BUCKINGHAM BATTLES FOR NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
WIN AT EAST BAY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
TAMPA, FL – Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, TN posted
the biggest win of his career on Saturday night by driving his Rusty
Wallace Toyota Bloomquist Race Car to victory in the 4th
Annual NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series World Championship at
East Bay Raceway Park and picking up the $10,000 top prize.
Buckingham passed early race leader Rodney Melvin of
Benton, IL in lapped traffic on lap 45, and then dodged a bullet on a
lap 50 restart when he was spun out by Stacey Roberts of Sylvester, GA
in turn one. The caution was charged to Roberts, and Buckingham was put
back in the lead for the restart to lead the entire second half of the
race.
Buckingham took the checkered flag by six car-lengths
over Melvin, who finished second in the Thomason Engines Rayburn.
“Other than being spun out on that restart, everything
went well tonight, and this is the first $10,000-to-win race I’ve ever
won,” Buckingham said. “Melvin was faster than I was at the start of
the race, but Scott (Bloomquist) told me before the race that as the
track took more rubber, our car would get faster.”
Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL started tenth,
but worked his way through the field and battled with his teammate
Melvin for the second spot during the second half of the race. Erb had
to settle for third in the Thomason Engines Rayburn. Tim McCreadie of
Waterloo, NY made a late-race charge to finish fourth in the Miller Lite
Rocket.
Local favorite Josh Peacock of Dover, FL was fifth in
the Peacock Farms Warrior, and Phillip Cobb of Riverview, FL finished
sixth in the Coastal Trucking GRT. Anthony White of Clinton, TN took
the seventh spot in the Stone Plus DWB, and Bryan Bernhardt of
Clearwater, FL drove the B&B Precision Mowers Rocket to an eighth-place
finish.
Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL finished ninth in the
McLeod Construction Rocket, and Jeff Mathews of Seffner, FL rounded out
the top ten in the Vasser Cord Warrior. The top seven cars finished on
the lead lap, and 13 of the 26 cars that started the race were still
running when the checkered flag fell on lap 100.
Melvin took the lead at the start of the race from the
pole position, and was looking for a “clean sweep” of the event after
out-timing the 63 entrants for the race during time trials with a lap
around the 1/3-mile clay oval in 16.079 seconds, and then winning the
first 15-lap heat race on Friday night.
Buckingham grabbed the second spot from his third
starting hole at the start followed by Roberts, White, and 2006 race
winner Randy Korte of Highland, IL in the Terry Eaglin Motorsports
Rocket. Korte passed White for the fourth spot on the second lap. By
the fifth lap, Melvin had pulled out to a half-straightaway lead over
Buckingham.
Melvin began to encounter lapped traffic by the ninth
lap, but a caution flag slowed the field on lap 18 when Frank Ingram of
Woodstock, GA stalled the Dixon Hauling and Grading Rocket in turn two.
Melvin led Buckingham, Roberts in the Sunbelt Ford Rocket, Korte,
Cobb, White, Erb, Ross Bailes of Blacksburg, SC in the Felony Farms
Mastersbilt, Peacock, and Boutwell down for the first double-file
restart in the history of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.
Erb used the double-file restart to his advantage, passing White for the
sixth spot.
Cobb got by Korte for the fourth spot on lap 19, and Erb dropped
Korte back to the sixth spot on lap 20. Melvin caught lapped traffic on
lap 29, and by lap 32, Buckingham and Roberts closed in to challenge for
the lead. Roberts stepped to the outside on lap 35 to challenge
Buckingham for second. Buckingham was able to hold the spot, but Melvin
had opened up a six car-length lead.
Erb was able to pass Cobb for the fourth spot on lap 36, and Korte
came back to life by passing Cobb for the fifth position on lap 42.
Buckingham closed on Melvin again while the leader worked lapped
traffic.
On lap 45, Buckingham got to the inside of Melvin coming off the
second turn and the lead duo raced side-by-side down the backstretch.
Buckingham had the preferred line going into turn three, and was able to
grab the lead coming off the fourth turn.
Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA spun the J&J Transport Mastersbilt in turn
four on lap 50 to bring out the caution flag. Melvin chose the outside
groove for the restart, which put the third place car of Roberts on the
inside behind Buckingham, who restarted in a row by himself.
