LAVONIA, GA – Matthew Nance won his first career FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series South East Region Tour race by being hotter than a firecracker on the July 4th Weekend. Nance drove the Diversified Finishers Longhorn to Fast Time honors, won his eight-lap Heat Race, and then led all 40 laps of the feature to sweep the 6th Annual Charlie Mize Memorial at Lavonia Speedway.

While the Ronda, NC driver looked like he had the dominant race car, lapped traffic made things interesting on the last lap. For most of the race, Nance was able to maintain a 2.5 second lead over Brent Dixon of Elberton, GA.

In the last two laps of the race, Dixon was able to cut that deficient in half, and close to within a couple of car lengths as the lead duo took the white flag. Nance hung on for the win, with Dixon finishing second in the Jacky Jones Club 29.

“I was trying to be as patient as I could be with the lapped cars on the final lap of the race because I knew if I wasn’t, I could have thrown it all away,” Nance said. “I kept waiting to see someone alongside of me, but there was no one there. I’ve ran this series for two years, and FASTRAK has the best Pro Late Model drivers in the country. This is really special to win one of these races.”

Former FASTRAK Champion Ron Parker of Belwood, NC finished third in the Schaeffer Oil Rocket, and Danny Sanders of Athens, GA took the fourth spot in the Coors Light Longhorn. Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA was fifth in the Jessica Cornett Racing/CMP Automotive Mastersbilt, and Benji Hicks of Mt. Airy, NC drove the T&K Enterprises Longhorn to a sixth-place finish.

Will Beard of Hartwell, GA finished seventh in the Old 29 Golf Carts Rocket, and Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN was the Hard Charger of the Race after starting 14th in the Tim Byrd Motorsports TNT and finished eighth. Peyton Freeman of Commerce, GA was ninth in the Freeman Plumbing Longhorn, and Phillip Thompson of Knoxville, TN rounded out the top ten in the Milmax Filtration Warrior and was the Rookie of the Race.

Ford came into the Charlie Mize Memorial Race with a two point lead over Hicks in what has become one of the closest championship point battles in motorsports this season. It couldn’t get any closer, right? Don’t take that bet! Ford and Hicks left Lavonia Speedway on Monday night sharing the FASTRAK SE point lead.

After the first six races of the 2017 FASTRAK SE season, the championship point lead has either changed or been shared after every race. In preliminary action on Monday night at Lavonia Speedway, Nance out-timed the 22-car field with a lap in 16.780 seconds. Along with Nance, the other two eight-lap heat races were won by Dixon and Parker.

Nance took control of the race from the drop of the green flag, as he charged from his outside front row starting spot to take the lead from polesitter Dixon, with Parker, defending FASTRAK SE Champion Cla Knight of North Augusta, SC in the Augusta Aquatics Longhorn, and Beard trailing in the top five.

The race leader set a fast pace in the opening laps, has he jumped out to a 12 car-length lead by lap four, and stretched that out to a half-straightaway lead over Dixon by lap six. Nance began to encounter the cars on the tail end of the lead lap on the tenth circuit, but Dixon could not close the gap.

The two second lead Nance built up on Dixon at the halfway point of the race went away on lap 23 when the first of three caution flags came out for Will Harris of Maysville, GA, who stalled his AFCO Rocket in turn two. When the field doubled up for the restart, Nance chose the inside, while Dixon took the outside to the right of the leader.

Parker chose the inside from the third spot to restart behind Nance. Traditionally, Knight would have went to the outside of Parker, but since FASTRAK rules state a driver has the option to go to the inside or the outside, Knight decided to try a different strategy and he chose the inside to restart behind Parker. Beard, from the fifth spot, filled the position outside of Parker.

The green light for the restart quickly gave way to the yellow caution bulb, as Knight ended up against the outside guardrail in turn one. Knight retired for the evening with damage on the right-front corner of his race car. Sam Hicks of Hartwell, GA slowed the field down for the final time on lap 24 when he spun the Old 29 Golf Carts Barry Wright in turn four.

