Whynot Motorsports Park
McCool rallies from 14th, wins $2,100 at Whynot
By Roby Helm
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
Bub McCool heads to the front at Whynot. (infieldidiot.smugmug.com)
MERIDIAN, Miss. (May 1) — Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., charged through the field from his 14th starting spot at Whynot Motorsports Park to overtake Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, Miss., on the 32nd lap of the Dasani Water 40. He led the rest of the way for a NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory worth $2,100. | Slideshow
“The car just got better as the race went on,” McCool said. “I tried to pass McCreary on the bottom, but he saw me coming and shut the door, but on the next lap I went to the outside and made the pass.”
Two-time series champion and current points leader David Gentry of Lewisburg, Tenn., made a late-race charge to finish second with Larry Boutwell of Baker, Fla., Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, Ga., and fast qualifier Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, Ga., rounding out the top five in the first race of a weekend doubleheader at the Rodney Wing-owned track.
The main event featured plenty of position changes and side-by-side racing from flag to flag. McCreary took the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting spot followed by Rainey, Chase Washington, Boutwell and Shep Lucas. Turner got by Lucas for fifth on lap three, and Boutwell got by Washington for the third spot on lap five with an inside move. As Washington went into turn one on lap six, he tagged the wall, but only lost one spot to Turner.
McCreary looked like he had the field covered as he pulled out to a half-straightaway lead over Rainey by lap seven. The first of two caution flags came out on lap 10, and McCreary was right in it. Brad Hall spun down the backstretch, and while he attempted to gather up his sliding race car, he collected the race leader McCreary.
Hall was charged with the caution, and series officials looked over the front of McCreary’s race car, and deemed it OK. McCreary restarted on the point for the double-file restart with Rainey and Boutwell lined up behind him. Boutwell drove inside Rainey in turn one on lap 11 to take over the second spot and then began to reel in McCreary.
Turner had a bad restart, and dropped back to the ninth spot by lap 13, while McCool came from ninth on the restart, and moved up to fourth by lap 15, passing Washington down the backstretch. McCreary had built up another half straightaway lead over Boutwell by lap 16. Gentry made his first appearance in the top five on lap 17.
Rainey stepped to the outside groove, and caught Boutwell to mount a challenge for the second spot on lap 19. Rainey made the pass on Boutwell for second on lap 21, going by on the outside down the backstretch.
The contest for the second spot became a four-car battle on lap 22 with McCool and Gentry making their presence known. On lap 24, McCool got by Rainey for the second spot and Gentry passed Boutwell for the fourth position. Lap 25 saw McCreary in heavy lapped traffic, and McCool began to close in.
McCool caught McCreary on lap 30 and tried to throw a slider in turn three by diving inside and trying to slide up in front of McCreary. When McCool went low, McCreary closed the door, and McCool had to back out of the throttle and regroup. McCool got a run on McCreary going down the backstretch on lap 32, but this time stayed up high on the cushion and made the pass for the lead.
Gentry got by Rainey for the third spot on lap 33, and moved up to second after McCreary tagged the turn-one wall on lap 39 to bring out the caution flag.
The restart set up a two-lap dash to the finish, but McCool held on for the victory.
Notes: McCool piloted Trak-Star Chassis with sponsorship from Usry Architects, Thomas Motorsports and McCool Logging. ... Thirteen drivers were on the lead lap at the finish. ... The NeSmith Chevrolet drivers complete the doubleheader weekend at Whynot with the $2,500-to-win Coca-Cola Classic 50 on Saturday night.
Dasani Water 40: (1) Bub McCool, (2) David Gentry, (3) Larry Boutwell, (4) Matthew Turner, (5) Derrick Rainey, (6) Mike Boland, (7) Chase Washington, (8) Eric Cooley, (9) Chip Brindle, (10) Rick Rickman, (11) Shep Lucas, (12) Chris Jimerson, (13) Aaron Ridley, (14) Eddie Rickman, (15) Jason Wilson, (16) Larry Murphy, (17) Justin Shaw, (18) Steve Bryan, (19) Jay Blair, (20) Ben McCreary, (21) Justin McRee, (22) Wiley Williams, (23) Cliff Williams, (24) Brad Hall. Fast qualifier (among 51 cars): Rainey, 13.815 seconds. Heat race winners: Boutwell, Lucas, Gentry, Brindle. Consolation winners: Williams, McRee. Provisional starters: Hall, Wilson.
