PHENIX CITY, AL – Jake Knowles of Tyrone, GA had an exciting start, then an easy race for 40 laps, followed by an anxious last ten laps.  But he hung on to win the 50-lap Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series Race on Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in the Cedartown Electric Rocket, and in doing so, took over the point lead.

Knowles survived a spin at the start of the race, but after the restart, he took command of the race on lap two, pulling out to over a full straightaway lead.  By lap 32, Knowles caught some lapped traffic and on lap 40 his big lead had evaporated, as National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN closed in to challenge Knowles for the point.

Knowles kept the bottom groove covered, leaving Johnson the outside.  With no place else to go, Johnson stepped to the outside, and even pulled alongside Knowles on a couple of occasions, but he slipped high in turn four on lap 49, and Knowles hung on for a .997 second margin of victory.

“My Dad was signaling me that my big lead was going away, and it was pretty frustrating being stuck behind a lapped car that ran me all over the race track,” Knowles said.  “I looked up at the scoreboard with ten laps to go, and saw the number 5 up there in second, and I knew I could be in trouble.” (more…)

SEYMOUR, TN – Adam Beeler of Knoxville, TN finally got it all together to win his first NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race in the Ole Smoky Moonshine 50 on Saturday night at 411 Motor Speedway driving the Mighty Muffler and Brakes CVR.  Beeler swept the program as fast qualifier, and then led all 50 laps for the $3,000 victory.

“These NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series races are hard to win,” Beeler said.  “We’ve been fast qualifier a couple of times and led a few races, but we could never put it all together to win one of these races, so it feels really good to finally do it.”

The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN got back into the 2014 title hunt with a last lap, last turn pass to finish second in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.  Jered Hawkins of Fairmont, WV held off Johnson for several laps, but had to settle for third in the Bland’s Towing Rocket.

Friday night 411 Motor Speedway winner Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN finished fourth in the Car Smart Auto Sales CVS, and Ashley Newman of Ripley, TN was fifth in the Greg’s Sawmill Special.  Point leader Walker Arthur of Forest, VA took the sixth spot in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special.  Arthur now holds a 24-point lead in the standings. (more…)

The “Mohawk Warrior” Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN celebrates his $2,000 win on Saturday night after driving the Car Smart Auto Sales CVR to victory in the Ole Smoky Moonshine 40 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN (Chad Wells Photo)

SEYMOUR, TN – The “Mohawk Warrior” Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN only led 200 feet of the Ole Smoky Moonshine 40 for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division on Friday night at 411 Motor Speedway, but it was the most important distance, as it led to the checkered flag and the $2,000 top prize.

Elliott drove his Car Smart Auto Sales CVR under Brian King of Seymour, TN coming off the fourth turn on the final lap to post his second career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division victory.

“Ryan was leaving just enough of the bottom groove open for me to get my nose in there going into turn three,” Elliott said.  “I got into him, and I didn’t mean to, but it’s the last lap, and it’s for the win.  That’s racing.”

King hung on to finish second in the Brian King Roofing Stinger, a race car adorned with a graphics package to honor his mentor, the late great Scott Sexton.  Polesitter and new track record holder Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, TN took the third spot in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket.  Hedgecock out-timed the 31-car field with a lap around the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval in 13.826 seconds. (more…)

Dingus Griffin of Ohatchee, AL celebrates his $3,000 victory on Saturday night in the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series season opener at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL driving the Tommy Pope Construction Special. (Heath Lawson Photo)

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. (more…)

Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL drove the M&M Transport Refrigeration GRT to victory on Friday night in the Super Bowl of Racing Presented By Rock Auto.com for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, GA. (Heath Lawson Photo)

BRUNSWICK, GA – Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL drove the M&M Transport and Refrigeration GRT to a convincing victory Friday night at the Super Bowl of Racing Presented By Rock Auto.com for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Golden Isles Speedway.  Fitzgerald took the lead on the second lap and never looked back for his first series career win.

Jeremy Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA finished second in the CJR Forestry Warrior and Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC was third in the Tri-County Race Track Special.  Walker Arthur of Forest, VA took the fourth spot in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special and Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL was the Rookie of the Race after a fifth-place effort in the Old Man’s Garage Special.

Robert Diekemper of Bloomingdale, GA took the sixth spot in the Baird Transport Special and Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN was seventh in the CVR Race Cars Special.  The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN started 21^st and finished eighth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Special.

Fast Qualifier Jacob Anderson of Murphy, NC finished ninth in the Scrapy’s Metal Special.  Anderson out-qualified the 43-car field with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 16.319 seconds.  Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL rounded out the top ten in the Dave’s Towing Special.

The preliminary ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Noah, Arthur, Jak Kicklighter of Savannah, GA in the Kicklighter Construction Special and Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL in the Eiland Pools Rocket.  Dudley was unable to start the main event after breaking an axle in his B-Main winning effort.

Anderson and Fitzgerald battled side-by-side for the lead for the first two laps of the 30-lap main event before Fitzgerald took the lead.  Donald Brasher of Burlington, NC trailed the lead duo in the Mega Plumbing Rocket followed by Faircloth and Cook.  The first of six caution flags came out on lap four when Dalton Cook stalled the Wrap Tech Signz Special in turn four. (more…)

Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC celebrates his win on Friday afternoon in the Super Bowl of Racing Presented By Rock Auto.com 2014 season opener for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, GA. (Heath Lawson Photo)

BRUNSWICK, GA – Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC took the lead with five laps to go and drove the Tri-County Race Track Special to victory in the 2014 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season opener on Friday afternoon in the Super Bowl of Racing Presented By Rock Auto.com at Golden Isles Speedway.

Cook started ninth and moved up to the second spot by lap eight.  When early race leader Walker Arthur of Forest, VA began to encounter lapped traffic with ten laps to go, Cook closed in and made up a half straightaway deficit.  Arthur pushed up the banking in turn one on lap 26, and Cook dove underneath to take the lead.

“I couldn’t catch Arthur until he got into that lapped traffic because until then, it seemed like we were running the same speed,” Cook said.  “He tried to lap a car on the outside and the lapped car moved up in front of him.  That opened the door for me to take the lead.” (more…)