Columbus Speedway
Godsey nabs invitational victory at Columbus
By Roby Helm
StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series
Steve Godsey (14) topped Jeff Smith (00). (mikessportsimages.com)
COLUMBUS, Miss. (Nov. 23) — Steve Godsey of Bedford, Ind., stuck with the high road to win the second annual Crate Racin’ USA Fall Nationals Invitational Race at Columbus Speedway. Godsey battled wheel-to-wheel for most of the 30-lap race with Jeff Smith of Rocky Face, GA.
The race featured the top drivers from the 17 StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series sanctioned track across the country.
Godsey and Smith swapped the lead officially at the start finish line twice, but they traded the position countless times around the third-mile high-banked clay oval. Godsey led the first 16 laps of the race before Smith took over running the inside line. Godsey stuck to his gameplan, stayed on the high side, and made the winning pass with five laps to go.
“During the preliminary races, the car felt good on the bottom of the track, but Joey and Jeff Fields told me to stay up high in the main event,” said Godsey, who piloted a Rayburn Race Car for Fields Racing of Aragon, Ga. “I thought I lost the race when Jeff Smith got by me on the inside, but I stayed with game plan and it came back to me at the end of the race.”
Godsey is a big fan of Columbus. “I’ve been here four times, and I just love this place because it’s a fast bullring. I just wish this place was right in my backyard in Indiana.”
Godsey was the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series Indiana State Champion and finished third in the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region point standings this season. Godsey was also the fast qualifier among the 46 entrants with a time of 14.870 seconds.
Smith, representing North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, Ga., kept trying the inside in the last five laps, but had to settle for second spot. Mark Stokes of Steens, Miss., representing Columbus Speedway, finished third. Curtis Cline of Douglasville, Ga., who finished fourth in the StormPay.com WRS East Region, finished fourth while StormPay.com East champ Logan Yates of Delta, Ala., finished fifth.
Crate Racin' USA Fall Nationals Invitational: (1) Steve Godsey, (2) Jeff Smith, (3) Mark Stokes, (4) Curtis Cline, (5) Logan Yates, (6) Chris Hoomes, (7) Steve Bryan, (8) Talbert Goldman, (9) Randy Hill, (10) Nathan Ingersoll, (11) Josh Huss, (12) Keith Freeman, (13) Larry Cifra, (14) Stormy Derryberry, (15) Jamie Pickard, (16) Marcus Frisch, (17) Dustin Stewart, (18) Brandon Keeton, (19) James Ussery Jr., (20) Terry Mosley, (21) Cory Korreckt, (22) Anthony Meadows, (23) Adam Martin, (24) Scott Knowles.
