Johnny Pursley
LAVONIA, GA – Johnny Pursley of Clover, SC led wire-to-wire to win the 40-lap Main Event on Friday night for the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series South East Region at Lavonia Speedway driving the Pursley Grading Longhorn. The $4,000 victory was the third career ULTIMATE win for Pursley in a race in front of a capacity crowd that only saw one caution flag.
Pursley started from the pole position after earning the $200 M&W Transport “Haulin’ It” Fast Time Award with a lap around Lavonia Speedway in 15. 497 seconds. Pursley grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag and took a .867 second margin of victory under the checkered flag over the second-place driver, three-time ULTIMATE Champion Casey Roberts of Toccoa, GA.
The defending and two-time ULTIMATE Champion Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC took the third spot and ULTIMATE Championship point leader and the Autolite/Fram/DirtOnDirt.com Rookie of the Year point leader Tyler Millwood of Cartersville, GA finished fourth. Brent Dixon of Elberton, GA was fifth.
Brett Hamm of Newberry, SC drove to a sixth-place finish, and seventh went to Jeff Smith of Dallas, NC. Kenny Collins of Colbert, GA took the eighth spot, and Jason Welshan of Maryville, TN stayed in ULTIMATE Championship contention with a ninth-place finish.
Josh Thurman of Toccoa, GA rounded out the top ten after starting 13th and was the Hard Charger of the Race. The only caution flag of the 40-lap race came out on lap 23 when Anthony Sanders of Spartanburg, SC stalled. The time of the race was 23 minutes and 2.635 seconds.
The next race for the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series South East Region will be Saturday night with a $4,000-to-win, $400-to-start 40-lap event at North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, 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 9 AT LAVONIA SPEEDWAY IN LAVONIA, GA ON 6/16/17:
POS `STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 09 Johnny Pursley Clover, SC 40 $4,000
2. 4 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA 40 $2,000
3. 5 2 Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC 40 $1,350
4. 2 31 Tyler Millwood Cartersville, GA 40 $1,000
5. 3 1 Brent Dixon Elberton, GA 40 $875
6. 6 18 Brett Hamm Newberry, SC 40 $775
7. 8 00 Jeff Smith Dallas, NC 40 $700
8. 9 1c Kenny Collins Colbert, GA 40 $600
9. 10 29 Jason Welshan Maryville, TN 40 $500
10. 13 12 Josh Thurman Toccoa, GA 39 $450
11. 12 D1c Drew Collins Lavonia, GA 31 $425
12. 11 421 Anthony Sanders Spartanburg, SC 23 $400
13. 14 3 Jeremy Ledford Habesham, GA 7 $400
14. 7 21 Shane Tankersley Blue Ridge, GA 0 $0/DNS
ENTRIES: 14
M&W TRANSPORT “HAULIN’ IT” FAST QUALIFIER: Pursley, 15.497 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Pursley, 1-40
AUTOLITE/FRAM/DIRTONDIRT.COM ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Millwood
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE: Thurman (started 13th and finished 10th)
CAUTIONS: 1
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .867 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 23 Minutes, 2.635 Seconds
NEXT RACE: Saturday, June 17, North Georgia Speedway, Chatsworth, GA, $4,000-to-win, $400-to-start.
M&W TRANSPORT “HAULIN’ IT” QUALIFYING:
POS CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN TIME
1. 09 Johnny Pursley Clover, SC 15.497
2. 31 Tyler Millwood Cartersville, GA 15.506
3. 1 Brent Dixon Elberton, GA 15.617
4. 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA 15.682
5. 2 Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC 15.705
6. 18 Brett Hamm Newberry, SC 15.889
7. 21 Shane Tankersley Blue Ridge, GA 15.956
8. 00 Jeff Smith Dallas, NC 16.031
9. 1c Kenny Collins Colbert, GA 16.060
10. 29 Jason Welshan Maryville, TN 16.071
11. 421 Anthony Sanders Spartanburg, SC 16.172
12. D1c Drew Collins Lavonia, GA 16.365
13. 12 Josh Thurman Toccoa, GA 16.590
14. 3 Jeremy Ledford Habesham, GA 16.755
