By Gerald Harris
NEWTON, N.C. - The Gripp Energy Limited Late Models rolled into Hickory Motor Speedway for the final stop of the season on October 27th. The GELLM drivers and teams have seen their share of high's and low's this season. What started off as a wreck fest turned into a race battle each week. Dillon Houser started off the season by winning the first three races in a row and led the points battle before going into the next to last race of the year at Kingsport Speedway. Coming out of that race it was a four way battle for the Championship between John Gallman, Jesse Clark, Houser, and Davey Smart.
The teams unloaded Saturday morning at the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars". They prepared for the busy day of activities on and off track for the day. The first practice session seen a driver who was very familiar to the track on top of the speed charts, Dillon Houser. Clark and Baron Kuritzky rounded out the top three. Houser also topped the charts in the second round of practice as well. Josh Goble and Tanner Brookshire rounded out the top three. They had one more practice session before qualifying and the final race of the season.
With no surprise it was Houser once again who found himself on top of the charts in the final practice. Jesse Clark and Chris Phipps followed in the top three. Qualifying was now up next for the sixteen drivers at the famouse .363 mile speedway. It was a driver from the Lenoir area, a past Track Champion at Tri-County Motor Speedway, Josh Goble who claimed the Pole Award. Goble who stepped in and took over the driving duties from John Mamph halfway through the season has been absent from the sport for several years, but that didn't phase him. Goble rolled a five on the invert dice which now set Rookie of the Year and one of the three Championship contenders Jesse Clark to lead the field to the green flag.
As the race time drew near you could see the tension rise in the drivers faces, Houser who has had the most experience around HMS and the team he was driving for has landed several drivers in the past with multiple wins and championships, Dwight Huffman Racing. Clark and his small team have just tried to stay out of trouble week in and out were ready. Gallman from Fountain Inn, SC was the runner up last season, he definitely wanted to improve that with a Championship this season. Davey Smart who always shows up late on race day due to having to work the mornings, never lets everyone down. Smart and his family have been racing for several decades and were familiar with Victory Lane at the old Asheville Motor Speedway.
The drivers lined up on the speedway and completed there warm up laps, Clark and Derek Lane paced the field to the green flag. However Lane was a bit antzy and jumped a tad bit, race director was not happy with it and gave him his one warning. They re lined back up, and were set to do a complete redo. Clark sailed off into turn one with the advantage over Lane, as the field completed the first lap of the race, the #17 Wrenchrags Chevrolet of Baron Kuritzky experienced machanical trouble and slammed the turn one wall head on.
Brookshire quickly made a move passing Lane for second on the restart, Houser followed right in the tire tracks of Brookshire and took over the third position.
The second caution flew on lap five of the race as the #65 Blackbear Transmission Chevrolet Impala of Goble looped it around in turn one, Goble did not make contact with anything and was able to get going again under his own power. During the caution Lane came down to aid of his crew and unfortunately was done for the night. Clark led the field back to the green flag, with Brookshire on his outside. Clark pulled away but not by far, Brookshire was all over the rear of his car. They raced hard for several laps, until Brookshire was able to take over the top spot from Clark bringing Houser with him. The Championship was heating up with three of the top four in the top five. Brookshire hit his marks and began to pull away from the field. Gallman made the move under Clark and took over third. Houser just trying to run a smooth race and finish the night clean, began to look in his mirror as Gallman caught him. Gallman dove to the inside of Houser, the pair raced side by side for
several laps.
The third caution flew as Smart spun in turn four, and Chris Smith spun around trying to avoid. Both got turned back around and rejoined the field. Brookshire led the field back to the green flag with Gallman on his outside. As they was narrowing the race down to the final 20 laps, the intensity was picking up, you had drivers going after their first wins, championships on the line, the adrenaline was rushing through the drivers heads. The fourth caution flew on lap 33 as the #57 of Jimmy Acito from the Kingsport, TN area looped it around coming out of turn two. Brookshire once again in the captains seat led the field back to the green, this time Gallman stayed right with him going into turn one and two. They raced side by side down the back stretch before Brookshire was able to pull back out front.
