Magnolia Motor Speedway
Dedwylder gives ailing car owner another win
By Roby Helm
NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series
Chase Washington (left) joins driver Scott Dedwylder in victory lane. (foto-1.net)
COLUMBUS, Miss. (May 26) — Scott Dedwylder of Vossburg, Miss., gave his car owner Chase Washington some more racetrack therapy Sunday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway by driving Washington’s car to his second straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory. | Slideshow
Dedwylder, who’s filling in for Washington while he undergoes chemotherapy treatment, earned $2,000 as the NeSmith Series wrapped up its Mississippi tripleheader with the Salute To The Air Force 40.
Dedwylder pulled away to take a 2.7-second margin of victory over Justin McRee of Cottondale, Ala., who finished second ahead of Evan Ellis of Plantersville, Miss. Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn., rallied through the field from the18th starting spot to finish fourth while Rodney Wing of Meridian, Miss., rounded out the top five. Series points leader Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, Ala., finished sixth in the caution-free 40-lapper.
It was a successful weekend for Washington, both on and off the track. On the track, Dedwylder earned $4,425 in three straight nights of NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series racing at Hattiesburg (Miss.) Motorsports Park Friday, where Dedwylder finished sixth, and Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Miss., where Dedwylder scored another $2,000 victory in Washington’s No. 38 race car.
Off the track, race fans opened their hearts and wallets to the tune of $9,000 in raising money to help Washington offset his medical expenses while he recovers from successful major surgery to remove a foot and a half cancerous portion of his small intestine, and undergoes six precautionary chemotherapy treatments over an 18-week period.
The money to benefit the 22-year-old 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Champion from Houlka, Miss., came from Raffles and Ride For Life two-seat Dirt Late Model rides that were auctioned off at each of the three events that were a part of the Memorial Day Weekend Salute To The Armed Forces for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.
The raffles were organized by the family of Washington’s fellow driver Mickey Trosclair of Luling, La., who raced Washington to a tie in the points last season in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Championship. Washington won the tie-breaker with more 50-point wins than Trosclair.
Even the acting Governor of Mississippi, race fan and Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown of Columbus was on hand to support Washington. Brown is acting Governor of Mississippi until Tuesday evening while the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor are out-of-state. Brown also took a ride in the two-seater at race speed around Magnolia Motor Speedway. The Alan East Foundation of Columbus also gave Washington $2,000.
“This has been a wonderful weekend for me and great therapy with the outpouring of love and support from the racing community, and the success Scott has had on the race track with back-to-back wins,” Washington said. “I can’t thank everyone enough for what they’ve done and I pray that God will bless each and every one of them, as He has blessed me for having them in my life.”
Dedwylder’s second win didn’t come without a fight; however, as McRee took Dedwylder to a mid-race lead swapping party in heavy lapped traffic. Dedwylder started on the pole position and led the first 21 laps, but as he tried to negotiate lapped traffic, McRee pulled up to battle for the lead.
Between laps 22 and 26, the lead changed hands at the flag stand four times, and even more times at various points around the race track. McRee, working to the outside of Dedwylder, led lap 22 and 23 before Dedwylder edged him at the flag stand to lead lap 24.
McRee sailed back around the outside of Dedwylder to lead lap 25, but when Dedwylder came back to lead lap 26, he cleared the lapped traffic, and pulled away for the victory in the caution flag-free race.
“This racetrack was in great shape tonight and we could race anywhere from the infield to the wall all of the way around it,” Dedwylder said. “When I came up on the two lapped cars running side by, I thought I could fill the hole between them, but when I looked to my right, there was McRee taking us four-wide!”
NeSmith competitors return to action May 31 and June 1 with a doubleheader weekend at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga., and 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn.
NeSmith @ Magnolia: (1) Scott Dedwylder, (2) Justin McRee, (3) Evan Ellis, (4) Ronnie Johnson, (5) Rodney Wing, (6) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, (7) Brent Barrett, (8) Johnny Stokes, (9) Eric Cooley, (10) Montana Dudley, (11) Kyle Bronson, (12) Shep Lucas, (13) Shan Smith, (14) Jeremy Shaw, (15) David Gentry, (16) Daniel Bridgmon, (17) Tait Davenport, (18) Jamey Boland, (19) Mack McCarter, (20) Josh Adkins, (21) Cliff Williams, (22) T.K. King, (23) Tony Gray, (24) Michael Blount. Fast qualifier (among 49 cars): Dedwylder, 14.762 seconds. Consolation winners: Stokes, Bronson, Gentry, Cooley. Provisional starters: S. Smith, Blount.
