Ross Martin in second.  Just as Griffin began to encounter the cars on the tail end of the lead lap, the caution flag came out on lap nine when Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN spun the Wade’s Body Shop Special in turn two.

Griffin had Ross Martin, Busha, Knowles, Grizzle, Johnson, Adam Martin, Adkins, Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL and Crowder doubled up behind him for the restart.  When the green flag waved, Ross Martin and Busha raced side-by-side for second.  Busha drove around the outside of Ross Martin to claim the position on lap ten.

The field was slowed for the third time on lap 12 when Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS stalled the Custom Spraying, Inc. GRT on the backstretch.  The Top 10 for the double-file restart had Griffin leading followed by Busha, Ross Martin, Grizzle, Knowles, Johnson, Adam Martin, Fitzgerald, Adkins and Sparks.

Caution flag number four came out on lap 13 when Fitzgerald spun the M&M Transport Refrigeration GRT House Car out of the eighth spot in turn one.  In the one lap of green flag racing, Ross Martin was able to wrestle the second spot back from Busha on the lap 12 restart.  Ross Martin would give it all back and then some on the lap 13 restart.

The restart saw Ross Martin drop back to the fifth spot, as Busha, Knowles, and Johnson took over the second through fourth spots respectively behind the leader Griffin.  Grizzle was running sixth and spun in turn fourth on lap 15 to bring out the fifth caution flag of the race.  The next restart saw the top four drivers picking different racing grooves around the “Hornet’s Nest.”

Race leader Griffin was planted on the bottom groove of the track, while second-place Busha sailed around the outside.  Knowles also took up residence on the inside groove in the third spot, while Johnson was a high flyer in fourth.  Griffin began to encounter lapped traffic on lap 22, but Busha, Knowles and Johnson were not able to close in.

Griffin gave up a half straightaway lead on lap 31 when the caution flag came out for Teague who stalled in turn four.  Doubled up behind Griffin for the restart were Busha, Knowles, Johnson, Ross Martin, Crowder, Adkins, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, Adam Martin and Sparks.

When the green flag came back out, the fur began to fly when the leaders reached turn one.  Busha got a big run on Griffin down the front straightaway.  When they got to turn one, Busha got into the left-rear of Griffin, and the leader spun.  Race officials ticketed Busha with the caution flag, and Griffin was put back on the point for the restart.

Busha was done for the night with front end damage, and Turner took the Hedman Hussler Hedders Special to the pit area.  The Top 10 behind Griffin was reshuffled for the restart with Knowles, Johnson, Ross Martin, Crowder, Adkins, Adam Martin, Sparks, Dana Eiland of Salem, AL and Grizzle running second through tenth respectively.

Griffin pulled away on the restart, while Johnson passed Knowles for the second spot.  The field was slowed for the final time on lap 34 when Eiland spun the Andy’s Auto Parts Special in turn four.  Griffin was once again able to pull away on the restart, but the action picked up behind him as the laps wound down to the finish of the race.

Knowles drove past Johnson on the restart to the second spot and Adkins got by Crowder for the fifth spot.  Ross Martin began to fade after a three-car battle for fourth with Adkins and Crowder.  On lap 36, Crowder was up to fourth with Adkins fifth and Ross Martin in sixth.

With ten laps to go, Griffin had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Knowles and Johnson, who were racing side-by-side for the second spot.  With five laps to go, Johnson cleared Knowles to take command of the second spot, but there was no catching Griffin, even though he was mired in heavy lapped traffic.  Griffin took the checkered flag with a 1.516 second margin of victory.

The next event for the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series will be on April 12 at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL for a 50-lap $3,000-to-win $300-to-start race.

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 1 AT TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK IN EASTABOGA, AL ON 3/22/14:

 

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON
1.             3              53           Dingus Griffin                    Ohatchee, AL                      50           $3,000
2.             6              5              Ronnie Johnson                  Chattanooga, TN                50           $1,500
3.             1              66           Jake Knowles                      Tyrone, GA                          50           $1,000
4.             12           47c         Tyler Crowder                    Lamont, FL                         50           $850
5.             10           19m        Josh Adkins (R)                   Talladega, AL                     50           $750
6.             4              99g         Jacob Grizzle                      Blairsville, GA                    50           $700
7.             2              47r         Ross Martin                         Talladega, AL                     50           $650
8.             11           11           Lavon Sparks                      Phenix City, AL                  50           $600
9.             18           J8           Jadon Frame (R)                Winchester, TN                   50           $550
10.          5              47a         Adam Martin                      Talladega, AL                     50           $500
11.          14           72           Frank Wilson                      Milton, FL                            49           $475
12.          19           222         Carlton Freeman               Eastaboga, AL                    49           $450
13.          22           18           Chase Edge (R)                   LaFayette, AL                     48           $425
14.          17           5c            Mike Combs                        Odenville, AL                      48           $400
15.          24           K9          Dana Eiland                        Salem, AL                            32           $375
16.          16           33           David Brannon                   Elora, TN                             32           $350
17.          7              15           Tim Busha                           Boaz, AL                              30           $325
18.          13           10           Matthew Turner                 Dawsonville, GA                 30           $300
19.          20           117         Jake Teague                        Oliver Springs, TN            28           $300
20.          9              7              Jason Fitzgerald                                Middleburg, FL                  12           $300
21.          15           110         Brent Barrett (R)                Cleveland, MS                     10           $300
22.          23           B17        Steve Kirk                            Munford, AL                       1              $300
23.          25           88d         Mark Dowdy                       Waterloo, AL                      1              $300
24.          21           6              Tim Roszell                         Anniston, AL                       DNS        $50
25.          8              41           Ted Lackey                          Munford, AL                       DNS        $50

