East Bay Raceway Park
Buckingham tops Melvin for $10,000 at East Bay
By Roby Helm
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
Shanon Buckingham (50) gets rolling at East Bay. (Tim Lee)
GIBSONTON, Fla. (Dec. 13) — Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, Tenn., posted the richest victory of his career on by capturing the fourth annual NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series World Championship at East Bay Raceway Park. Buckingham pocketed $10,000 in the non-points event with the Crate Late Model organization. | Slideshow
Buckingham overtook early leader Rodney Melvin of Benton, Ill., 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 lengths over Melvin, the weekend's fast qualifier.
“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, Ill., started 10th, 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 settled for third to finish a spot ahead of former World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who started 13th and made a late charge to fourth. Local favorite Josh Peacock of Dover, Fla., was fifth.
The polesitting Melvin took the lead from the outset at the third-mile oval while Buckingham grabbed the second spot early ahead of Roberts, Anthony White, and 2006 race winner Randy Korte of Highland, Ill. 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 in turn two. Melvin led Buckingham, Roberts, Korte and Cobb for the first double-file restart in the history of the NeSmith Chevrolet tour.
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-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 spun 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 track, the entire field went to both his inside and outside, but no one made 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. By lap 58, Buckingham had pulled out to a full straightaway lead over Erb and Melvin. 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.
By lap 90, Buckingham held a 10-length lead, but that was erased when fifth-running David Gentry stalled on lap 95 to bring out the final caution. In the final 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 six lengths ahead of Melvin.
Notes: Buckingham's Bloomquist Race Car is sponsored by Rusty Wallace Toyota. ... The top seven cars finished on the lead lap, and 13 of the 26 starters still running when the checkered flag fell on lap 100. ... Stacey Roberts, involved in the mid-race skirmish with Buckingham, was sent off the track by officials for his part in a lap-81 melee when he got too hard into turn one, spinning Matthew Turner and collecting several other competitors. ... The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Scott Knowles of Lanett, Ala., was the hard charger after starting 26th and finishing 12th. ... Anthony White crossed the finish line seventh but was disqualified two days after the race for using an illegal tire. The serial number on White's tire didn't match to the corresponding legal compound after a check with Hoosier Race Tire, series officials said. White was suspended from series action for a year and fined $1,000. ... The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be the 2009 season opener Jan. 3-4 as part of the 18th annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala.
NeSmith Chevrolet @ East Bay: (1) Shanon Buckingham, (2) Rodney Melvin, (3) Dennis Erb Jr., (4) Tim McCreadie, (5) Josh Peacock, (6) Phillip Cobb, (7) Bryan Bernhardt, (8) Larry Boutwell, (9) Jeff Mathews, (10) Jeff Fields, (11) Scott Knowles, (12) Wallace Peacock, (13) David Gentry, (14) Matthew Turner, (15) Stacey Roberts, (16) Shan Smith, (17) Ross Bailes, (18) Randy Korte, (19) Royce Bray, (20) Ronnie Johnson, (21) Jeff Fortner, (22) Billy Faust, (23) Kevin Cole, (24) Frank Ingram, (25) Chip Brindle, (26) William Thomas. Fast qualifier (among 63 cars): Melvin, 16.079 seconds. Heat race winners: Melvin, Roberts, Buckingham, White, Korte, Cobb. Consolation winners: Smith, Faust. Provisional starters: Brindle, Knowles.
Correction: Updates with Anthony White's disqualification.
