PENTON, AL – William Thomas of Phenix City, AL became the answer to a future trivia question on Friday night as he won the first-ever “Factory Backed and Factory Built” Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series 50-lap race at Penton Raceway featuring dirt late models powered by the LS production-based All-Aluminum Chevrolet Racing Engine.
Thomas swept the program driving the Alexander’s Industrial Service GRT to fast time honors in qualifying to earn the pole position for the main event, and then lead all 50 laps of the race to collect the $3,000 top prize.
National Dirt Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN finished second in the Tommy Pope Construction Warrior. Johnson was able to get close to Thomas as he negotiated lapped traffic, but once the leader had clear race track in front of him, Thomas could pull away.
“It feels great to win this first race, but it didn’t feel good trying to get around some of the lapped cars,” Thomas said. “My crew signaled me that I had a big lead, and I hated to give it up in lapped traffic, but it all worked out for us.”
Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL took the second spot in the Edge’s Gas Company Special, and Tim Busha of Boaz, AL was fourth in the Kilpatrick Racing GRT. David Brannon of Elora, TN finished fifth in the Elora Gin Company Special, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA drove the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Special to a sixth-place finish.
Ross Martin of Talladega, AL finished seventh in the Blake Dorsett Trucking GRT, and Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS took the eighth spot in the Custom Spraying GRT. Adam Martin of Talladega, AL drove the Seals Insurance Special to a ninth-place finish, and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS rounded out the top ten in the Custom Spraying GRT.
Thomas earned the pole position for the start of the race, touring the 3/8-mile clay oval in 13.998 seconds in time trials. Thomas beat second quick qualifier Johnson into the first turn and began to open up a lead over the Chattanooga Flash with Edge hustling from his fifth starting spot into third, with Busha fourth and Turner in fifth.
Thomas caught the cars on the tail of the lead lap by lap eight while holding a ten car-length lead over Johnson. The lapped cars would disappear on lap 11 when Brad Smith of Winton-Salem, NC spun the Velocita Special in turn four to bring out the only caution flag of the race.
With Thomas on the point, the rest of the field doubled up behind him for the “Dixie Style” double-file restart. Johnson chose the inside from the second spot, followed by Edge, Busha, Turner, Brannon, Barrett, Ross Martin, Stokes and Martin in the top ten. When the field went back to green flag action, Brannon got by Turner for the fifth spot, while Ross Martin and Stokes dropped Barrett back to ninth.
When Thomas drove under the crossed flags to signal the halfway point of the race on lap 25, he had a half straightaway lead on Johnson. Just past the halfway point, Thomas began to encounter lapped traffic, and by lap 35, Johnson was able to close in to within a car-length on Thomas, as the leader tried to lap Stokes and Ross Martin, who were battling for the seventh spot.
Thomas was able to get by Stokes and get a little breathing room, but Ross Martin would give the leader a little harder way to get around. By the time Johnson cleared the lapped cars, there were five laps to go, and Thomas was checked out and gone.
Thomas took the checkered flag over Johnson with a 1.501 second margin of victory in the 50-lap race that took just 15 minutes and 23.248 seconds to complete. In preliminary action, the two eight-lap B-Main races were won by Turner and Barrett.
