NLMS Dublin results

441 Speedway - Starting Lineup for the

National Late Model Sportsman Series, Southern Dirt Tour War at 441:

Ps. No. Driver ,         Car                       
-- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- 
Row  1 
 1  32  Wendell Durrance Bills Timber/Bennett Bros Motor Chev  
 2 201  Gene Maine      Ives Racing/Russell Brown Racing Chev  
Row  2 
 3  11  Tracy Mimbs     Flexsteel/KFC/Pepsi/FHelton      Chev  
 4  20  Billy Godowns Jr Godowns Farm/Henderson Chev     Chev  
Row  3 
 5  37  Robby Metts     Tool Shop Contracts/Willis Paint Chev  
 6  17V Alex Vickers    AutoZone                         Chev  
Row  4 
 7  66  Chuck Chitty    C&C Powerline/J&W Engine Serv    Chev  
 8  28  Henry Carter Jr Mimbs Farms/Sweats Port Build    Chev  
Row  5 
 9   2  Tracy Walden    Infiltrator Systems/Ferguson Ent Chev  
10  28D Tony Purvis     Lamar's Trans/Rains Build Supply Chev  
Row  6 
11   5  Mike Carter     Pierce Auto Parts/M&M Refrig     Chev  
12  22  Cecil Eunice    Norman Pontiac/Ace Pole          Chev 
Row  7 
13   3  Jimmy Lee Davis Trident Supply/Aggressive Signs  Chev  
14 2x4  Johnny Collins  Castrol GTX/Fickling Bros        Chev  
Row  8 
15  46  Everett Phillips Everett's Custom Services       Chev  
16  44  Ricky Brant     Atlas Sand & Gravel/Compet Prod  Chev  
Row  9 
17  21  Ivedent Lloyd Jr Snow Bros/Larry Moore           Chev  
18  10  Lee Jackson     Mallard's Auto Parts/Bounty Hse  Chev  
Row  10 
19  00  David Poole     Country Classic Homes            Chev  
20 P21  Larry Perry Jr  Snow Bros/Reeves RPM/SMC TruckingChev  
Row  11 
21  15  Terry Lumley    Hollywood Race cars/Hadden WrkingChev  
22  23  Wiley McDaniel  Robertson Racing                 Chev  
Row  12 
23   0  Steve Jones     Quality Saw Works/Beardon Oil    Chev  
     
Track Length      :  0.5000 Miles

DUBLIN, GA - After two rain outs and 6 weeks, the War at 441, National Late Model Sportsman Series event was finally completed, and Hometown favorite Tracy Mimbs brought the Flexsteel/KFC/Pepsi/ F Helton sponsored Chevrolet Camaro into victory lane for his second consecutive win at the high-banked half mile clay oval. Although he started in third spot, Mimbs never passed a car under green flag conditions enroute to the win.

"This is my second win in a row here at home," Mimbs said afterwards from Victory Lane. "A Lot of family and friends that I grew up with came to watch. We were just holding on trying to save our tires for later in the race. I really got worried when that last caution came out with just one to go as I lost one that way last year. But we had just enough tire left to make it back to the line. It's always good to be home!"

At the drop of the green flag, Larry Perry, David Poole and Lee Jackson got together entering turn one, with Jackson's car ending up on its roof. Jackson climbed out without injury, and the other cars were able to continue. At the same time the front row starters, Wendell Durrance, the winner of the last race, and Gene Maine, a winner earlier in the season, got together with Durrance suffering a damaged right front 'A' Arm on the suspension which required a pit stop to repair.

On the restart Maine quickly grabbed the lead and tried to open up some distance between himself and second place Mimbs. New father Billy Godowns Jr was in third followed by Alex Vickers and Henry Carter Jr. Maine was able to open up a two car- length lead on several occasions but Mimbs was able to close it down seemingly at will.

With the leaders all running nose to tail the action moved to the rear of the pack where Steve Jones was quietly and efficiently bringing the Quality Saw/Bearden Oil Chevy through the pack. Jones, who is contending for the Rookie of the Year title on the NLMS Southern Dirt Tour in 1997, has rapidly learned that patience pays dividends and on a track that most others found difficult to pass on, he was one of the few able to move through the field as he came from 23rd starting position to finish fifth.

As the cars approached the halfway point it was still Maine, Mimbs and Godowns leading the way, but breathing space anywhere in the field was scarce. Bumper to bumper racing was the rule as the entire field was in tight formation. Then on lap 50, Durrance, who had returned to the race following his earlier woes, and Mike Carter got together in turn two and once again Durrance had to visit the pits for work on the right front suspension. As the cars circulated under caution, Maine, the leader suddenly pulled into the pits, surrendering the point to Mimbs. Overheating was the problem and he would return later after losing several laps. With Mimbs now leading, Godowns moved up to second and Alex Vickers brought the AutoZone Chevy into third.

