Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Ready for Action in Just One Week!!!
Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Ready for Action in Just One Week!!!
By Chris Tilley, Spring Nationals and Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series PR/Announcer
(July 7, 2013) It’s here, 10 races in 13 grueling days. The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series kicks off in just a week.
The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series will hit the Southeast dirt tracks as the Ninth edition of the Ray Cook-promoted mini-tour will head to ten different race tracks in Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. Over 1,500 miles will be traveled between the teams and officials between the ten races. The teams will compete for over $195,000 in prize money between all ten feature events and compete for $15,818 in cash that will be distributed to just the top-six in the final point standings.
Expected back on tour for this year’s Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series is four-time and defending Series Champion Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC who holds the record for event wins in the eight previous seasons. Also expected back are Knoxville, TN driver Billy Ogle Jr., Vic Hill of Mosheim, TN, Kenny Compton Jr. of Bland, VA, Daniel Baggerly of Rural Retreat, VA and expected to complete the tour for his first time is Richmond, IN driver Steve Casebolt who just captured the Spring Nationals Championship and a series victory along with wins in the Southern All Stars and the annual Bama Bash event this season. Also expected back on tour is 2009 Series Champion Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA who drives the AES Racing Barry Wright Race Car as well as Four-time Southern All Star Champion Clint Smith of Senoia, GA and Brian Reese of Sharpsburg, GA.
The first stop on the tour will be to Fred and Susan Brown’s Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, VA for a 35-lap $3,500 to win event on Monday Night July 15th. This will mark the tour’s seventh appearance as former winners Dennis Franklin, Chris Madden, Austin Dillon and Vic Hill have graced victory lane there. Only repeat winners there have been four time and defending series champion Chris Madden and Tennessee’s Vic Hill.
A change in date for the Volunteer Speedway event brings the tour a couple hours down Interstate 81 to the Joe & Phyllis Loven promoted track on Tuesday Night July 16th to become Round # 2 which will be another 35-lap $3,500 to win event. This will be the eighth visit to ‘The Gap’ as five different winners have went to Victory Lane and repeat winners being Jimmy Owens and Tommy Kerr.
On Thursday Night July 18th the series will roll into the Thomas Family promoted East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL for a 35-lap $3,500 to win event which will mark the 4th-ever series visit. The track has produced three different winners as Jonathan Davenport, Casey Roberts and Chris Madden have all graced the winner’s circle there.
Friday Night July 19th’s appearance to the Paul and Debra Purvis promoted Swainsboro Raceway in Swainsboro, GA will make the first $5,300 to win event on the schedule and will also mark the tour’s fifth series visit since 2008 as only one event was fallen to mother nature which was in 2011.
A unique event for the Southern Nationals on Saturday Night July 20th brings the tour to James ‘Redd’ Griffin’s Screven Motor Speedway located outside Sylvania, GA. The track is currently in its 17th season of operation which features some of the best concession food in the south as Griffin’s crew strives to uphold the utmost Southern Hospitality in every meal. The annual Rebel Yell event will mark the eighth series appearance which pays $5,300 to win.
A visit to historic Rome Speedway in Rome, GA will bring the series of travelers on Sunday Night July 21st for a $5,300 to win event. Track owners Mickey and Martha Swims have greeted the Southern Nationals since 2010 with Chris Madden, Jonathan Davenport and Clint Smith taking those three season visits respectively. Rome has been a special event track the last few seasons and is the sister to Historic Dixie Speedway right down the road in Woodstock, GA, also owned by the Swims Family. The event pays $5,300 to win.
On Tuesday Night July 23rd the tour heads 50 miles northeast to the Jason Jones-promoted North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, GA as the travelers will race for $3,500 to win. Previous winners are Randy Weaver in 2011 and William Thomas in 2012.
On Thursday Night July 25th the tour will roll back into Duck River Raceway Park in Wheel, TN for the first time since July 23, 2007 when Chris Madden claimed the $3,500 victory en route to his 2007 Championship. A series-high 47 cars entered the event. The track is now owned by Bob and Cathy Harris. Ray Cook’s other tour the Spring Nationals visited Duck River Raceway Park already in 2013 with Tim McCreadie of Watertown, New York taking the $4,000 payday. The event on July 25th pays $3,500 to win. Cleveland Speedway, who has been a fixture on the tour for the last seven seasons has been removed from the schedule for 2013.
Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, TN moves to week # 2 of the tour and will be Round # 9 paying $5,300 to win on Friday Night July 26th. Already in 2013 Smoky Mountain, hosting some large events, has produced some great racing with Jonathan Davenport (Southern All Stars), Tommy Kerr (Spring Nationals), Shane Clanton (World of Outlaws), Dillon Wood (Ultimate) and Ray Cook (SRRS) going to Victory Lane.
The Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN will be host of the series-season finale for the ninth straight year on Saturday Night July 27th paying $5,300 to win. Knoxville, TN businessman Gary Hall owns the 1/3 mile Speedway and is the only track to host a Southern Nationals race every season since the inception in 2005. Known as the ‘Bad Fast Taz’ the track was first built in 1965 and is considered as one of the country’s most exciting dirt tracks, known for its high banks and fast speeds. Chris Madden claimed the series event win back last July while multiple East Tennessee track Champion Billy Ogle Jr. claimed the first series event win at Tazewell in 2005.
Champions of the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series include: Jeff Cooke of Spartanburg, SC in 2005; Anthony White of Clinton, TN in 2006; Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC in 2007/2008/2011 and most recently in 2012; Tommy Kerr of Maryville, TN in 2009 and Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA in 2010. Chris Madden sits on top of the all-time winners list at 21 victories.
Fresh off a highly successful Spring Nationals Tour, Promoter Ray Cook and crew are ready to get back at it with the second tour of the season. In Spring Nationals competition, there were nine events held of the ten scheduled. One event was halted because of weather. Nine different winners graced victory lane during the Spring tour with Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN in the D&R Motorsports MasterSbilt Race Car taking the series championship over Knoxville, TN driver Billy Ogle Jr. in the Blount Motorsports Rocket Chassis. Completing the top-five in series points included David Payne of Murphy, NC, Stacy Boles of Clinton, TN and Michael Chilton of Salvisa, KY. There were 164 different drivers who entered a Spring Nationals event.
Further information on the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series can be obtained by visiting the official series website at www.southernnationalsseries.com or call Promoter Ray Cook at (828) 360-5353 or be a follower on the Twitter, the Nation’s largest mini-blogging network by accessing @SONATIONALS.
2013 Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Tour Schedule:
Mon July 15-Wythe Raceway-Rural Retreat, VA-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Tue July 16-Volunteer Speedway-Bulls Gap, TN-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Thu July 18-East Alabama Motor Speedway-Phenix City, AL-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Fri July 19-Swainsboro Raceway-Swainsboro, GA-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Sat July 20-Screven Motor Speedway-Sylvania, GA-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Sun July 21-Rome Speedway-Rome, GA-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Tue July 23-North Georgia Speedway-Chatsworth, GA-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Thu July 25-Duck River Raceway Park-Wheel, TN-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Fri July 26-Smoky Mountain Speedway-Maryville, TN-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Sat July 27-Tazewell Speedway-Tazewell, TN-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Tour Track Websites & Twitter Locations:
Wythe Raceway – www.WytheRaceway.com - @WytheRaceway on Twitter
Volunteer Speedway – www.VolunteerSpeedway.com - @TheGap_VolSpdwy on Twitter
East Alabama Motor Speedway – www.EAMSDIRT.com - @EAMSDIRT on Twitter
Swainsboro Raceway – www.SwainsboroRaceway.com - @Swainsbororace on Twitter
Screven Motor Speedway – www.ScrevenMotorSpeedway.com - @screvenms on Twitter
Rome Speedway – www.DixieSpeedway.com/Rome - @DixieRomeSpdwy on Twitter
North Georgia Speedway – www.NorthGASpeedway.net - @NorthGAspeedway on Twitter
Duck River Raceway Park – www.DuckRiverRacewayPark.com - @DRRPLLC on Twitter
Smoky Mountain Speedway – www.SmokyMountainSpeedway.com - @smokymtnspeed on Twitter
Tazewell Speedway – www.TazewellSpeedway.net - @Tazspeedway on Twitter
$3,500 to Win Events Purse
1) $3,500, 2) $2,000, 3) $1,200, 4) $800, 5) $600, 6) $580, 7) $570, 8) $560, 9) $550, 10) $540, 11) $530, 12) $520, 13) $510, 14) $500, 15) $490, 16) $480, 17) $475, 18) $470, 19) $465, 20) $460, 21) $455, 22) $450 --- $16,705 TOTAL
$5,300 to Win Events Purse
1) $5,300, 2) $2,500, 3) $1,500, 4) $1,000, 5) $900, 6) $800, 7) $750, 8) $725, 9) $700, 10) $675, 11) $650, 12) $630, 13) $620, 14) $610, 15) $600, 16) $590, 17) $580, 18) $570, 19) $560, 20) $550, 21) $540, 22) $530 --- $21,880 TOTAL
Series Point Fund
1) $5,353, 2) $3,253, 3) $2,553, 4) $2,053, 5) $1,553, 6) $1,053 --- $553 will also be awarded to each driver that attends all of the series events and does not finish in the top six in the point standings. The point fund is based on at least seven completed events.
