We will be providing live updates from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and NeSmith Crate Late Model Series season openers at the Golden Isles Speedway in Waynesville, GA on Friday morning February 7, 2014.
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Classes in action:
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series(25 Lap Feature for $5,000-to-win)
NeSmith Crate Late Model(30 Lap Feature for $2,500-to-win)
Time: Drivers meeting is set for 10:00am with Hot Laps to commence soon afterwards.
Weather: It is not raining as of 7:00am and the forecast gives hope for getting both races in today.
8:00am- At the track now and the sun is shining!
10:15- Hot laps should commence shortly.
Photos: I often post pictures on my @TennesseeRacer Twitter account if you would like to take a look.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series:
This is not a points race for LOLMDS.
There will be four heats that will take the top-5 into the feature. There will be one last chance race.
The LOLMDS will use a ‘Lucky Dog’ similar to that of NASCAR.
Drivers must heat race on the same tires they use to qualify.
Drivers Here- 31 cars here.
Group 1- Jason Fitzgerald, Brandon Sheppard, John Blankenship, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Steve Shaver, Ray Cook, Jared Landers, Devin Moran.
Group 2- Russell Brown, Jr., Earl Pearson, Jr., Brady Smith, Jason Papich, Randy Weaver, Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Weiss.
Group 3- Tim McCreadie, Jason Riggs, Brian Shirley, Jason Hughes, Jimmy Owens, Steve Francis, Chad Hollenbeck, Dennis Franklin.
Group 4- Billy Moyer, Jr., Gregg Satterlee, Don O’Neal, Kenny Pettyjohn, Chris Madden, Mike Stadel, Dennis Erb, Jr.
Based on the level of activity in some pit areas, there may be some Lucas regulars who are choosing not to race in this morning’s non points event.
10:30- Group 1 on track for hot laps.
Ray Cook was fastest in Group 1 hot laps with a 17.097.
Jonathan Davenport was fastest in Group 2 with a 16.240.
Brian Shirley was fastest in Group 3 with a 15.513.
Chris Madden was fastest in Group 4 with a 15.647.
11:15- Qualifying underway.
Qualifying:
Group A(Hot lap groups 1&2)- Top-4 were Davenport, Sheppard, Pearson and Cook.
Crossville’s Randy Weaver was 11th.
Davenport’s time was a 14.834 seconds.
Group B(Hot lap groups 3&4)- Top-4 were Billy Moyer, Jr., Madden, Newport’s Owens and O’Neal.
Moyer’s time was 15.011.
Heat Race Lineups:
Heat 1-
Davenport… Pearson
Cook…Carrier
Brown…Shaver
Papich…Fitzgerald
Heat 2-
Sheppard…McCreadie
Blankenship… Moran
Smith…Weaver
Landers… Weiss
Heat 3-
Moyer…Owens
Franklin…Satterlee
Erb…Pettyjohn
Coffey…Cosnanhan
Barrow
Heat 4-
Madden…O’Neal
Francis…Shirley
Hughes…Hollenbeck
Riggs… Stadel
12:20- Heat races will begin very soon.
Top-5 will transfer.
Heat 1 finish Davenport, Pearson, Cook, Brown, Fitzgerald.
Carrier and Shaver both dropped out with mechanical issues.
Heat 2 finish- Sheppard, McCreadie, Blankenship, Smith, Crossville’s Randy Weaver.
Heat 3 has big crash at beginning. Erb, Franklin and Cosnahan involved and all suffer significant damage.
Heat 3 finish- Moyer, Newport’s Owens, Franklin, Satterlee, Coffey.
Good side by side battle early between Moyer and Owens.
Heat 4 has spin involving Francis and Shirley. Both continue.
Heat 4 finish- Madden, O’Neal, Shirley, Francis, Hollenbeck.
1:20- Last chance race rolling out.
Steve Shaver passed two cars on the last lap with an outside move to win the B-main. Also transferring were Landers, Moran and Erb.
Feature lineup:
Davenport… Moyer
Sheppard…Madden
Pearson… Owens
McCreadie… O’Neal
Cook…Franklin
Blankenship… Shirley
Brown…Satterlee
Smith…Francis
Fitzgerald… Coffey
Weaver…Hollenbeck
Shaver…Landers
Moran…Erb
1:45- Feature is lining up.
1:55- Green flag!