When the green flag came out, Roberts got into the
back of Buckingham in turn one, and the leader spun. With his car
sitting backwards in the middle of the race track, the entire field went
to both his inside and outside, and somehow missed Buckingham without
make any contact. Officials charged Roberts with the caution flag, sent
him to the back of the pack, and reinstated Buckingham on the point.
Erb moved up to the third spot for the restart, and
passed Melvin for second when the green flag came back out. Matthew
Turner of Dawsonville, GA made a big move from ninth to seventh on the
restart, and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National
Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN came from 12th to
eighth on the restart.
By lap 58, Buckingham had pulled out to a full
straightaway lead over Erb, Melvin, Korte, Cobb, Boutwell, and Peacock.
Korte dropped out of the fourth spot on lap 69 when he stalled in turn
one to bring out the caution flag. Melvin was able to retake the second
spot on the restart by passing Erb. Peacock got around Cobb to take over
the fifth spot.
Roberts was charging back through the pack, and was in
the top ten by lap 75. Turner was also making some good moves, and was
driving the race of his life, riding in the sixth spot. McCreadie was
also moving up through the pack, moving into the top five by lap 77.
Roberts began to challenge Turner for the sixth spot by lap 80.
Roberts charged a little too hard in turn one on lap
81, spinning Turner out, and collecting several other cars. When the
dust cleared, Turner’s Turner Excavating DWB was destroyed and out for
the evening, earning him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.
Officials parked Roberts for the night.
Buckingham led Melvin, Erb, Peacock, McCreadie,
Gentry, Cobb, Bernhardt, Mathews, and White down for the restart.
Gentry drove his Pogue Body Shop GRT by McCreadie for the fifth spot on
lap 82, and Boutwell raced his way back into the top ten on lap 86.
With ten laps to go, Buckingham had pulled out to a ten car-length lead
over Melvin.
Gentry pulled up from the fifth spot and stalled on
lap 95 to bring out the caution flag. In the six lap dash to the
finish, the only driver able to make a move for position was McCreadie,
who jumped to the outside to pass Peacock for the fourth spot coming off
the fourth turn after the restart. Buckingham drove under the checkered
flag with a six car-length advantage over Melvin.
The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of
the year Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL was the Hard Charger of the Race
after starting his All-Star Graphics Warrior 26th and
finishing 12th. Peacock took the Racecar Engineering 5th-Place
Award, Bernhardt won the Racecar Engineering 8th-Place Award,
Boutwell grabbed the Maximum Signs 9th-Place Award, and
Mathews was the Old 29 Golf Carts 10th-Place Award winner.
In preliminary action, Roberts, Buckingham, White,
Korte and Cobb joined Melvin as heat race winners on Friday night. On
Saturday night, Shan Smith of Dade City, FL put on a spectacular
performance in the first 20-lap B-Main by coming from the 18th
and last starting spot to win driving the Seckman Fire Sprinklers TNT.
Billy Faust of Highland, IL won the second 20-lap B-Main in the Kehrer
Brothers Roofing Rocket.
The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late
Model Series will be the 2009 National Tour season opener on January 3-4
as a part of the 18th Annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short
Track in Eastaboga, AL.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
RACE AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 12/12-13/08:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER
HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 3 50 Shannon Buckingham
Morristown, TN 100 $10,000
2. 1 27 Rodney Melvin
Benton, IL 100 $5,000
3. 10 28 Dennis Erb Jr.
