Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN drives to his third Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series win of the season on Saturday night at 411 Motor Speedway. Photo by Brian McLeod
SEYMOUR, TN – An appreciative packed house at 411 Motor Speedway saw why Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series point leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN is a Hall of Fame dirt late model driver on Saturday night. In the final ten laps of the 50-lap Chevy Super Series Race, Johnson went from third to first and took his third series win of the season.
As Johnson exited his NeSmith Chevrolet Special powered by the economical production-based all-aluminum Chevrolet Performance CT 525 Engine in victory lane, the large crowd gave Johnson a standing ovation for his performance that was worth $3,000.
In heavy lapped traffic, Johnson drove around the outside of Tim Busha of Boaz, AL on lap 40 for the second spot, and then drove underneath Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN to take the lead on lap 40. Those moves and the crowd’s response after the race left the seasoned veteran a little emotional.
“This win means a lot to me,” Johnson said with a quiver in his voice. “To be able to still race like I do, take a win like that, and give these great fans here tonight their money’s worth is what it’s all about. Another Hall of Fame driver, Bud Lunsford, told me early in my career that you have to make every lap count. That statement was very clear to me tonight, and we’re going to enjoy this win because I don’t think I’ll be able to do this for another 38 years.”
Williams said his brakes faded on him late in the race, but he held on to finish second in the Auto Zone Special. Williams was the fast qualifier with a lap around the 3/8-mile high-baked clay oval in 14.135 seconds, and then led the first 44 laps of the race. It was Williams’ second start with the Chevy Super Series, and followed up his third-place finish last week in Tazewell, TN.
Busha finished third in the Kilpatrick Racing GRT, and had the fastest car on the timing and scoring loop during the first half of the race. Just when he would get up a head of steam to get close to Williams and challenge for the lead, a caution flag would come out and slow his momentum.
Jake Knowles of Tyrone, GA made a hard charge late in the race to finish fourth in the Cedartown Electric Rocket after starting 12th. Pierce McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN took the fifth spot in the McCarter Brothers Racing CVR.
McCarter was the crew chief on this car last Saturday night when his younger brother Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN drove it to victory in Tazewell, TN. For the 411 Motor Speedway race, the two siblings swapped roles with Pierce driving and Mack turning the wrenches. Pierce McCarter swapped the second spot with Busha several times during the first half of the race.
Tyler Crowder of Lamont, FL drove the Crowder Trucking Rocket to a sixth-place finish, and Jacob Grizzle of Blairsville, GA was seventh in the Carolina Performance Special. Dillon Tidmore of Glencoe, AL finished eighth in his first-ever start with the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series in the DTR Motorsports Special.
David Brannon of Elora, TN took the ninth spot in the Elora Gin Company Special, and Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN came from the 16th starting spot to round out the Top 10 in the Tazewell Chiropractic Special.
Williams took the lead at the start of the race from the pole position followed by the outside front row starter McCarter in second. Johnson, Brannon and Busha raced three-wide on the opening lap to battle for the third spot, with Busha taking the position at the completion of the first lap followed by Johnson and Brannon.
The field was slowed by the first of five caution flags on lap two when Josh Henry of Newport, TN spun the Henry Trucking Stinger in turn two. With Williams leading the field, McCarter chose the inside for the “Dixie-Style” double-file restart with Busha lining up to his outside. When the green flag came out, Busha drove around McCarter for the second spot.
The second caution flag came out on lap five when Warren McMahan of White Pine, TN cut down a tire on his Dandridge Service Station Warrior. When the field doubled up behind Williams, it was Busha choosing the inside, with McCarter to his right on the outside. This time on the restart, McCarter would power around Busha to reclaim the second spot.
Busha reloaded to take another shot at McCarter for the second spot on lap six, and got under McCarter for the positing coming off the fourth turn. Crowder had advanced from his tenth starting spot to restart seventh, and then climbed up to the fifth spot when green flag came out after the caution period.
