NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
September 8, 2011

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES WEEK 24 PREVIEW

CARTERSVILLE, GA – The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series will see eight races on the Week 24 schedule of events with six in the West Region and two in the Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region. With four weeks left in the 2011 season, the championship and Top 10 battles are beginning to come into clearer focus.

Two drivers are competing for the $5,000 West Region Championship and four drivers are vying for the $5,000 Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region title. There are still 20 drivers in the West Region and 22 drivers in the OMG East Region with at least a mathematical chance to finish the season in a points fund-paying Top 10 spot.

NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 24 competition begins on Friday night with races scheduled for Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, AR and Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg, MS. Saturday night West Region events will be highlighted by a pair of $1,000-to-win events.

Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS will host the $1,000-to-win I-20 Challenge on Saturday night, and Drew County Speedway in Monticello, AR will present a $1,000-to-win race on Saturday night. Also in NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region action on Saturday night will be Centerville Speedway in Centerville, AR and Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS.

New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA will host double features on Friday night in NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region action. Regional points will be awarded for both races, as New Senoia Raceway has exercised their contractual option to present double feature to make up for two rainouts during the 2011 season.

All of the drivers in the Top 10 of the West Regions have reached the 14-week mark in their season and are currently trying to net points by replacing the lowest weekly point total among their best 14 with a higher one. All West Region Top 10 drivers have collected all 100 Regional Bonus Points allowed.

The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS has a four-point lead over Duke Palasini of Leland, MS. Both drivers have an opportunity to score perfect totals of 800 that include 14 50-point wins and 100 Regional Bonus Points. McDuffie has 796 points and Palasini has 792 points.

McDuffie has to win 50-point races in the next four weeks to net on his four lowest weekly point totals among his best 14, which are 49-point second-place finishes. Palasini can net on two 47-point third-place finishes and two 49-point second-place finishes. The tie-breaker for NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series points is number of wins followed by second-place finishes, etc.

Jimmy Elkins Jr. of Talladega, AL, Adam Gauldin of Talladega, AL, Tod Darda of LaGrange, GA, and Russ Ogletree of Phenix City, AL are all still in the running for the NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region Championship. Elkins has 792 points, Gauldin has 786 points, Darda has 758 points, and Ogletree has 737 points.

Elkins will be looking to net on a 48 and three 49s over the next four weeks of NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region competition. Gauldin will be looking to net on two 47s, a 48, and a 49, Darda will be looking to net on two 40-point wins, a 41, and a 44.

Ogletree can tie Elkins for the championship if Elkins does not net any additional points, and win the tie-breaker with four straight wins to bring his season to eight. Ogletree can earn 25 Regional Bonus Points this Saturday night at New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA for his fourth straight race at that track. Ogletree can also net on a 37, a 41, a 44, and a 48.

Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL is third in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings with 777 points, and still has a mathematical chance to move up to the second spot. With four 50-point wins, J-Mac can earn a possible 793 points. Over the next four weeks, McRee can net on a 43, a 45, and two 48s.

Four drivers have a mathematical opportunity to challenge McRee for the third spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region. Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS is fourth with 764 points, and four 50-point wins and netting on a 43, a 44, a 45, and a 47 would give him 785 points at the end of the season.

Landon Frith of Terry, MS is fifth in the West Region standings with 763 points. Frith will be looking to net on a 44, two 45s, and a 46 in the next four weeks, and could earn as much as 783 points.

Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS is sixth with 762 points and could earn as much as 781 points with four wins and netting on three 45s and a 46. Randy Boyd of Marion, MS is seventh with 753 points, and will be looking to net on two 41s, a 44, and a 47 with the possibility to earn 780 points with four wins.

There is another group of four drivers with a mathematical chance of taking the fourth spot at the end of the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing West Region season on October 2. Larry Murphy of Meridian, MS is currently eighth with 752 points, and four wins and netting on a 41 and three 46s would bring his season total to 773 points.

Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS is ninth with 740 points, and four wins would bring his season total to 771 points after netting on two 41s, a 43, and a 44. Chandler Petty of Austin, AR is tenth with 731 points, and four 50-point wins would net on three 40s, and a 41 to bring his season total to 770 points.

Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS is 11th in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings with 730 points, but can still finish as high as fourth in the standings at the end of the season. Barrett can still net on four 41s, and with four wins, he could earn a total of 766 points.

There are three other drivers in the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region standings with a mathematical chance to finish third in the final point standings.

Mike Combs of Odenville, AL is currently fourth in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region standings with 752 points. Four 50-point wins would give Combs 771 points after netting on a 44, a 45, and two 46s. Brian Ponder of Talladega, AL is fifth with 741 points, and he could earn a possible 766 points by netting on a 43 and three 44s with four wins.

Doug Ludwig of Grantville, GA is sixth in the OMG East Region standings with 738 points, and can net on a 38, a 41, a 43, and a 45 over the next four weeks. Four 50-point wins would give Ludwig a season total of 771 points.

There are three drivers that will be racing to stay in the Top 10 of the OMG East Region standings with several drivers outside the Top 10 trying to race their way in one of the points fund-paying spots. Ryan King of Anniston, AL is eighth with 715 points, and can net on two 44s and two 45s. Four wins would bring his season total to 737 points.

Kevin Maher of McDavid, FL is ninth with 689 points, and four 50-points wins would net on four 38s to bring his season total to 737 points. Maddox Mullinax of Birmingham, AL is tenth with 682 points and can net on four 41s. Four wins would give Mullinax a total of 718 points.

NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series events award 50 points for a win with eight or more cars, and the points drop back one point to the tenth-place. Drivers finishing tenth on back in the main event receive 41 points. For car counts of seven or less, 40 points are awarded for a win, with a one point drop per finishing position. Drivers that fail to make the main event, but attempt to compete earn 25 points.

Results and the point standings for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 24 action will be posted on Monday afternoon in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Round Up. For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series tracks, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com and click the Venues page.