Thursday March 28th, 2024 8:05AM

Hickman sweeps NeSmith Late Model Race At Talladega

By Roby Helm

EASTABOGA, Ala. - Riley Hickman of Cleveland, Tenn. swept the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Salute To America Nationals opening race Thursday night at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala.

Hickman set fast time among the 40 entrants, and then led all 40 laps of the main event to becoming the 11th different winner in 12 races.

“This is Chip Vineyard’s “House Car” at CVR race cars, and they just had a perfect set up tonight,” Hickman said. “These NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series races are never easy to win, but having a race car like I had tonight makes it a little harder for the competition to catch you.”

The defending and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson finished second and extended his point lead over Chase Edge to 100 points. The third spot went to 13-year-old Cruz Skinner.

Skinner, who is the Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point leader for NeSmith Late Model drivers 18 years of age and younger, was also the second fastest qualifier. Josh Adkins took the fourth spot and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Eric Cooley was fifth.

Joe Noogin finished sixth and Matt Henderson drove to a seventh-place finish and was the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA was eighth.

Adam Cummings took the ninth spot and Forrest Trent rounded out the top ten. Cody Martin started 22nd and finished 12th to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award.

In preliminary action, Hickman set fast time honors among the 40 entrants with a lap around Talladega Short Track in 15.132 seconds. The three ten-lap B-Main races were won by Noogin, Jimmy Thomas and 13-year-old Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series driver Will Roland of Jasper, Ga.

Hickman took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Skinner in the second spot. Johnson and Brindle went three-wide on the opening lap with Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year point leader Ryan King in the middle.

As the three-wide battle for third came off the fourth turn, all three cars got together, and King spun to the right and made heavy contact with the wall with the right-front corner of his race car. That triggered a multi-car tangle that completely blocked the front straightaway, and necessitated a complete restart of the race.

King was done for the night, but all other cars involved were able to restart. When the green flag came out for the second time, it was once again Hickman taking the lead followed by Skinner, Johnson, Brindle and Adkins. By the fifth lap, Hickman showed just how strong of a race car he had, as he pulled out to a 15 car-length lead over Skinner.

The second caution flag of the race came out on lap seven when Larry Harrod of Plains, Ga., who was running tenth, spun in turn two. Doubled up behind Hickman for the Dixie Style Double File Restart were Skinner, Johnson, Brindle, Adkins, Michael Arnold, Henderson, Cooley, Trent and Noogin in second through tenth respectively.

There were wholesale position changes on the restart with Johnson driving around the outside of Skinner to take the second spot, Adkins got by Brindle for fourth, and Henderson took over the sixth spot from Arnold. Cooley dropped Arnold back to the eighth spot on lap ten.

Hickman had opened up a half straightaway lead after the restart on lap eight, but by lap 15, Johnson was beginning to chip away at the leader’s advantage. Hickman was in heavy lapped traffic by lap 17, but he wasn’t there long, as Adam Gauldin spun in turn two on lap 17.

The top ten for the restart had Hickman leading, with Johnson, Skinner, Adkins, Brindle, Henderson, Cooley, Arnold, Trent and Noogin doubled up behind the leader in second through tenth respectively. Cooley got by Henderson for sixth on the restart, and Arnold passed Henderson for seventh on lap 18.

At the halfway point in the race on lap 20, Hickman had pulled out to a half straightaway lead over Johnson. That was closed up on lap 22 when Arnold brought out the fourth and final caution flag of the race with a spin in turn two. During the caution period, Arnold rammed Henderson’s car. That sent Arnold to the pit area disqualified from the race.

After the restart, Cooley passed Brindle for the fifth spot on lap 25, and Noogin climbed up to the seventh spot. Hickman once again opened up a half straightaway lead on Johnson by lap 28. Hickman encountered lapped traffic on lap 33, but Johnson was unable to mount a challenge, as Hickman took a 2.489 margin of victory under the checkered flag to collect the $2,000 check.

Unfortunately, it was Mother Nature that won the rest of the weekend.

Rain postponed the second night of the Salute To America Nationals on Friday night at Penton Raceway in Penton, Ala. The 40-lap $2,000-to-win race has been rescheduled for Friday night, August 7.

On Saturday night, as the cars were on the track for hot laps, heavy rain and strong winds sent the 24-car field to their haulers at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, Ala. for the 50-lap $2,500-to-win third race of the Salute of America Nationals.

East Alabama Motor Speedway officials would not commit to a date on Saturday night for rescheduling the event, so details on a replacement race will come from NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series officials in the coming days.

For more information 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
Salute To America Nationals – July 2, 2015

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON
1.             1              1v           Riley Hickman                    Cleveland, TN                     40           $2,000
2.             5              5              Ronnie Johnson              Chattanooga, TN                40           $1,125
3.             2              11           Cruz Skinner (Y)                Oxford, AL                          40           $700
4.             8              57           Josh Adkins                         Talladega, AL                     40           $550
5.             9              33b         Eric Cooley                         Fulton, MS                           40           $500
6.             11           21           Joe Noogin                           Boaz, AL                              40           $425
7.             7              H2          Matt Henderson (R)           Loudon, TN                         40           $500
8.             4              38           Chip Brindle                        Chatsworth, GA                  40           $350
9.             15           81           Adam Cummings               Odenville, AL                      40           $325
10.          10           101         Forrest Trent                      Talbott, TN                          40           $300
11.          13           22           Will Roland (Y)                  Jasper, GA                           40           $275
12.          22           21m        Cody Martin (R)               Christiana, TN                    40           $375
13.          16           222         Mike Boland                        Cuba, AL                              40           $225
14.          23           10           Ryan Crane (R)                   Panama City, FL                40           $325
15.          19           7              Cole Daffron (Y)                Pell City, AL                        39           $175
16.          20           18           Chase Edge                          LaFayette, AL                     39           $275
17.          18           03           Oliver Gentry                     Newnan, GA                         39           $140
18.          21           232         Jamey Boland                     Cuba, AL                              39           $125
19.          24           19           Marcus Minga                    Shannon, MS                       39           $250
20.          17           17           Adam Gauldin                    Talladega, AL                     31           $125
21.          12           22t          Jimmy Thomas                  Phenix City, AL                  21           $125
22.          14           27           Larry Harrod                     Plains, GA                            6              $125
23.          3              30           Ryan King (R)                     Seymour, TN                       0              $250
24.          6              4              Michael Arnold                  Hattiesburg, MS                 21           $0/DQ

  • Associated Categories: NASCAR News, Other Motorsports
  • Associated Tags: motorsports, Auto Racing, Dirt Track, Stock Car, Short Track, Dirt Late Model, NeSmith
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