Tires would prove to be the story of the last part of the race as the right rears began to burn up. The final caution of the race came out just prior to the white flag, and it could not have come at a worse time for Godowns. His right rear had burned up and gone flat, but the gritty "North Georgia Dirt Farmer" was determined to finish with the flat, but the caution put paid to those ideas as the tire came off the rim and he was forced to take the Godowns Farms/Henderson Chevrolet Camaro to the pits and get a new tire for the last lap, thus relegating him to the rear of the lead lap. With Godowns poor luck Vickers moved up to second and Everett " Barney" Phillips moved into third in the Everett's Custom Services Chevy. Tony Purvis and Jones rounded out the top five.

In a race that saw a preponderance of single file racing, the winner never passed another lead lap car under green the entire race. He inherited the lead with the demise of Maine, and there were no cars lapped on the track for the entire 75 laps. All the laps lost were lost in the pits.

With the win, Mimbs moved into contention for the 1997 National Late Model Sportsman Championship as he jumped from 11th to 7th in the season points. Durrance maintained his slim 5 point lead as only 60 points separate the top 7 positions. Maine moved into second with Jimmy lee Davis now third. The next race will be a double point affair as the Southern Dirt Tour returns to Thunderbowl Speedway in Valdosta, GA for the Mid-Season Championship that will pay $5,000 to the winner.

441 Speedway - Official results for the National Late Model Sportsman Series, Southern Dirt Tour War at 441: Ps.Ql.No. Driver , Car Laps -- -- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- ----- 1 3 11 Tracy Mimbs Flexsteel/KFC/Pepsi/FHelton Chev 75 2 6 17V Alex Vickers AutoZone Chev 75 3 15 46 Everett Phillips Everett's Custom Services Chev 75 4 10 28D Tony Purvis Lamar's Trans/Rains Build Supply Chev 75 5 23 0 Steve Jones Quality Saw Works/Beardon Oil Chev 75 6 21 15 Terry Lumley Hollywood Race cars/Hadden WrkingChev 75 7 22 23 Wiley McDaniel Robertson Racing Chev 75 8 20 P21 Larry Perry Jr Snow Bros/Reeves RPM/SMC TruckingChev 75 9 12 22 Cecil Eunice Norman Pontiac/Ace Pole Chev 75 10 17 21 Ivedent Lloyd Jr Snow Bros/Larry Moore Chev 75 11 8 28 Henry Carter Jr Mimbs Farms/Sweats Port Build Chev 75 12 4 20 Billy Godowns Jr Godowns Farm/Henderson Chev Chev 75 13 2 201 Gene Maine Ives Racing/Russell Brown Racing Chev 59 14 1 32 Wendell Durrance Bills Timber/Bennett Bros Motor Chev 58 15 11 5 Mike Carter Pierce Auto Parts/M&M Refrig Chev 58 16 13 3 Jimmy Lee Davis Trident Supply/Aggressive Signs Chev 57 17 14 2x4 Johnny Collins Castrol GTX/Fickling Bros Chev 50 18 7 66 Chuck Chitty C&C Powerline/J&W Engine Serv Chev 40 19 9 2 Tracy Walden Infiltrator Systems/Ferguson Ent Chev 40 20 16 44 Ricky Brant Atlas Sand & Gravel/Compet Prod Chev 32 21 19 00 David Poole Country Classic Homes Chev 11 22 5 37 Robby Metts Tool Shop Contracts/Willis Paint Chev 11 23 18 10 Lee Jackson Mallard's Auto Parts/Bounty Hse Chev 0 Weather Conditions: Overcast, Temp 65 Time of Race : 1 hr 3 mins 27.8 secs Margin of Victory : 1 car length Lap Leaders : Maine 1-50, Mimbs 51-75 Cautions : 8 Track Length : 0.5000 Miles

National Late Model Sportsman Series Point Standings through 6/8/97

1.  Wendell Durrance            390
2.  Gene Maine                  385
3.  Jimmy Lee Davis             365
4.  Ricky Brant                 360
5.  Everett Phillips            355
6.  Cecil Eunice                335
7.  Tracy Mimbs                 330
8.  Ivedent Lloyd               290
9.  Henry Carter Jr             285
10. Tracy Walden                250

John Kaiser, NLMS