Legit Speedway Park
First-timer leads all the way for West Plains win
By Roby Helm
NeSmith Dirt Late Model SeriesWEST PLAINS, Mo. (Aug. 31) Evan Ellis of Plantersville, Miss., drove to a wire-to-wire victory in Saturday’s NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 50-lap main event at West Plains Motor Speedway, earning $2,500 for his first career win on the Crate Late Model tour.
Chandler Petty of Austin, Ark., was second at the finish while Brent Barrett of Cleveland, Miss., used a final-lap pass to get by Jason Hughes of West Plains, Mo., and score his best series finish of the season with a third-place effort. Series points leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn., finished behind Hughes in the fifth position.
With three races left in the season, Johnson left West Plains with a 98-point lead over Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., in the chase of the tour’s $20,000 championship. Bronson moved to the second spot in the standings with a 23rd-to-12th run after using a provisional to start the race. Bronson, a rookie on the series, earned the Hedman Husler of the Race Award.
The race’s only caution appeared with 20 laps complete when two-time series champion Eric Cooley of Fulton, Miss., spun in turn one while running third. That earned Cooley the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award. Ellis completed the 50 laps in just over 20 minutes and nearly two seconds at the finish.
Saturday’s race was the second leg of the tour’s three-race Labor Day weekend. Justin McRee of Cottondale, Ala., claimed Friday’s opener at Batesville (Ark.) Motor Speedway, while action wraps up Sunday with a $2,000-to-win event at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Miss.
NeSmith @ West Plains: (1) Evan Ellis, (2) Chandler Petty, (3) Brent Barrett, (4) Jason Hughes, (5) Ronnie Johnson, (6) Roger Witt, (7) Tait Davenport, (8) Gary Stolba, (9) Chris O’Connor, (10) Troy English, (11) Marcus Minga, (12) Kyle Bronson, (13) Joey Smith, (14) Eric Cooley, (15) Gavin Landers, (16) Hunter Duren, (17) Bobby Skinner, (18) Johnny Stokes, (19) Nick Black, (20) Michael Blount, (21) Chad Williams, (22) Mason Oberkramer, (23) Justin McRee, (24) Robby Moore. Fast qualifier (among 32 cars): Ellis, 15.806 seconds. Provisional starters: Bronson, Stokes.
