GASTONIA, N.C. – Jeff Smith had to keep an eye on his overheating race car as he powered to his first ever ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series victory Friday night at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, North Carolina.
With the temperature of his engine rising under the hood of his race car, the Dallas, North Carolina speedster took the lead on lap 26. Racing in the open air, Smith led the final 15 laps en route to the win.
It marked the first race ever co-sanctioned race by the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series and the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series, and was Smith’s 23rd career Carolina Clash victory.
“The temperature gauge started going towards hot at the halfway point in the race, and I wasn’t sure if I should pull in, or go for it,” Smith said. “We were that close to the front, so I had to go for it and hope if we could take the lead, we could get some cooler air through the radiator.”
Brett Hamm drove to a second place finish, with Michael Brown in third, Tyler Millwood in fourth and Ben Watkins in fifth.
Zach Mitchell, G.R. Smith, Jason Welshan, Scott Shirey and Johnny Pursley rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, ULTIMATE SE points leader Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Georgia was awarded the Fast Qualifier Award after apparent fast qualifier Ross Bailes of Blacksburg, SC had his time disallowed when it was found he had the wrong compound tire on the left rear of his race car
Davenport chose the outside front row to start the 40-lap feature and took the lead at the drop of the green flag. The first of five caution flags came out on lap two for a multi-car tangle that took out Brian Ledbetter and Chris Ferguson.
On the restart, the yellow came back out for a get together by Billy Hicks and Josh Langley. Davenport led the field back to green flag action, but it wasn’t long before Brown moved up to challenge for the lead.
Brown took the point on lap ten, but on the next lap, Brown and Davenport came up to lap David Yandle. Both leaders made contact with Yandle, who spun to bring out the caution flag. Davenport had heavy damage on his front of his car, and dropped back through the field suffering with poor handling race car for the remainder of the race.
Bailes stalled on lap 18 to bring out the caution flag, and he was done for the night. When the field went back to green flag action, Smith had driven up from his fifth starting spot, and he began to challenge Brown for the lead by lap 20. After hounding the leader for several laps, Smith took the lead on lap 26 and began to pull away.
A late-race caution flag was no problem for Smith, as he was able to keep enough cool air going through the radiator of his engine, and then keep all competitors behind him to take a 3.680 second margin of victory to the checkered flag.
The ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series South East Region and the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series was scheduled to compete together again on Saturday night at Georgia’s Lavonia Speedway, only to see that event washed out by rain.
l team up again on Saturday night to co-sanction a 40-lap $4,000-to-win, $400-to-start race at Lavonia Speedway in Lavonia, GA. That event will now be held on Friday, July 28.
The next race for the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series will be a at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee on Monday night, May 29.
Visit UltimateSupers.com for more information.
ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series
Carolina Speedway – Gastonia, NC
Race Results – May 19, 2017
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 5 00 Jeff Smith
2. 7 18 Brett Hamm Newberry, SC 40 $2,000
3. 2 24 Michael Brown Pageland, SC 40 $1,350
4. 11 31 Tyler Millwood Cartersville, GA 40 $1,000
5. 12 16 Ben Watkins Kershaw, SC 40 $875
6. 19 57 Zach Mitchell Enoree, SC 40 $775
7. 10 22 G.R. Smith Statesville, NC 40 $700
8. 18 29 Jason Welshan Maryville, TN 40 $600
9. 13 10 Scott Shirey Swansea, SC 40 $500
10. 4 09 Johnny Pursley Clover, SC 40 $450
11. 21 60 Jim Manka Gastonia, NC 40 $425
12. 22 03 David Yandle Monroe, NC 38 $400
13. 3 2 Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC 21 $400
14. 1 49 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA 21 $400
15. 14 87 Ross Bailes Blacksburg, SC 17 $400
16. 16 42 Doug Sanders McAdenville, NC 16 $400
17. 24 421 Anthony Sanders Spartanburg, SC 13 $400
18. 9 44 Justin Labonte Trinity, NC 10 $400
19. 20 67 Brian Mullis Rock Hill, SC 10 $400
20. 15 57y Adam Yarbrough Denver, NC 8 $400
21. 6 7 Josh Langley Lancaster, SC 2 $400
22. 8 79 Billy Hicks
23. 17 07 Brian Ledbetter Dallas, NC 2 $400
24. 23 22 Chris Ferguson Mt. Holly, NC 2 $400
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