NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
August 18, 2011

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES WEEK 21 PREVIEW

CARTERSVILLE, GA – Although there will be a limited schedule of six races for Week 21 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series 2011 season, there will be plenty to keep track of, as several drivers compete for the Top 10 points fund paying spots in the point standings of the West Region and the Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region.

NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 21 action in the West Region begin with a pair of races on Friday night at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg, MS and at Malden Speedway in Malden, MO. Saturday night West Region events are scheduled for Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS and Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS.

Week 21 events in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region will take place on Saturday night at New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA and at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL.

Most drivers in the Top 10 of both NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Regions have reached the 14-week mark of their respective seasons and are now trying to net points by replacing the lowest weekly point total of their 14-week total with a higher one. There are a few drivers still earning full points having not yet reached the 14-week mark, and/or trying to earn Regional points.

Regional Bonus Points can be earned one of two ways: A driver can earn 25 Regional Bonus Points for every four weeks of perfect attendance at one track, or they can earn 25 Regional Points by competing in a NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring event. Each driver can earn a maximum of 100 Regional Bonus Points.

The next two NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring events will be a $5,000-to-win 75-lap race at Whynot Motorsports Park on September 2-3, and a $2,000-to-win 40-lap event at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS on September 4.

The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS leads the West Region standings with 794 points, and is six points away from earning a “perfect score” of 800 points. A perfect score of 800 consists of 14 fifty-point wins and 100 Regional Bonus Points.

McDuffie is trying to net points from six 49-point second-place finishes. That means McDuffie has to win 50-point races in order to net points in the remaining seven weeks of the season in quest of his second NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region title.

Duke Palasini of Leland, MS is second in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 774 points, and will be trying to net on a 41. Landon Frith of Terry, MS is third with 750 points, and he will also be trying to net on a 41. McDuffie, Palasini, and Frith have all earned their 100 Regional Bonus points.

Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL is fourth in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 746 points, and will be trying to net on a 41. McRee is still eligible to earn 25 Regional Bonus Points.

Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS holds down the fifth spot in the West Region standings with 733 points and will be trying to net on a 45. Jordan can earn 25 Regional Bonus Points by racing at Greenville Speedway this Saturday night. A fourth straight race at Greenville Speedway will give Jordan his allotment of 100 Regional Bonus Points.

Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS made the biggest move in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings last week. In late results from Hattiesburg Motorsports Park on August 12, Arnold finished second in his 14th week of competition and also earned 25 Regional Bonus Points to vault from 20th to sixth in the West Region standings with 723 points. Arnold will be trying to net on a 39.

Chandler Petty of Austin, AR is seventh in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 715 points. Petty, who has earned all 100 of his Regional Bonus Points, will be trying to net on a 39.

Randy Boyd of Marion, MS is eighth in the West Region standings with 713 points. Boyd will be trying to net on a 41, and he can also earn 25 Regional Bonus Points by competing this Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park that will bring him up to the maximum of 100. Lamar Furr of Hollandale, MS is ninth with 709 points and will be trying to net on a 41.

Larry Murphy of Meridian, MS rounds out the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings with 706 points. Murphy will be returning to competition after a nasty flip at Whynot Motorsports Park last Saturday night that he walked away from. Murphy will be trying to net on a 25. Both Furr and Murphy can still earn another 25 Regional Bonus Points.

Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS is one driver outside the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings to keep an eye on in Week 21 competition. Harrison is 15th in the standings with 672 points.

Harrison has one more week to earn full points, and he can also earn 25 Regional Bonus Points by competing this Saturday night at Greenville Speedway that will bring him to the 100 point maximum. Harrison will be attempting to climb into the Top 10 of the West Region points with his fourth straight race at Greenville Speedway.

Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS picked up his first win of the season on August 12 at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park driving the Billy Riels Racing GRT. That win also gives three-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge Champion and current point leader GRT Race Cars of Greenbrier, AR their 51st win of the season.

Talladega, AL drivers Adam Gauldin and Jimmy Elkins Jr. are tied for the points lead in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region standings with 782 points apiece. Using the tie-breaker of numbers of wins, Gauldin is technically the point leader with five wins to Elkins’ four. Both drivers will be trying to net on 46s.

Mike Combs of Odenville, AL is third in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region standings with 750 points and will be trying to net on a 42. Brian Ponder of Talladega, AL is fourth with 735 points and will be attempting to net on a 43. Doug Ludwig of Grantville, GA is fifth with 729 points and will be looking to net on a 37.

Kevin Maher of McDavid, FL is sixth with 689 points and will be trying to net on a 38. The top six drivers in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region standings have earned their 100 Regional Bonus Points.

Russ Ogletree of Phenix City, AL will be a driver on the move in NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region Week 21 competition. Ogletree is seventh in the OMG East Region standings with 687 points, and has one more week to earn full points. Ogletree can also still earn 25 Regional Bonus Points and if he races this Saturday night at New Senoia Raceway it will be his third straight race.

Ryan King of Anniston, AL is tied with Maddox Mullinax of Birmingham, AL for the eighth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region standings with 682 points apiece. King holds the tiebreaker with three wins this season, while Mullinax has none.

King will be looking for his fourth straight win this Saturday night at Talladega Short Track and will also be trying to net on a 25. Mullinax will be trying to net on a 41. Both King and Mullinax have earned their 100 Regional Bonus Points.

Chris Griffin of Flomaton, AL rounds out the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region standings with 650 points and will be trying to net on a 35. Griffin is still eligible to earn 25 Regional Bonus Points.

There are four drivers just behind Griffin outside the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region Top 10 in the standings that will be trying to move up in Week 21 competition.

Ken Pate of Pell City, AL is 11th in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region standings with 636 points and will be trying to net on a 41. Pate will also earn 25 Regional Bonus Points with his fourth straight race this Saturday night at Talladega Short Track.

Trey White of Jenkinsburg, GA is 12th in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region standings with 633 points. White will be trying to net on a 35 and also earn 25 Regional Bonus Points with his fourth straight race this Saturday night at New Senoia Raceway.

Bret Holmes of Eastaboga, AL is 13th in the OMG East Region standings with 629 points and will be looking to net on a 41. Holmes can also earn 25 Regional Bonus Points with his fourth straight race this Saturday night at Talladega Short Track.

Tod Darda of LaGrange, GA is another driver looking to climb into the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region standings in the coming weeks. Darda is 14th in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region standings with 624 points and still has three more weeks to earn full points before he reaches the 14-week mark.
Drivers participating in NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series events compete for prize money at each event, and each track will pay out a point fund at the end of the season. Drivers are also competing for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Regional point fund that pays $5,000 to the Champion and pays back through the top ten spots in each Region.

The dirt late model race cars in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series are powered by the economical GM Performance Crate Engines that are built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications. There are two engines to choose from, the 400 horsepower aluminum-head 604 engine and the 350 horsepower steel-head 602 engine that gets a 150-pound weight break.

These engines are in stock and ready for free next day delivery anywhere in the Southeast from NeSmith Chevrolet in Claxton, GA. The GM Performance 604 Crate Engine is on sale for $5,095 and the GM Performance 602 Crate Engine is on sale for $3,195 at NeSmith Chevrolet in Claxton, GA. To place an order call Tim Bland at 1-877-497-3624.

Results and the point standings for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 21 action will be posted on Monday afternoon in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Round Up. For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series tracks, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com and click the Venues page.

For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at 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.