EASTABOGA, Ala. - William Thomas of Phenix City, Ala. took the lead on lap five and never looked back to win the 40-lap NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series main event on Friday night at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala.
The victory was the 12th NeSmith Late Model career win for Thomas that moved him into a tie for the second spot on the all-time series win list.
Thomas swept the show by also winning the pole with a lap around the ¼-mile clay oval in 14.074 seconds.
Adam Gauldin of Talladega, Ala. took the early race lead from his outside front row starting spot, but once Thomas took the lead on lap five, he was able to maintain a three second lead, even in heavy lapped traffic.
“Our car was good right out of the trailer, and once we got rolling, we took the lead, but I thought second spot might have been closer when we got into lapped traffic,” Thomas said. “We’re ready to do it again tomorrow night, so we’ll just clean the car up, make sure everything is tight and be ready to go.”
Chase Edge of LaFayette, Ala. finished second, and the defending and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn. was third. Johnson now holds a 20-point lead over Edge in the NeSmith Late Model National point standings.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Eric Cooley of Fulton, Miss. took the fourth spot, and Nick Lyons of Centrailia, Ill. finished fifth. Gauldin settled for sixth, and Todd Morrow was seventh.
Ryan King of Anniston, Ala. drove to an eighth-place finish and 12-year-old Tyler Clem of St. Petersburg, Fla. was ninth. Clem was the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race and the Sunoco Race Fuels Young Gun of the Race. Matt Henderson of Loudon, Tenn. rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, the four 12-lap B-Main races were won by Cale Conley of Vienna, W.Va., Lyons, 15-year-old Bryant Marsh of Corinth, Miss., and Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, Ala.
Gauldin grabbed the lead at the start of the race followed by Thomas, Edge, 13-year-old Cruz Skinner of Oxford, Ala., and Johnson. Thomas challenged Gauldin for the lead on lap five on the inside, and made the pass for the point stick coming off the fourth turn. By lap 12, Thomas has reached the cars on the tail end of the lead lap.
The fifth lap also saw Cooley move up and engage in a side-by-side battle with Johnson for the fifth spot. The pair of two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champions reeled in Skinner, and went three-wide on lap 12. By the time they raced back to the flagstand, it was Cooley in fourth, Johnson fifth, and Skinner dropping back to sixth.
Despite being in heavy lapped traffic on lap 15, Thomas pulled out to a full straightaway lead over Gauldin, who had Edge closing in to challenge him for the second spot. Thomas’ advantage was gone when the first of two caution flags came out on lap 19 when Cody Martin of Christiana, Tenn. spun in turn two.
Thomas had the field doubled up behind him for the “Dixie-Style Double-File Restart” with Gauldin, Edge, Cooley, Johnson, Skinner, Lyons, Dykes, Marsh, and Morrow in second through tenth respectively. On the restart, Skinner spun out of the sixth spot in turn two to light up the caution bulb for the second and final time.
Johnson stepped to the outside on the next restart to pass Cooley for fourth. Edge passed Gauldin for second on lap 20, and Johnson sailed around the outside of Gauldin for third on lap 23. Gauldin continued to fall back through the field, as Cooley dropped him back to fifth on lap 24.
By lap 26, Thomas had opened up a half straightaway lead over Edge, who had a full straightaway lead over Johnson and Cooley, who rekindled their side-by-side battle for the third spot. Thomas was in heavy lapped traffic by lap 32, but Edge was unable to close in during the last eight laps of the race. Thomas took the checkered flag with a 3.532 second margin of victory.
For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at NesmithRacing.com.
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
Talladega Short Track – Eastaboga, AL
Race Results – May 1, 2015
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER
1. 1 19 William Thomas
2. 4 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL 40 $1,125
3. 6 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 40 $825
4. 7 33b Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 40 $550
5. 8 2x Nick Lyons
6. 2 17 Adam Gauldin Talladega, AL 40 $425
7. 18 8a Todd Morrow East Ridge, TN 40 $375
8. 14 55 Ryan King
9. 15 14 Tyler Clem (R/Y) St. Petersburg, FL 40 $325
10. 22 H2 Matt Henderson (R) Loudon, TN 40 $300
11. 10 5d Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 40 $275
12. 9 1m Bryant Marsh (Y) Corinth, MS 39 $250
13. 13 42 Kasey Hall Geraldine, AL 39 $225
14. 17 81 Adam Cummings Odenville, AL 39 $200
15. 20 222 Carlton Freeman Eastaboga, AL 39 $175
16. 24 21m Cody Martin (R) Christiana, TN 39 $150
17. 19 30 Ryan King (R) Seymour, TN 38 $140
18. 23 10 Ryan Crane (R) Panama City, FL 38 $125
19. 21 55d Montana Dudley Phenix City, AL 38 $125
20. 3 11 Cruz Skinner (Y) Oxford, AL 18 $125
21. 12 2s Kyle Shaw
22. 16 41 Justin McRee Woodstock, AL 4 $125
23. 11 5x Logan Yates Lineville, AL 0 $125
24. 7 14c Cale Conley Vienna, WV 0 $125