Lap 7 caution for Fitzgerald. Davenport leads Moyer, Sheppard, Pearson, Owens, McCreadie and Madden.
Lap 11 caution for spin involving Shirley, Coffey and Satterlee. Davenport continues to lead Moyer, Pearson, Sheppard, McCreadie, Owens, Madden, O’Neal and Cook.
Lap 17 caution for mechanical issue on Cook’s car. Davenport leads Sheppard, Pearson, Moyer, McCreadie, Madden, O’Neal, Francis, Owens. Weaver pulled off earlier.
Lap 20 caution for debris. Running order remains the same.
Jonathan Davenport wins over Sheppard, Pearson, Moyer, McCreadie, Madden, O’Neal, Francis, Franklin, Moran, Owens, Satterlee.
Longhorn Chassis take 3 of top-4 spots.
NeSmith Crate Late Models:
Drivers Here- 40 cars here.
Scott Lagasse, Jr., Steven Roberts, Tom Egner, Tait Davenport, Evan Becton, Steve Cook, Chase Washington, Walker Arthur, Donald Bradsher, Kelly Walker, Jacob Anderson, Justin McRee, Montana Dudley, Brent Barrett, Cody Martin, Mack McCarter, Mallory Harvey, Paul Jorgenson, Carter Stokes, Robert Diekemper, Josh Adkins, Mark Whitener, Edgar Godsey, Stacey Roberts, Braden Mitchell, Jason Fitzgerald, Kitt Sealy, Will Herrington, Ronald Dunn, Chris Noah, David Earl Gentry, Hunter Carter, Cecil Eunice, Jak Kicklighter, Ray Cook, Marcus Minga, Michael Brown, Joey Coulter, Michael Blount, Todd Neiheisen.
Add Ronnie Johnson to the list of drivers in NeSmith.
Top-6 starting spots for the feature will be locked in via qualifying.
Top-4 from each of four heat races will set the rest of the field.
Hot laps underway.
Walker Arthur was fastest in Group 1.
11:40- Qualifying underway.
Top-6 in NeSmith qualifying-
1. Justin McRee, 2.Kelly Walker, 3. Steve Cook, 4. Walker Arthur, 5. Jak Kicklightwer, 6. Gatlinburg’s Mack McCarter.
Chattanooga’s Ronnie Johnson was 23rd and Murfreesboro’s David Earl Gentry was 25th.
12:45- Heats upcoming. Top-4 transfer.
Heat 1 finish-Gentry, Harvey, Lagasse, Adkins.
Ronnie Johnson was 7th.
Heat 2 finish- Whitener, Coulter, Dudley, Faircloth.
Heat 3 finish- Ray Cook, Washington, Roberts, Noah.
Heat 4 finish- Edge, Diekemper, Faircloth, Blount.
Feature lineup:
McRee…Walker
Steve Cook…Arthur
Kicklightwer…McCarter
Noah…Whitener
Ray Cook…Edge
Harvey… Coulter
Washington…Diekemper
Lagasse…Dudley
Roberts…Ben Faircloth
Adkins…Jeremy Faircloth
Gentry…Blount
Johnson…Davenport.
2:20- Feature rolling on track.
2:25- Green flag!
Lap 5 caution for crash involving Washington. Arthur powered to the lead on lap 2 with an outside move around McRee. Arthur leads McRee, Steve Cook, Fitzgerald, McCarter and Ray Cook.
Lap 6 caution for car with flat. Arthur leads McRee, Ray Cook, Harvey, Fitzgerald, Whitener, McCarter and Steve Cook.
Have had several cautions on restarts. Having trouble getting in a rhythm.
Lap 8- Arthur leads Ray Cook, McCarter, Fitzgerald, Whitener, Coulter, Harvey
Caution on lap 13 as the car of Stacey Roberts hit the turn 2 wall then rolled over after climbing the fence. Red flag. Driver appears to be OK.
Arthur leads Ray Cook, Fitzgerald, McCarter, Coulter. Ronnie Johnson running mid pack.
Arthur made a mistake on lap 25 in giving the bottom while lapping cars and allowed Ray Cook to take the lead.
Lap 26 caution as Arthur goes up in smoke. Ray Cook leads Fitzgerald, Coulter and McCarter.
Ray Cook wins over Fitzgerald, Coulter, McCarter and Lagasse.
