Tennessee National Raceway
RLH drives borrowed car to fifth NeSmith victory
By Roby Helm
NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series
Ronny Lee Hollingsworth in victory lane. (Doris Cherry)
HOHENWALD, Tenn. (July 26) — Series points leader Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, Ala., led Friday’s NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series feature wire to wire to win in a borrowed race car at Tennessee National Raceway. Hollingsworth earned $2,000 in driving Evan Ellis car to his fifth series victory of the season. | Slideshow
“I want to thank Evan Ellis for letting me borrow this car for the weekend, as I’m getting my car ready to run next weekend in Wisconsin,” Hollingsworth said. “The car was fast right out of the trailer and it really helped us in the championship battle.”
Hollingsworth took the checkered flag with a three-second advantage over second-place finisher and top-finishing rookie Josh Adkins of Talladega, Ala. National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn., finished third ahead of Todd Morrow of East Ridge, Tenn., and Shane Stephens of Arlington, Tenn.
Hollingsworth now leads Johnson by eight points in the battle for the Crate Late Model tour’s $20,000 championship. Justin McRee of Cottondale, Ala., finished sixth in Friday’s event to move to the third in the standings.
Friday’s race served as the first leg of a weekend doubleheader in Tennessee for NeSmith Series competitors. The tour moves to Clayhill Motorsports Park in Atwood for a $2,500-to-win event on Saturday.
NeSmith @ Tennessee National: (1) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, (2) Josh Adkins, (3) Ronnie Johnson, (4) Todd Morrow, (5) Shane Stephens, (6) Justin McRee, (7) Ashley Newman, (8) A.J. Ferguson, (9) Billy Tedford, (10) Matthew Turner, (11) Cody Martin, (12) Johnny Stokes, (13) Kyle Bronson, (14) Jonathan Rowan, (15) Michael Blount, (16) Jimmy Halford, (17) Shannon Ardry, (18) Tait Davenport, (19) Brent Lewis, (20) Riley Hickman, (21) Ronnie Cooper, (22) Marcus Minga, (23) Troy English, (24) Chris Tays. Fast qualifier (among 27 cars): Stokes, 14.573 seconds. Consolation race winners: Stephens, Bronson.