Carpentersville, IL 100 $3,000
4. 13 102 Tim McCreadie
Waterloo, NY 100 $2,000
5. 8 21 Josh Peacock
Dover, FL 100 $1,750
6. 6 32 Phillip
Cobb Riverview, FL 100
$1,500
7. 4 2 Anthony White
Clinton, TN 100 $1,300
8. 14 B69 Bryan Bernhardt
Clearwater, FL 99 $1,200
9. 9 58 Larry Boutwell
Baker, FL 99 $1,100
10. 17 9 Jeff Mathews
Seffner, FL 99 $1,000
11. 15 16 Jeff
Fields Aragon, GA
98 $800
12. 26 66k Scott Knowles
Lanett, AL 97 $700
13. 18 P1 Wallace
Peacock Dover, FL
97 $600
14. 11 11g David Gentry
Lewisburg, TN 95 $500
15. 12 10 Matthew
Turner Dawsonville,
GA 80 $450
16. 2 11 Stacey Roberts
Sylvester, GA 80 $440
17. 19 17ss Shan Smith
Dade City, FL 78 $430
18. 7 87 Ross
Bailes Blacksburg, SC
77 $420
19. 5 69 Randy Korte
Highland, IL 72 $400
20. 22 21b Royce Bray
Hull, GA 69 $400
21. 21 1g Ronnie Johnson
Chattanooga, TN 55 $400
22. 16 27f Jeff Fortner
Vidalia, GA 55 $400
23. 20 92 Billy
Faust Highland, IL
47 $400
24. 24 81c Kevin Cole
Benton, IL 35 $400
25. 23 F9 Frank Ingram
Woodstock, GA 16 $400
26. 25 38c Chip Brindle
Chatsworth, GA 16 $400
ENTRIES: 63
FAST QUALIFIER: Melvin, 16.079 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Brindle and Knowles
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Melvin, 1-44; Buckingham, 45-100
LAPS LED: Buckingham, 56; Melvin, 44
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE: Knowles (started 26th and finished
12th)
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Turner
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 5TH-PLACE AWARD: Peacock
RACE CAR ENGINEERING 8TH-PLACE AWARD: Bernhardt
MAXIMUM SIGNS 9TH-PLACE AWARD: Boutwell
OLD 29 GOLF CARTS 10TH-PLACE AWARD: Mathews
CAUTIONS: 7
TIME OF THE RACE: 56 Minutes and 50.239 Seconds
QUALIFYING:
|
GROUP 1: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
POS |
CAR # |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
CHASSIS |
LAP 1 |
LAP 2 |
TIME |
|
1 |
92b |
Billy Faust |
Highland, IL |
Rocket |
16.421 |
16.250 |
16.250 |
|
2 |
12 |
Hunter Peacock |
Macon, GA |
Bullet |
16.497 |
16.550 |
16.497 |
|
3 |
11r |
Stacey Roberts |
Sylvester, GA |
Rocket |
16.878 |
16.662 |
16.662 |
|
4 |
21p |
Josh Peacock |
Dover, FL |
Warrior |
17.019 |
16.703 |
16.703 |
|
5 |
21b |
Royce Bray |
Hull, GA |
Warrior |
16.746 |
17.660 |
16.746 |
|
6 |
121 |
Benji Cole |
Canon, GA |
DWB |
16.840 |
17.418 |
16.840 |
|
7 |
B69 |
Bryan Bernhardt |
Clearwater, FL |
Rocket |
17.147 |
17.431 |
17.147 |
|
8 |
11 |
Steven Roberts |
Sylvester, GA |
Rocket |
17.158 |
17.284 |
17.158 |
|
9 |
44 |
Stephen Rogers |
Knoxville, TN |
Warrior |
17.502 |
17.178 |
17.178 |
|
10 |
10b |
Scott Riggs |
Harrisburg, IL |
Forward |
17.472 |
18.495 |
17.472 |
|
11 |
8m |
Matt Miller |
Tampa, FL |
Rocket |
17.671 |
18.375 |
17.671 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GROUP 2: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
POS |
CAR # |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
CHASSIS |
LAP 1 |
LAP 2 |
TIME |
|
1 |
P1 |
Wallace Peacock |
Dover, FL |
TnT |
16.789 |
17.543 |
16.789 |
|
2 |
32 |
Phillip Cobb |
Riverview, FL |
GRT |
17.667 |
16.943 |
16.943 |
|
3 |
10 |
Matthew Turner |
Dawsonville, GA |
DWB |
16.971 |
