NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
August 3, 2010

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES ROUND UP FOR AUGUST 3

CARTERVILLE, GA – Week 18 was a big point week for drivers in the top ten of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East and West Region point standings with both Regional events and three NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring events coming into play.

Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL remains the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region point leader with 900 points based on his best 16 finishes after three wins, 22 top five finishes and 23 top ten finishes in 24 starts driving the Edge’s Gas Company Mastersbilt.

Edge finished second on Friday night at Penton Raceway in Penton, AL, and then the 17-year-old driver traveled to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS on Sunday night for the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring event to earn 25 Regional bonus points. Edge now has 125 bonus points, and can earn 25 more bonus points before he reaches the maximum of 150.

Ryan King of Anniston, AL raced Friday night at Penton Raceway, Saturday night at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL, and Sunday night at the Magnolia Motor Speedway National event. “Flyin’ Ryan” grabbed enough points to move up to the second spot in the East Region standings with 835 points based on his best 16 finishes.

King has five top fives and 15 top tens in 19 starts driving the True Bond Masonry TSR. King also has 125 bonus points for competing in five NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring events.

Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL did not compete in any Week 18 events, and dropped to third in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region standings with 788 points based on his best 16 finishes in the Bennett Logging RMRC. The “Rocketman” has seven wins, 13 top fives and 17 top tens in 17 starts with 25 total bonus points.

Dana Eiland of Salem, AL picked up his second win of the season on Friday night at Penton Raceway in the Andy’s Auto Parts GRT. The “Master of Going Faster” is fourth in the East Region standings with 756 points based on his best 16 finishes after two wins and 14 top fives. Just three points separate fourth, fifth, and sixth in the East Region standings.

Kevin Maher of McDavid, FL is fifth with 754 points based on four wins, 12 top fives and 14 top tens in 15 starts driving the United Bank GRT. Josh Huss of Flomaton, AL has closed to within one point of Maher after taking his third win of the season on Saturday night at Flomaton Speedway in Flomaton, AL driving the Charco, Inc, TNT.

Huss has 753 points after three wins, 13 top fives and 15 top tens in 15 starts. Maher and Huss can still earn full points in one more event before they start netting points by dropping their lowest top 16 finish with a higher one. Maher and Huss each have 50 Regional bonus points.

Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL is seventh in the NeSmith Chevrolet East Region standings with 701 points based on four wins, 12 top fives and 13 top tens in 13 starts driving the Clarence’s Truck Repair GRT. Nowell picked up 25 Regional bonus points at “The Mag” on Sunday night to bring his total to 75. Nowell can also pick up full points in three more weekly events.

Chris Griffin of Flomaton, AL is eighth in the East Region standings with 686 points after one win, 11 top fives and 15 top tens in 15 starts driving the Wallace Paint and Body Wallace. Griffin is the only driver in the top ten of the East Region that does not have any bonus points.

Paul Walters of Valley, AL is ninth with 680 points, including 25 bonus points, based on one win, seven top fives, and 13 top tens in 14 starts driving the Gary Davis Construction Warrior. Larry Harrod of Plains, GA rounds out the top ten in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region standings with 654 points, including 150 bonus points, after three wins and nine top fives in 11 starts driving the Harrod Logging Scorpion.

In other NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 18 East Region action, Lee Burdett of Hueytown, AL took the win on Saturday night at Talladega Short Track in the Burdett Racing GRT, and Tod Darda of LaGrange, GA picked up his third win of the season on Saturday night at New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA driving the Darda Tire GRT.

The Saturday night NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region event at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL was rained out, and the Saturday night event at Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, TN was cancelled.

NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region point leader Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS picked up his final 25 Regional bonus points on Friday night at the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National event at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS to bring his total up to 150.

“Dr. Dirt” has 936 points based on his best 16 finishes, just 14 points short of the maximum number of points a driver can earn at 950. Stokes has ten wins and 18 top fives in 20 starts driving the TJC Mortgage/Maximum Signs and Graphics Mastersbilt.

Three-time and defending NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS grabbed his sixth win of the season on Friday night at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg, MS to move back up to the second spot in the West Region standings with 880 points based on is best 16 finishes, and remain in contention for his fourth West Region title.