The fifth caution flew as Clark took a look under the #81 machine of Gallman and made contact with the rear quarter panel sending Gallman spinning around and backing it into the turn three wall. Several drivers were collected in the mayhem, Daniel Bedford, Chris Phipps, Alan Rich, Davey Smart, and Clark. Brookshire led the field back to the green flag with Houser on his outside. Goble began applying pressure the #99 of Dale Cline, and took over the fourth position. The sixth caution flew as Jimmy Acito spun coming out of turn four onto the front straight away on lap 40. Brookshire led the field back to the green for a ten lap shoot out. Brookshire went on to claim his first ever career Gripp Energy Limited Late Model victory.
Chris Smith claimed his best finish of the year in second, Clark third, Dale Cline fourth, and Josh Goble rounding out the top five.
Jesse Clark ended up claming the 2018 Gripp Energy Limited Late Model Championship and the Rookie Of The Year Award. Clark and all the drivers and teams will celebrate the Championship at the Award's Banquet in January. We want to thank all of the sponsors for the Gripp Energy Limited Late Model Series: Gripp Energy Drinks, Renegade Race Fuels, City Chevrolet, Textron Off-Road, AR Bodies, Integra Springs & Shocks, T&D Trucking, Martin Nesbitt with Used Race Parts, ARE - Allens Racing Experience, Red Baron Race Parts.
Official Results
1. 55 Tanner Brookshire
2. 48 Chris Smith
3. 5 Jesse Clark
4. 99 Dale Cline
5. 65 Josh Goble
6. 14 Davey Smart
7. 57 Jimmy Acito
8. 4D James Dolan
9. 81 John Gallman
10. 03 Alan Rich
11. 10 Daniel Bedford
12. 91 Clint Watkins
13. 37 Chris Phipps
14. 28 Derek Lane
15. 17 Baron Kuritzky
16. 11 Dillon Houser
NEWTON, N.C. - The Gripp Energy Limited Late Models rolled into Hickory Motor Speedway for the final stop of the season on October 27th. The GELLM drivers and teams have seen their share of high's and low's this season. What started off as a wreck fest turned into a race battle each week. Dillon Houser started off the season by winning the first three races in a row and led the points battle before going into the next to last race of the year at Kingsport Speedway. Coming out of that race it was a four way battle for the Championship between John Gallman, Jesse Clark, Houser, and Davey Smart.
The teams unloaded Saturday morning at the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars". They prepared for the busy day of activities on and off track for the day. The first practice session seen a driver who was very familiar to the track on top of the speed charts, Dillon Houser. Clark and Baron Kuritzky rounded out the top three. Houser also topped the charts in the second round of practice as well. Josh Goble and Tanner Brookshire rounded out the top three. They had one more practice session before qualifying and the final race of the season.
With no surprise it was Houser once again who found himself on top of the charts in the final practice. Jesse Clark and Chris Phipps followed in the top three. Qualifying was now up next for the sixteen drivers at the famouse .363 mile speedway. It was a driver from the Lenoir area, a past Track Champion at Tri-County Motor Speedway, Josh Goble who claimed the Pole Award. Goble who stepped in and took over the driving duties from John Mamph halfway through the season has been absent from the sport for several years, but that didn't phase him. Goble rolled a five on the invert dice which now set Rookie of the Year and one of the three Championship contenders Jesse Clark to lead the field to the green flag.
As the race time drew near you could see the tension rise in the drivers faces, Houser who has had the most experience around HMS and the team he was driving for has landed several drivers in the past with multiple wins and championships, Dwight Huffman Racing. Clark and his small team have just tried to stay out of trouble week in and out were ready. Gallman from Fountain Inn, SC was the runner up last season, he definitely wanted to improve that with a Championship this season. Davey Smart who always shows up late on race day due to having to work the mornings, never lets everyone down. Smart and his family have been racing for several decades and were familiar with Victory Lane at the old Asheville Motor Speedway.
