3.24.18 NeSmith Late Models Results

COCHRAN, GA – Most young men in motorsports can only dream about sweeping a racing program in their hometown in front of family and friends at their home track with drama and emotion.  One young man in Cochran, GA lived that dream on Saturday night.  Wil Herrington of Cochran, GA won the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 60-lap race at Cochran Motor Speedway.

                Herrington was the last qualifier in the fourth and last group.  Herrington sailed around his home track in 15.687 seconds aboard the Last Air and Electrical CVR to set fast time among the 30 entrants to earn the pole position for the first heat race.  Herrington then led all eight laps to win the fourth heat and earn the pole position for the $4,000-to-win 60-lap main event.

                At the drop of the green flag for the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout Series finale, Herrington took the lead and was never challenged to make a statement of “Not In My House!”  He swept the program and parked it Victory Lane.  Herrington was also swept with joy and emotion as he savored the win.

                “This is so awesome I hardly know what to say,” Herrington said.  “I’ve never been very good at these NeSmith races, but everything went our way tonight.  It was just so awesome because we got ready to start the race, and I looked to my right, and there was Ronnie Johnson!  He’s in the Hall of Fame!!”

                As his feat of what he did in the event began to sink in, Herrington started to get a little emotional.  As his voice trembled and his eyes began to water up, he paused in mid-sentence to gather his thoughts.  As he did, the hometown crowd gave him a standing ovation.

                “You fans here at Cochran Motor Speedway are just the best fans in the world, and I can’t thank you all enough,” Herrington said.  “You’ve supported me ever since I started racing ten years ago, you’ve stuck with me, and winning this race in front of you all is special.”

                Herrington then turned his attention to the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Gold Helmet Trophy and the $4,000 NeSmith winner’s check .  Herrington had definite plans for both items when asked what his plans were for them.

                “My girlfriend and I just moved into a new house and the NeSmith Gold Helmet Trophy is going front and center in the living room, and I just might have to find a place for the check too,” Herrington said.  “If I put the race car in there, we just might to add on and built the rest of the house around it!”

                For the second straight night, Joseph Brown of Cataula, GA finished second in the Lewis Auto Sales Special, and third went to three-time NeSmith Late Model National Champion and Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN in the Josh Roberts Trucking Special.

                Johnson was involved in a close battle for the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout Series Championship with Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN.  Johnson was trying to make up a 24-point deficit coming into the race, but came up eight points short.  Elliott finished 11^th in the Mighty Muffler and Brakes Special and was crowned the 2018 RockAuto.com Winter Shootout Champion.

                “We had to venture away from our home base and we traveled to Florida for the first time, and got to go to some tracks we have never been to before,” Elliott said.  “I would like to do the NeSmith National Tour someday, and based on the success we’ve had in this eight-race series, that decision may be made sooner rather than later.  We’ve got two weeks to decide, and you never know.  We might be in Mississippi in two weeks!”

                Michael Page of Douglasville, GA finished fourth in the Troy Baird Trucking Stinger.  Page had four top five finishes in four races to earn the third spot in the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout point standings.  Joshua Bishop of Statesboro, GA took the fifth spot in the Augusta Industrial Special.

                Ashton Winger of Senoia, GA was sixth in the Keyser Manufacturing Rocket, and Chad Stapleton of Edinburgh, IN finished seventh driving the SSI/Jason Clarkson Logging Special.  Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA took the eighth spot in the Scotty’s Muffler Special, and ninth went to Travis Pennington of Stapleton, GA in the U.S. Duffie Site Prep Special. 

Ricky Culpepper of Hamilton, GA rounded out the top ten in the JC Construction Company Special.  Ches Chester of Twin City, GA started 24^th and finished 14^th in the Georgia Equipment Company Rocket to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award.  Joining Herrington as eight-lap Hear Race winners were Nipper, Brown, and Johnson.  Jimmy Thomas of Phenix City, AL won the 12-lap B-Main Race in the Five Star Hyundai Special.

                The next pair of races for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will open the 2018 National Points Tour.  The “Rumble On The Gumbo” will feature a pair of races at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS on April 6 and April 7.  The April 6 show will be $2,000-to-win and 40 laps, and the April 7 race will be 50-laps and pay $2,500-to-win.