Keeton has six wins, 16 top fives and 18 top tens in 21 starts driving the Boland Performance Trak-Star. Keeton also picked up 50 Regional points over the weekend by competing in NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring events on Saturday night at Greenville Speedway, and on Sunday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway. Keeton can still earn 50 more Regional bonus points that would put him to within six points of Stokes.

Tony Lawson of Laurel, MS is third in the West Region standings with 860 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 150 bonus points. Lawson competed on Friday night at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park, on Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS, and on Sunday night in the National event at The Mag. Lawson has five top fives, and 15 top tens in 19 starts driving the Lawson Construction Rocket.

Shay Knight of Ethelsville, MS is fourth in the West Region standings with 807 points, including 125 bonus points. Knight picked up 50 bonus points by competing on Saturday at Greenville Speedway and Sunday night at The Mag. The “Knight Rider” has three wins, ten top fives, and 13 top tens in 15 starts driving the Dunn’s Autos Mastersbilt.

Chad McCool of Millport, AL is fifth with 794 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 100 bonus points. McCool had a pair of top five finishes on Saturday night at Central Mississippi Speedway in Winona, MS, and grabbed 25 bonus points on Sunday night at The Mag. McCool has three top fives and 11 top tens in 19 starts driving the M&M Logging Mastersbilt.

Jason Michau of Kilmichael, MS is sixth with 757 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 75 bonus points. Michau grabbed 25 bonus points on Friday night at Greenville, MS, and then had a pair of top five finishes on Saturday night at Central Mississippi Speedway in the Michau Logging Warrior. Michau has five top fives and 11 top tens in 17 starts.

Mark Tice of Avon, MS is seventh with 742 points, including 100 bonus points. The “Avon Assassin” picked up 75 bonus points by competing in the two Greenville and The Mag National events. Tice has four wins, ten top fives and 11 top tens in the Precision Marine Trak-Star, and can still earn full points in two more weekly events and 50 more bonus points.

Cliff Williams of Star, MS is eighth with 708 points, including 150 bonus points. Williams maxed out his bonus point total with two appearances at Greenville Speedway. Williams has four wins and ten top fives in 12 starts driving the Ware Construction Trak-Star, and can still earn full points in four more weekly events.

Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS is ninth with 697 points, including 100 bonus points, 50 which were earned at Greenville Speedway on Friday and Saturday nights. Palasini has three wins, nine top fives and 10 top tens in 13 starts driving the Medicaid Planning Specialists Trak-Star. Palasini can still earn full points in three more weekly events, and 50 more bonus points.

Jamie Tollison of Kosciusko, MS used a pair of top five finishes at Central Mississippi Speedway on Saturday night and 25 bonus points on Sunday night at The Mag to move into the tenth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings. Tollison has 655 points, including 50 bonus points, with seven top fives and 13 top tens in 13 starts driving the Tollison’s Auto Repair Trak-Star.

Tollison has earn full points in three more weekly events, but can only earn 75 more bonus points because there are only three NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National events on the schedule before the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series season ends on October 3.

In other NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Week 18 action, Wesley Greene of Winona, MS picked up his sixth and seventh wins of the season in a pair of main events on Saturday night at Central Mississippi Speedway driving the Transport Service Center Trak-Star.

Greene could challenge for the West Region title, but he will have to leave his home track to do it. According to the Central Mississippi Speedway web site, they will not be running any NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region sanctioned events for the remainder of the season.

The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS drove the H.E. Mosley, Inc. Trak-Star to his third win of the season on Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge point leader Trak-Star Race Cars swept the Week 18 West Region competition with four wins to bring its series leading win total to 45. Trak-Star Race Cars is the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge Champion.

Three-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge Champion GRT Race Cars of Greenbrier, AR had three wins in the East Region from Eiland, Burdett and Darda to remain in the second spot with 35 wins. Rocket Chassis of Shinnston, WV is third with 19 wins.

Huss gave TNT Race Cars of Piney Flats, TN its sixth win of the season to stay in the fourth spot of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge. Warrior Race Cars built by Goddard Performance of Knoxville, TN is fifth with two wins.

For a complete rundown of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings in both the East and West Regions, 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.