 

ENTRIES:  25
FAST QUALIFIER:  Knowles, 13.347 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  None
LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  R. Martin, 1-2; Griffin, 3-50
LAPS LED:  Griffin, 48; R. Martin, 2
ROOKIE OF THE RACE:  Adkins
SCHAEFFER’S OIL 8^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Sparks
MODERN IMAGES 9^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Frame
DAVID SMITH CARBURETORS 10^TH-PLACE AWARD:  A. Martin
MIKE’S CUSTOM TANKS 11^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Wilson
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Freeman
KINSER AIR FILTERS 13^TH-PLACE AWARD:  Edge
CAUTIONS:  8
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  1.516 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  40 Minutes, and 39.430 Seconds

 

QUALIFYING (Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):

 

POS	CAR #	DRIVER	HOMETOWN	CHASSIS	LAP 1	LAP 2	TIME
1	66	Jake Knowles	Tyrone, GA	Rocket	13.347	13.429	13.347
2	47m	Ross Martin	Talladega, AL	GRT	13.457	13.522	13.457
3	53	Dingus Griffin	Ohatchee, AL	Bloomquist	13.472	13.459	13.459
4	99g	Jacob Grizzle	Blairsville, GA	Mastersbilt	13.772	13.507	13.507
5	47	Adam Martin	Talladega, AL	Barry Wright	13.519	13.591	13.519
6	5	Ronnie Johnson	Chattanooga, TN	Mastersbilt	13.663	13.536	13.536
7	11	Lavon Sparks	Phenix City, AL	GRT	13.555	13.559	13.555
8	19m	Josh Adkins – R	Talladega, AL	Barry Wright	13.605	13.682	13.605
9	7	Jason Fitzgerald	Middleburg, FL	GRT	13.670	13.629	13.629
10	41	Ted Lackey	Munford, AL	Warrior	14.380	13.659	13.659
11	15	Tim Busha	Boaz, AL	GRT	13.690	13.766	13.690
12	33	David Brannon	Elora, TN	Barry Wright	13.767	13.848	13.767
13	6	Tim Roszell	Anniston, AL	Warrior	13.813	13.871	13.813
14	72	Frank Wilson	Milton, FL	Trak-Star	13.824	13.964	13.824
15	110	Brent Barrett – R	Cleveland, MS	GRT	13.925	13.836	13.836
16	47c	Tyler Crowder	Lamont, FL	Rocket	13.912	13.886	13.886
17	10	Matthew Turner	Dawsonville, GA	DWB	NT	14.079	14.079
18	J8	Jadon Frame – R	Winchester, TN	Revelution	14.155	14.100	14.100
19	222	Carlton Freeman	Eastaboga, AL	GRT	14.271	14.135	14.135
20	117	Jake Teague	Oliver Springs, TN	Barry Wright	14.376	14.350	14.350
21	B17	Steve Kirk	Munford, AL	HRRC	14.491	14.432	14.432
22	18	Chase Edge – R	LaFayette,AL	Mastersbilt	14.603	14.454	14.454
23	5c	Mike Combs	Odenville, AL	TSR	14.502	14.926	14.502
24	K9	Dana Eiland	Salem, AL	Mastersbilt	16.746	NT	16.746
25	88	Mark Dowdy	Waterloo, AL	Killer	NT	NT	NT

 

B-MAINS (10 Laps):

 

1^ST B-MAIN:  1. Busha; 2. Fitzgerald; 3. Sparks; 4. Turner; 5. Barrett (R); 6. Combs; 7. Freeman; 8. Roszell; 9. Kirk.

 

2^ND B-MAIN:  1. Lackey; 2. Adkins (R); 3. Crowder; 4. Wilson; 5. Brannon; 6. Frame (R); 7. Teague; 8. Edge (R); 9. Eiland; 10. Dowdy.

 

R – Denotes Rookie of the Year Candidate

 

 

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.  Schaeffer’s Oil Presented By Chad Wallace and Heather Newsome is the Official Oil of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  AR Bodies is an Official Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2013 are Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, KRC Power Steering, David Smith Carburetors, Kinser Air Filters, and Shorty’s Shock Service.