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Roby Helm
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (May 21) - NeSmith Chevrolet of Claxton, GA presents a racing double header "Salute To The Armed Forces" this weekend for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour on Friday night at Swainsboro Raceway in Swainsboro, GA, and on Saturday night at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, GA.
NeSmith Chevrolet is the country's leading GM Performance Crate Engine dealer which power the race cars in the series, and the dealership is also the title sponsorship for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.
"We appreciate everything Demere NeSmith and the folks at NeSmith Chevrolet do for the series and racing in general," NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Founder and Director Mike Vaughn said. "It's great that we get an opportunity to showcase our sponsor this weekend in their own backyard at Swainsboro Raceway on Friday night, and Screven Motor Speedway on Saturday night."
This weekend's events will be highlighted by one of the tightest point battles in dirt late model racing. The top ten drivers in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour point standings are separated by just 88 points.
The 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Rookie of the Year Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA leads the National Tour points chase with 484 points, and holds a 24-point lead over Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA. Brindle has two top five finishes, and four top ten finishes in six starts. Fields has two top ten finishes in six starts.
Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL holds down the third spot with 448 points, just 12 points behind fields. Boutwell has one top five, and four top ten finishes in six starts. The 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Championship Runner-Up Jay Blair of Angie, LA and Chris Tays of Corinth, MS are tied for the fourth spot with 440 points.
Blair is coming off his first win of the season on May 10 at A1 Raceway in Slidell, LA. It was also Blair's first top five and top ten finish of the season after six starts. Tays has one top five, and two top ten finishes in six starts.
Ted Lackey of Munford, AL and Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL are tied for the sixth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings with 424 points. Lackey has two top fives and three top ten finishes in six starts, and Knowles has one top five, and three top ten finishes in six starts. Knowles also leads the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year point standings.
Just two points behind Lackey and Knowles in the eighth position is Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA. Turner has 422 points with two top five, and three top ten finishes in six starts. Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL is ninth in the National standings and second in the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year battle with 398 points after one top five, and two top ten finishes in six starts.
Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA rounds out the Top 10 in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points chase and is third in the Sunoco Race Fuels RoY standings with 396 points. Peacock has two top fives, three top tens, and a series leading two Pole Awards after six starts. Just outside the Top 10, there are five drivers looking for good finishes this weekend to move up in the standings.
Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS is 11th in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings, and fourth in the Sunoco Race Fuels RoY points with 342 after competing in just five of the first six events of the 2008 season. Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA is 12th with 306 points. Rainey, who finished third in the 2007 National point standings, has put together two top five finishes in four starts.
Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA is 13th with 292 points. Ingram challenged for the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Championship last season, and this season has two top ten finishes in four starts.
The defending and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS took some time off from Weekly Racing Series competition for non-touring drivers, and won the National Touring event at Southern Speedway in Hattiesburg, MS on May 9. Keeton is 14th in the National standings with 252 points.
With Keeton expected to return to NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region competition over the weekend, Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Candidate Chad Wallace of LaGrange, GA will be looking to move up in the National standings.
Wallace, who finished third in the 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region points, is currently 15th in the National standings, and fifth in the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year standings, with 246 points.
On Friday night at Swainsboro Raceway and on Saturday night at Screven Motor Speedway, the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Tour will compete in Time Trials that lock the top 10 qualifiers into the main event, Qualifying Races that fill starting spots 11 through 24, and a main event.
Swainsboro Raceway will see a 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event on Friday night, and Screven Motor Speedway action will be highlighted by a 50-lap $3,000-to-win feature race.
Swainsboro Raceway is a 3/8-mile clay oval located two miles north of Swainsboro, GA on State Road 56. For more information about Swainsboro Raceway call 478-252-1300, or visit the track web site at www.swainsbororaceway.com. Gates open at 4 p.m., with racing scheduled for 7 p.m.
Screven Motor Speedway is a 1/3-mile clay oval located seven miles south of Sylvania, GA on State Road 21. For more information about Screven Motor Speedway call 912-857-4884, or visit the track web site at www.screvenmotorspeedway.com. Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing scheduled for 7 p.m.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
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