Story and photos by Phillip Prichard:
The first night of the Georgia Boot Super Bowl of Racing at Golden Isles Speedway got started off with a soggy beginning with rain delaying the events until Friday.
Friday morning, drivers and fans were ready for some racing starting at 10 am in both the Lucas Oil Late Model Series and the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. After hot laps, qualifying laps, heat races, B-Mains for both series, The Lucas Oil Late Models Series drivers were first up in their 25 lap A-Main.
Jonathan Davenport set a new track record in time trials, won his heat, and led all 25-laps of the first main event for the Georgia Boot Super Bowl of Racing. The win marked his third career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory.
Davenport was unchallenged for a majority of the $5000 to win event, which was the first LOLMDS race at Golden Isles Speedway since 2008. Last year’s series rookie of the year, Billy Moyer Jr. ran second for the first 11 laps until yielding to Brandon Sheppard. Moyer then lost another spot a few circuits later to Earl Pearson Jr., who took over the third spot.
A caution with five laps to go would set-up a five lap dash to the finish. But Davenport was just too strong as he fought off Sheppard’s challenges to take the win. Sheppard, who is subbing for Josh Richards in the Mark Richards Racing, Rocket House Car crept to within a car-length in the final five-lap shootout, but Davenport pulled away in the closing laps
Sheppard was the only non-Longhorn Chassis driver to prevent a podium finish for Davenport, Pearson and Moyer Jr. Pearson was happy with his finish, but even more for the younger Moyer. He drove a heck of race there running up top and I didn’t think I was going to get by him. He is going to have a good year and just a matter of time before he gets a series win.
Completing the top ten were Chris Madden, Don O’Neal, Steve Francis, Dennis Franklin and Jimmy Owens.
In the 2014 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season opener on Friday afternoon in the Super Bowl of Racing, Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC took the lead with five laps to go and drove the Tri-County Race Track Special to at Golden Isles Speedway.
Cook started ninth and moved up to the second spot by lap eight. When early race leader Walker Arthur of Forest, VA began to encounter lapped traffic with ten laps to go, Cook closed in and made up a half straightaway deficit. Arthur pushed up the banking in turn one on lap 26, and Cook dove underneath to take the lead.
The victory was the second straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win for Cook, who won the 2013 season finale in November in the Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race. That win was in a different car, but Cook had some valuable pieces from that winning mount on his car Friday afternoon.
Jack Kick lighter of Savannah, GA drove the Kicklighter Construction Special to a second place finish and was the Rookie of the Race. NASCAR star Joey Coulter of Concord, NC took the third spot in the Wolfpack Racing Rocket, and Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN was fourth in the CVR Race Cars Special and Scott Lagasse Jr. of St. Augustine, FL drove the Boy Scout of America Special to a fifth-place finish.
Madden earns the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series main event victory on Chris Madden earns the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series main event victory on Friday Night at Golden Isles Speedway. Madden was dealing with a rapidly deflating right-rear tire in the final two laps of the Georgia Boot Super Bowl of Racing.
Madden claimed a sixth place finish in the afternoon race won by Jonathan Davenport.
O’Neal started third in the Clint Bowyer – Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil; Barry Wright Race Cars entry moved into second on the opening lap and stayed there to record a runner-up finish in his second start for the team.
Earl Pearson Jr, backed up his third place finish in the afternoon race, and enjoyed another podium finish in Friday Night’s 50 lapper. Pearson stated it had been a fantastic day for Longhorn Chassis; Davenport got the first win today. Pearson started with Madden on the front row and slipped back to third on the opening lap. Pearson thanked Bobby Labonte, Lucas Oil, Sunoco, and MAV-TV for making this possible.
Completing the top ten were Vic Coffey, Steve Francis, Eddie Carrier Jr., Jimmy Owens, and Kenny Pettyjohn.
In preliminary action, Jonathan Davenport set the overall Georgia Boot Fast Time (Group B) amongst the 34 entrants, with a lap of 15.041 seconds.
Jonathan Davenport won their respective B-Mains.
In the second NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race on Friday, Jason Fitzgerald of Middleburg, FL drove the M&M Transport and Refrigeration GRT to a convincing victory Friday night. Fitzgerald took the lead on the second lap and never looked back for his first series career win.
Jeremy Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA finished second in the CJR Forestry Warrior and Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC was third in the Tri-County Race Track Special. Walker Arthur of Forest, VA took the fourth spot in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special and Chris Noah of Rainbow City, AL was the Rookie of the Race after a fifth-place effort in the Old Man’s Garage Special.
Fast Qualifier Jacob Anderson of Murphy, NC finished ninth in the Scrapy’s Metal Special. Anderson out-qualified the 43-car field with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 16.319 seconds.
Steve Francis won the final Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event of the Georgia Boot Super Bowl of Racing. Francis displayed his dominance as he led all 50 laps of the main event. The win at Golden Isles Speedway marks his 14th career series win.
Francis became the third different winner of the weekend, crossing the finish line ahead of Eddie Carrier Jr., Earl Pearson Jr., Scott Bloomquist, and Brandon Sheppard.
Francis said the thought all weekend long, the track was in good condition and made for a great show for the fans. We could race anywhere on it. We had a lot of fun out there tonight. It was a great point’s night, and a really good start to the season.
Francis and his Clint Bowyer Racing Team have set their sights on winning the title in 2014. He thanked Clint for giving me this opportunity. He gives us what we need, Barry Wright Race Car and the Clements Racing Engine with plenty of horsepower. It was a great to win for Georgia Boot.
Carrier chased Francis until the final laps when Francis built a lead that carried him to the checkers.
In the final NesSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series of the weekend, Walker Arthur of Forest, VA was within five laps of victory on Friday afternoon at Golden Isles Speedway, but a mechanical issue reared its ugly head and it got away. Walker got even with fate on Saturday night when he drove the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special to a wire-to-wire win in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 50-lap main event.
Arthur led all 50 laps of the Super Bowl of Racing Presented by Rock Auto.com finale at Golden Isles Speedway, but it wasn’t a runaway. Mack McCarter of Gatlinburg, TN turned up the wick on his CVR Race Cars House Car and put late race pressure on Arthur to the checkered flag.
Arthur stated this win makes up for the frustration of yesterday afternoon because with the competition in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series has, this is a very special win in my career. At least I knew if it came down to battle at the end of the race, it would be a clean battle because Mack is a friend of Arthur and a good driver.
McCarter fell a two car lengths short at the end and had to settle for second, which was his career best with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. With drivers counting their best two out of three point totals for the weekend, the two friends Arthur and McCarter are now locked in a battle for the series point lead towards the $20,000 championship.
Even though Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC leads the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings after a win and a third-place finish to total 194 points, the super late model pilot will not run the full season. Arthur is second to Cook with 192 points, and McCarter is third with 188 points.
Overall, it was a great weekend of racing at Golden Isles Speedway, a great start of the season for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.