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CARTERSVILLE, GA \u2013 A new season awaits NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series competitors as the 2014 season for the Touring Division opens with five races in five straight nights in the Bubba\u2019s Army Winternationals at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL on\u00a0January 28 through February 1.<\/p>\n
The first four races will be $2,000-to-win 40-lap events on\u00a0January 28, 29, 30 and 31, and the finale on\u00a0February 1\u00a0will be a 50-lap event paying $3,000-to-win.\u00a0 Drivers will earn NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division points from their best totals in three of the five races.<\/p>\n
The dawn of a new season raises a plethora of new and unanswered questions that may take the entire season to be revealed.\u00a0 Who will emerge as the 2014 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series title contenders?\u00a0 Who will be the new faces running for the coveted NeSmith Cup in 2014?<\/p>\n
The Bubba\u2019s Army Winternationals races will set the stage in the battle for the 2014 $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship.\u00a0 A total of 72 drivers competed in the Bubba\u2019s Army Winternationals for the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS last year, and two drivers were able to carry their momentum earned in the five events throughout the 2013 season.<\/p>\n
Last season, the top two drivers in the point standings, 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN and the second-place driver and Rookie of the Year Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL both won Winternationals races at Bubba Raceway Park.<\/p>\n
Are Johnson and Bronson good at Bubba Raceway Park?\u00a0 That\u2019s one question that can be answered.<\/p>\n
In addition to their victories in last year\u2019s Bubba\u2019s Army Winternationals, they also showed what they are made of in last November\u2019s World Championship Race.\u00a0 Johnson took a provisional, started 23rd<\/sup>\u00a0and finished sixth in the 100-lap race.\u00a0 Bronson was running third and cut down a tire on lap 15.\u00a0 He changed the tire, restarted on the tail of the field and finished third.<\/p>\n Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL left Bubba Raceway Park on the \u201cRight Foot\u201d last season, as he became a familiar face in the Bubba Raceway Park Winner\u2019s Circle after parking his race car there three out of the five nights.\u00a0 His BRP momentum waned by season\u2019s end, however, and he finished sixth in the final 2013 point standings.<\/p>\n Tait Davenport of Benton, KY had a steady season to finish third in the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National points chase, but he didn\u2019t get off to a good start last year after failing to post a top ten finish in the first five races.\u00a0 Davenport has a clean slate in front of him and a better performance at BRP this season could make him a 2014 title contender right out of the box.<\/p>\n Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS has been regular Top 10 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division driver for the last four seasons.\u00a0 Stokes finished fourth in last year\u2019s standings, but like Davenport, he got off to a sluggish start in the first five races last year.<\/p>\n Justin McRee of Woodstock, AL finished fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series standings last season, and he had success last season at Bubba Raceway Park in the Winternationals with three top five finishes and four top ten finishes in the five races.<\/p>\n Josh Adkins of Talladega, AL had a good rookie season in 2013 with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, and he will begin his sophomore season at Bubba Raceway Park, a track he has had success at in the past.\u00a0 Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS was ninth in the points chase last season, and will begin another run for the NeSmith Cup at BRP with a brand new race car.<\/p>\n Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN ran a limited schedule last season, but still ended up tenth in the point standings.\u00a0 Gentry says he\u2019s all in to run for his third title in 2014 with a new race car out of a new shop.<\/p>\n The Florida contingent of drivers always make their presence know when they compete at Bubba Raceway Park in NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series competition.\u00a0 Two Florida drivers expected for the Bubba\u2019s Army Winternationals are two former Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race winners, Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, FL (2012) and Doug Horton of Wimamma, FL (2010).<\/p>\n Shan Smith of Dade City, FL has a series career win and Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL has led laps in series competition at Bubba Raceway Park.\u00a0 Bryan Bernhardt of Clearwater, FL is the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model Champion at Bubba Raceway Park.\u00a0 Tyler Clem of St. Petersburg, FL will be looking to become the youngest driver in the history of the series to qualify for a main event at the age of 11.<\/p>\n The sister series of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, the Northern States RUSH Series will also be well-represented for the Bubba\u2019s Army Winternationals.\u00a0 The top two driver in the 2013 RUSH point standings, Champion Mike Pegher Jr. of Wexford, PA and runner-up Ryan Montgomery of Fairmont, WV will be joined by 12-year-old Michael Lake, the youngest driver in the nine-year history of the series to qualify for a NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS event last year.<\/p>\n One of the unanswered questions at the beginning of a new NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season is; who will be the new face in the quest for the 2014 NeSmith Cup?\u00a0 Last season, the top three drivers in the point standings either had no intentions of running the entire season, or were new to the series.<\/p>\n Last year, Johnson had no intentions of racing for the championship, but last week he walked away from the Annual Awards Banquet with the 2013 NeSmith Cup and the $20,000 check from the $50,000 point fund.\u00a0 Johnson is the all-time career win leader in the history of the series with 17 victories, but 2013 was his first full season with the series.<\/p>\n Bronson was a new name in the series last season, and wrote his name in the history book as the Championship Runner-Up and the 2013 Rookie of the Year.\u00a0 Davenport made his first run with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series last season, and after a third-place finish in the point standings with one win, carries a lot of momentum into the 2014 season.<\/p>\n NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series officials have added two additional Provisional starting spots in all five main events at Bubba Raceway Park.\u00a0 As usual, the 23rd<\/sup>\u00a0and 24th<\/sup>starting spots are Provisionals for the top two Top 15 Drivers from the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point standings that fail to transfer to the main event through Heat Race or B-Main competition.<\/p>\n The 25th<\/sup>\u00a0starting spot in the main events all five nights will be a Provisional for the highest point driver from the Top 15 of the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings.\u00a0 The 26th<\/sup>\u00a0starting spot in the main events all five nights will be a Provisional for the highest point driver from the Top 15 of the 2013 RUSH Series National point standings.<\/p>\n The on track action at Bubba Raceway Park will begin\u00a0on Monday\u00a0night with an open practice session from\u00a07 p.m. to 11 p.m.\u00a0\u00a0On Tuesday, NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Pre-Race Registration and Technical Inspection will take place from\u00a01 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.\u00a0 The Drivers Meeting is scheduled for\u00a06:30 p.m.\u00a0with Hot Laps at\u00a07 p.m.\u00a0and Racing at\u00a07:30 p.m. Tuesdaythrough\u00a0Saturday.<\/p>\n Drivers are encouraged to register as early as possible\u00a0on Tuesday, as all drivers will be required to fill out 2014 paperwork before their race cars can be inspected for competition.<\/p>\n Bubba Raceway Park is located north of Ocala, FL at 9050 N.W. Gainesville Road, Ocala, FL 34482.\u00a0 For more information call 352-622-9400, or visit the track web site atwww.bubbaracewaypark.com<\/a>\u00a0and on Facebook at Bubba Raceway Park.<\/p>\n