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 Scott Sexton. Pole sitter 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.
Walker Arthur of Forest, VA started 12th and made some big moves on restarts to finish fourth. Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL was fifth. Arthur took over the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead with a 16-point advantage over Adkins.
The defending 411 Motor Speedway Late Model Champion Rusty Ballinger of Sevierville, TN finished sixth and Todd Coffman of Parksville, KY drove to a seventh-place finish. Brad Coffey of Maryville, TN was eighth.
Tait Davenport of Benton, KY finished ninth and Adam Beeler of Knoxville, TN rounded out the top 10. In preliminary action, the two 12-lap B-Main races were won by Coffey and Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN.
Hedgecock grabbed the lead from the pole position at the drop of the initial green flag followed by Elliott, King, Adkins, and Coffman. The first of three caution flags came out on lap two when Tanner Works of Cleveland, TN spun in turn two. On the restart, King drove around the outside of Elliott coming off the second turn to take over the second spot.
The yellow caution bulb was lit a second time on lap three when Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN slowed in turn four. Hedgecock had King, Elliott, Adkins, Coffman, Ballinger, and Coffey in the seventh spot doubled up behind him for the "Dixie Style" double file restart.
Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL restarted in the eighth spot with defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN up from the 13th starting spot to restart in ninth, and Arthur was tenth when the field went back to green flag action.
Arthur made a big move on the restart, coming from tenth to seventh. King began to put pressure on Hedgecock to challenge for the point, and made an inside move on lap five to take the lead. King began to encounter lapped traffic on lap 11, and by lap 15, had stretched his advantage over to Hedgecock to a half-straightaway advantage.
Elliott dodged a bullet on lap 24 when he tangled with a lapped car on the front straightaway and spun to the infield. That brought out the yellow flag, and Elliott was put back in the third spot for the restart, as the lapped car was ticketed for the caution. Elliott took advantage of his good fortune, as he passed Hedgecock for the second spot on the restart, while Arthur vaulted from seventh to fourth.
Once Elliott got around Hedgecock for second, King was unable to shake the second-place car, as Elliott stayed within two to three car lengths of the leader. King was running the middle groove of the speedway, leaving the inside open. Elliott was chomping at the bit to fill the opening.
With five laps to go, lapped traffic loomed ahead of the lead duo, and after they took the white flag, they were entangled in the traffic on the final lap. Going into turn three, King maintained his line, but Elliott pulled the trigger and dove for the bottom of the race track.
The two cars made contact, but on the smooth, hammer-down race track, it was Elliott powering off the bottom the fourth turn to take the lead with the checkered flag waving in front of him.
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
411 Speedway - Seymour, TN
Ole Smoky Moonshine 40 - April 4, 2014
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER
1. 2 J39 Jimmy Elliott Cleveland, TN 40 $2,000
2. 3 52 Ryan King
3. 1 23 Cory Hedgecock Loudon, TN 40 $700
4. 12 87 Walker Arthur Forest, VA 40 $550
5. 5 19m Josh Adkins Talladega, AL 40 $500
6. 7 29 Rusty Ballinger Sevierville, TN 40 $425
7. 4 35 Todd Coffman Parksville, KY 40 $375
8. 9 88 Brad Coffey Maryville, TN 40 $350
9. 15 18 Tait Davenport Benton, KY 40 $325
10. 8 66 Adam Beeler Knoxville, TN 40 $300
11. 13 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 40 $275
12. 14 007 Roger Best Maryville, TN 40 $250
13. 19 51 Mack McCarter Gatlinburg, TN 40 $225
14. 6 56 Chris Noah Rainbow City, AL 40 $200
15. 21 B00 Josh Henry Newport, TN 40 $175
16. 16 17w Brett Wyatt Crossville, TN 40 $150
17. 20 71 Brian Courtney Knoxville, TN 40 $140
18. 17 RJ1 Jared Hawkins Fairmont, WV 24 $125
19, 11 8a Todd Morrow East Ridge, TN 22 $125
20. 23 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 21 $125
21. 10 24 Jensen Ford Piney Flats, TN 16 $125
22. 24 33 Warren McMahan White Pine, TN 16 $125
23. 18 T35 Tanner Works Cleveland, TN 1 $125
24. 22 73 Ashley Newman Ripley, TN 0 $125