17.361 |
16.971 |
|
4 |
8s |
Steve Miller |
Tampa, FL |
Rocket |
46.178 |
16.994 |
16.994 |
|
5 |
9w |
Jimmy Waldrop |
Seffner, FL |
Rocket |
17.091 |
19.414 |
17.091 |
|
6 |
79 |
Jason Kimball |
Brooksville, FL |
Rocket |
17.237 |
17.601 |
17.237 |
|
7 |
2 |
Shane Hitt |
Buckhannon, WV |
Rocket |
17.847 |
17.380 |
17.380 |
|
8 |
33c |
Eric Cooley |
Fulton, MS |
Mastersbilt |
18.093 |
17.547 |
17.547 |
|
9 |
22x |
Danny Peoples |
Margaret, AL |
Warrior |
17.561 |
17.559 |
17.559 |
|
10 |
88 |
David Polen Jr. |
Tampa, FL |
Rocket |
17.616 |
33.128 |
17.616 |
|
11 |
24w |
Dennis Williams |
Zephyrhills, FL |
Rayburn |
19.014 |
19.343 |
19.014 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
GROUP 3: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
POS |
CAR # |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
CHASSIS |
LAP 1 |
LAP 2 |
TIME |
|
1 |
2w |
Anthony White |
Clinton, TN |
DWB |
16.615 |
16.455 |
16.455 |
|
2 |
28e |
Dennis Erb Jr. |
Carpentersville, IL |
Rayburn |
16.755 |
16.606 |
16.606 |
|
3 |
27 |
Jeff Fortner |
Vidalia, GA |
Rocket |
16.727 |
17.010 |
16.727 |
|
4 |
87 |
Derrick Rainey |
Powder Springs, GA |
Warrior |
16.911 |
17.000 |
16.911 |
|
5 |
105 |
Dave Schmauss |
Tampa, FL |
Warrior |
16.921 |
17.265 |
16.921 |
|
6 |
16b |
Dan Brewer |
Wytheville, VA |
Barry Wright |
17.508 |
17.029 |
17.029 |
|
7 |
28 |
Brandon Overton |
Appling, GA |
GRT |
17.442 |
17.227 |
17.227 |
|
8 |
81c |
Kevin Cole |
Benton, IL |
Pierce |
17.261 |
17.276 |
17.261 |
|
9 |
10x |
Jake Knowles |
Tyrone, GA |
Rocket |
17.509 |
17.358 |
17.358 |
|
10 |
49 |
Jonathan Davenport |
Blairsville, GA |
Rayburn |
17.753 |
17.640 |
17.640 |
|
11 |
59 |
Aaron Heck |
Mount Vernon, IL |
Rayburn |
17.723 |
17.846 |
17.723 |
|
|
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GROUP 4: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
POS |
CAR # |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
CHASSIS |
LAP 1 |
LAP 2 |
TIME |
|
1 |
27m |
Rodney Melvin |
Benton, IL |
Rayburn |
16.276 |
16.079 |
16.079 |
|
2 |
102 |
Tim McCreadie |
Waterloo, NY |
Rocket |
16.572 |
17.160 |
16.572 |
|
3 |
87L |
Ross Bailes |
Blacksburg, SC |
Mastersbilt |
17.510 |
16.900 |
16.900 |
|
4 |
38c |
Chip Brindle |
Chatsworth, GA |
Mastersbilt |
17.275 |
16.982 |
16.982 |
|
5 |
92k |
Brant Kehrer |
New Memphis, IL |
Rocket |
17.836 |
17.429 |
17.429 |
|
6 |
61 |
Caleb Ashby |
Cunningham, TN |
PPM |
18.240 |
17.456 |
17.456 |
|
7 |
1g |
Ronnie Johnson |
Chattanooga, TN |
Warrior |
17.594 |
17.622 |
17.594 |
|
8 |
11w |
Randy Weaver |
Crossville, TN |
PPM |
17.798 |
17.914 |
17.798 |
|
9 |
21m |
Ben McCreary |
Baldwyn, MS |
Mastersbilt |
18.213 |
17.931 |
17.931 |
|
10 |
18L |
Jason Riggs |
Harrisburg, IL |
Rocket |
18.710 |
18.240 |
18.240 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
GROUP 5: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
POS |
CAR # |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
CHASSIS |
LAP 1 |
LAP 2 |
TIME |
|
1 |
69 |
Randy Korte |
Highland, IL |
Rocket |
16.661 |
16.638 |
16.638 |
|
2 |
9 |
Jeff Mathews |
Seffner, FL |
Warrior |
16.708 |
16.915 |
16.708 |
|
3 |
11g |
David Gentry |
Lewisburg, TN |