For more information and rules 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 ROCKAUTO.COM WINTER SHOOTOUT ROUND 6 AT COCHRAN MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN COCHRAN, GA ON 3/24/18:

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON
1.             1              14           Wil Herrington                   Cochran, GA                      60           $4,300
2.             4              92           Joseph Brown                     Cataula, GA                      60           $1,800
3.             2              85           Ronnie Johnson                  Chattanooga, TN            60           $900
4.             11           18x         Michael Page                      Douglasville, GA                60           $700
5.             10           J1           Joshua Bishop                     Statesboro, GA                    60           $650
6.             7              12           Ashton Winger                    Senoia, GA                           60           $550
7.             5              32           Chad Stapleton                   Edinburgh, IN                     60           $500
8.             3              1n           Jordy Nipper                       Gray, GA                              60           $450
9.             8              01           Travis Pennington             Stapleton, GA                      60           $425
10.          16           110         Ricky Culpepper                Hamilton, GA                      60           $400
11.          15           J39         Jimmy Elliott                      Cleveland, TN                     60           $380
12.          9              18e         Chase Edge                          Lafayette, AL                      60           $375
13.          20           66           Jody Knowles                      Tyrone, GA                          60           $360
14.          24           9              Ches Chester                        Twin City, GA                     60           $350
15.          13           22a         Austin Burns                        Georgetown, IN                  60           $325
16.          12           18           Ben Faircloth                      Swainsboro, GA                  60           $325
17.          19           21           Corey Dunn                         Milledgeville, GA               60           $325
18.          21           5              Rodgerick Dykes                Smith Station, AL               60           $325
19.          22           6r            Shane Riner                         Guyton, GA                          60           $325
20.          14           F1           Payton Freeman                 Commerce, GA                   35           $325
21.          17           22           Jimmy Thomas                  Phenix City, AL                  34           $325
22.          18           27           Larry Harrod                     Plains, GA                            24           $325
23.          6              27t          Terrence Nowell                 Phenix City, AL                  16           $325
24.          23           00           Russell Brown Jr.               Valdosta, GA                       4              $325

ENTRIES:  30
KNOWLES RACE PARTS AND BODIES FAST QUALIFIER:  Herrington, 15.687 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  None
LEAD CHANGES:  None
LAPS LED:  Herrington, 1-60
BEYEA HEADERS HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE:  Chester (started 24^th and finished 14^th)
CAUTIONS:  5
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  .620 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  39 Minutes and 53.965 Seconds
ROCKAUTO.COM 2018 WINTER SHOOTOUT SERIES CHAMPION:  Elliott
NEXT EVENT:  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour 2018 Season Opener, April 6, Greenville Speedway, Greenville, MS, $2,000-to-win, 40-laps; April 7, Greenville Speedway, Greenville, MS, $2,500-to-win, 50-laps – Rumble On The Gumbo

KNOWLES RACE PARTS AND BODIES GROUP QUALIFYING:

HEAT RACES (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer To Main Event):

                1^ST HEAT:  1. Nipper; 2. Winger; 3. Page; 4. Elliott; 5. Dunn; 6. R. Brown; 7. Chester; 8. J. Faircloth.

                2^ND HEAT:  1. J. Brown; 2. Pennington; 3. B. Faircloth; 4. Culpepper; 5. Riner; 6. Hardy; 7. Parkhurst; 8. Dixon.

                3^RD HEAT: 1. Johnson; 2. Nowell; 3. Bishop; 4. Freeman; 5. Harrod; 6. Dykes; 7. Carter.

                4^TH HEAT:  1. Herrington; 2. Stapleton; 3. Edge; 4. Burns; 5. Thomas; 6. Knowles; 7. Martin.

B-MAIN (12 Laps – Top 6 Transfer To Main Event):  1. Thomas; 2. Harrod; 3. Dunn; 4. Knowles; 5. Dykes; 6. Riner; 7. R. Brown; 8. Chester; 9. Martin; 10. Carter; 11. Hardy; 12. Parkhurst; 13. J. Faircloth; 14. Dixon DNS.

NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is one of the nation’s top GM Powertrain and Performance Dealer seven years running, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast.  Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  Sunoco Race Fuels is the Official Race Fuel of the NeSmith Late Models.  RockAuto.com is an Associate Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models.  Beyea Headers the NeSmith Late Model Hard Charger Sponsor.  Knowles Race Parts and Bodies is the Official Parts Supplier for the NeSmith Late Models.  Cruise With The Champions is the Official Vacation and Rookie of the Year Sponsor for the NeSmith Late Models.  David Smith Carburetors is the Official Carburetor of NeSmith Racing.  Freestyle Graphix is the Official Wrap, Banner, and Sign Company of NeSmith Racing.  NeSmith Late Model Contingency Sponsors for 2017 are Out-Pace Performance, CrateInsider.Com, Gresham Racing Parts, Knowles Racing Parts and Bodies, and FreeStyle Graphix.  2017 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.