Crowder then closed in on Johnson to battle for the fourth spot on lap eight, but Johnson would hold the position. Busha was closing on Williams by lap ten, but the third caution flag came out on lap 13 when Mark Dowdy of Waterloo, AL slammed the second turn wall in the Dowdy Racing Special.
Williams had Busha, McCarter, Johnson, Crowder, Tidmore, Grizzle, Knowles, Brannon and Brad Seagle of Seymour, TN doubled up behind him in the Top 10 for the restart. When they got to turn three, Seagle spun and collected seven other cars that completely blocked the race track. All of the cars involved were able to continue.
When the field went to green flag racing action, Grizzle got by Tidmore for the sixth spot on lap 15, and Knowles passed Tidmore for seventh on lap 19. Henry brought out the fifth and final caution flag on lap 21 when he stalled on the race track.
In setting up for what would be the long stretch run to the checkered flag, Williams had Busha, McCarter, Johnson, Crowder, Grizzle, Knowles, Tidmore, Brannon and Hall lined up behind him in the top ten. On the restart, Johnson got inside McCarter to take over the third spot and the longer the field raced under green flag conditions, the faster Johnson got.
Knowles would also fall into that category, as he got by Grizzle for the sixth spot on lap 22. The leaders reached lapped traffic by lap 30, and Busha began to close in on Williams. By lap 35, Johnson joined the party and while he was contesting the second position with Busha, Williams pulled away to an eight car-length advantage for his biggest lead of the race.
The top three cars bunched up together on lap 39 as they negotiated through heavy lapped traffic, and that’s when Johnson began to shine. Johnson drove around the outside of Busha coming off the fourth turn to take over the second spot.
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Knowles got around McCarter for the fourth spot on lap 46, but up front, it was Johnson pulling away to claim his third Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series win of the season with a 1.970 second margin of victory over Williams.
The win also gives Johnson a 42-point lead over Crowder in the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series point standings. Knowles is third in the standings, ten points behind Crowder, and Grizzle is fourth, ten points behind Knowles.
Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS is fifth in the Chevy Super Series point standings and leads the Rookie of the Year point standings by just four points over 15-year-old Jadon Frame of Winchester, TN, who is sixth overall in the point standings. Frame finished 12th in the race, and Barrett was 16th.
The next two races for the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series will be at the Alabama State Championship Race next weekend at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL. There will be a $2,000-to-win 30-lap race on Friday night and a $3,000-to-win 50-lap race on Saturday night.
For more information about the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series visit 525SuperSeries.com.
Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series
411 Motor Speedway – Seymour, TN
Race Results – Sept. 20, 2014
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER
1. 3 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 50 $3,000
2. 1 95 Brandon Williams Crossville, TN 50 $1,500
3. 5 15 Tim Busha
4. 12 66 Jake Knowles Tyrone, GA 50 $850
5. 2 51 Pierce McCarter Gatlinburg, TN 50 $750
6. 10 47 Tyler Crowder Lamont, FL 50 $700
7. 9 99g Jacob Grizzle Blairsville, GA 50 $650
8. 6 38 Dillon Tidmore Glencoe, AL 50 $600
9. 4 33 David Brannon Elora, TN 50 $550
10. 16 3 Brad Hall
11. 11 29 Rusty Ballenger Sevierville, TN 50 $475
12. 13 J8 Jadon Frame (R) Winchester, TN 50 $450
13. 19 79c Marty Calloway Maynardville, TN 49 $425
14. 7 30 Ryan King
15. 15 44 Chase King Seymour, TN 49 $375
16. 17 110 Brent Barrett Cleveland, MS 49 $350
17. 8 31 Brad Seagle Seymour, TN 49 $325
18, 20 33m Warren McMahan White Pine, TN 49 $300
19. 23 7 William Overbey Norris, TN 48 $300
20. 18 101 Forrest Trent Talbott, TN 48 $300
21. 22 B00 Josh Henry Newport, TN 19 $300
22. 14 1 Matthew Summers Estill Springs, TN 15 $300
23. 21 88d Mark Dowdy Waterloo, AL 12 $300
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