Story by: Chris Romano/Contributor to RACE22.com

Jacksonville, NC(November 30, 2009) -- Dustin Turnage started from pole but bided his time to mount a late race challenge and win the inaugural Thanksgiving 150 for Limited Late Models at Coastal Plains Raceway.

Turnage led learly but by lap ten John Whaley took front spot while Turnage faded to fifth. Timothy Watkins, in his first start at Coastal Plains, was on the move and by lap seventeen assumed the lead. The first yellow flew two laps later when Brent Wells' car expired in a big way on the frontstretch.

From the restart until late in the race it was all Watkins, as he put a hurting on the field. John Whaley occupied second for much of the race while Tracey Whaley and Gary Davis staged the best race of the night for third.

Shortly after the halfway point Turnage began to move to the front, taking third on lap eighty-eight. Tracey Whaley fell back while Kenneth Mercer took over fourth.

With fifty laps to go John Whaley was finally closing the gap to Watkins, and with thirty five laps to go he tried to get under Watkins in turn two while Turnage and Davis also made moves to the front.

Watkins held on as Turnage took over the second spot on lap one hundred twenty-one. Turnage was clearly gaining on Watkins and had the top spot when the yellow flew with eleven laps to go.

Watkins did his best but Turnage, the 2008 Limited champion at Coastal Plains, got the lead with five to go, while John Whaley bumped the Virginia driver to third. Turnage was first to the checkers, followed by Whaley, and Ken Mercer just nipped Watkins for third. Gary Davis rounded out the top five.

Race Director Kline Westbrook complimented Watkins and his crew after the race, but one of the late race cautions was a competition caution and the Watkins team were bitterly disappointed in the outcome.

In third Ken Mercer was almost surprised. "I don't know if he (Watkins) used his tires up, but I was able to get up under him in three. We rubbed a little but I'll take third."

John Whaley wondered what might have been. "To get by him I would have had to move him. I reckon that's the reason I've never gone anywhere cause I'm just too damn nice. I had him goin' into one there and he was closing doors, we were going down the front straightaway and it was just one of them deals. I could have took both of us out or settled for second. I tried to make a move on the 45 earlier in the run and cost myself cause the car's been running a little bit tight all day. This is a new car. We've got a Late Model engine and they said a Late Model engine wouldn't run here but we wanted to try it. We're satisfied right off the truck. We're very happy."

Turnage, driving the only Cadillac in the race, maybe in the country, stuck to his plan. "I knew from past experience that a built motor burns the rear tires off quicker, and we're running a built motor so I wanted to hold back at least to lap fifty or seventy five, and it worked out pretty good. I got back as far as sixth one time and by lap seventy five those guys behind me were starting to get racy so I knew I wasn't going to be able to stay there so we decided to go ahead and get on it and see what this car could do. We started picking them off one by one. On the long runs this car was awesome. I was kind of concerned about that last caution because it took about ten laps for the car to come in. I've got to thank my crew and everybody, this is a great, great win."