GREENVILLE, MS – Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL turned his 2012 season around on Saturday by winning the 6th Annual Gumbo Nationals for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Greenville Speedway. Shaw led all 60 laps of the race to collect the $5,000 top prize driving the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star.
“We started out the season challenging for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Championship, and won a NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division race in May, but the last two months has been tough for our team,” said Shaw, who finished fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series points. “This win was big for us and really turned our season around.”
Shaw held off a late race challenge from Tait Davenport of Benton, KY, who caught Shaw in lapped traffic and challenged for the lead on lap 46 and lap 54. But Davenport suddenly fell off the pace in the Murtco, Inc. Special and coasted to a stop in turn two on lap 55. Davenport’s misfortune earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
“I was pretty much committed to the top of the race track, and when we got to the lapped traffic, I tried to go to the bottom, but lost all of my momentum,” Shaw said. “I knew someone was there challenging me, but the cautions seemed to work in our advantage all night, and we kept clear race track in front of us.”
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN finished second in the Eads Farms/Hardy & Associates Warrior and gained two points on point leader Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, who finished third in the Hedman Husler Special.
Turner holds a 16-point lead over Gentry in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series battle for the $20,000 Championship going into the last race of the 2012 season, the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 8th Annual Chevrolet Performance Parts World Championship Race on November 30-December 1 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL.
“I’m looking forward to going to Ocala, FL and racing Matthew for the championship because it’s a track neither one of us has been to, and neither one of us as an advantage over the other,” Gentry said. “I want to race Matthew for the championship right down to the final checkered flag of the season.”
Gentry had a strong performance at the end of the race, but it was discovered during the post-race technical inspection that he was lucky to finish the race.
“My engine wasn’t running on all eight cylinders from about the fifth lap to the end of the race,” Gentry said. “I ran 55 laps on seven or even six cylinders.” During the post-race inspection it was discovered that two valve spring keepers and a rocker arm were loose causing the engine to run on seven cylinders.
If Gentry takes the win in Ocala, FL, Turner would have to finish seventh or better to take his first NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship. If Gentry doesn’t win the race, Turner would to stay within eight spots of Gentry to win the championship. If they end up in a tie, Gentry wins the tie-breaker with more wins this season than Turner.
“I can’t wait to get to the last race of the season and get this done,” Turner said. “We had a good run tonight and that’s something for us build on going into the final race. I know David Earl is going to make me earn it, as he has done all season.”
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS finished fourth in the Bryson Motorsports Special, and Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS took the fifth spot in the Bassett Hound Motorsports GRT. The 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Champion Chase Washington of Houlka, MS was sixth in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special.
Larry Harrod of Plains, GA drove the Harrod Logging Special to a seventh-place finish, and Brett Barrett of Cleveland, MS finished eighth in the Custom Spraying GRT. Ronnie Cooper of McKenzie, TN took a provisional, started 24th, and finished ninth in the Ronnie Cooper Trucking GRT to earn the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.
Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS rounded out the top ten in the Redden Farms GRT. Cody Kierre of Beebe, AR was the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Race in the K&E Racing GRT, and Shane Stephens of Arlington, TN in the FSR Racing Products Special took the Integra Racing Shocks Just Missed It Award as the first alternate starter of the race.
In preliminary action on Friday night, Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL out-timed the 39-car field with a lap around the ¼-mile gumbo clay oval in 15.089 seconds. The four ten-lap heat races were won by McRee, Shaw, Davenport, and Washington. The two ten-lap B-Main Races on Saturday night were won by Stokes and Danny Gentry of Eads, TN in the Shorty’s Shocks GRT.
Shaw took the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting spot, beating polesitter McRee into turn one followed by Ashley Newman of Ripley, TN in the TS Race Shop Special, Davenport, and Washington. The first of ten caution flags came out on lap two for debris, and the field doubled up for the restart.
When green flag came back out, Washington got by Davenport for the fourth spot, and Gentry moved up to the ninth spot from his 11th starting position. Shaw encountered the cars on the tail of the lead lap by lap 12, and McRee closed in to challenge for the lead. As McRee tried to slide up in front of a lapped car coming off the fourth turn on lap 13, he hit the wall.
That broke something on McRee’s High Roller Race Car Special, and he coasted to a stop in turn two to bring out caution flag number two. Shaw led Newman, Washington, Davenport, Turner, Duke Palasini of Leland, MS in the Palasini Farms Special, Cooley, Gentry, Hunter Carroll of Columbus, MS in the Magic Muffler Special, and Greg Fore of Greenville, MS in the Precision Marine Special down for the restart.
The field raced for one lap before the caution came out on lap 14 when Shay Knight of Columbus, MS cut down a tire on his LaQuinta Inns Special. On the next double file restart, Washington got by Newman for the second spot, but while they battled for the position, Shaw had pulled out to a half-straightaway lead by lap 16.
Shaw’s advantage was erased with a lap 17 caution flag for debris in turn three. The nest restart saw Shaw leading Washington, Newman, Turner, Davenport, Cooley, Palasini, Gentry, Fore and Harrison down to the green flag. Palasini passed Turner for fourth on lap 19 with an inside move coming down the front straightaway, and Shaw held a full straightaway lead on lap 20.
