GASTONIA, NC – With the temperature of his engine rising under the hood of his race car, Jeff Smith of Dallas, NC knew the open air of being the leader was where he needed to be. On lap 26, that’s where the third-generation racer was, and he went on to lead the remaining 15 laps and win the $4,000 top prize on Friday night in the first race ever co-sanctioned by the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series and the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series at Carolina Speedway.
It was Smith’s first ever win with the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series and his 23rd career win with the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series. Smith had an ear-to-ear grin on his face in Victory Lane, as his crew poured water over the radiator in an attempt to cool down a hot engine. Smith felt fortunate enough just to finish the race, let alone win it.
“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 of Newberry, SC drove to a second-place finish, and was the Autolite/Fram/DirtOnDirt.com Rookie of the Race. Michael Brown of Pageland, SC led 16 laps of the race, but had to settle for a third-place showing. Tyler Millwood of Cartersville, GA kept his ULTIMATE South East Region championship hopes alive with a fourth-place effort.
Ben Watkins of Kershaw, SC finished fifth and sixth went to Zach Mitchell of Emoree, SC, who started 19th and was the Hard Charger of the Race. G.R. Smith of Statesville, NC was seventh, and Jason Welshan of Maryville, TN, who came into the race second in the ULTIMATE SE points, took the eighth spot. Scott Shirey of Swansea, SC was ninth, and Johnny Pursley of Clover, SC rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, ULTIMATE SE point leader Jonathan Davenport was awarded the M&W Transport “Haulin’ It” Fast Qualifier Award after apparent fast qualifier Ross Bailes of Blacksburg, SC had his time of 15.915 seconds disallowed when it was found he had the wrong compound tire on the left rear of his race car. Davenport’s lap time was 15.982 seconds. The two eight-lap Heat Races were won by Millwood and Watkins.
Davenport chose the outside front row to start the 40-lap Main Event 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 of Dallas, NC and 2011 ULTIMATE Champion Chris Ferguson of Mt. Holly, NC.
On the restart, the yellow came back out for a get together by Billy Hicks of Mt. Airy, NC and Josh Langley of Lancaster, SC. 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 of Monroe, NC. Both leaders made contact with Yandle, who spun to bring out the caution flag. Davenport had heavy damage on his front nose piece, 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 cool enough 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 will 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.
Check out the official website for the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series at www.ultimatesupers.com, and continue to follow our social media networks on Facebook at ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series and on Twitter @ULTIMATESupers to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 7 AT CAROLINA SPEEDWAY IN GASTONIA, NC ON 5/19/17:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 5 00 Jeff Smith Dallas, NC 40 $4,000
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 Mt. Airy, NC 2 $400
23. 17 07 Brian Ledbetter Dallas, NC 2 $400
24. 23 22 Chris Ferguson Mt. Holly, NC 2 $400
ENTRIES: 24
PROVISIONALS: None
M&W TRANSPORT “HAULIN’ IT” FAST QUALIFIER: Davenport, 15.982 Seconds
LEAD CHANGES: 2
LAP LEADERS: Davenport, 1-9; Brown, 10-25; J. Smith, 26-40
LAPS LED: Brown, 16; J. Smith, 15; Davenport, 9
AUTOLITE/FRAM/DIRTONDIRT.COM ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Hamm
HARD CHARGER: Mitchell (started 19th and finished 6th)
CAUTIONS: 5
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 3.680 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 33 Minutes, 55.541Seconds
NEXT EVENT: May 20, Lavonia Speedway, Lavonia, GA, 40-laps, $4,000-to-win, $400-to-start, Co-Sanctioned with the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series.
M&W TRANSPORT “HAULIN’ IT” QUALIFYING:
POS CAR # DRIVER TIME
1. 49 Jonathan Davenport 15.982
2. 24 Michael Brown 16.026
3. 2 Dennis Franklin 16.046
4. 09 Johnny Pursley 16.099
5. 00 Jeff Smith 16.121
6. 7 Josh Langley 16.196
7. 18 Brett Hamm 16.217
8. 79 Billy Hicks 16.278
9. 44 Justin Labonte 16.406
10. 22 G.R. Smith 16.489
11. 31 Tyler Millwood 16.545
12. 67 Bryan Mullis 16.558
13. 10 Scott Shirey 16.601
14. 16 Ben Watkins 16.651
15. 57 Zach Mitchell 16.733
16. 42 Doug Sanders 16.759
17. 60 Jim Manka 16.833
18. 421 Anthony Sanders 16.890
19. 57y Adam Yarborough 16.946
20. 29 Jason Welshan 17.024
21. 07 Brian Ledbetter 17.152
22. 03 David Yandle 17.179
23. 22 Chris Ferguson NT
24. 87 Ross Bailes 15.915/DQ/TIRE
HEAT RACES – 8 LAPS:
1ST HEAT: 1. Millwood; 2. Shirey; 3. Yarborough; 4. Ledbetter; 5. Mitchell; 6. Manka; 7. Ferguson.
2ND HEAT: 1. Watkins; 2. Bailes; 3. D. Sanders; 4. Welshan; 5. Mullis; 6. Yandle; 7. A. Sanders.
The ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series would like to recognize their marketing partners for the 2017 season which include: American Racer, Hoosier Race Tires, VP Race Fuels, M&W Transport, PPM Racing Products, Arizona Sport Shirts, DirtonDirt.com, Big A’s Custom Graphics, AR Bodies, Five Star Race Bodies, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil and Lubricants, Autolite/Fram, RockAuto.com, Safecraft, Simpson, and Thomas Clarke Performance Web Design.
