What won the race: After leading the first 10 laps and losing command to Justin McRee, second-starting Evan Ellis of Plantersville, Miss., regained the point on the 17th lap and held it for the remainder of the 40-lap distance, turning back McRee and Mike Boland for a $2,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory.

Quotable: “Justin caught me in lapped traffic on the high side to take the lead away from me and I noticed the lapped cars were a little faster than me on the high side,” Ellis said. “When the caution flag came out and I had clear race track in front of me, I changed grooves and got up in the brown stuff on the outside.”

Key notes: Ellis jumped to the lead at the drop of the green. ... McRee slipped past when the leader was pinned behind the lapped car of Randall Beckwith on lap 11. ... Amid traffic, Ellis drove underneath McRee off of turn two on the 17th lap for the winning move. ... Michael Blount tagged the fronstretch wall on lap 30 for the race's first of three cautions. ... Bryant Marsh and Josh Banes tangled in turn two on the ensuing restart. ... On the following restart, Ryan Crane hit the turn three wall for the final caution. ... The event was originally washed out on May 24. ... Jeremy Shaw won NeSmith's weekly racing feature. ... The tour returns to Magnolia Sunday for another 40-lap, $2,000-to-win program.

On the move: Defending series champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn., earned hard charger honors for his 12th-to-fifth rally.

Winner's sponsors: Ellis drives a Barry Wright Race Car using a GM 604 engine with sponsorship from Flurry Auto Repair, Ellis Certified Welding, Xtreme Graphics and 18 Inc.

Points chase: Through Sept. 5, Johnson has a 96-point edge over Ryan King atop the series standings

Car count: 40

Fast qualifier: Mike Boland

Time: 14.241 seconds

Polesitter: Mike Boland

Consolation race winners: Eric Cooley, Ronnie Johnson

Next series race: September 11, I-75 Raceway (Sweetwater, TN) $2,000