Smith Leads Them All For Golden Isle NE Smith Victory

Smith Goes The Distance At Golden Isles

Story By:NE Smith Series/Media                                                                    Photos By:Bruce Carroll/NE Smith Photo

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – David Smith held off a spirited challenge from Cale Conley to win the 50-lap NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series feature on Sunday at Golden Isles Speedway.

Smith led all 50 laps in the Upstate Wholesale Cars Special, but that did not describe the racing action.

Smith was the only car that did not hot lap before the race because Smith knew what the track was going to be like in a rare daytime race for the NeSmith Late Models.  The track did get black, hard and slick, and it was also a track Conley liked after running the pavement last season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

“Getting the pole last night was the key to winning this race, but I knew somebody was with me during the second half of the race,” Smith said.  “Cale is a good racer and I knew he wouldn’t do anything to get us both in trouble.  He really made me hit my marks and cover the bottom.  We didn’t hot lap this morning because we only had four tires for this race, and we didn’t want to wear them out.”

After starting seventh, Conley moved up to the second spot by lap 11 and kept the pressure on Smith, getting the nose of his BMC Motorsports Special both inside and outside Smith on several occasions.  He got close, but not enough to complete the pass, had he had to settle for second, .299 of a second behind Smith at the checkered flag.

“My crew chief Danny Myers gave me a car that could have won the race today, but the driver just couldn’t get it done, as I made a couple of mistakes out there,” Conley said.  “I’m trying to put some things together for our NASCAR program, but my plans are to run the NeSmith Series until that happens, unless Tony Stewart calls to ask me to drive the 14 car at Daytona.  I think the chances are pretty good that I’ll be in Cochran, Ga., with the NeSmith Series on Feb. 27 and 28.”

Smith took the lead when the green flag waved to start the race, but the field was slowed on the first lap when Chase Edge spun in turn two and collected Jeremy Faircloth, Nevin Gainey, Cole Godowns and Rodgerick Dykes. That forced a complete restart.

On the restart, Trent Ivey, Blake Spencer and Gainey tangled in turn four to necessitate a second complete restart.  The third try was the charm, as Smith took the lead followed by P.L. Williams, Chesley Dixon, Conley and Cla Knight.

By lap four, Ryan King was up on the cushion at the high side of the track blasting through the field from 17th to seventh.  Cecil Eunice brought out the third caution flag on lap 11 when he stalled going down the back stretch.  The restart saw Smith leading with Williams and Conley doubled up behind him for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart.

Conley was able to get around Williams for second on the restart, but the field was slowed once again when Gainey brought out the yellow flag on lap 12 with a spin in turn four.  Smith prepared for the double-file restart in a row all by himself with Conley, Williams, Dixon and Knight following him.

When the field went back to green flag action, Smith led the field to the bottom groove, with the exception of King, who bolted for the top of the race track, and by the completion of lap 13 he had vaulted himself up to the fourth spot.  Conley was able to keep Smith in his sights, and by the halfway point of the race, he began to look for room inside the race leader.

Smith was up to the challenge, even though Conley was able to get a front fender up to Smith’s door on a couple of occasions on both the inside and the outside.  Smith had the better bite in his Hoosier Racing Tires coming off the corners, and he was able to keep Conley behind him to claim the $3,000 top prize.

Williams turned in his second straight third-place finish and King came from the 17th starting spot to finish fourth. Edge completed the top five.

The finish:

David Smith, Cale Conley, P.L. Williams, Ryan King, Chase Edge, Cla Knight, Robert Diekemper, Chesley Dixon, Will Herrington, Ryan Carter, Cole Godowns, Rodgerick Dykes, Trent Ivey, Jeremy Faircloth, Blake Spencer, Nevin Gainey, Cecil Eunice.