Hickman Wins Talladega Short Track Friday NeSmith DLMS Race

Riley Hickman and Crew Chief Brad Carvin celebrate in TST Victory Lane.

(Bruce Carroll Photo)

(EASTABOGA, AL – October 16, 2017)  Riley Hickman of Cleveland, TN drove the Hickman Manufacturing CVR to a wire-to-wire win Friday night in the 40-lap main event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at Talladega Short Track.  Hickman started on the pole after setting a new track record, and took the lead at the start of the race, leading all 40 laps.

"The first of the year was pretty rocky for us, as we wrecked some cars, had a lot of bad luck, and got behind," Hickman said.  "We kept working hard and we've turned it around here in the last three months.  It's awesome to win at Talladega Short Track on NASCAR weekend.  The track cleaned up well and it was fun to race on."

Three-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN finished second in the Austin Trucking Capital, and local favorite Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL took the third spot in the Skinner's Body Shop CVR.

The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion and the current point leader Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, TN started eighth and finished fourth to earn the Beyea Headers Hard Charger of the Race Award in the Eagle Racing Engines Rocket.  John Ownby of Cleveland, TN was fifth in the Ownby Racing Mastersbilt.

T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL was the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race with a sixth-place effort in the Josh Roberts Trucking Warrior, and seventh went to Jake Knowles of Rome, GA in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Rocket.  Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN drove the Mighty Muffler and Brake Center Longhorn to an eighth-place finish.

Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS finished ninth in the B&M Salvage Rocket, and Cla Knight of North Augusta, GA rounded out the top ten in the Augusta Aquatics Longhorn.  In preliminary action, Hickman set a new track record in Sunoco/Knowles Race Parts Qualifying with a lap around "The Hornet's Nest" in 13.821 seconds.  Elliott won the 15-lap Hoosier Race Tire first B-Main, and Brittain won the Chevrolet Performance 15-lap second B-Main.

Hickman took the lead at the drop of the green flag on the 13th race of the season on Friday the 13th followed by Knight and Johnson battling side-by-side for the second spot.  The only caution flag of the race came out on lap three when Brad Berry of Attalla, AL spun the Berry Racing GRT in turn four.

Doubled up behind Hickman for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart was Knight, Johnson, Skinner, Ownby, Minga, Brittain, Elliott, Grant Garrison of Walton, KY in the Darrell Lanigan Racing Club 29, and Knowles.

Johnson drove around the outside of Knight down the backstretch on the restart to take over the second spot.  Hickman reached the cars on the tail end of the lead lap on lap 11, and Skinner got by Knight to move up to the third spot.

Hickman methodically worked his way through lapped traffic, and Johnson was unable to mount a challenge for the lead.  It only took 13 minutes and change to complete the 40 lap distance, and 23 of the 24 cars that started the race were still running at the drop of the checkered flag.

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at http://www.nesmithracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at NeSmith Racing.  Becoming a fan of the NeSmith Racing Facebook page will make you eligible for special prizes that will be given away each month.  You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.