NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release:
Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
September 22, 2011

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES WEEK 26 PREVIEW

CARTERSVILLE, GA – Will the “Wild West” be won this weekend? Week 26 of the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series season will see West Region Championship contenders Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS and Duke Palasini of Leland, MS have another opportunity to go head-to-head this Saturday night to try and decide the $5,000 Championship.

Drew County Speedway in Monticello, AR will host the only Week 26 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region event this Saturday night. McDuffie, the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion, has a one-point lead over Palasini, and both drivers have to win the race in order to net one point.

Both drivers are showing a 49 point second-place finish as the lowest weekly point total in their best 14-week Regional point totals. With two weeks left in the season, a win this Saturday night by McDuffie would give him a two-point lead and clinch his second NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region title.

If Palasini takes the win this Saturday night at Drew County Speedway, he would tie McDuffie in points, and have an opportunity to move ahead with another win in Week 27 action to close out the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series season. Looking ahead to Week 27, Drew County Speedway and Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS will host events on October 1.

If McDuffie and Palasini end up in a tie point-wise, the tie-breaker would come into play, and that is number of wins, which gives McDuffie the advantage. Right now, McDuffie has 13 wins and Palasini has 11. One more win clinches the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region title for McDuffie.

For Palasini to win the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region Championship, he has to win this week and next week without a McDuffie win. That would give Palasini the $5,000 top prize by one point.

The two drivers have faced each other three times this season. McDuffie took the win at Jackson Motor Speedway on July 30 while Palasini finished 11th. Palasini was the winner on September 10 at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS while McDuffie finished third. Last Saturday night, McDuffie was the winner at Drew County Speedway and Palasini finished second.

There are still the third through fourth points fund-paying positions to be decided in NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region point standings in the final two weeks of the 2011 season.

Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL is third in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 777 points. Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS is fourth with 768 points and still has a chance to overtake McRee for the third spot. Arnold can net on a 44 and a 45. Two 50-point wins would give him a best 14 week season total of 779 points.

Five drivers will battle each other to challenge Arnold for the fourth spot. Just 17 points separate fourth through ninth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region point standings.

Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS is fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region standings with 766 points. Two wins by Jordan would net on a pair of 45s to give him a best 14 week season total of 776 points. Landon Frith of Terry, MS is sixth with 763 points and two wins would net on a 44 and a 45 to bring his season total to 774 points.

Randy Boyd of Marion, MS is seventh in the West Region standings with 757 points and two wins would net on a 41 and a 44 to bring his best 14 week season total to 772 points. Larry Murphy of Meridian, MS is eighth with 752 points and two wins would net on a 41 and a 43 to bring his best 14 week season total to 768 points.

Chandler Petty of Austin, AR is ninth in the West Region standings with 749 points and two wins would net on a 40 and a 41 to bring his best 14 week season total to 768 points. Bubba Harrison rounds out the Top 10 in the West Region standings with 746 points, and he can challenge for the seventh spot with two wins that would net on a 41 and 43 to bring his total to 762 points.

One driver outside the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region standings can still challenge for a Top 10 spot. Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS is 11th with 736 points, but he can challenge for the eighth spot with two wins that would net on a pair of 41s and bring his best 14 week season total to 754 points.

Week 26 of the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series season will be the final week of competition in the Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region, as no events are schedule for the 27th and final week. New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA and Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL will host OMG East Region events this Saturday night.

Jimmy Elkins Jr. of Talladega, AL has clinched the $5,000 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region Championship with 794 points, but there is still plenty of business to be taken care of this Saturday night to determine the second through tenth points fund-paying spots.

Adam Gauldin of Talladega, AL and Tod Darda of LaGrange, GA will decide the second spot this Saturday night. Gauldin is second with 788 points and a win would net on a 47 to bring his best 14 week season total to 791 points. Darda is third with 784 points, and a 50-point win would net on a 44 and bring his best 14 week season total to 790 points.

The battle for the fourth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet WRS OMG East Region standings will be waged between Doug Ludwig of Grantville, GA and Mike Combs of Odenville, AL. Ludwig is fourth with 758 points and a 50-point win would net on a 45 and bring his season total to 763 points.

Combs is fifth in the OMG East Region standings with 757 points and a win would net on a 44 to bring his best 14 week season total to 763 points. Going into Saturday night’s races, Combs holds the advantage in a tie-breaker with four second-place finishes to one for Ludwig.

Brian Ponder of Talladega, AL and Russ Ogletree of Phenix City, AL will decide the sixth spot this Saturday night in the OMG East Region standings. Ponder is sixth with 747 points and a win would net on a 44 and bring his season total to 753 points. Ogletree is seventh with 737 points and a 50-point win would net on a 37 and bring his best 14 week season total to 750 points.

The eighth spot in the OMG East Region point standings will be decided between Ryan King of Anniston, AL and Trey White of Jenkinsburg, GA. King is eighth with 715 points and a win would net on a 44 and bring his season total to 721 points.

White is ninth with 693 points and a win at New Senoia Raceway would give him 25 Regional Bonus Points for his fourth straight event and net on a 41 to bring his best 14 week season total to 727 points. Kevin Maher of McDavid, FL is tenth with 689 points, but has a mathematical chance to finish ninth with a 50-point win that would net on a 38 and bring his season total to 701 points.

One driver outside the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region point standings still has a chance to move up into the tenth and final points fund-paying spot this Saturday night. Maddox Mullinax of Birmingham, AL is 11th with 682 points and a win would net on a 41 and bring his best 14 week season total to 691 points.

Results and the point standings for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 26 action in both the West Region and the Old Man’s Garage (OMG) East Region will be posted on Monday afternoon in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Round Up. For more information visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.