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Roby Helm
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (July 17) - The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring regulars will get some tough local competition this weekend in a pair of 40-lap $2,500-to-win races on Friday night at Penton Raceway in Penton, AL and on Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL.
On Saturday night, the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series drivers and East Alabama Motor Speedway fans will team up to benefit the American Cancer Society with the Ride For Life two-seat dirt late model race car.
Over 50 entrants are expected to compete for the Alabama Bonus Bucks of $2,000 that will also be up for grabs if a single driver can win both races on Friday night at Penton Raceway, and Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway.
Rounds 11 and 12 of the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour will see point leader Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA lead a contingent of touring regulars that includes Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL, Chris Tays of Corinth, MS, Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL, and Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA into Penton Raceway on Friday night and East Alabama Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
The top four drivers in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points chase; Brindle, Boutwell, Tays and Knowles are still looking for their first wins of the season that has produced nine different winners in ten races. Knowles leads the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year point standings, but several drivers are right on his heels in both the rookie points and national points.
Peacock and Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL are tied for the fifth spot in the National points and second in the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year points. Peacock has one win and a series-leading three Pole Awards coming into this weekend's action. Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS is seventh in National points and fourth in rookie points, just eight points behind Peacock and Hiett.
Other top NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring drivers expected this Friday night at Penton Raceway and Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway include Ted Lackey of Munford, AL, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA, Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, and Chad Wallace of LaGrange, GA.
Lackey, Turner and Rainey are eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively in the National point standings, and Ingram is fresh off his first National Touring win of the season on July 4 at Fort Payne Motor Speedway in Fort Payne, AL. Minga and Wallace are Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year candidates, and Wallace is the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Track Champion at Penton Raceway.
One of the toughest contingents of local NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series drivers from Penton Raceway and East Alabama Motor Speedway will face the National Touring drivers this weekend led by NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region point leader Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL Stephens has ten wins this season in 24 starts at both tracks.
Other top local favorites include defending NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS EAMS race winner William Thomas of Phenix City, AL, Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL, Larry Harrod of Plains, GA, Anthony Meadows of Lanett, AL, Marc Gooden of Lafayette, AL, Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL, Dana Eiland of Salem, AL, and Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL.
Harrod, Meadows, Gooden, Edge, Eiland, and Dudley are fifth, sixth, seventh, eleventh, 12th and 13th respectively in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region point standings. Also expected is Blake Stewart of Centre, AL, who is second to Stephens in the WRS East Region point standings.
Race fans will also get a chance to get into the action on Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway by bidding for a ride at race speed around the track with their favorite driver in the two-seat dirt late model and at the same time, benefit the American Cancer Society. The Ride For Life two seater is an actual dirt late model race car built with a special passenger seat.
There will be an auction at intermission where fans can bid for a ride in the car with their favorite driver, and raffle tickets will also be sold with the winner to be determined through a drawing. All of the proceeds will benefit the local chapter of the American Cancer Society in an effort to find a cure for the deadly disease.
On Friday night at Penton Raceway and on Saturday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway, the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour will compete in Time Trials where the Top 10 starting spots for the big show will be determined, and then starting spots 11 through 24 for the 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event will be determined through two Qualifying Races.
The Official Host Hotel for the weekend is the Quality Inn in Opelika, AL located at Exit 62 on I-85. The Quality Inn is offering NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series fans and competitors a special discount rate of $50 per night. To make reservations call 334-745-6331 and ask for the Penton Raceway discount rate.
Penton Raceway is located just south of State Road 77 on County Road 108. For more information call 334-864-0666, or visit the track web site at www.pentonraceways.com. East Alabama Motor Speedway is located six miles west of Phenix City, AL on U.S. Highway 80. For more information call 334-297-2594, or visit the track web site at www.eamsdirt.com.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
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