O’Connor wins Flomaton NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS race after two close calls

Chris O’Connor of Cantonment, FL celebrates his $5,000 victory on Saturday night after driving the #17 Coggin Land Clearing Warrior to the win in the 75-lap NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series main event at Flomaton Speedway in Flomaton, AL. (Mike Blevins Photo)

FLOMATON, AL – Chris O’Connor of Cantonment, FL survived a pair of close calls and led wire-to-wire to win the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 75-lap race and the $5,000 top prize on Saturday night in front of a packed house at Flomaton Speedway driving the Coggin Land Services Warrior.

O’Connor had an anxious moment in heavy lapped traffic on lap 11 when he got off the inside of the track in turn four, and slid up in front of the second-place car of Shep Lucas of McKenzie, AL. One lap later, O’Connor made contact with the lapped car of Bo Odom of Flomaton, AL, and Odom’s Bill Patterson Construction Trick hit the front stretch wall.

“Things were tight early in the race in lapped traffic, and I’ve got to thank Shep Lucas for giving me break when I got off the track in turn four,” O’Connor said. “I’ve also got to apologize to the 55 car (Odom) for getting into him, and it wasn’t intentional. I knew the heat was on behind me, and I was trying to win the race.”

After the early race action, O’Connor said things settled down for him, and he enjoyed a clear race track in front of him.

“The caution flags were spread out just right during the second half of the race, and we were able to stay out of the lapped cars,” O’Connor said. “I want to thank Chris Coggin for giving me a chance to drive this car tonight.”

Lucas finished second in the Signature Construction Trak-Star. Lucas was also the fast qualifier among the 35 entrants after turning the ¼-mile dirt oval in 12.548 seconds during time trials on Friday night.

Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA drove the Hays Family Racing/Barto Enterprises Warrior to a third-place finish, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA debuted a brand new Turner Excavating DWB with a fourth-place effort, Mark Clifton of Brewton, AL came from the 15th starting spot to finish fifth in the Escambia County Bank GRT.

Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL was sixth in the McLeod Construction TNT, and Rusty Ellis took the seventh spot in the L&W Insulation Trak-Star. Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL was the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race with an eighth-place finish in the All-Star Graphics GRT. William Thomas of Phenix City, AL was ninth in the J.W. Miler Land and Timber Scorpion.

Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA rounded out the top ten in the CSC Trailer Repair/Brindle Brothers Auto Parts GRT, but it was good enough to give him the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour point lead by eight points over Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA. Brindle has 314 points and Fields, who finished 15th in the J&J Transport Mastersbilt, has 306 points.

Chris Tays of Corinth, MS had to take a provisional and start 23rd, but he rallied to an 11th-place finish to earn the Hard Charger of the Race Award. Tays remains in the third spot of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings with 284 points, and a four point lead over Boutwell in the fourth spot.

The first start of the race was marred by a multi-car tangle in turn two, but everyone was able to continue for a complete restart. On the second try, O’Connor took the lead from the pole position followed by outside front row starter Ellis.

Lucas, Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA in the Dixon Hauling and Grading Rocket, and Rainey battled three-wide for the third spot. By lap three, Lucas settled into third followed by Rainey and Ingram. Another turn-two multi-car tangle brought out the caution flag on lap four. Lucas got to the inside of Ellis on the restart to take over the second spot.

The field was slowed by the third caution flag of the race on lap six when Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA spun the Nasworthy Mechanical Bullet in turn two, O’Connor led Lucas, Rainey, Ellis, Ingram, Turner, Boutwell, Brindle, Knowles, and Stephen Brantley of Monroeville, AL in the Airport Sports Center Mastersbilt down for the restart.

O’Connor caught the last cars on the lead lap by the tenth lap, and he had his two close calls on the next two laps. After O’Connor made contact with Odom, the later hit the wall to bring out the fourth caution flag. When the field went back to green, Turner got busy and passed Ingram for the fifth spot on lap 16.

The green light remained on until lap 31 when Josh Huss of Flomaton, AL cut down a tire on his Charco, Inc. TNT. O’Connor led Lucas, Rainey, Ellis, Turner, Ingram, Boutwell, Brindle, Brantley, and Clifton down for the restart. Turner was still moving forward, as he passed Ellis of the fourth spot on lap 35.

The sixth caution flag came out on lap 51 when a three-car tangle in turn three involving Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS in the Tiffin Motorhomes Mastersbilt, Peacock, and Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL in the N&N Motors GRT. O’Connor brought the field down for the restart with Lucas, Rainey, Turner, Ellis and Ingram in tow.

Clifton got by Boutwell for the seventh spot on lap 55 before the seventh caution flag came out on lap 57 when Fields cut down a tire. Clifton was still moving forward after the restart when he passed Ingram for the sixth spot.

Two laps later, Ingram slowed and stopped on the race track to bring out the eighth and final caution flag of the race. Ingram retired from the race after running in the top six for most of the race, but he earned the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award. Clifton and Boutwell passed Ellis for the fifth and sixth spots respectively on the restart.

