Southern Nationals Series
July 10, 2012
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Ready for eighth season: Quick Glance at the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series

by Chris Tilley
BRASSTOWN, NC (July 10) - It’s ten races in thirteen grueling days. It’s exciting races and down to the wire championships. It’s the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series.

Owned and operated by racer and now Speedway promoter Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC, the series will embark upon its eighth season of racing in the Southeast. From tracks in the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia and stretching across East Tennessee the series has produced some of the best racing the areas have offered over the past seven seasons. New winners have graced victory lane and went on to win some of the nation’s premiere events while ties in the final point standings have produced some of the closest Championships in all of dirt racing.

The two week mini-series will begin its journey in less than two weeks among the ten cities in four states on Monday Night July 16th at the Fred and Susan Brown owned Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, VA. Wythe Raceway joined the series in its second season back in 2006 as Dennis Franklin claimed the win. Youngster Austin Dillon claimed his only Southern Nationals victory during the 2011 series visit. Dillon who has made a name for himself in the NASCAR ranks is the grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Chilldress.

On Tuesday Night July 17th the series will make a first-time visit to the historical Smoky Mountain Speedway located in the foothills of Maryville, TN. Vic Hill of Mosheim, TN, a series regular has been dominant the first half of the season at Smoky Mountain claiming event wins with the Southern All Stars Dirt Racing Series (two wins) and the Ultimate Super Late Model Series (one victory).

Another first-time visit will bring the series to the Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA on Thursday Night July 19th for the first of a four night swing into the Peach State. Boyd’s Speedway sits on the Tennessee/Georgia border and is known for its side-by-side racing. The track first opened in 1952 and operated as a paved track from 1962-1976 and was converted back to dirt in 1977 and remains that way. The event will pay $3,500.

A visit to the Paul and Debra Purvis owned Swainsboro Raceway in Swainsboro, GA on Friday Night July 20th will be the fourth-ever series race as the 2011 visit was rained out. Swainsboro is home to the Pine Tree 50 which is sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Late Model Series each season and is commenced around the annual Pine Tree Festival which just held their 67th running of the event back in May. The track opened in 1964 as a Sunday Afternoon track and has turned into one of the nicest facilities in the state of Georgia, thanks to the Purvis’s who bought the track in 2000 making major improvements over their current tenure of 13 years.

A unique event for the Southern Nationals on Saturday Night July 21st brings the tour to James ‘Redd’ Griffin’s Screven Motor Speedway located outside Sylvania, GA. The track is currently in its 16th season of operation which features some of the best concession food in the south as Griffin’s crew strives to uphold the utmost Southern Hospitality in every meal. The annual Rebel Yell event will mark the seventh series appearance.

A visit to historic Rome Speedway in Rome, GA will bring the series of travelers on Sunday Night July 22nd for a $5,300 to win event. Track owners Mickey and Martha Swims have greeted the Southern Nationals since 2010 with Chris Madden and Jonathan Davenport taking those two season visits respectively. Rome has been a special event track the last few seasons and is the sister to Historic Dixie Speedway right down the road in Woodstock, GA, also owned by the Swims Family.

The seventh series event will be on Tuesday Night July 24th at the East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL at a track owned and operated by the Thomas Family. This is the third year of appearances to EAMS as Jonathan Davenport and Casey Roberts have both claimed the previous visits. The track is home to the Alabama State Championships and the National 100 both held in the fall of each season.

On Thursday Night July 26th the series will roll into the Cleveland Speedway in Cleveland, TN. Racing has been the happening thing in Cleveland, TN since 1954 and the track is home to the Shamrock and Gobbler events. This is the seventh series appearance to the track once owned by former World (now Coca-Cola) 600 winner Joe Lee Johnson. Three time series champion Chris Madden won the 2011 series visit to Cleveland.

The series will roll up Interstate 75 to Interstate 81 and another historical East Tennessee facility, the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN on Friday Night July 27th for a $5,300 to win event. This will mark the seventh series appearance to the Joe and Phyllis Loven owned facility. The track opened in mid-1974 and the Loven family currently operates the Speedway. Track records have seen Late Models turn the high banks of Volunteer Speedway in the 120 mile per hour range and Sprint Cars in the 140 mile per hour range.

The Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN will be host of the series-season finale for the eighth straight year on Saturday Night July 28th paying $5,300 to win. Knoxville, TN businessman Gary Hall owns the 1/3 mile Speedway and is the only track to host a Southern Nationals race every season since the inception in 2005. Known as the ‘Bad Fast Taz’ the track was first built in 1965 and is considered as one of the country’s most exciting dirt tracks, known for its high banks and fast speeds. Vic Hill claimed the series event win back last July while multiple East Tennessee track Champion Billy Ogle Jr. claimed the first series event win at Tazewell in 2005.

