NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
August 5, 2010

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES WEEK 19 PREVIEW

CARTERSVILLE, GA – There are 12 events at 11 tracks on the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 19 schedule with six events in the West Region and six events in the East Region. Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS leads the West Region standings and Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL leads the East Region standings.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Week 19 competition begins with a pair of races on Friday night at Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, AR and at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg, MS.

Saturday night NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region events are scheduled for Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS, Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS, Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS, and Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS.

Penton Raceway in Penton, AL will open the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Week 19 competition on Friday night. Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, TN will host twin East Region point races on Saturday night. Other Saturday night East Region events are set for Flomaton Speedway in Flomaton, AL, New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA and Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL.

Stokes leads the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings with 936 points, including 150 bonus points, based on his best 16 finishes. With a driver’s best 16 finishes counting towards their Regional point total, plus 150 bonus points for competing in as many as six NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring events, a perfect score is 950.

“Dr. Dirt” also has the highest West Region Event Point Average (EPA) among the top ten on the point standings at 49.13. A driver’s EPA is determined by subtracting bonus points and dividing the Regional point total by the number of races competed in up to 16. A perfect EPA is 50, as that is the point total for a win based on a car count of eight or more.

The points then drop off one point per position back to 41 points for tenth-place. Each driver from tenth on back that starts the feature race earns 41 points. Drivers that attempt to race, but do not run the main event, get 25 points.

Stokes has ten wins and 18 top five finishes in 20 starts. Stokes and other drivers that have reached the 16 race mark are now netting points by trying to replace their lowest event point night among their top 16 finishes with a higher one. The two lowest point nights for Stokes among his current best 16 finishes are two 47s, or two fourth-place finishes.

That means Stokes would have to finish third or better in his remaining races to net any Regional points. After the two fourth-place finishes, Stokes will have three 48 point nights, or third-place finishes to try and net on with a finish of second or better. Stokes has two 49 point, or second-place, point nights.

Three-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS is second in the West Region standings with 880 points, including 100 bonus points. Keeton has three NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring events to earn another 50 bonus points that would put him to within six points of Stokes.

Keeton has six wins, 16 top fives and 18 top tens in 21 starts with the second-highest EPA among the top ten in the West Region at 48.75. Keeton can still net on one 46, three 47s, one 48, and five 49s. Five of the top six drivers in the West Region standings have reached the 16-race mark this season, and are currently netting points.

Tony Lawson of Laurel, MS is third with 860 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 150 bonus points, and the eighth-highest EPA at 44.38. Shay Knight of Ethelsville, MS is fourth with 807 points in 15 starts, including 125 bonus points, and the seventh-highest EPA at 45.47. The “Knight Rider” can earn full points in one more weekly event, and earn another 25 bonus points.

Chad McCool of Millport, AL is fifth with 794 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 100 bonus points, with the ninth-highest EPA at 43.38. Jason Michau of Kilmichael, MS is sixth with 757 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 75 bonus points, with the tenth-highest EPA at 42.63.

The seventh through tenth-place drivers in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings can still earn full points, as they have yet to reach the 16-race mark. Mark Tice of Avon, MS is seventh with 742 points in 14 starts, including 100 points, and the sixth-highest EPA at 45.86. Cliff Williams of Star, MS is eighth with 708 points in 12 starts, including 150 bonus points, and the fourth-highest EPA at 46.5.

Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS is ninth with 697 points in 13 starts, including 100 bonus points, with the fifth-highest EPA at 45.92. Jamie Tollison of Kosciusko, MS rounds out the top ten of the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 655 points in 13 starts, including 50 bonus points, and the third-highest EPA among the top ten drivers in the West Region standings at 46.54.

Edge leads the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region standings with 900 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 125 bonus points, and has the leading EPA among the top ten drivers in the East Region standings at 49.13. Edge can net points on four 47s, four 48s, and five 49s to go with his three wins.

The top four drivers in the East Region point standings have reached the 16-race mark. Ryan King of Anniston, AL is second in the East Region standings with 835 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 125 bonus points, but he has the tenth-highest EPA at 44.38. Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL is third with 788 points based on his best 16 finishes with only 25 bonus points. Stephens has the third-highest EPA at 47.69.

Dana Eiland of Salem, AL is fourth with 756 points based on his best 16 finishes, including 25 bonus points, and the ninth-highest EPA at 45.69. Kevin Maher of McDavid, FL is fifth with 754 points in 15 starts, including 50 bonus points, and the fourth-highest EPA at 46.93. Josh Huss of Flomaton, AL is sixth with 753 points in 15 starts, including 50 bonus points, and the fifth-highest EPA at 46.87.

With three NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring events on that schedule before the Weekly Racing Series ends on October 3, Stephens, Eiland, Maher, and Huss can only earn up to 75 more Regional bonus points, which means they cannot reach the maximum allowed of 150.

Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL will be a driver to watch in the coming weeks as he tries to climb up through the top ten of the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region standings. Nowell is seventh with 701 points in 13 starts, including 75 bonus points, and still has three more weekly races to earn full points. The “Phenix City Assassin” has the second-highest EPA at 48.15.

Chris Griffin of Flomaton, AL is eighth with 686 points in 15 starts with no bonus points and has the eighth-highest EPA at 45.73. Paul Walters of Valley, AL is ninth with 680 points, including 25 bonus points, and has the sixth-highest East Region EPA among the top ten drivers at 46.79.

Larry Harrod of Plains, GA is another driver to watch in the weeks ahead as he rounds out the top ten of the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region standings with 654 points in just 11 starts, which means he can earn full points in five more weekly events.

Harrod is also the only driver in the East Region top ten that has earned all 150 of his Regional bonus points and has the seventh-highest EPA at 45.82. “The Big Tree” is also competing for the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Award in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Tour. Harrod is second in the VP Racing Fuels RoY points, and is fifth in the National point standings.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Dirt Late Models are powered by the economical GM Performance Crate Engines that are built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications. The 400 horsepower aluminum-head 604 engine costs $5,295 and the 350 horsepower steel-head 602 engine costs $3,295 and gets a 150 pound weight break.

These engines are in stock for free next day delivery anywhere in the Southeastern United States at NeSmith Chevrolet in Claxton, GA, the nation’s number one GM Powertrain Dealer. To place an order, call Tim Bland toll-free at 1-877-497-3624. There is no waiting for an engine at NeSmith Chevrolet. You can buy it today, and race it tomorrow.

For a complete rundown of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings in the East and West Regions, and links to the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS tracks’ web sites, visit the NeSmith Racing web site at www.nesmithracing.com. Also 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.