11.2.18 NeSmith Late Models Results

MILTON, FL – Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Ashton Winger of Senoia, GA is on the path to the 2018 National Championship at Southern Raceway during Friday night’s preliminary action for the $10,000-to-win 11^th Annual Southern 100 on Saturday night.  Winger won the Pole Position for the race with a Heat 1 victory on Friday night.

               The 18-year-old Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year point leader goes into the race with a 48-point lead over Jake Knowles of Rome, GA.  If Winger leaves Milton, FL with a 49-point lead over Knowles, all he has to do is start the final race of the season on November 24 at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS to clinch the 2018 Durrence Layne Late Model title.

               Winger started the Friday night action by driving his Keyser Manufacturing Rocket to the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Fast Time Award with around Southern Raceway in 15.325 seconds to earn the pole position for the first of three eight-lap heat races.  Knowles started alongside on the outside of the front row.

               The Heat Race win and the Pole for Saturday night’s Southern 100 went to Winger and Knowles finished second in the heat race and will start the big show from the fourth starting spot in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Special.  Both Winger and Knowles are looking for their fourth Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series wins of the season.

               In addition to his point leads in the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National standings and the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year standings, Winger also leads the point standings in the VP Racing Fuels Young Guns Challenge Series for Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Model drivers 18 years of age and younger.

               Travis Pennington of Stapleton, GA won the second eight-lap Heat Race and will start the U.S. Duffie Site Prep Special on the outside of the front row in the Southern 100.  Joseph Joiner of Milton, FL drove the Cole Services Special to victory in the third eight-lap Heat Race and will start on the inside of Knowles in the second row for the Southern 100.

               The top six finishers in each of the three Heat Races on Friday night transferred into the first 18 starting spots for Saturday night’s $10,000-to-win Southern 100.  Following Winger and Knowles into the big show from the first Heat Race were Bo Slay of Milton, FL, Colton Leyendecker of Holt, FL, Clint Smith of Senoia, GA, and James Gilmore of Milton, FL.

               Finishing second through sixth respectively behind Pennington in the second Heat Race were 2016 Southern 100 winner Andy Picklesimer of Ooltewah, TN, D.G. Hawkins of Chunchula, AL, Monte Skinner of Saraland, AL, Kyle Bryant of Navarre, FL, and Hunter Lewis of Moss Point, MS. 

Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN, Bryant Marsh of Corinth, MS, Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL, Walker Arthur of Forest, VA, and Ron Boudreaux of New Orleans, LA followed Joiner out of the third Heat Race in the second through sixth positions respectively and into the 11^th Annual Southern 100.

Drivers that finished seventh on back in the three heat races will have one more opportunity to make the main event through a ten-lap B-Main race on Saturday night at Southern Raceway that will transfer the top four finishers into the Southern 100 in the 19^th through 22^nd starting spots. 

Starting positions 23 and 24 are Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Provisional spots reserved for drivers in the Top 15 of the point standings that fail to make the race through preliminary competition.  There are three drivers eligible for a provisional and they are T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL, who is sixth in points, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, who is eighth in points, and Tyler Wood of Hohenwald, TN, who is ninth in points.

If Brittain, Minga and Wood race their way into the Southern 100 through the B-Main race, the fifth and sixth-place finishers in the B-Main would be the 23^rd and 24^th starters in the $10,000-to-win 11^th Annual Southern 100.

For more information and rules about the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site atwww.durrencelayneracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Durrence Layne Racing.  You can follow us on Twitter @DurrenceLayneRacing.

FRIDAY NIGHT PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE SOUTHERN 100 AT SOUTHERN RACEWAY IN MILTON, FL ON 11/2/18:

KNOWLES RACE PARTS AND BODIES GROUP QUALIFYING:

HEAT RACES (8 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):

               1^ST HEAT:  1. Winger (R); 2. Knowles; 3. Slay; 4. Leyendecker; 5. Smith; 6. Gilmore; 7. Minga; 8. Harbin.

               2^ND HEAT:  1. Pennington; 2. Picklesimer; 3. Hawkins; 4. Skinner; 5. Bryant; 6. Lewis; 7. Brittain; 8. McCall; 9. Martin.

               3^RD HEAT:  1. Joiner; 2. Johns; 3. Marsh (R); 4. Boland (R); 5. Arthur; 6. Boudreaux; 7. Jernigan; 8. Wood; 9. Bruce.

“ELITE 18” FEATURE LINE-UP:

ROW 1:
12 Ashton Winger (R) – 01 Travis Pennington
ROW 2:
10 Joseph Joiner – 66 Jake Knowles
ROW 3:
P1 Andy Picklesimer – C6 Oakley Johns
ROW 4:
2 Bo Slay – 96 D.G. Hawkins
ROW 5:

1 Bryant Marsh (R) – 33 Colton Leyendecker
ROW 6:
00 Monte Skinner – 232 Jamey Boland (R)
ROW 7:
44 Clint Smith – 79 Kyle Bryant
ROW 8:

87 Walker Arthur – 47 James Gilmore
ROW 9:
7 Hunter Lewis – 99 Ron Boudreaux

B-MAIN STARTING LINE-UP (10 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):
19 Marcus Minga – 05 T.J. Brittain
24 Steven Jernigan – 8 Wayne Harbin
3 Micha McCall – 17jr Tyler Wood
63 Blake Martin – 12 Rodney Bruce

R – Denotes Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Candidate

Durrence Layne Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Models and the Pacesetter Award Sponsor at Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series events.  Durrence Layne Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is one of the nation’s top GM Powertrain and Performance Dealers, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast.  Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Models.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Models.  VP Racing Fuels and Lubricants is the Official Race Fuel and Lubricant of the Durrence Layne Late Models, sponsor of the VP Lubricants Starting Box, and the VP Lubricants Smooth Move of the Race Award at Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series events.  RockAuto.com is an Associate Sponsor of the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Models.  Beyea Headers the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Model Hard Charger Sponsor.  Knowles Race Parts and Bodies is the Official Parts Supplier for the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Models and the Fast Qualifier Sponsor at National Touring events.  David Smith Carburetors is the Official Carburetor of Durrence Layne Racing.  Freestyle Graphix is the Official Wrap, Banner, and Sign Company of Durrence Layne Racing.  Durrence Layne Chevrolet Late Model Contingency Sponsors for 2017 are Out-Pace Performance, CrateInsider.Com, Knowles Racing Parts and Bodies, and FreeStyle Graphix.  2018 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.