CARTERSVILLE, GA – The point lead changed hands three times in NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 26 competition and ended up with Chase Washington of Houlka, MS and Mickey Trosclair of Luling, LA tied at the top of the list with 798 points apiece.  The Hottest Point Battle in Racing now heads to the 27th and final week of the season for the $10,000 prize.

While the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point battle is still to be decided, one championship was settled in Week 26 action.

Neil Lee of Flowood, MS in the JWH Equipment GRT swept the Double Features on Saturday night at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS and Chad Washington of Greenville, MS drove the Washington Body Shop GRT to his first win of the season on Saturday night at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS.

Those three wins gave GRT Race Cars of Greenbrier, AR their fifth and second straight NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge Championship.  With five races remaining in the 2012 season, GRT Race Cars has a six win advantage over two-time champion Trak-Star Race Cars built by Boland Performance of Cuba, AL.  GRT has 34 NeSmith Chevrolet WRS wins this season and Trak-Star has 28 wins.

Going into Week 26 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series competition, Trosclair held a one-point lead over Washington.  The two drivers made the trip to West Plains Motor Speedway in West Plains, MO for a Week 23 Make-Up Race.  Washington was looking to knot the point race back up with a win, but Trosclair was on defense, since he was not eligible to net a point, as he already had a Week 23 50-point win in his pocket.

In drawing for the heat race line-up, Washington and Trosclair ended up side-by-side in the third row of the second heat.  Washington went to the outside, and won the race to earn the outside front row starting spot for the main event.  Trosclair finished fourth and earned the eighth starting spot for the feature race.

Washington battled with Roger Witt of Batesville, AR in The Chrome Shop Special for most of the race before taking over the lead for good in the last few laps of the race.  Washington tied up the point lead with his 14th win of the season in the Jerry Inmon Racing Special.  Trosclair finished sixth in the J. Dunning Sandblasting and Painting Special.

Going into Saturday night NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 26 competition, both championship combatants had several options available to them, as both drivers were looking to net one point with a win off the lowest point total of their best 14-week total, and that number was a 49.  Washington decided to stay at West Plains Motor Speedway for their Saturday night Week 26 race.

Trosclair headed to Mississippi.  He had an opportunity to stop at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS where Double Features were held.  If he could win the Week 25 Make-Up Race and the Week 26 second feature, he could net two points.  Trosclair drove by Greenville Speedway and headed to more familiar ground at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg, MS.

Hattiesburg Motorsports Park is where Trosclair had five 50-point wins during the season.  He qualified second quick, and took the lead in the main event from the outside front row.  Trosclair picked up his 12th 50-point win of the season and took over the point lead by one point.

After the race was over in Hattiesburg, people huddled over their smart phones, I-pads and computers awaiting live updates on the NeSmith Racing Facebook page from West Plains Motor Speedway.  Washington had won the second heat race and would start the feature from the outside front row.  As Washington sat in the staging lane getting ready to race, he was notified of Trosclair’s win.

With the championship ball now in his court, Washington was up to the challenge, as he went on to hold off Jeff Glisson of Boaz, KY in the SGR Equipment Rocket and pick up his 14th 50-point NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series win of the season to once again tied up the top spot in the point standings at 798.

That sets up several scenarios for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Championship Week that will be outlined in the Week 27 Final Preview on Thursday.  Washington has the tie-breaker advantage with 14 50-point wins to 12 50-point wins for Trosclair.

With Double Features on the schedule at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS on Saturday night, and a Sunday race at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS, drivers will have three races to net points, or in Washington’s and Trosclair’s case, earn wins.

Ryan King of Seymour, TN rallied from the back of the pack after a lap one cut tire to finish second on Saturday night at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN driving the Brian King Roofing Stinger.  King was able to net one point and remains in the third spot of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 793 points.

Duke Palasini of Leland, MS drove the Palasini Farms Special to his ninth win of the season in the Week 25 Make-Up Feature at Greenville Speedway.  Palasini was able to net two points and take sole possession of the fourth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 792 points.  Palasini failed to net any points in the Week 26 second feature race.

Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL failed to net any points after an eighth-place finish on Saturday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway driving the Summit Resource Development Trak-Star.  That dropped Shaw down to the fifth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 790 points.

Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS finished fifth and fourth in Saturday night Double Features at Jackson Motor Speedway and failed to net on a pair of 48s.  Lee remains sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 789 points in the Billy Riels Racing Trak-Star.

Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS drove the Billy Riels Racing/Reynolds Motorsports GRT to a second-place finish behind Trosclair on Saturday night at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park.  That netted Arnold one point and brings his best 14-week NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point total to 787 and the seventh spot in the standings.

Robby Moore of Brosley, MO had a fourth-place and a third-place effort in both West Plains Motor Speedway races in the D&K Truck Repair Special to net eight points.  That moved Moore up to the eighth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 783 points.

Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS failed to net any points in the Double Features on Saturday night at Greenville Speedway and dropped to the ninth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 777 points.  Barrett finished fourth and seventh driving the Custom Spraying GRT.

Kyle Berry of Portageville, MO was able to net two points in NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 26 competition with a seventh-place finish on Friday night at West Plains Motor Speedway driving the Berry Roofing Special.  Berry remains tenth in standings with 772 points, and is clinging to the final points fund-paying spot by one point.

Going into the final week of the season, five drivers are within five points of the tenth spot.  Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, TN is 11th with 771 points, Bubba Harrison of Cleveland, MS is 12th with 769 points, Bret Holmes of Munford, AL is 13th with 768 points, and Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS is 14th with 767 points.  All four drivers will be trying to net on 45s in the final week of the season.

In other NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 26 action, Trevor Sise of Knoxville, TN drove The Bed Store Warrior to his first series win of the season on Saturday night at 411 Motor Speedway, and Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL picked up his sixth win of the season on Saturday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway driving the High Roller Race Cars Special.

Rocket Chassis of Shinnston, WV is third in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge standings with 11 wins on the season and Stinger Race Cars built by J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment of Rockford, TN is fourth in the point standings with eight wins on the season.

Warrior Race Cars built by Goddard Performance of Knoxville, TN is fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge standings after Sise gave them their sixth win of the season.  TNT Race Cars of Piney Flats, TN is sixth and still looking for their first win of the season.

The complete NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings can be found on the Points Page at www.nesmithracing.com on the Weekly Racing Series web site.  The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series schedule for the final week of the 2012 season has also been updated on the Weekly Racing Series web site.

For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com, or 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.  You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 9/22/12:

POS

CAR #

DRIVER PTS RACES WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 NET

1

38

Chase Washington

798

42

15

33

41

49

2

521

Mickey Trosclair

798

40

23

34

37

49

3

30

Ryan King

793

27

7

24

24

49

4

V8

Duke Palasini

792

20

9

18

18

48

5

1s

Jeremy Shaw

790

27

8

22

25

47

6

47

Shannon Lee

789

35

5

28

33

48

7

747

Michael Arnold

787

32

3

23

25

48

8

66

Robby Moore

783

25

5

20

25

47

9

110

Brent Barrett

777

29

2

17

25

47

10

11

Kyle Berry

772

28

5

17

24

43

11

23

Cory Hedgecock

771

25

2

13

20

45

12

56h

Bubba Harrison

769

20

3

12

18

45

13

H2

Bret Holmes

768

18

2

13

17

45

14

J8

Bobby Jordan

767

23

11

16

45

15

73

Trevor Sise

750

21

1

10

18

44

16

09

Daniel Bridgemon

750

22

9

18

43

17

69

Tony Lawson

748

23

2

10

14

41

18

79c

Marty Calloway

747

24

9

22

44

19

27

Hunter Carroll

742

21

1

12

15

41

20

18

Roger Witt

740

20

6

14

19

42

 

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES WEEK 26 RESULTS

September 21:

WEST PLAINS MOTOR SPEEDWAY – WEST PLAINS, MO:
(Week 23 Make-Up Race)
1. 38 Chase Washington
2. 18 Roger Witt
3. 181 Chad Williams
4. 66 Robby Moore
5. K7 Kevin Collins
6. 521 Mickey Trosclair
7. 11 Kyle Berry
8. 14 Mason Oberkramer
9. 77 Gavin Landers
10. 14jr Shawn Knuckles
11. 4a Mike Atchison
12. 14c Jerry Croney
13. 15 John Aitken
14. 5 Randall Atchison

 

September 22:

411 MOTOR SPEEDWAY – SEYMOUR, TN:
1. 73 Trevor Sise
2. 30 Ryan King
3. 23 Cory Hedgecock
4. 31 Brad Seagle
5. 25 Justin Beeler
6. 51 Mack McCarter
7. 99 Justin Summers
8. 79c Marty Calloway
9. 5 Curtis Thomas
10. 98 Jason McCall DQ

