1274022_705867906097199_1397257686_oTAZEWELL, TN – Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA threw caution to the wind and rode the treacherous guard rails of Tazewell Speedway to his first Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series win on Sunday night in the West Chevrolet 50 driving the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment Special.

After hard contact with the second turn guard rail on a lap nine restart knocked him back to the third spot, Turner recovered, stayed on the high side of the high banks, and drove around the outside of both second-place William Thomas of Phenix City, AL and race leader Tim Busha of Boaz, AL on lap 28 to take the lead, and go on to collect the $3,000 top prize with the victory.

“That was a hard hit on the restart, but the car felt good, so we just kept digging,” Turner said.  “Our car worked the best on the high side right up against the guard rail, so as long as it didn’t reach out and grab us, we were good.  The Chevrolet Performance CT 525 engine was a good fit for this race track because I could run flat out through turns three and four.  It was a pretty awesome ride from where I was sitting, and I hope the fans saw a good show tonight.”

Busha made several tries to challenge Turner for the lead by diving to the bottom of the track in the corners, but Turner had enough momentum to keep the point, and Busha had to settle for second in the Kilpatrick Racing GRT.  Thomas stayed right with Turner and Busha for the entire race and finished third in the Alexander’s Industrial Service GRT.

National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN started tenth and finished fourth in the Tommy Pope Construction Warrior, and his teammate Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN charged from the 13th starting spot to finish fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.

Thomas holds a 44-point lead over Johnson in the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series point standings after the first six races.  Thomas has four wins and two thirds to total 588 points to 544 points for Johnson.  Turner’s win enabled him to close to within four points of Johnson from the third spot with 540 points.  Busha moved up to fourth in the standings with 528 points.

David Brannon of Elora, TN drove the Elora Gin Company Special to a sixth-place finish in the West Chevrolet 50 and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS was seventh in the Custom Spraying, Inc. GRT.  Adam Martin of Talladega, AL took the eighth spot in the Seals Insurance Special and Mark Dowdy of Waterloo, AL finished ninth in the Action Track Chair Special.  Steve Kirk of Munford, AL rounded out the top ten in the Advance Lazer Special.

Busha out-timed the 20 entries for the West Chevrolet 50 on August 18 before the race was postponed by rain.  Busha turned the 1/3-mile high-banked clay oval in 11.594 seconds to earn the pole position for the race that was rescheduled for Sunday night.

Busha took the lead at the start of the race, but it was quickly yellow flagged for a multi-car tangle in turn two that necessitated a complete restart.  It was Busha winning the race into turn one on the second try, with Turner, who started behind him in the inside second row third starting spot following into the second spot, with outside front row starter Thomas settling into the third spot followed by Barrett and Brannon.

The second caution flag of the race came out on lap five when Brad Smith of Winston-Salem, NC spun the Velocita Special in turn four.  Busha lead the field down for the “Dixie Style” double file restart.  Turner chose the outside with the third-place car of Thomas to his left on the inside.  Fourth through tenth respectively were Barrett, Brannon, Ross Martin of Talladega, AL, Dowdy, Adam Martin, Johnson, and Ted Lackey of Munford, AL in the C.S. Beatty Construction Warrior.

On the restart, Ross Martin got by Brannon for the fifth spot, but one lap later, Brannon got under Martin to reclaim the position.  Ross Martin spun the Blake Dorsett Trucking GRT in turn two on lap nine to light up the caution bulb for the third time.

Turner once again chose the outside for the restart, as Thomas, Barrett, Brannon, Johnson, Dowdy, Adam Martin, Kirk and Hall doubled up behind Busha.  When the field went green, Turner went to the cushion up against the steel guard rail, and slammed it hard.  Thomas was able to take over the second spot, but Turner quickly recovered to hang on to the third spot.  Johnson was able to pass Brannon for fifth on the restart.

It was time for some high-speed side-by-side racing by lap 14 as Thomas drove inside Busha to challenge for the lead, while Johnson moved up to battle wheel-to-wheel with Barrett for the fourth spot.  While Busha and Thomas battled side-by-side for the lead, Turner was back up on the wheel at the halfway point of the race, and was reeling in the lead duo.

Busha and Thomas took their battle for the lead into heavy lapped traffic on lap 26, and Busha was trying to work inside lapped traffic with Thomas inside of him.  That left a one car width groove right up against the steel open for anyone who dared to take it.

That looked good enough to Turner, as he put his race car as high as the constraints of the race track would permit in turn three, and sailed around both Busha and Thomas to take the lead coming off the fourth turn on lap 28.

While Turner pulled away from Busha and Thomas, Johnson worked his way around Barrett for the fourth position on lap 31, and then set sail in an effort to join the side-by-side battle for the second spot.  Turner ran into heavy lapped traffic on lap 37, as Busha, Thomas, and now Johnson began to close in.

Dowdy spun in turn two on lap 41 to bring out the caution flag, to set up a ten lap dash to the finish.  Turner led Busha, Thomas, Johnson, Hall, Barrett, Brannon, Adam Martin, Kirk, and Dowdy down for the restart.  Busha made several tries to dive to the bottom of the track in an effort to get under Turner for the lead, but couldn’t complete the pass.

