 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
NeSMITH
CHEVROLET DLMS CHAMPIONSHIP
CARTERSVILLE, GA – The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model
Series National Touring championship battle heads to North Alabama
Speedway in Tuscumbia, AL this Friday night, and Columbus Speedway in
Columbus, MS on Saturday night for a pair of 40-lap $2,500-to-win
events. Going into this
weekend’s action, just 94-points separate the top ten in the series
points chase.
The top two in the title hunt got that way by teaming up at the
last NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring race on
May 24 in Sylvania, GA. Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA leads the
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National point standings with
580 points based on three top five and five top ten finishes in seven
starts. Brindle, the 2007
NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Rookie of the Year, finished second on May 24
at Screven Motor
Going into the Sylvania, GA race, the 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet
DLMS National Championship Runner-Up Jay Blair of Angie, LA was fourth
in the point standings. He
had a mechanical failure during hot laps that put his car out of
competition for the evening. Blair
needed some help, and he got it from Brindle.
“I was parked next to Chip in the pit area, and he told me he
had another car in the trailer if I wanted to try it for a couple of
laps,” Blair said. “I
felt pretty good in it, so Chip let me drive it in the race.”
Blair, having never sat in this particular race car, took it
out to qualify without any practice laps in it.
He turned in the fifth fastest time, and finished fourth in the
main event that night. That
moved Blair into the second spot in the points chase, just 48 points
behind Brindle.
“I know that Jay is one of the guys I have to beat this
season for the championship, and I want to beat him on the track
instead of him sitting and watching from the pit area,” Brindle
said. “I had a backup
car, and I know Chip is easy on equipment, so I let him use it.
If what I did helps him beat me for the championship, I’ll
still sleep pretty good at night.”
Blair will be back in his own car for this weekend’s action,
and he will welcome the return to
While Brindle has a 48-point lead over Blair, there is only a
46-point gap between Blair and the tenth-place driver in the NeSmith
Chevrolet DLMS National point standings, Matthew Turner of
Dawsonville, GA.
Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL is third in the series standings
with 522 points, just ten points behind Blair.
Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA led the championship standings early
in the season, but has dropped to fourth with 520 points, still within
striking distance of the top spot.
Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL is fifth overall in the NeSmith
Chevrolet DLMS National point standings with 502 points, and he leads
the competition for the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year honors.
Just five points behind Knowles is a trio of drivers tied for
the sixth spot with Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA, Chris Tays of
Corinth, MS and Ted Lackey of Munford, AL at 496 points apiece.
Peacock is fresh off his first NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS career
win at Screven County Speedway, and the 20-year-old driver is also
second in the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year point standings.
In seven races this season, Peacock has turned in three top
five finishes, and four top ten finishes.
Peacock also has a series-leading three fast time awards this
season.
Another Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Candidate rides in
the ninth spot with Jason Hiett of
Other NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring regulars expected
to make the trip to North Alabama Speedway this Friday night and
Columbus Speedway this Saturday night are Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS,
Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA, Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA,
Chad Wallace of LaGrange, GA, and Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS.
Another driver throwing his hat in the ring for these two
National Touring events is the defending and two-time NeSmith
Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of
Toomsuba, MS. Keeton is
the current NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region point leader in search
of his third straight title.
Keeton has shown already this season that a weekly racer can
compete with the National Touring drivers.
Keeton took the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Tour win on May
9 at The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing is a
series designed for weekly, non touring racers that compete with
drivers at other tracks across the country using a points system that
counts a driver’s 16 best finishes during 30-week season that runs
from March through October.
NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series competitors at Columbus
Speedway expected for this Saturday night’s event include defending
track champion Jamie Pickard of Columbus, MS, current point leader Ben
McCreary of Baldwyn, MS, Tony Shelton of Columbus, MS, Brian Rickman
of Columbus, MS, and Mark Stokes of Steens, MS.
At each event this weekend, Friday night at North Alabama
Speedway and Saturday night at Columbus Speedway, the NeSmith
Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series cars and stars will compete in Time
Trials to set the first ten spots for the big show, Qualifying Races
to set starting spots 11 through 24, and a 40-lap $2,500-to-win main
event.
North Alabama Speedway is located four miles west of Tuscumbia,
AL on U.S. Highway 72, then ¾-mile south on Highway 247.
For more information about
Columbus Speedway is located seven miles east of Columbus, MS
on U.S. Highway 82, then go north on Stokes for 1.5 miles to Lacy
Road, then east ¾-mile. For
more information about |
 |