GRT |
16.860 |
16.823 |
16.823 |
|
4 |
11h |
Doug Horton |
Bruceton Mills, WV |
Warrior |
17.968 |
17.183 |
17.183 |
|
5 |
22p |
Travis Pennington |
Winston, GA |
GRT |
18.302 |
17.287 |
17.287 |
|
6 |
22w |
William Thomas |
Phenix City, AL |
Scorpion |
17.633 |
17.349 |
17.349 |
|
7 |
92s |
Matt Santel |
New Memphis, IL |
Rocket |
17.446 |
17.464 |
17.446 |
|
8 |
17ss |
Shan Smith |
Dade City, FL |
TnT |
17.770 |
17.656 |
17.656 |
|
9 |
22 |
Jason Wilson |
Margaret, AL |
Warrior |
18.411 |
17.800 |
17.800 |
|
10 |
41v |
Travis Varnadore |
Dover, FL |
Rayburn |
17.808 |
18.051 |
17.808 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
GROUP 6: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
POS |
CAR # |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
CHASSIS |
LAP 1 |
LAP 2 |
TIME |
|
1 |
50 |
Shanon Buckingham |
Morristown, TN |
Bloomquist |
16.604 |
16.317 |
16.317 |
|
2 |
66k |
Scott Knowles |
Lanett, AL |
Warrior |
16.952 |
17.289 |
16.952 |
|
3 |
16 |
Jeff Fields |
Aragon, GA |
Mastersbilt |
17.155 |
17.057 |
17.057 |
|
4 |
12c |
Jon Callaway |
Herrington, DE |
Rocket |
17.404 |
17.187 |
17.187 |
|
5 |
58 |
Larry Boutwell |
Baker, FL |
Rocket |
17.719 |
17.226 |
17.226 |
|
6 |
2x |
Nick Lyons |
Centrailia, IL |
Forward |
17.483 |
17.564 |
17.483 |
|
7 |
F9 |
Frank Ingram |
Woodstock, GA |
Rocket |
17.552 |
17.769 |
17.552 |
|
8 |
20u |
Bruce Unterbrink |
Greenville, IL |
Rocket |
18.152 |
17.553 |
17.553 |
|
9 |
21 |
Rusty Hoge |
Ooltewah, TN |
GRT |
18.895 |
17.932 |
17.932 |
|
10 |
91 |
Guy Robinson |
Rockmart, GA |
TnT |
18.691 |
NT |
18.691 |
HEAT RACES (15 Laps – Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):
1ST HEAT: 1. Melvin; 2. Bailes; 3.
McCreadie; 4. Brindle; 5. Johnson; 6. McCreary; 7. Ashby; 8. Kehrer; 9.
Weaver; 10. J. Riggs.
2ND HEAT: 1. Stacey Roberts; 2. J.
Peacock; 3. Bernhardt; 4. Bray; 5. B. Cole; 6. Stephen Roberts; 7.
Faust; 8. S. Riggs; 9. H. Peacock; 10. Rogers; 11. M. Miller.
3RD HEAT: 1. Buckingham; 2. Boutwell; 3.
Fields; 4. Ingram; 5. Lyons; 6. Hoge; 7. S. Knowles; 8. Callaway; 9.
Unterbrink; 10. Robinson.
4TH HEAT: 1. White; 2. Erb; 3. Fortner; 4.
K. Cole; 5. Rainey; 6. Brewer; 7. Heck; 8. Davenport; 9. Overton; 10. J.
Knowles; 11. Schmauss.
5TH HEAT: 1. Korte; 2. Gentry; 3. Mathews;
4. Horton; 5. Thomas; 6. Pennington; 7. Wilson; 8. Varnadore; 9. Santel;
10. Smith.
6TH HEAT: 1. Cobb; 2. Turner; 3. W.
Peacock; 4. S. Miller; 5. Polen; 6. Cooley; 7. Kimball; 8. Williams; 9.
Hitt; 10. Peoples; 11. Waldrop.
B-MAINS (20 Laps – Top 3 Transfer To Main Event):
1ST B-MAIN: 1. Smith; 2. Johnson; 3.
Ingram; 4. Thomas; 5. Lyons; 6. McCreary; 7. Hoge; 8. Horton; 9.
Callaway; 10. Robinson; 11. J. Riggs; 12. Ashby; 13. Pennington; 14.
Brindle; 15. Knowles; 16. Varnadore; 17. Santel; 18. Kehrer; 19. Wilson
DNS; 20. Weaver DNS; 21. Unterbrink DNS.
2ND B-MAIN: 1. Faust; 2. Bray; 3. Cole; 4.
Rainey; 5. Overton; 6. Schmauss; 7. Williams; 8. Stephen Roberts; 9.
Kimball; 10. H. Peacock; 11. Waldrop; 12. Pollen; 13. Cole; 14. J.
Knowles; 15. Heck; 16. S. Miller; 17. Brewer; 18. Cooley; 19. S. Riggs
DNS; 20. Davenport DNS; 21. Hitt DNS; 22. Rogers DNS; 23. Peoples DNS;
24. M. Miller DNS.
