FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2015
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$5K-To-Win Showdown On The Coast Next Up For NeSmith Late Models

by Roby Helm
CARTERSVILLE, GA – This weekend’s Showdown On The Coast at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, GA begins the homestretch drive on the 2015 season for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  After the 60-lap $5,000-to-win race this Friday and Saturday night at Golden Isles Speedway, just one race will remain on the 2015 schedule of events.

That scenario wasn’t by design, as weather rained out the $10,000-to-win Southeastern Classic for the NeSmith Late Models last month at Golden Isles Speedway, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky shut down Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, KY by Imminent Domain a few weeks ago cancelling two races there on October 23 and 24.

So that has created an urgency among NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series competitors to gain as many points as they can in an effort to improve their respective spots in the point standings with two races remaining.

The season finale will be the 100-lap $10,000-to-win 11th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL on November 20 and 21.  The two big prizes still up for grabs are the 2015 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship and the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year Award.

National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN has been making history with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series for all 11 years of the series existence.  He is the all-time career race winner with 26 victories, and the all-time career lap leader having paced the field for 665 laps.

The Chattanooga Flash is one of three drivers to win back-to-back championships.  This season, Johnson is looking to set a new record by becoming the first driver in series history to win three consecutive NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championships.  He will come to Brunswick, GA with an 88-point lead in the current standings.

In 20 races this season, Johnson has 1,702 points after one win, eight top five finishes and 15 top ten finishes.  If Johnson leaves the Showdown On The Coast with a 101 point lead, he will make series history with his third straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship.  Johnson picked up the first of two 2014 Showdown On The Coast race wins.

The second-place driver in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National point standings might have a say so in that outcome.  Ryan King of Seymour, TN is not only second in the points chase, but he is also the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year point leader.  King will be trying to make a little series history of his own, as no driver has ever won the National Championship and the Rookie of the Year Award in the same season.

King has 1,614 points after two wins, seven top five finishes, 13 top ten finishes and two Fast Time Awards in 20 races.  King holds a 20 point advantage over the third place-driver in the NeSmith Late Model National points, Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL.  

Edge has one win, eight top five finishes, 12 top ten finishes and one Fast Time Award in 20 races.  Edge won the second of two 2014 Showdown On The Coast races at Golden Isles Speedway for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.

Golden Isles Speedway has given the fourth-place driver in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings the best of times and worst of times, all within a 24 hour period.  Matt Henderson of Loudon, TN will be looking for returned success and revenge in the Showdown On The Coast.

Henderson is just 16 points behind Edge in the point standings, and 36 points behind King in the Rookie of the Year standings.  Henderson has two wins, a series season-leading nine top five finishes and is tied with Johnson with a series season-leading 15 top ten finishes in 20 races.  Henderson also has a series season-leading four Fast Time Awards.

The difference between Henderson being fourth or perhaps leading the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings are three races early in the season he failed to qualify for the main event.  In the first two races of the season, Henderson had electrical problems that kept him out of the big show.

By race three, Henderson turned in a fifth-place finish, and when the series arrived at Golden Isles Speedway for Round 4 on February 14, he set fast time, led all 40 laps of the main event, and took his first win of the season.  On the next night, Henderson was leading the B-Main race, but spun out on his own in turn two, and missed his third race of the season.

Ryan Crane of Panama City, FL is fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series standings with 1,426 points after two top five finishes and eight top ten finishes.  Crane will arrive at Golden Isles Speedway this weekend as the third-place driver in the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Year point standings.

Several drivers will be looking to battle for the sixth through tenth points fund-paying spots in the standings at the Showdown On The Coast this Friday and Saturday nights.  Sixth through tenth respectively in the standings are Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, Cody Martin of Christiana, TN, two-time series National Champion Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS, Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL, and Rodgerick Dykes of Smith Station, AL.

Dykes will be welcoming a return to Golden Isles Speedway this weekend in an effort to stay in the top ten of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings.  In the last visit for the series to Golden Isles Speedway on February 15, Dykes set fast time honors, and led all 50 laps of the main event to capture his first career win.

Two drivers that are on the outside looking in for a top ten spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings that will be looking to race their way in this weekend at Golden Isles Speedway are 14-year-old Will Rowland of Jasper, GA and Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS.

Rowland is 11th in the points chase and is also a Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series driver.  Sunoco Race Fuels has put up a special point fund for NeSmith Late Model drivers 18 years of age and younger.  Rowland is ten points behind Dykes in the standings.  Blount is trying to return to the top ten in the series National point standings after finishing fourth last season.

Other top entrants expected for the Showdown On The Coast include former NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Rookies of the Year Kyle Bronson of Tampa, FL and Larry Harrod of Plains, GA, plus Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS, Jason Fitzgerald of Jacksonville, FL, Montana Dudley of Phenix City, AL, Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, FL, Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL, Jimmy Thomas of Phenix City, AL, and Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL.

Among the Southern Georgia favorites on the entry list are Blackshear, GA drivers Cecil Eunice, Hunter Carter, and Ryan Carter, plus Henry Carter Jr. of Kite, GA, Ches Chester of Twin City, GA, Robert Diekemper of Bloomingdale, GA, Mallory Harvey of Baxley, GA, and Cla Knight of Augusta, GA,

The on track action will begin on Thursday night with an Open Practice Session from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Friday night’s action will see NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Qualifying and Heat Races to set the front half of the field for the main event.  Saturday night competition will see the B-main races to set the back of the field, followed by the 60-lap $5,000-to-win main event.

On Friday and Saturday, the pit gate opens at 11:30 a.m. with NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Pre-Race Registration and Technical Inspection on Friday from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday Check-In will be from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  The Drivers Meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. both nights with Hot Laps to follow.

Golden Isles Speedway is located 12 miles west of I-95 at Exit 29 on U.S. Highway 82.  The physical address for Golden Isles Speedway is 101 Speedway Drive, Waynesville, GA  31566.  For more information call 912-778-3767, or visit the track web site at www.goldenislesspeedway.com.  You can also like their Facebook Page at Golden Isles Speedway Park.

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com