NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
September 15, 2011

TOO CLOSE TO CALL IN NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES “WILD WEST” REGION

CARTERSVILLE, GA – As the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region prepares for Week 25 competition, the battle for the championship between 2008 champion Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS and Duke Palasini of Leland, MS is too close to call. The Region has become “The Wild West” with three weeks to go in the 2011 season.

Both McDuffie and Palasini will have to venture away from their respective home tracks to settle the outcome as to who will be crowned the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion and claim the $5,000 top prize.

McDuffie leads the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 797 points, and Palasini is a close second, just two points behind, with 795 points based on their best 14 week point totals. McDuffie has 12 wins this season, 11 which are 50-point wins and Palasini has 11 50-point wins.

If both drivers win races in each of the next three weeks, they would both have 800 points which represents 14 50-point wins and 100 Regional Bonus Points – a perfect score in NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series competition. The tie-breaker begins with total number of wins, so McDuffie would be able to count his 40-point win to break the tie by one win.

McDuffie and Palasini are both netting points on their respective 14 week totals by trying to replace their lowest weekly point total among their current best 14 with a higher one. Palasini has to finish second or win this week to have an opportunity to either tie McDuffie for the top spot, or take the point lead if McDuffie doesn’t win in Week 25 competition.

McDuffie will be trying to net three 49s in the next three weeks, meaning he has to win races with car counts of eight or more that award 50 points for a victory to net points. Palasini is trying to net on a 47 and two 49s to net on his point total. This points chase could come right down to the wire in the 27th and final week of NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region competition.

So far this season, McDuffie has posted six wins at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg, MS, five wins at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS and one victory at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS. Palasini has scored all 11 of his wins this season at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS.

“Home Field Advantage” for McDuffie and Palasini will not come into play in the final three weeks of the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series season, as Whynot Motorsports Park and Greenville Speedway do not have series events scheduled for the next three weeks, and the September 24 race that was on the schedule at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park has now been removed.

The battle for the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship between McDuffie and Palasini, as well as the remaining points fund-paying spots in the Top 10, has now become “The Wild West Road Show!”

Three tracks – Jackson Motor Speedway, Drew County Speedway in Monticello, AR and Centerville Speedway in Centerville, AR – will be hosting West Region events over the three remaining weeks of the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region season.

This Saturday night, West Region events are scheduled for Jackson Motor Speedway and Drew County Speedway. For Week 26 West Region competition on September 24, Drew County Speedway and Centerville Speedway have races on the schedule.

The whole “shootin’ match” could come down to the 27th and final week of the 2011 West Region season. Week 27 action on October 1 will see the finales at Jackson Motor Speedway with the $1,000-to-win I-20 Challenge Race, and at Drew County Speedway.

In addition to the championship battle there is a wild scramble behind McDuffie and Palasini for the third through tenth points fund-paying spots in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings among ten drivers. Four of those drivers are still in contention for the third spot.

Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL is third in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings with 777 points, and he can still net on a 43, a 45 and a 48. Three 50-point wins would bring his best 14-week season total to 791 points. Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS is fourth with 768 points, and three wins would net on a 44, a 45 and a 47 to bring his total to 782 points.

Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS is fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 766 points, and three wins would bring his season total to 780 points after netting on two 45s and a 46. Landon Frith of Terry, MS is sixth with 763 points and can net on a 44, a 45 and a 46 with three wins that would bring his season total to 778 points.

There are four drivers in the Top 10 of the West Region standings that can battle for the 4th spot in the last three weeks of the season. Randy Boyd of Marion, MS is seventh with 757 points and three 50-point wins would net on a 41, a 44 and a 45 to bring his season total to 777 points.

That could tie McRee for third, but McRee would win the tie-breaker with six wins to four wins for Boyd if he wins out in the remainder of the season. Larry Murphy of Meridian, MS is eighth in the West Region standings with 752 points and three 50-point wins would net on a 41 and two 46s to bring his season total to 769 points.

Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS is ninth with 746 points and three wins would net on a 41, a 43 and a 44 to bring his best 14 week point total to 768. That could tie Arnold for the fourth spot, but if Harrison takes three straight wins to get there, he would win the tie-breaker with three wins to Arnold’s one victory.

Chandler Petty of Austin, AR rounds out the top ten in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 741 points. Three straight 50-point wins for Petty would net on two 40s and a 41 and bring his season total to 770 points. The 15-year-old driver currently has two straight wins at Drew County Speedway.

Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS is 11th in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings with 734 points, but still has an opportunity to finish as high as seventh with three 50-point wins in the remainder of the season. Barrett can net on three 41s and earn as much as 761 points.

Jared Smith of Hazlehurst, MS is currently 13th in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 716 points, and he has an opportunity to move up to the tenth and final points fund-paying spot. Smith can use three 50-point wins to net on three 41s and bring his best 14 week total to 743 points.

Results and the point standings for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 25 action in the West Region will be posted on Monday afternoon in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Round Up. For more information visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.