Nance led Dixon, Parker, Sanders, Frankie Beard, Will Beard, Adam Partain of Hartwell, GA in the Partain Farms Barry Wright, Benji Hicks, Thompson and Ford down for the double-file restart. Hicks got up on the wheel when the green flag came out, as he advanced from eighth to sixth, a move that would end up putting him at the top of the points list with Ford at the end of the race.

With ten laps to go, Nance had a 1.855 second lead over Dixon, and it at first appeared lapped cars would not play a role in the race outcome. That all changed with two laps to go, as three lapped cars were racing each other for position as Nance closed in. Nance took the white flag behind them with no place to go. That also meant that Dixon, who closed fast, also had no place to go.

The next race for the FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series South East Region Tour will take place on Saturday night, July 22 at Screven Motorsports Complex in Sylvania, GA with the $2,000-to-win, $250-to-start Rebel Yell 40.

Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and continue to follow our social media networks for the FASTRAK Racing Series. Like and Follow our Fan Page on Facebook plus follow @FASTRAK_SE and/or @FASTRAK_MOV on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 6 AT LAVONIA SPEEDWAY IN LAVONIA, GA ON 7/3/17:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 24n Matthew Nance Ronda, NC 40 $2,000
2. 1 1 Brent Dixon Elberton, GA 40 $1,000
3. 3 8 Ron Parker Belwood, NC 40 $700
4. 6 4 Danny Sanders Athens, GA 40 $600
5. 4 2 Frankie Beard Hartwell, GA 40 $500
6. 9 55 Benji Hicks Mt. Airy, NC 40 $450
7. 8 29 Will Beard Hartwell, GA 40 $400
8. 14 83 Jensen Ford Piney Flats, TN 40 $375
9. 13 F1 Peyton Freeman Commerce, GA 40 $350
10. 12 24T Phillip Thompson Knoxville, TN 40 $325
11. 11 11 David Smith Inman, SC 40 $315
12. 15 11h Derrek Harvey Toccoa, GA 40 $300
13. 16 44 Dylan Lewis Oakland, MD 39 $275
14. 18 371 Drew Benfield Toccoa, GA 39 $265
15. 17 9 Sam Hicks Hartwell, GA 38 $250
16. 21 66w Larry Waters Cumming, GA 36 $250
17. 7 87 Adam Partain Hartwell, GA 25 $250
18. 5 42 Cla Knight North Augusta, SC 22 $250
19. 22 21 Will Harris Maysville, GA 20 $250
20. 19 3a Eric Veal Royston, GA 16 $250
21. 10 14 Adam Smith Carnesville, GA 5 $250
22. 20 30 Cole Hardy Jefferson, GA 3 $250

ENTRIES: 22
FAST QUALIFIER: Nance, 16.780 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADER: Nance, 1-40
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Thompson
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE: Ford (started 14th and finished 8th)
CAUTIONS: 3
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .638 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 34 Minutes and 46.611 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: July 22, Screven Motorsports Complex, Sylvania, GA, $2,000-to-win, $250-to start Rebel Yell 40

GROUP QUALIFYING:

HEAT RACES ( Laps):

1ST HEAT: 1. Dixon; 2. F. Beard; 3. Partain; 4. A. Smith; 5. Freeman; 6. Lewis; 7. Veal.

2ND HEAT: 1. Nance; 2. Knight; 3. W. Beard; 4. D. Smith; 5. Ford; 6. S. Hicks; 7. Hardy.

3RD HEAT: 1. Parker; 2. Sanders; 3. B. Hicks; 4. Thompson; 5. Harvey; 6. Benfield; 7. Waters; 8. Harris.

