COLUMBUS, Miss. - Evan Ellis of Plantersville, Miss. made it two straight wins in NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series competition at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Miss. on Sunday night driving the Ellis Welding Special.
Ellis took the lead from Jeremy Shaw on lap 17 and then went on to score the $2,000 victory.
“I had no idea how big of a lead I had, but my car was really rolling tonight, and I just seemed to get to the lapped cars at the right time where it wouldn’t slow my momentum to get by them,” Ellis said. “I know I got around Jeremy Shaw to take the lead, but he’s pretty tough to beat on this track, so I knew I couldn’t make a mistake, or he would be there to get around me.”
It would have had to have been a pretty big mistake, as Ellis had a 6.636 margin of victory in a caution-free race that took just 11 minutes and 43 seconds to complete 40 laps. Shaw finished second.
An exciting side-by-side late-race duel for the third spot was won by Kyle Shaw. Chase Edge had to settle for fourth by just a few inches at the checkered flag. Ryan King was fifth and was the Cruise With Champions Rookie of the Race.
Mike Boland, Eric Cooley, Chase Washington, Daniel Bridgeman and Matt Henderson rounded out the top ten. Henderson was also the fast qualifier among the 41 entrants with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 14.376 seconds.
In other preliminary action, the three ten-lap B-Main Races were won by Ronnie Johnson, Bridgmon and Boland.
Jeremy Shaw took the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting position followed by Justin McRee. Henderson dropped back to third followed by Ellis and Edge. Henderson began to drop back through the field in the early laps of the race with what was reported to be a broken shock.
Ellis passed Henderson for third on lap two, and then Edge and King moved up to fourth and fifth respectively on lap four. Shaw reached the cars on the tail end of the lead lap on the ninth tour, and carried a half a straightaway lead on McRee into the traffic. Ellis moved up to the second spot on lap 14 and set sail looking for the leader Jeremy Shaw.
Ellis made an inside move on Jeremy Shaw going into turn three in heavy lapped traffic to take the lead. One lap later, McRee drove around Shaw to take over the second spot. On lap 22, McRee suddenly slowed in turn one and made a hard right through the pit gate in turn two, ending his evening while the rest of the field remained hammer down under green.
Ellis had opened up a full straightaway lead over Jeremy Shaw by lap 30, while Edge, King and Kyle Shaw battled for the third spot. Kyle Shaw got by Edge for third on lap 35, but Edge came back to retake the spot on lap 37. Kyle Shaw took another shot at Edge for third on the last lap, and took the checkered flag by six inches in front of Edge.
The next pair of races for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will take place Friday night and Saturday night, Sept. 11-12 at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, TN for Rounds 20 and 21 of the 2015 season. The Friday night race will be 40-laps and $2,000-to-win, and the Saturday night race will be 50-laps and $2,500-to-win.
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
Magnolia Motor Speedway – Columbus, MS
Race Results – Sept. 6, 2015
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 3 73 Evan Ellis Plantersville, MS 40 $2,000
2. 2 1s Jeremy Shaw Millport, AL 40 $1,000
3. 5 2s Kyle Shaw Millport, AL 40 $700
4. 6 18 Chase Edge LaFayette, AL 40 $675
5. 8 30 Ryan King (R) Seymour, TN 40 $625
6. 13 222 Mike Boland Cuba, AL 40 $425
7. 9 33b Eric Cooley Fulton, MS 40 $375
8. 16 311 Chase Washington Houlka, MS 40 $350
9. 12 09 Daniel Bridgmon Meridian, MS 40 $325
10. 1 H2 Matt Henderson (R) Loudon, TN 39 $425
11. 10 73n Ashley Newman Ripley, TN 39 $275
12. 11 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 39 $375
13. 21 57 Josh Adkins Talladega, AL 39 $225
14. 19 232 Jamey Boland Cuba, AL 39 $200
15. 17 110 Brent Barrett Cleveland, MS 39 $175
16. 23 10c Ryan Crane (R) Panama City, FL 39 $275
17. 14 00m Monte Skinner Saraland, AL 39 $140
18. 15 01 Nick Thrash Meridian, MS 39 $125
19. 18 347 Noah Daspit Kiln, MS 38 $125
20. 20 4j Josh Banes (Y) Learned, MS 38 $125
21. 24 19 Marcus Minga Shannon, MS 38 $250
22. 4 17 Justin McRee Woodstock, AL 22 $125
23. 7 888 Jason Cliburn Star, MS 19 $125
24. 22 1 Johnny Stokes Columbus, MS 16 $125
Entries: 41
Fast Qualifier: Henderson, 14.376 Seconds
Provisionals: Crane and Minga
Lead Changes: 1
Lap Leaders: J. Shaw, 1-16; Ellis, 17-40
Laps Led: Ellis, 24; J. Shaw, 16
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/9/334582/ellis-doubles-up-with-nesmith-dlms-magnoila-victory