NeSmith Racing Series: Wing Sails to Wire to Wire Win at Whynot Coca-Cola Zero 75"

Roby Helm

MERIDIAN, Miss. – Nov. 19. Rodney Wing of Meridian, Miss. posted a wire-to-wire $5,000 victory in the sixth annual "Coca-Cola Zero 75" for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series on Saturdayat Whynot Motorsports Park.  Wing had a close call with a lapped car on lap 32, but he just made it through nefore he breezed to victory. 

Coming through the fourth turn on the 32nd lap, the lapped car of Ryan King of Anniston, Ala. spun in front of Wing, who had to take evasive action through the infield and just clipped a utility tire that marked the inside of the race track.

“I thought we were in trouble when the lapped car spun in front of us and we hit that utility tire, but we re-enforced our front bumper with some plywood, and it held up,” Wing said.  “We really needed this win because our funds were getting pretty low this late in the season.  Not much of this race car belongs to me, but I sure do love to drive it.”

Mike Boland of Cuba, Ala. was able to get close to Wing early in the race, but had to settle for second, a half-straightaway behind Wing at the checkered flag.  Point leader Dan Breuer of Troutman, N.C. finished third and extended his point lead over two-time series champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, Tenn. to 46 points.

Gentry, who was six points behind Breuer coming into the race, was the first car out of the race on lap six when his Eads Farms/Dixon Plumbing Warrior was forced into the backstretch wall by another driver.  Gentry’s misfortune earned him the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.

Wing took the lead at the drop of the green flag from his outside front row starting spot, followed by polesitter Larry Harrod, while Justin McRee, Breuer, and Boland broke out in a three-wide battle for third on lap three.  McRee held the spot on lap four, leaving Breuer and Boland going wheel-to-wheel for fourth.

The first of six caution flags came out on lap six after Gentry crashed on the backstretch.  On the restart, Neil Baggett spun, collecting three other cars.  On the next restart, McRee and Boland got back by Harrod, dropping him to the fourth spot.  After Chris O’Connor stalled to light up the caution bulb for the third time on lap nine,  Boland drove around the outside of McRee on the restart to take over the second spot, and pulled up underneath Wing on lap 10 to challenge for the lead.

The side-by-side battle for the lead was interrupted by the fourth caution flag of the race on lap 12 when Baggett stalled on the backstretch with a cut tire.  The restart saw wholesale changes among the top five drivers as McRee got by Boland for the second spot, Breuer passed Harrod for fourth, and Johnny Stokes passed Jim McDuffie for the sixth spot.  Stokes was on the move, as he passed Harrod for the fifth spot on lap 14. 

Two drivers from the back of the pack were also moving through the field. Matthew Turner climbed into the tenth spot after starting  22nd, and Randy King was running 11th by lap 15 after starting 24th.  Wing had pulled out to a full straightaway lead over McRee when he began to encounter the cars on the tail of the lead lap on the 19th tour.

McDuffie pulled to the infield on lap 22, giving up the sixth spot, and on lap 29, Boland got by McRee for second, but McRee was able to retake the spot on lap 31.  The fifth caution flag came out on lap 32 for the King and Wing connection, as King spun in front of Wing in turn four. Wing was able to sneak through the infield without any damage to up line on the point for the restart, followed by McRee, Boland, Breuer, and Stokes.  Boland took over the second spot on lap 37 when McRee slowed and went to the pit area. 

The final caution flag came out on lap 48 when Ryan King stalled in turn four. Wing led Boland, Breuer, Cooley and Stokes down for the restart.  Stokes got by Cooley for the fourth spot, and by lap 55, Wing had pulled out to a half straightaway lead on Boland.  The race went clean and green the rest of the way.  Wing caught lapped traffic with ten laps to go, but Boland was unable to close in to challenge for the lead. 

NeSmith Racing Series at Whynot Speedway Park 1) Rodney Wing, 2) Mike Boland, 3) Dan Breuer, 4) Johnny Stokes, 5) Eric Cooley, 6) Larry Harrod, 7) Shannon Lee, 8) Matthew Turner, 9) Chase Edge, 10) Daniel Bridgeman, 11) Randy King, 12) T.K. King, 13) Jared Smith, 14) Tody Ratcliff, 15) Mark Tice, 16) Jeremy Shaw, 17) Ryan King, 18) Justin McRee, 19) Shay Knight, 20) Jim McDuffie, 21) Randy Boyd, 22) Neil Baggett, 23) Chris O’Connor, 24) Brent Barrett, 25) Tim Dees, 26) David Earl Gentry B-Main winners (60 entries): Barrett, Lee. Last Chance Dash: King
Connie Putnam photo