PHENIX CITY, Ala. - Montana Dudley of Phenix City, Ala. drove the Thomason Motorsports Rocket to his first career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory Saturday night in front of his hometown fans at his home track East Alabama Motor Speedway. Dudley defended his home turf, and he had some familiar company right behind him in second and third.
Local favorite Terrance Nowell finished second and Chase Edge took the third spot.
“This is big for us to win our first NeSmith race in our hometown in front of friends and family at our home track,” Dudley said. “I was nervous leading the race because I would look up at the scoreboard under cautions knowing that there were two local guys behind me that know this track as well as I do.”
Nowell reported after the race that he lost his brakes on lap 13, and was just trying to hang on and finish second. He said if he had tried to challenge Dudley and make a move for the lead without brakes, it could have had disastrous results for both of them.
Ryan King was trying to win his third straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring race, but came up three spots short, finishing fourth. King was also the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race. Ryan Crane claimed the fifth spot.
Dudley turned in a “Clean Sweep” of the event, as he started off the evening with the Fast Qualifier Award after turning East Alabama Motor Speedway in 16.050 seconds to earn the pole position for the 50-lap main event.
Dudley took the lead at the start of the race followed by Nowell, Edge, Shep Lucas and Chris Wilson. Dudley reached the cars on the tail end of the lead lap by the tenth tour, but he didn’t have to stay in traffic long, as the first of six Caution flags came out on lap 12 for debris on the track.
Lucas passed Edge for the third spot on the Dixie-Style Double-File restart, but Edge came roaring right back around Lucas to reclaim the third spot on lap 13 with an inside move in turn three. King made his first appearance of the race in the top five on lap 13 when he worked his way around Wilson.
Michael Blount stalled on the front straightaway on lap 22. Dudley led the field to the restart with Nowell, Edge, Lucas, King, Wilson, Cody Martin, Cooper, Cody Smith and Dylan Knowles doubled up behind him.
King stepped to the outside and drove around Lucas in turn two to take the fourth spot on lap 25. Dudley once again encountered lapped traffic on lap 33, but the caution flag was once again his friend on lap 35 when Cooper sailed off the high side of turn three and into the darkness to light up the yellow bulb for the third time.
Dudley kept Nowell, Edge, and King behind him after the restart, as the top four cars began to pull away from Lucas in the fifth spot. Martin spun in turn two on lap 43 while running ninth to bring out the fourth caution flag. It was a single-file restart within ten laps to go, as Dudley led Nowell, Edge, King, Lucas, Wilson, Crane, Smith, Matt Henderson and Cooper.
When the field went back to green, Henderson went to the top of the track and began moving forward in the field. On lap 46, Henderson came off the fourth turn on the high side and pulled alongside Lucas to challenge for fifth. The two cars got locked together on the front stretch, and came to a grinding halt in turn one.
Dudley was once again up to the challenge of a restart on lap 46, but he would have to do it one more time, as the final caution flag of the race came out on lap 48 when Brandon Hood stalled in turn two. When the field took the white flag, Smith sailed off the first turn, but the cars still on the track raced back to the checkered flag.
Dudley took the win with a .555 second margin of victory over Nowell. There were 15 cars on the lead lap with 18 cars still running at the end of the race.
The next race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be a 60-lap $10,000-to-win race at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, GA on August 21-22.
For more information on the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at NesmithRacing.com.
NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series
East Alabama Motor Speedway – Phenix City, AL
Race Results – Aug. 8, 2015
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 55 Montana Dudley Phenix City, AL 50 $2,500
2. 3 55n Terrance Nowell Phenix City, AL 50 $1,250
3. 5 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL 50 $975
4. 7 30 Ryan King (R) Seymour, TN 50 $825
5. 12 10 Ryan Crane (R) Panama City, FL 50 $775
6. 17 10c Ronnie Cooper McKenzie, TN 50 $550
7. 4 10w Chris Wilson Crossville, TN 50 $500
8. 19 H2 Matt Henderson (R) Loudon, TN 50 $575
9. 10 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $525
10. 14 22 Will Roland (Y) Jasper, GA 50 $375
11. 13 54 Richie Beasley Terry, MS 50 $350
12. 16 14 Will Herrington Cochran, GA 50 $300
13. 8 66d Dylan Knowles Lanett, AL 50 $280
14. 6 21m Cody Martin (R) Christiana, TN 50 $385
15. 21 6 Brandon Hood Fort Deposit, AL 50 $250
16. 9 3 Cody Smith Holt, FL 49 $240
17. 18 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 49 $345
18. 11 5d Rodgerick Dykes Smith Station, AL 49 $200
19. 20 121 Michael Blount Sumrall, MS 47 $200
20. 2 57 Shep Lucas McKenzie, AL 46 $200
21. 15 21n Joe Noojin Boaz, AL 30 $200
ENTRIES: 30
FAST QUALIFIER: Dudley, 16.050 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADER: Dudley, 1-50