FASTRAK PRO LATE MODEL SERIES SOUTH EAST REGION POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 7/3/17:

1. 83 Jensen Ford – 183
1. 55 Benji Hicks – 183
3. 24n Matthew Nance – 175
4. 8 Ron Parker – 172
5. 42 Cla Knight – 162
6. 24T Phillip Thompson (R) – 140
7. 44 Dylan Lewis (R) – 133
8. 2 Frankie Beard – 111
9. 30 Tyler Bare – 98
10. 11 David Smith – 96
11. F1 Peyton Freeman – 73
12. 7a Corey Almond – 66
13. 2w Justin Williams – 59
14. 99 Teddy Tate (R) – 56
15. 14 Adam Smith – 52

THE 2017 MARKETING PARTNERS FOR THE FASTRAK RACING SERIES ARE CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE, HOOSIER RACING TIRE, VP RACING FUEL, BEYEA HEADERS, ROCKET CHASSIS, TNT RACE CARS, ARIZONA SPORT SHIRTS, SIMPSON SAFETY EQUIPMENT, SAFECRAFT FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS, ROCK AUTO.COM, AND THOMAS CLARKE PERFORMANCE.

CARNESVILLE, GA – Round 6 of the 2017 FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series South Region Tour will take place this Saturday night at Lavonia Speedway in Lavonia, GA with the 40-lap $2,000-to-win, $250-to-start 6th Annual Charlie Mize Memorial Race. When we attend a race at a dirt track, we probably don’t stop to think about the legacy of that track.

Many of the tracks we watch races at in Western South Carolina and Northern Georgia wouldn’t be there if not for the efforts of Charlie Mize, who was a premier track owner, operator and promoter for over 40 years. In addition to his efforts at the tracks, Mr. Mize was also the patriarch of a racing family, who’s legacy is still prominent to this day.

Three-time FASTRAK Champion David Smith of Inman, SC is the Grandson of Charlie Mize, and he is also the defending champion of the Charlie Mize Memorial Race.

“I’ve won some higher paying races in my career, but winning that race last year wasn’t about the money,” Smith said. “That trophy with my Grandfather’s name one it was one I had to have. Now the goal this year is to become the first two-time champion of the Charlie Mize Memorial Race!”

While Smith is better known for following in the footsteps of his father as a race car driver, he has also promoted a few races over the years, and someday he wants to be following in the footsteps of his Grandfather as a track and race promoter in the next phase in his racing horizons.

“It was my Grandfather that got me started in racing by taking me to the races since I was a baby,” Smith said. “I grew up at race tracks and I was driving the water truck and the pack cars at a very young age. Having been on both sides off the fence as both a competitors and promoter gives me a unique perspective of the sport.”

Smith said he isn’t planning on hanging up his helmet anytime soon, but when he does, he’s ready to begin the next phase of his racing career. In the meantime, he’s currently doing both for the Charlie Mize Memorial Race this Saturday night at Lavonia Speedway, a track Charlie Mize promoted in the 1970s when it was called Charlie’s Speedway.

“My Grandfather knew how to promote big and was the first promoter in this area to bring in the NDRA back in the 1980s,” Smith said. “He liked bigger shows and he was also an innovator in weekly racing, especially when it came to safety. I’ve been helping out to get some things sponsored for this Saturday night’s race with McCarter Towing paying $100 for the Fast Time Award, as well as TNT Race Cars and Davenport Motors each putting up $50 for Heat Race winner.”

The complete payout for the FASTRAK SE Charlie Mize Memorial 40-lap Race at Lavonia Speedway this Saturday night is as follows: 1. $2,000; 2. $1,000; 3. $700; 4. $600; 5. $500; 6. $450; 7. $400; 8. $375; 9. $350; 10. $325; 11. $315; 12. $300; 13. $275; 14. $265; 15th through 24th $250.

The battle for the 2017 FASTRAK SE Championship has been hotter than a firecracker, as the point lead has changed hands four times among three different drivers in the first five races. Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN will bring a two point lead in the point standings to Lavonia Speedway on July 1 over Benji Hicks of Mt. Airy, NC.

