Cold Weather, Hot Action, Large Car Counts – It’s All Good - It Must Be The Ice Bowl!

CARTERSVILLE, GA - Sure it’s cold outside It’s January,,,, it’s Winter time,,,, and it’s time for the 27th Annual Ice Bowl this Thursday through Sunday at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL that will feature three NeSmith Racing Divisions in action. People tend to be miserable at cold weather races, but that never seems to be the case at the Ice Bowl.

Race fans pretty much realize what time of the year it is, and dress for the occasion. Long underwear, wool socks, flannel shirts, winter insulated overalls, scarfs, toboggans, gloves or mittens, and then top it all off with your favorite racing T-Shirt. All bundled up, You may not recognize your racing buddies because in a lot of cases, all you can see is their eyeballs. Everything else is covered!

In 26 previous Ice Bowls, it has seen its share of different types of weather. It has been postponed by snow, ice, and rain, but never cold temperatures. There have also been Ice Bowls where temperatures have been in the 70s, and that racing T-Shirt and shorts were the way to go!! There were no propane heaters seen on those weekends!!!

The car counts are among the highest of the racing season, and the action on the track heats things up for the fans to where they tend to forget about the weather. Enthusiasm is high and Social Media is a buzz for the first race of 2018. Some racers are looking to keep what momentum they had at the end of the 2017 season, while others are looking for a clean slate to begin a new racing season.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will kick off the 2018 Winter Shootout with a $3,000-to-win main event at the Ice Bowl. This will be the first of an eight race series at four different tracks that make up the Winter Shootout for the NeSmith Late Models. Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN is the defending Ice Bowl Champion for the NeSmith Late Models.

The NeSmith Performance Parts Street Stocks will be in action at the Ice Bowl with a $2,500-to-win main event. Trevor Woodard of Mt. Pleasant, TN is the defending Ice Bowl Champion, but a veteran Columbus, MS driver called “Dr. Dirt” will be looking to keep his 2017 momentum going into the first race of 2018.

Johnny Stokes won the NeSmith Performance Parts Street Stock World Championship Race on his 64th Birthday at Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, GA on November 19, 2017. Stokes then followed that $5,000 victory with a win in the Possum Town Grand Prix at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS on November 25, 2017.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Late Model Sportsman Division will return to the Ice Bowl for the second straight year with a $1,500-to-win main event. Booger Brooks of Chickamauga, GA is the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Late Model Sportsman Champion at the Ice Bowl.

All three NeSmith Racing Divisions compete during the regular racing season as a part of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series and drivers compete for both track and National points during a 27-week season from the end of March through September. All three NeSmith Racing Divisions are powered by economical Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engines.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Models are powered by the 400 horsepower aluminum-head, steel-block $5,895 Chevrolet Performance 604 and the 350 horsepower steel-head, steel-block $3,595 602 Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engines. The NeSmith Performance Parts Street Stock Division has an engine option for the 602, and the NeSmith Chevrolet Late Model Sportsman Division exclusively runs the 602 engine.

A fourth division that will compete in the 27th Annual Icebowl, the Super Late Models, will also have a Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engine presence, as many competitors will run the all-aluminum $7,100 ($9,950 with Start Up Kit) Chevrolet Performance CT525 Circle Track Engine. The past five Super Late Model winners at the Ice Bowl have been powered by the Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine and have outrun cars powered by engines costing four-times as much.

Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engines powered Ross Martin of Talladega, AL in 2013, William Thomas of Phenix City, AL in 2014, Tim Roszell of Anniston, AL in 2015, David Brannon of Elora, TN in 2016 and Michael Page of Douglasville, GA in 2017 to Ice Bowl victories in the last five years.

The Super Late Models will race for $6,000-to-win. Other Divisions in action for the 27th Annual Ice Bowl are the Talladega Short Track Sportsman racing for $2,500-to-win, the KMSA Mini Stocks will compete in a $2,000-to-win main event, and the Talladega Short Track Hot Shots/Buzz Division will battle for $500-to-win.

Thursday, January 4 and Friday, January 5 will be practice days with the Pit Gate opening at 9 a.m. with Open Practice for all Divisions from 12 Noon to 5 p.m. on January 4 and from 12 noon to 4:45 p.m. on January 5. Hot Shot Heat Races will begin at 5 p.m. on January 5.

On Saturday, January 6, the Pit Gate opens at 8 a.m., with NeSmith Racing Pre-Race Registration and Technical Inspection from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The Drivers Meeting is set for 9:30 a.m. Hot Laps are scheduled for 10 a.m. with Qualifying and Heat Races to follow.

On Sunday, January 7, the Pit Gate opens at 9 a.m. with NeSmith Racing Check-In from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Drivers Meeting is set for 11 a.m., with Opening Ceremonies to begin at 11:30 a.m. B-Main and Feature Races are scheduled to begin at 12 Noon.

Talladega Short Track is located at 4343 Speedway Blvd., Eastaboga, AL 36260. For more information call 256-831-1413, or visit the track web site at www.talladegashorttrack.com. You can also Like their Facebook page at Talladega Short Track.

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, the NeSmith Performance Parts Street Stock Division, or the NeSmith Chevrolet Late Model Sportsman Division, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com and click the appropriate Division.

Each Division can also be found on Facebook by Liking NeSmith Racing for Late Models, NeSmith Performance Parts Street Stock Division, or NeSmith Late Model Sportsman Division. You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.


NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is one of the nation’s top GM Powertrain and Performance Dealer seven years running, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast. Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. Sunoco Race Fuels is the Official Race Fuel of the NeSmith Late Models. RockAuto.com is an Associate Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. Beyea Headers the NeSmith Late Model Hard Charger Sponsor. Knowles Race Parts and Bodies is the Official Parts Supplier for the NeSmith Late Models. Cruise With The Champions is the Official Vacation and Rookie of the Year Sponsor for the NeSmith Late Models. David Smith Carburetors is the Official Carburetor of NeSmith Racing. Freestyle Graphix is the Official Wrap, Banner, and Sign Company of NeSmith Racing. NeSmith Late Model Contingency Sponsors for 2017 are Out-Pace Performance, CrateInsider.Com, Gresham Racing Parts, Knowles Racing Parts and Bodies, and FreeStyle Graphix. 2017 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.