Talladega Short Track
Bray captures crate feature at Talladega
By Roby Helm
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series
Royce Bray earned $3,000. (mikessportsimages.com)
EASTABOGA, Ala. (Jan. 6) — Royce Bray of Hull, Ga., won the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 2008 season opener and the $3,000 top prize in the 40-lap main event at Talladega Short Track's Ice Bowl XVII. Starting third, Bray took the lead from polesitting rookie Hunter Peacock of Macon, Ga., on the 18th lap and never looked back for his first career series victory. | Slideshow
Peacock was out front for 17 laps before getting caught behind lapped traffic, which opened the door for Bray.
“I talked with all of the guys starting up front, and we talked about driving a good clean race and not trying to win it on the first lap,” Bray said. “When we got into lapped traffic, Hunter got caught in the high groove, I went inside, and that line went faster coming off the second turn.”
Peacock held off a late race charge from Jordy Nipper of Gray, Ga., to finish second while 14th-starting Ted Lackey of Munford, Ala., and Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, Ga., rounded out the top five.
Peacock and Brindle led the field down for the start and Brindle took the lead coming off the second turn. That start was negated when three cars spun in turn four before the first lap could be completed, requiring a complete restart. On the next start, Peacock took the lead into turn one followed by Bray, Brindle, Nipper, and Richard Stephens. The caution flag came out for a second time on lap three when Steve Godsey had something in the front end break in turn four.
Peacock and Bray pulled away from Brindle on the restart, while Nipper closed in from the fourth spot. Stephens was running fifth when the handle went away on his car, and he began losing positions. Stephens stopped on the backstretch on lap eight to bring out the third caution flag and then retired.
When the field went back to green, Bray followed Peacock’s tire tracks, and they began to encounter lapped traffic by lap 15. As the lead pair raced into turn one on lap 18, Peacock got caught on the high side trying to negotiate the traffic, and Bray got the inside line. Bray drove off the second underneath Peacock to take the lead, and pulled away.
While Bray opened up a lead, Peacock was busy trying to hold off the challenge of Nipper, who got around Brindle for the third spot by the halfway point, and Lackey charged into the top five. The field stayed green until lap 38 when Logan Yates of cut down a tire.
Bray was able to keep Peacock behind him for the three-lap dash to the checkered flag, while Peacock was in defensive mode to keep ahead of Nipper. Lackey passed Brindle for the fourth spot in the closing laps.
Notebook
Royce Bray's Warrior Race Car is sponsored by I-85 Garage. ... Georgia locked up four of the top five finishing positions. ... Thirteen of 25 starters completed 40 laps. ... The race was completed in 26 minutes. ... The crate engine Late Model series was formerly sponsored by StormPay.com. ... Two-time series champion David Gentry wasn't in competition as he's serving a one-year suspension for being caught with an illegal powerplant at 2007's final event.