Hicks won the FASTRAK SE season opener at Toccoa Raceway in Toccoa, GA on April 1, but after the second race of the season, the defending FASTRAK SE Champion Cla Knight of North Augusta, SC took over the top spot. FASTRAK alum Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA won Round 2 at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, VA on April 8.

Ford took over the point lead after the third race of the season on May 26 at 311 Motor Speedway in Pine Hall, NC that was won by Steve Blackburn of Greensboro, NC. The FASTRAK SE Tour returned to Virginia Motor Speedway on June 3 for Round 4 where Hicks took his second win of the 2017 season and reclaimed the point lead.

Round 5 was held July 17 at Toccoa Raceway, and Ford raced to his first win of the season. With the victory, Ford found himself on top of the points list for the second time this season. In the first five races of the 2017 FASTRAK SE season, Ford has accumulated 155 points, and Hicks is second in the standings with 153 points.

Knight is in the third spot with 144 points, and Matthew Nance of Ronda, NC is fourth with 140 points. Former FASTRAK Champion Ron Parker of Belwood, NC is fifth with 139 points. Phillip Thompson of Knoxville, TN is sixth with 114 points, and is in a tight battle for the Rookie of the Year Award with Dylan Lewis of Oakland, MD, who is seventh in the FASTRAK SE standings with 110 points.

Tyler Bare of Rockridge Baths, VA is eighth in the FASTRAK SE standings with 98 points and Frankie Beard of Hartwell, TN, who is also a local favorite at Lavonia Speedway in FASTRAK Weekly Racing Series competition, is ninth with 80 points. Smith rounds out the top ten in the standings with 71 points.

Beard leads both the FASTRAK Weekly Racing Series National and Division 1 point standings. The FASTRAK Weekly Racing Series Division 1 is made up of Lavonia Speedway, Toccoa Raceway, and Hartwell Speedway in Hartwell, GA. Many of the top Division 1 drivers will be taking on the FASTRAK SE Touring regulars on July 1 at Lavonia Speedway.

Adam Smith of Carnesville, GA is second in the FASTRAK Weekly Racing Series Division 1 point standings and Parker Herring is in the third spot. Drew Benfield of Toccoa, GA is fourth and Derek Harvey of Toccoa, GA is fifth.

Other top FASTRAK Weekly Racing Series Division 1 drivers expected to compete in the FASTRAK SE Touring race at Lavonia Speedway on July 1 include Larry Waters of Cumming, GA, Cody Prichett of Carnesville, GA, Daniel Wilson of Clayton, GA, Jerry Loudermilk of Mt. Airy, GA, Peyton Freeman of Commerce, GA, and the defending FASTRAK Weekly Racing Series National Champion David McCoy of Franklin, NC.

Drivers competing in the 6th Annual Charlie Mize Memorial Race for the FASTRAK SE Tour on Saturday night at Lavonia Speedway will also earn Weekly Racing Series points. Toccoa Raceway will also be in action with FASTRAK Pro Late Model Weekly Racing Series competition on Sunday night. The rain date for the Lavonia Speedway FASTRAK SE race is on Monday night.

Lavonia Speedway is located at 5941 Lavonia Highway, Lavonia, GA 30553. For more information call 706-340-4781, or visit the track web site at www.lavoniaspeedway.net. You can also follow them on Facebook at The New Lavonia Speedway, or on Twitter @LavoniaSpeedway.

Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and continue to follow our social media networks for the FASTRAK Racing Series. Like and Follow our Fan Page on Facebook plus follow @FASTRAK_SE and/or @FASTRAK_MOV on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.

THE 2017 MARKETING PARTNERS FOR THE FASTRAK RACING SERIES ARE CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE, HOOSIER RACING TIRE, VP RACING FUEL, BEYEA HEADERS, ROCKET CHASSIS, TNT RACE CARS, ARIZONA SPORT SHIRTS, SIMPSON SAFETY EQUIPMENT, SAFECRAFT FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS, ROCK AUTO.COM, AND THOMAS CLARKE PERFORMANCE