The drivers lined up on the speedway and completed there warm up laps, Clark and Derek Lane paced the field to the green flag. However Lane was a bit antzy and jumped a tad bit, race director was not happy with it and gave him his one warning. They re lined back up, and were set to do a complete redo. Clark sailed off into turn one with the advantage over Lane, as the field completed the first lap of the race, the #17 Wrenchrags Chevrolet of Baron Kuritzky experienced machanical trouble and slammed the turn one wall head on.
Brookshire quickly made a move passing Lane for second on the restart, Houser followed right in the tire tracks of Brookshire and took over the third position.
The second caution flew on lap five of the race as the #65 Blackbear Transmission Chevrolet Impala of Goble looped it around in turn one, Goble did not make contact with anything and was able to get going again under his own power. During the caution Lane came down to aid of his crew and unfortunately was done for the night. Clark led the field back to the green flag, with Brookshire on his outside. Clark pulled away but not by far, Brookshire was all over the rear of his car. They raced hard for several laps, until Brookshire was able to take over the top spot from Clark bringing Houser with him. The Championship was heating up with three of the top four in the top five. Brookshire hit his marks and began to pull away from the field. Gallman made the move under Clark and took over third. Houser just trying to run a smooth race and finish the night clean, began to look in his mirror as Gallman caught him. Gallman dove to the inside of Houser, the pair raced side by side for
several laps.
The third caution flew as Smart spun in turn four, and Chris Smith spun around trying to avoid. Both got turned back around and rejoined the field. Brookshire led the field back to the green flag with Gallman on his outside. As they was narrowing the race down to the final 20 laps, the intensity was picking up, you had drivers going after their first wins, championships on the line, the adrenaline was rushing through the drivers heads. The fourth caution flew on lap 33 as the #57 of Jimmy Acito from the Kingsport, TN area looped it around coming out of turn two. Brookshire once again in the captains seat led the field back to the green, this time Gallman stayed right with him going into turn one and two. They raced side by side down the back stretch before Brookshire was able to pull back out front.
The fifth caution flew as Clark took a look under the #81 machine of Gallman and made contact with the rear quarter panel sending Gallman spinning around and backing it into the turn three wall. Several drivers were collected in the mayhem, Daniel Bedford, Chris Phipps, Alan Rich, Davey Smart, and Clark. Brookshire led the field back to the green flag with Houser on his outside. Goble began applying pressure the #99 of Dale Cline, and took over the fourth position. The sixth caution flew as Jimmy Acito spun coming out of turn four onto the front straight away on lap 40. Brookshire led the field back to the green for a ten lap shoot out. Brookshire went on to claim his first ever career Gripp Energy Limited Late Model victory.
Chris Smith claimed his best finish of the year in second, Clark third, Dale Cline fourth, and Josh Goble rounding out the top five.
Jesse Clark ended up claming the 2018 Gripp Energy Limited Late Model Championship and the Rookie Of The Year Award. Clark and all the drivers and teams will celebrate the Championship at the Award's Banquet in January. We want to thank all of the sponsors for the Gripp Energy Limited Late Model Series: Gripp Energy Drinks, Renegade Race Fuels, City Chevrolet, Textron Off-Road, AR Bodies, Integra Springs & Shocks, T&D Trucking, Martin Nesbitt with Used Race Parts, ARE - Allens Racing Experience, Red Baron Race Parts.
Official Results
1. 55 Tanner Brookshire
2. 48 Chris Smith
3. 5 Jesse Clark
4. 99 Dale Cline
5. 65 Josh Goble
6. 14 Davey Smart
7. 57 Jimmy Acito
8. 4D James Dolan
9. 81 John Gallman
10. 03 Alan Rich
11. 10 Daniel Bedford
12. 91 Clint Watkins
13. 37 Chris Phipps
14. 28 Derek Lane
15. 17 Baron Kuritzky
16. 11 Dillon Houser