NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN in the #5 NeSmith Chevrolet Special and Tait Davenport of Benton, KY in the #18 Murtco, Inc. Special will be looking to continue their side-by-side duel in three races this weekend at Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, AR this Friday night, West Plains Motor Speedway in West Plains, MO this Saturday night, and Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS this Sunday night. (Chad Wells Photo)
CARTERSVILLE, GA – The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division is ready to embark on a three-race Labor Day Weekend journey that will take them to Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, AR on Friday night, West Plains Motor Speedway in West Plains, MO on Saturday night, and Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS on Sunday night.
Round 17 of the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division will be Batesville Motor Speedway for a 40-lap $2,000-to-win race. West Plains Motor Speedway will present Round 18 on Saturday night with a 50-lap $2,500-to-win race. Both Batesville Motor Speedway and West Plains Motor Speedway are first time venues for the Touring Division.
Magnolia Motor Speedway will present Round 19 on Sunday night with a 40-lap $2,000-to-win race, the second event of the season on the “Black Ice” for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division.
While the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division regulars will continue their battle for the $20,000 series championship and the Top 10 points fund paying positions, a tough contingent at all three tracks will provide some stout competition in an effort to keep the big money at home.
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN will roll into the Labor Day Weekend triple-header with the momentum of being the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader, and the winner of the last two series events. Johnson has 1,296 points with three wins, 11 top five finishes and 15 top ten finishes in 16 races.
Johnson will be making his first appearance at Batesville Motor Speedway for the first time since 1999 and at West Plains Motor Speedway for the first time since 2002. The “Chattanooga Flash” rallied from 18th to fourth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series race at Magnolia Motor Speedway on May 26.
Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL is second in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series standings with 1,248 points, 48 behind Johnson. Hollingsworth has five wins, seven top five finishes, 13 top ten finishes and three fast time awards in 16 races. Hollingsworth finished sixth at Magnolia Motor Speedway on May 26.
Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL is third in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series standings with 1,206 points, and also leads the Rookie of the Year point standings, an award that pays $5,000 at the end of the season.
Bronson has shown a knack of being able to quickly adapt to tracks he’s never seen before as his place in the point standings show, as only the highest Rookie of the Year candidate in the point standings, but also as a Championship contender. Bronson has one win, seven top five finishes, ten top ten finishes and one fast time award in 16 races.
Tait Davenport of Benton, KY is fourth with 1,142 points after one win, five top five finishes, nine top ten finishes and one fast time award in 16 races. Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS is sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series standings with 1,058 points after three top five finishes, seven top ten finishes and two fast time awards in 16 races.
Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL has two wins in 15 races along with six top five finishes, eight top ten finishes and one fast time award to ride sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series standings with 1,006 points. Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL is seventh with 986 points and is second in the Rookie of the Year point standings after three top five finishes and seven top ten finishes in 16 races.
Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS is eighth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model series standings with 884 points and third in the Rookie of the Year points after one top five finish, four top ten finishes and one fast time award in 16 races. The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA is ninth with 776 points after three top ten finishes.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN rounds out the Top 10 in the series standings with 762 points after one top five finish and three top ten finishes in 13 races.
Also making the trip for the three races will be a two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division winner this season Scott Dedwylder of Vossburg, MS, and the 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series Champion Chase Washington of Houlka, MS, Dedwylder and Washington will be sharing the same ride.
Washington was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer in March, and has undergone successful surgery to remove the cancer, as well as six chemotherapy treatments. While Washington has been recovering during the spring and early summer months, Dedwylder has filled in for Washington, and has two wins on the tour, including the Magnolia Motor Speedway race on May 26.
Dedwylder will drive Washington’s car on Friday night at Batesville Motor Speedway and on Sunday at Magnolia Motor Speedway, where he will try to double up with NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division wins on the Black Ice.
Washington will drive the car at West Plains Motor Speedway on Saturday night; a track where he had to have two wins in one night late last year to win the $10,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series Championship.