O’Connor used the rash of caution flags throughout the race to keep a five car-length advantage over Lucas. In the 12 lap run to the checkered flag, O’Connor was able to keep a fast enough pace to keep Lucas behind him without catching the lapped traffic.

In preliminary action, O’Connor, Ellis, Ingram, and Rainey won 12-lap heat races on Friday night, while Fields and Peacock won the 12-lap B-main races on Saturday night.

The next NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring event will be the richest point race of the season with the 100-lap $10,000-to-win Cajun Spring Nationals on April 25-26 at Pike County Speedway in McComb, MS.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 4 AT FLOMATON SPEEDWAY IN FLOMATON, AL ON 3/22/08:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 17 Chris O’Connor Cantonment, FL 75 $5,000
2. 5 57 Shep Lucas McKenzie, AL 75 $2,500
3. 4 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 75 $1,750
4. 6 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 75 $1,500
5. 15 30 Mark Clifton Brewton, AL 75 $1,250
6. 7 58 Larry Boutwell Baker, FL 75 $1,000
7. 2 88 Rusty Ellis Brewton, AL 75 $850
8. 9 66k Scott Knowles (R) Lanett, AL 75 $750
9. 16 22w William Thomas Phenix City, AL 75 $700
10. 8 38c Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 75 $650
11. 23 8 Chris Tays Corinth, MS 75 $700
12. 13 02 Stephen Brantley Monroeville, AL 75 $550
13. 11 112 Jay Blair Angie, LA 75 $500
14. 24 33c Eric Cooley (R) Fulton, MS 75 $450
15. 17 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 75 $400
16. 19 41 Ted Lackey Munford, AL 75 $380
17. 22 25 Josh Huss Flomaton, AL 74 $360
18. 21 1 Jason Hiett (R) Lincoln, AL 74 $340
19. 10 44 Jim Till Greenville, AL 74 $320
20. 3 F9 Frank Ingram Woodstock, GA 63 $300
21. 12 22 Lucky Keeton Toomsuba, MS 44 $300
22. 18 12 Hunter Peacock (R) Macon, GA 42 $300
23. 20 18 Clint Holmes Molino, FL 19 $300
24. 14 55 Bo Odom Flomaton, AL 11 $300

ENTRIES: 35
PROVISIONAL: Tays
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADER: O’Connor, 1-75
HARD CHARGER AWARD: Tays (started 23rd and finished 11th)
SUNOCO RACE FUELS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Knowles
DOMINATOR RACE PRODUCTS HARD LUCK AWARD: Ingram
MAXIMUM SIGNS NINTH-PLACE AWARD: Thomas
OLD 29 GOLF CARTS TENTH-PLACE AWARD: Brindle
CAUTIONS: 8

HEAT RACES (12 Laps – Top 4 Finishers Transfer To Main Event):

1ST HEAT: 1. O’Connor; 2. Lucas; 3. Knowles (R); 4. Brantley; 5. Fields; 6. Carlson; 7. Hiett (R); 8. Cooley (R); 9. Wallace (R).
2ND HEAT: 1. Ellis; 2. Turner; 3. Till; 4. Odom; 5. Holmes; 6. Huss; 7. Gooden; 8. Hoomes; 9. Townson.
3RD HEAT: 1. Ingram; 2. Boutwell; 3. Blair; 4. Clifton; 5. Lackey; 6. Godsey (R); 7. Tays; 8. Sexton; 9. Minga (R).
4TH HEAT: 1. Rainey; 2. Brindle; 3. Keeton; 4. Thomas; 5. Peacock; 6. Gibson; 7. Moon (R); 8. Griffin.

B-MAINS (12 Laps – Top 3 Finishers Transfer To Main Event):

1ST B-MAIN: 1. Fields; 2. Lackey; 3. Hiett (R); 4. Cooley (R); 5 Godsey (R); 6. Tays; 7. Sexton; 8. Carlson DNS; 9 Wallace (R) DNS; 10. Minga (R) DNS.
2ND B-MAIN: 1. Peacock (R); 2. Holmes; 3. Huss; 4. Hoomes; 5. Griffin; 6. Townson; 7. Gibson DNS; 8. Gooden; 9. Moon (R) DNS.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 3/22/08:

1. 38c Chip Brindle – 314
2. 16 Jeff Fields – 306
3. 8 Chris Tays – 284
4. 58 Larry Boutwell – 280
5. 2x Jay Blair – 274
6. 4 Ted Lackey – 270
7. 1 Jason Hiett (R) – 254
8. 10 Matthew Turner – 246
9. 66k Scott Knowles (R) – 244
10. 12 Hunter Peacock (R) – 212
11. 33c Eric Cooley (R) – 198
12. F22 Carlton Freeman – 192
13. 00 Jeff Smith – 192
14. 14 Steve Godsey (R) – 182
15. 02 Stephen Brantley – 164
16. 87 Derrick Rainey – 162
17. 1s Johnny Stokes – 144
18. 1m Jim Moon – 144
19. 222 Mike Boland – 142
20. F9 Frank Ingram - 140

R – Denotes Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Candidate