The “Factory Backed and Factory Built” Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series will compete in Round 2 of the 2013 season on Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL with a $3,000-to-win 50-lap 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 PENTON RACEWAY IN PENTON, AL ON 8/2/13:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER
1, 1 A19 William Thomas
2. 2 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $1,500
3. 5 18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL 50 $1,000
4. 3 15 Tim Busha
5. 4 33 David Brannon Elora, TN 50 $750
6. 7 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 50 $700
7. 9 47 Ross Martin Talladega, AL 50 $650
8. 10 1x Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 49 $600
9. 6 47m Adam Martin Talladega, AL 49 $550
10. 8 110 Brent Barrett Cleveland, MS 49 $500
11. 12 72 Frank Wilson Milton, FL 49 $475
12. 11 19m Josh Adkins Talladega, AL 48 $450
13. 13 222 Carlton Freeman Eastaboga, AL 48 $425
14. 15 14k Brad Smith Winston-Salem, MC 30 $400
15. 14 K9 Dana Eiland Salem, AL 24 $375
16. 16 19 Jeremy Britton Alexander City, AL 6 $350
ENTRIES: 18
FAST QUALIFIER: Thomas, 13.998 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADERS: Thomas, 1-50
CAUTIONS: 1
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.501 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 15 Minutes and 23.248 Seconds
QUALIFYING (Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):
| POS | CAR # | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | CHASSIS | LAP 1 | LAP 2 | TIME |
|
1 |
A19 | William Thomas | Phenix City, AL | GRT |
13.998 |
14.022 |
13.998 |
|
2 |
5 | Ronnie Johnson | Chattanooga, TN | Warrior |
14.050 |
14.306 |
14.050 |
|
3 |
15 | Tim Busha | Boaz, AL | GRT |
14.325 |
14.073 |
14.073 |
|
4 |
33 | David Brannon | Elora, TN | Barry Wright |
14.604 |
14.329 |
14.329 |
|
5 |
18 | Chase Edge | Lafayette, AL | Mastersbilt |
14.407 |
14.354 |
14.354 |
|
6 |
47m | Adam Martin | Talladega, AL | Barry Wright |
14.679 |
14.434 |
14.434 |
|
7 |
14k | Brad Smith | Winston-Salem, NC | Lazer |
14.453 |
28.500 |
14.453 |
|
8 |
110 | Brent Barrett | Cleveland,, MS | GRT |
14.595 |
14.459 |
14.459 |
|
9 |
47 | Ross Martin | Talladega, AL | GRT |
14.882 |
14.744 |
14.744 |
|
10 |
1x | Johnny Stokes | Columbus, MS | GRT |
14.747 |
14.789 |
14.747 |
|
11 |
10 | Matthew Turner | Dawsonville, GA | DWB |
14.782 |
14.857 |
14.782 |
|
12 |
72 | Frank Wilson | Milton, FL | Trak-Star |
14.978 |
14.916 |
14.916 |
|
13 |
19m | Josh Adkins | Talladega, AL | Barry Wright |
14.935 |
15.048 |
14.935 |
|
14 |
K9 | Dana Eiland | Salem, AL | Bloomquist |
15.424 |
15.141 |
15.141 |
|
15 |
222 | Carlton Freeman | Eastaboga, AL | GRT |
15.586 |
15.160 |
15.160 |
|
16 |
19 | Jeremy Britton | Alexander City, AL | Rocket |
15.441 |
15.905 |
15.441 |
|
17 |
88d | Mark Dowdy | Waterloo, AL | Killer | NT | NT | NT |
|
18 |
00 | Richie Stephens | Salem, AL | Scorpion | NT | NT | NT |
B-MAINS – 8 LAPS:
1ST B-MAIN: 1. Turner; 2. R. Martin; 3. Adkins; 4. Freeman; 5. Smith; 6. Dowdy DNS.
2ND B-MAIN: 1. Barrett; 2. Stokes; 3. Wilson; 4. Eiland; 5. Britton; 6. Stephens DNS.
CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 8/2/13:
1. A19 William Thomas – 100
2. 5 Ronnie Johnson – 96
3. 18 Chase Edge – 94
4. 15 Tim Busha – 92
5. 33 David Brannon – 90
6. 10 Matthew Turner – 88
7. 47 Ross Martin – 86
8. 1x Johnny Stokes – 84
9. 47m Adam Martin – 82
10. 110 Brent Barrett – 80
11. 72 Frank Wilson – 78
12. 19m Josh Adkins – 76
13. 222 Carlton Freeman – 74
14. 14k Brad Smith – 72
15. K9 Dana Eiland – 70
16. 19 Jeremy Britton – 68
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.