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LATEMODELRACER >> SOUTH REGION >> Johnny Stokes Wins NeSmith WRS West Region Championship
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Message started by LMR on 10/05/10 at 1:15pm

Title: Johnny Stokes Wins NeSmith WRS West Region Championship
Post by LMR on 10/05/10 at 1:15pm

NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
October 4, 2010

JOHNNY STOKES WINS THE NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES WEST REGION CHAMPIONSHIP

CARTERSVILLE, GA – Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS clinched the 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship on Friday night at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg, MS. The championship boiled down to the final weekend of the season among Stokes, Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS, and Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL.

McRee grabbed the second spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings on Saturday night at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS, and the three-time West Region Champion Keeton ended up in the third spot.

The rest of the positions in the West Region will be determined after the results come in from Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS, who has not reported their Saturday night results as of Monday evening.

Stokes finished up the season with 945 points based on his best 16 finishes in 33 starts with 13 wins, 28 top five finishes and 30 top ten finishes driving the TJC Mortgage/Maximum Signs and Graphics Mastersbilt. Stokes also made appearances at eight of the nine West Region tracks, and posted wins at five of those tracks.

Going into the double feature event on Friday night at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park, Stokes held a five point lead over Keeton. Stokes finished fifth and Keeton finished third, but neither driver was able to net any points. McRee finished second and was able to net eight points to bring him to within six points of Keeton.

Cliff Williams of Star, MS won the first feature in the Ware Construction Trak-Star, his eighth win of the season. The top four finishers were inverted for the second feature which put Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS on the pole with Keeton starting on the outside of the front row. McRee and Williams started in row two.

Keeton took the lead at the start of the race, and he needed three straight wins to beat Stokes for his fourth West Region title. McRee quickly went to the outside to get by Lee for the second spot, and began to reel in Keeton to challenge for the lead.

McRee stepped to the outside with eight laps to go and passed Keeton for the lead. J-Mac went on to take his ninth win of the season in the Century Dedicated, Inc. Trak-Star and that sealed the deal for Stokes to win the championship. Keeton finished second, but his title hopes were gone, as he could not net enough points with two wins the following night at Greenville Speedway to pass Stokes.

With the win in the second feature, McRee was able to net another six points to move him to within one point of Keeton in the battle for the second spot that would move on to Greenville Speedway on Saturday night. Keeton was able to net one point with his second-place finish in the Boland Performance Trak-Star.

Keeton was a no-show for the Saturday night double feature races on Saturday night at Greenville Speedway, and McRee finished second in the first feature to net three points that clinched the runner-up spot in the West Region final point standings. Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS won both feature races at Greenville Speedway in the Medicaid Planning Specialists Trak-Star for his sixth and seventh wins of the season.

McRee ended the season with 943 points based on his best 16 finishes in 21 starts with nine wins, 18 top fives and 19 top tens. Keeton had 941 points based on his best 16 finishes in 33 starts with 11 wins, 28 top fives and 31top tens.

For winning the 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship, Stokes will receive $1,500 from the point fund and a new GM Performance 604 Crate Engine. McRee will win $1,000 from the point fund and a new Trak-Star chassis from Boland Performance of Cuba, AL for taking the second spot. Keeton will receive $500 from the point fund for third-place.

The remainder of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings will be posted after the Saturday night finishes from Jackson Motor Speedway are received by series officials.

Taylor Jarvis of Milton, FL picked up his third win of the season on Saturday night at Flomaton Speedway in Flomaton, AL driving the Jarvis Racing Mastersbilt in the final NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region event of the season.
Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL is the 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion. Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL is the East Region Runner-Up, and Ryan King of Anniston, AL finished in the third spot.

Both experience and youth were served through the two NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Regional Champions. At age 56, Stokes becomes the oldest NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Regional Champion, and at age 17, Edge becomes the youngest Regional Champion.

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.