Kirk spun in turn three on lap 46 to bring out the final caution flag of the race and set up a five lap dash to the finish.  Busha tried inside moves once again in the closing laps, but Turner was once again up to the challenge and took the checkered flag with a .698 second margin of victory.

The next event on the 2013 Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series schedule will be the $6,000-to-win Dega 100 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL on October 12.

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 6 AT TAZEWELL SPEEDWAY IN TAZEWELL, TN ON 9/22/13:

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON
1.             3              10           Matthew Turner                 Dawsonville, GA                 50           $3,000
2.             1              15           Tim Busha                           Boaz, AL                              50           $1,500
3.             2              A19        William Thomas                                Phenix City, AL                  50           $1,000
4.             10           5              Ronnie Johnson                  Chattanooga, TN                50           $850
5.             13           1              Brad Hall                             Knoxville, TN                     50           $750
6.             5              33           David Brannon                   Elora, TN                             50           $700
7.             4              110         Brent Barrett                      Cleveland, MS                     50           $650
8.             7              47m        Adam Martin                      Talladega, AL                     50           $600
9.             9              88d         Mark Dowdy                       Waterloo, AL                      48           $550
10.          11           B17        Steve Kirk                            Munford, AL                       45           $500
11.          8              14k         Brad Smith                          Winston-Salem, NC           43           $475
12.          12           41           Ted Lackey                          Munford, AL                       27           $450
13.          6              47           Ross Martin                         Talladega, AL                     17           $425

DID NOT START:
14.                          00           Richie Stephens                   Phenix City, AL                  0              $0
15.                          71           Brian Courtney                  Knoxville, TN                     0              $0
16.                          18           Chase Edge                          Lafayette, AL                      0              $0
17.                          1              Adam Beeler                       Knoxville, TN                     0              $0
18.                          72           Frank Wilson                      Milton, FL                            0              $0
19.                          22           Billy Thomas                      Phenix City, AL                  0              $0
20.                          222         Carlton Freeman               Eastaboga, AL                    0              $0

 

ENTRIES:  20
FAST QUALIFIER:  Busha, 11.594 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Busha, 1-27; Turner, 28-50
LAPS LED:  Busha, 27; Turner, 23
CAUTIONS:  6
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  .698 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  29 Minutes and 23.413 Seconds

 

QUALIFYING:

POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CHASSIS LAP 1 LAP 2 TIME

1

15 Tim Busha Boaz, AL GRT

11.594

11.784

11.594

2

A19 William Thomas Phenix City, AL GRT

11.702

11.618

11.618

3

10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA DWB

11.895

11.660

11.660

4

00 Richie Stephens Salem, AL Scorpion

11.808

11.810

11.808

5

110 Brent Barrett Cleveland,, MS GRT

11.887

11.869

11.869

6

33 David Brannon Elora, TN Barry Wright

12.509

11.977

11.977

7

47 Ross Martin Talladega, AL GRT

12.139

12.012

12.012

8

47m Adam Martin Talladega, AL Barry Wright

12.539

12.045

12.045

9

71 Brian Courtney Knoxville, TN CVR

12.243

12.114

12.114

10

14k Brad Smith Winston-Salem, NC Lazer

12.188

12.131

12.131

11

18 Chase Edge Lafayette, AL Mastersbilt

12.155

12.142

12.142

12

1b Adam Beeler Knoxville, TN CVR

12.149

12.194

12.149

13

72 Frank Wilson Milton, FL Trak-Star

12.589

12.227

12.227

14

88d Mark Dowdy Waterloo, AL Killer

12.854

12.328

12.328

15

22 Billy Thomas Phenix City, AL Barry Wright

12.772

12.528

12.528

16

222 Carlton Freeman Eastaboga, AL GRT

12.747

12.734

12.734

17

5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN Warrior NT NT NT

18

B17 Steve Kirk Munford, AL HRRC NT NT NT

19

41 Ted Lackey Munford, AL Warrior NT NT NT

20

1 Brad Hall Knoxville, TN Mastersbilt NT NT NT

 

CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 9/22/13:

1. A19 William Thomas – 588
2. 5 Ronnie Johnson – 544
3. 10 Matthew Turner – 540
4. 15 Tim Busha – 528
5. 110 Brent Barrett – 516
6. 47m Adam Martin – 462
6. 18 Chase Edge – 462
8. 14k Brad Smith – 442
9. 33 David Brannon – 432
10. 47 Ross Martin – 426
11. 72 Frank Wilson – 416
12. 222 Carlton Freeman – 382
13. 41 Ted Lackey – 320
14. 88d Mark Dowdy – 312
15. B17 Steve Kirk – 224
16. 00 Richie Stephens – 156
17. 1 Johnny Stokes – 144
18. 19b Jeremy Britton – 140
19. 22 Billy Thomas – 104
20. 1s Jeremy Shaw – 96

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.