Champions of the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series include: Jeff Cooke of Spartanburg, SC in 2005; Anthony White of Clinton, TN in 2006; Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC in 2007/2008 and most recently in 2011; Tommy Kerr of Maryville, TN in 2009 and Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA in 2010. Chris Madden sits on the all-time winners list at 17 wins.

Further information on the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series can be obtained by visiting the official series website at www.southernnationalsseries.com or be a follower on the Twitter, the Nation’s largest mini-blogging network by accessing @SONATIONALS.

2012 Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Schedule
Monday July 16-Wythe Raceway-Rural Retreat, VA-$3,500 to win
Tuesday July 17-Smoky Mountain Speedway-Maryville, TN-$3,500 to win
Thursday July 19-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA-$3,500 to win
Friday July 20-Swainsboro Raceway-Swainsboro, GA-$5,300 to win
Saturday July 21-Screven Motor Speedway-Sylvania, GA-$5,300 to win
Sunday July 22-Rome Speedway-Rome, GA-$5,300 to win
Tuesday July 24-East Alabama Motor Speedway-Phenix City, AL-$3,500 to win
Thursday July 26-Cleveland Speedway-Cleveland, TN-$3,500 to win
Friday July 27-Volunteer Speedway-Bulls Gap, TN-$5,300 to win
Saturday July 28-Tazewell Speedway-Tazewell, TN-$5,300 to win

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2012
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North Georgia Speedway Returns to Schaeffer Oil Southern Nationals Slate on July 19
 
BRASSTOWN, NC (July 13) - The North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, Georgia held the original July 19 date on the 2012 Schaeffer Oil Southern Nationals Series schedule when the slate of events was announced back on December 6, 2011. However, a mid-season ownership change at the 1/3-mile northern Georgia facility caused the date to shift north to the Boyd's Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia. After Boyd's announced on Wednesday that they could not host the special Thursday night event due to an obscure ordinance against mid-week races, new North Georgia Speedway promoter Jason Jones jumped at the chance to acquire the date back.
 
Today it became official - the Schaeffer Oil Southern Nationals Series will visit North Georgia Speedway on Thursday evening, July 19 for a $3,500 to win showdown. Drivers such as Chris Madden, Clint Smith, Tony Knowles, Vic Hill, Brian Reese, Casey Roberts, Ivedent Lloyd, Jr., Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Billy Ogle, Jr., Daniel Baggerly, Donald Bradsher, Brandon DeWitt, and many more are likely to be in the pit area at North Georgia to battle for the $3,500 top prize. The driver's meeting will start at 6:45 p.m., while hot laps are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Additional information can be located by clicking on www.northgaspeedway.net.
 
"I am very excited to announce that our July 19 date as come full circle back to the North Georgia Speedway," stated series promoter Ray Cook earlier this morning. "New track promoter Jason Jones has worked really hard to make this happen and I am very appreciative of his efforts. I hope all of the fans around the Chatsworth, Georgia area show their support of the new management and hopefully we can kick off his reign at North Georgia with an outstanding show!"
 
2012 Schaeffer Oil Southern Nationals Series Schedule
Monday, July 16 - Wythe Raceway - Rural Retreat, VA - $3,500 to win
Tuesday, July 17 - Smoky Mountain Speedway - Maryville, TN - $3,500 to win
Thursday, July 19 - North Georgia Speedway - Chatsworth, GA - $3,500 to win
Friday, July 20 - Swainsboro Raceway - Swainsboro, GA - $5,300 to win
Saturday, July 21 - Screven Motor Speedway - Sylvania, GA - $5,300 to win
Sunday, July 22 - Rome Speedway - Rome, GA - $5,300 to win
Tuesday, July 24 - East Alabama Motor Speedway - Phenix City, AL - $3,500 to win
Thursday, July 26 - Cleveland Speedway - Cleveland, TN - $3,500 to win
Friday, July 27 - Volunteer Speedway - Bulls Gap, TN - $5,300 to win
Saturday, July 28 - Tazewell Speedway - Tazewell, TN - $5,300 to win

The latest in news and information concerning the Schaeffer Oil Southern Nationals Series can always be found 24 hours a day / 7 days a week by visiting www.southernnationalsseries.com.

Media Contact: Ryan Delph - Delph Communications
www.DelphCommunications.com