A four-car battle for the fourth spot was being waged among Turner, Davenport, Palasini, and Cooley, with Davenport taking the spot, followed by Turner, Cooley, and Palasini. Newman fell off the pace on lap 24 to fall out of the third spot and bring out the caution flag. The top ten for the restart was Shaw, Washington, Davenport, Turner, Cooley, Palasini, Gentry, Stokes, Harrison and Harrod.
Shaw pulled away on the restart, but Washington, Davenport, Turner and Cooley broke out in four-wide racing for the second spot. When they sorted themselves out on lap 25, Davenport grabbed the second spot followed by Turner, Washington, and Cooley.
On lap 26, Cooley stepped around the outside of Washington to take the fourth spot on the backstretch, and Gentry got around Palasini to take over the sixth position. At the halfway point on lap 30, Shaw led Davenport, Turner, Cooley, Washington, Gentry, Palasini, Stokes, Harrison, and Harrod.
Lap 33 bunched up the field again after a caution flag for debris. The restart saw Stokes and Palasini tangle on the backstretch to bring the caution flag back out, and Palasini was ticketed for the yellow. The restart saw Gentry drive under both Washington and Cooley to move up to fourth, and he began to battle Turner for the third spot.
Danny Gentry brought out the ninth caution flag on lap 36 when he lost a driveshaft. With 14 laps to go, Shaw led Davenport, Turner, Gentry, Cooley, Stokes, Washington, Harrod, Harrison and Barrett. Shaw opened up another half-straightaway lead over Davenport, but the second place car began to close the gap by the time Shaw closed in on lapped traffic on lap 45.
When Shaw went to the inside to attempt to pass a lapped car, Davenport quickly closed in to try a slide job pass in turn one on lap 46. Davenport couldn’t make the pass and slid up over the cushion in turn two and Shaw pulled away. Davenport regrouped and caught Shaw again on lap 48.
With ten laps to go, Shaw had a three car-length advantage on Davenport, who held a half-straightaway advantage over Turner in the third spot. Shaw was facing lapped traffic again on lap 52, and Davenport closed in to challenge for the point.
Just when Davenport was ready to make a move on Shaw on lap 55, he suddenly slowed in turn two and he was out of the race. That brought out the tenth and final caution flag of the race. The single-file restart line-up for the six lap dash to the finish saw Shaw leading Turner, Gentry, Cooley, Stokes, Washington, Harrod, Barrett, Cooper and Harrison.
Gentry timed the restart just right as he drove under Turner coming off the fourth turn to the green flag and take over the second spot. However, Gentry was no match for Shaw, who held a one-second lead at the checkered flag for his second NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division win of the season.
The next and final race of the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season will be the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 8th Annual Chevrolet Performance Parts World Championship Race at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL on November 30-December 1.
For more information 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 21 AT GREENVILLE SPEEDWAY IN GREENVILLE, MS ON 10/5/12:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 1s Jeremy Shaw Millport, AL 60 $5,000
2. 11 56 David Earl Gentry Murfreesboro, TN 60 $2,500
3. 6 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 60 $1,200
4. 12 33b Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 60 $1,000
5. 17 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 60 $800
6. 4 38 Chase Washington Houlka, MS 60 $700
7. 13 27 Larry Harrod Plains, GA 60 $600
8. 20 110 Brent Barrett Cleveland, MS 60 $550
9. 24 10c Ronnie Cooper McKenzie, TN 60 $625
10. 7 56h Bubba Harrison Cleveland, MS 60 $500
11. 9 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 60 $475
12. 8 27c Hunter Carroll Columbus, MS 60 $450
13. 3 18d Tait Davenport Benton, KY 54 $400
14. 15 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 50 $350
15. 18 115 Danny Gentry Eads, TN 34 $300
16. 10 V8 Duke Palasini Leland, MS 32 $300
17. 16 14 Chance Inman Bruce, MS 30 $300
18. 22 7p Peter Hazzard Greenville, MS 29 $300
19. 5 73 Ashley Newman Ripley, TN 23 $300
20. 19 24 Greg Fore Greenville, MS 22 $300
21. 1 17 Justin McRee Cottondale, AL 12 $300
22. 14 3 Shay Knight Columbus, MS 12 $300
23. 21 18b Jason Botsford Hot Springs, AR 5 $300
24. 23 17k Cody Kierre (R) Beebe, AR 2 $300
ENTRIES: 39
FAST QUALIFIER: McRee, 15.089 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Kierre and Cooper
LAPS LED: Shaw, 1-60
VP RACING FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Kierre
HEDMAN HUSLER OF THE RACE AWARD: Cooper (started 24th and finished ninth)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Davenport
INTEGRA RACING SHOCKS JUST MISSED IT AWARD: Shane Stephens
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Stokes
KRC 6TH-PLACE AWARD: Washington
QA RACE PRODUCTS 7TH-PLACE AWARD: Harrod
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Barrett
MODERN IMAGES 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Cooper
KRC 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Harrison
MIKE’S CUSTOM TANKS 11TH-PLACE AWARD: Edge
SHORTY’S SHOCK SERVICE 12TH-PLACE AWARD: Carroll
SCHOENFELD HEADERS 13TH-PLACE AWARD: Davenport
J.T. KERR RACING EQUIPMENT 14TH-PLACE AWARD: Blount
KINSER AIR FILTERS 15TH-PLACE AWARD: Danny Gentry
CAUTIONS: 10
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .922 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 48 Minutes and 22.094 Seconds