 

HATTIESBURG MOTORSPORTS PARK – HATTIESBURG, MS:
1. 521 Mickey Trosclair
2. 747 Michael Arnold
3. 96 Jeffrey Lawson
4. 33 Eric Cooley
5. 41 Al Kouhout
6. S16 Ashley Stockstill
7. 00 Allen Netherland
8. 115 Derrick Mackmer
9. 69 Tony Lawson
10. 3n Ronnie Graham
11. 1 Jonathan Walker DNS

 

GREENVILLE SPEEDWAY – GREENVILLE, MS:
(Week 25 Make-Up Race)
1. V8 Duke Palasini
2. 56 Bubba Harrison
3. J8 Bobby Jordan
4. 110 Brent Barrett
5. 7p Peter Hazzard
6. 33 Wesley Brown
7. 44 Peyton Wilkerson
8. 17 Chad Washington
9. 46 Kenny Carpenter
10. 88 Howard Irby Jr.
11. 17k Cody Kierre
12. 7e Eric Pollan
13. 26 Glenn Craft
14. C55 David Carpenter
15. 11 Kyle Berry
16. 13 Johnny Sides

 

(Week 26 Race)
1. 17 Chad Washington
2. 7p Peter Hazzard
3. C55 David Carpenter
4. 56 Bubba Harrison
5. 33 Wesley Brown
6. J8 Bobby Jordan
7. 110 Brent Barrett
8. 11 Kyle Berry
9. 17k Cody Kierre
10. 88 Howard Irby Jr.
11. 44 Peyton Wilkerson
12. 46 Kenny Carpenter
13. V8 Duke Palasini
14. 13 Johnny Sides DNS
15. 26 Glenn Craft DNS
16. 7e Eric Pollan DNS

 

MAGNOLIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY – COLUMBUS, MS:
1. 17 Justin McRee
2. 35 Tony Gray
3. 1 Johnny Stokes
4. 1L Caleb Myers
5. 14 Chance Inman
6. 2s Kyle Shaw
7. 73 Evan Ellis
8. 1s Jeremy Shaw
9. 3 Shay Knight
10. 6 T.K. King
11. 27 Hunter Carroll
12. 44 Brett White
13. 13 Chad McCool
14. 11 Tim Dees
15. 01 Nick Thrash
16. 2r Lee Ray
17. 000 Rick Hasselle
18. 2 Tyler Burgess
19. 7 Jon Biles
20. 1g Clark Gary
21. 11 Matt Bollinger
22. 27 Tony Silvestri
23. 311 Henry Pullen
24. 42 T.J. Garrett
25. R3 Ryan Rigdon
26. 232 Jamey Boland

 

WEST PLAINS MOTOR SPEEDWAY – WEST PLAINS, MO:
1. 38 Chase Washington
2. 12 Jeff Glisson
3. 66 Robby Moore
4. 11 Hunter Duren
5. 81 Jerry Buck
6. 77 Gavin Landers
7. 3x Steve Tarry
8. K7 Kevin Collins
9. 30-30 Tim Winchester
10. 15 John Aitken
11. 14c Jerry Croney
12. 69r Jamie Robards
13. 5 Randall Atchison
14. 20 Williams Tarry
15. 4a Mike Atchison
16. 18 Roger Witt
17. 14 Mason Oberkramer
18. 44 Jeffrey Cagle
19. 14jr Shawn Knuckles
20. 73 Brian Neal
21. 181 Chad Williams

 

JACKSON MOTOR SPEEDWAY – JACKSON, MS:
(Week 11 Make-Up Race)
1. 4r Neil Lee
2. 34 Doug Sanchagrin
3. 4j Josh Banes
4. 121 Michael Blount
5. 47 Shannon Lee
6. J18 Junior Williams
7. 24f Bryan Foreman
8. 711 Steve Bynum
9. 9 Mike Haralson
10. 66 Randy Rodgers
11. 14 Robert Risher
12. 22 David Weems
13. 33 Sid Scarbrough

 

(Week 26 Race)
1. 4r Neil Lee
2. 34 Doug Sanchagrin
3. 711 Steve Bynum
4. 47 Shannon Lee
5. J18 Junior Williams
6. 33 Sid Scarbrough
7. 4j Josh Banes
8. 9 Mike Haralson
9. 66 Randy Rodgers
10. 14 Robert Risher
11. 22 David Weems
12. 121 Michael Blount
13. 24f Bryan Foreman

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