All three tracks are a part of the NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series, and many of the local competitions are also among the top drivers in that series.
The Batesville Motor Speedway and West Plains Motor Speedway NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series contingent is led by Robby Moore of Brosley, MO who is fifth in the WRS standings, and Jeff Glisson of Boaz, KY who is sixth. Roger Witt of Batesville, AR is tenth in the WRS standings, and Joey Smith of Pomona, MO is 12th.
Also expected are Gavin Landers of Batesville, AR, Gary Stolba of Willow Springs, MO, Chad Williams of Lake City, AR, Travis Ashley of Batesville, AR, Bobby Skinner of Moody, MO, Cody Kierre of Beebe, AR, Chandler Petty of Austin, AR, Kevin Collins of West Plains, MO, and Jerry Buck of Paragould, AR.
Top NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series competitors expected at Magnolia Motor Speedway include Jeremy Shaw of Millport, AL, Evan Ellis of Plantersville, MS, Kyle Shaw of Millport, AL, Tony Gray of Coker, AL, Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL, Shay Knight of Columbus, MS, Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, and T.K. King of Columbus, MS.
On Friday night at Batesville Motor Speedway, the pit gate opens at 4 p.m. with NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Pre-Race Registration and Technical Inspection from4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the Drivers Meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. with Hot Laps to follow.
Batesville Motor Speedway is located seven miles west of Batesville, AR in Locust Grove, AR at the Highway 14/25 junction. The physical address is 5090 Heber Springs Road, Locust Grove, AR 72550. For more information call 870-251-0011, or visit the track web site at www.batesvillemotorspeedway.
The Super 8 Hotel at 1287 St. Louis Street (Highway 167 North) in Batesville, AR is the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Official Host Hotel for the Batesville Motor Speedway event. They are offering fans and competitors a special discount rate of $49 per night. To make reservations, call 870-793-5888 and ask for the Racers Rate.
On Saturday night at West Plains Motor Speedway, the pit gate opens at 4 p.m. with NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Pre-Race Registration and Technical Inspection from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and the Drivers Meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with Hot Laps to follow.
West Plains Motor Speedway is located six miles south of West Plains, MO at 10603 U.S. Highway 63. For more information call 417-257-2112, or visit the track web site at www.westplainsdirt.com.
The Holiday Inn Express at 1605 Imperial Drive in West Plains, MO is the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Official Host Hotel for the West Plains Motor Speedway event. They are offering fans and competitors a special discount rate of $99 per night. To make reservations, call 417-257-3000 and ask for the West Plains Motor Speedway Rate.
On Sunday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway, the pit gate opens at 3 p.m. with NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Pre-Race Registration and Technical Inspection from4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and the Drivers Meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with Hot Laps to follow.
Magnolia Motor Speedway is located west of Columbus, MS at 495 U.S. Highway 45 South, Columbus, MS 39701, just south of U.S. Highway 82. For more information call 662-328-0376, or visit the track web site at www.magnoliadirt.com.
The Wingate Inn in Columbus, MS, located just south of U.S. Highway 82 at the Military Road exit, is the Official Host Hotel for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Magnolia Motor Speedway race. The Wingate Inn is offering NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS fans and competitors a special discount rate of $75 per night. To make reservations call 662-327-9999 and ask for the Magnolia Motor Speedway rate.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series all-new 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, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the nation’s number one GM Powertrain and Performance Dealer six years running, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast. Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Hedman Hedders is the Official Hedder of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and the Hedman Husler Award sponsor. Bilstein Shocks is the Official Spec Shock of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Old Man’s Garage is the sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series. RockAuto.com is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Racecar Engineering is the Official Parts Supplier of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Renegade Race and Performance Fuels are a series Associate Sponsor and fuel supplier. NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2013 are Dominator Race Products, Stealth Racing Carburetors, Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Schoenfeld Headers, J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment, Kinser Air Filters, AR Bodies, Velocita Racewear, and Performance Rod & Custom. 2013 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, Stinger Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.