A Look Back At The NeSmith Late Models - 2007

CARTERSVILLE, GA – The year was 2007. The third year of the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series and the Weekly Racing Series was a year of continued growth. The Touring Division schedule grew to 22 races in seven states. The Weekly Racing Series added seven new tracks and added a third Region.

Participation was up in both series, as 313 different drivers competed in StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series events, and over 600 different drivers earned points in the three StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series during the 2007 season.

David Earl Gentry of Lewisburg, TN successfully defended his 2006 StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Championship with his second straight $20,000 title in 2007. Jay Blair of Angie, LA finished second followed by Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA in the third spot of the points chase.

Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA finished fourth in the 2007 StormPay.com point standings, and was the Rookie of the Year. The young second-generation driver has three wins on the season, including the season-opening Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL. Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA was fifth in the 2007 point standings.

Rounding out the Top 10 in the 2007 StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series point standings were Chris Tays of Corinth, MS, Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA, Robert Stutts of Murfreesboro, TN, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, and Jim Till of Greenville, AL. There were 11 different winners in the Touring Division in 2007.

Joining Brindle with a trio of wins were Blair, Ingram, and Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, TN. Rainey, Mike Boland of Cuba, AL and Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN each had a pair of wins. Gentry, Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN and William Thomas of Phenix City, AL had one win apiece.

The 2007 StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series Regional Champions were Logan Yates of Delta, AL in the East Region, Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS won his second straight title in the West Region, and Frank Wilson of Milton, FL was the South Region Champion.

And that brings us to the 3rd Annual $10,000-to-win World Championship Race at East Bay Raceway in Tampa, FL. The 2005 World Championship Race winner Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN needed no introduction when he walked through the pit gate on December 8, 2007.

Owens was coming off a career season in 2007 having won over $100,000 in races won alone and his victories included super late model crown jewels such as the World 100, the North-South 100, and the Blue-Gray 100. He had become “The O Show” to his growing fan base and “The Newport Nightmare” to his competition.

Joining Owens among the 74 entrants in the 2007 World Championship Race were super late model veterans that included defending race winner Randy Korte of Highland, IL, Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV, Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC, Tim Dohm of Charleston, WV, and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL, along with NASCAR star Ken Schrader.

With 15 laps to go in the 100-lap race, Owens thought he was going to have to settle for his second straight third-place finish behind Korte, who appeared to have his second-straight win in sight, and Stacy Roberts of Sylvester, GA, who was riding ahead of Owens in second.

Korte had something break on the front end of his race car on lap 86 and dropped out of the race. Roberts was the next driver that appeared to be on his way to the biggest win of his career. It wasn’t to be, as his car dropped a driveshaft on lap 89 sending him to the pits.

That gave Owens the lead with 12 laps to go, and he had to hold off the challenges of Horton, but when the checkered flag fell, Owens had his second World Championship Race trophy, and a “killer” way to end the season.

“I thought when the track locked down, we would just ride and finish third, but Korte and Roberts dropped out, that gave us the lead, and we’ll take the win,” Owens said. “I heard Horton inside of me there with two to go, but I never saw him. This is a killer way to end the season on a high note.”

Owens swept the event with Fast Time honors and a Heat Race win. Horton had to settle for second and Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA finished third. Todd Morrow of Old Fort, TN took the fourth spot, and Anthony White of Clinton, TN rounded out the top five. Sixth through tenth respectively were Buckingham, Rainey, Fields, Schrader and Steve Mathis of Plant City, FL.

The other five Heat Race winners were Roberts, John Pursley of Clover, SC, Korte, Horton, and Weaver. The two B-Main races were won by Steven Rogers of Knoxville, TN and White. The two C-Main Races were won by Turner and Roger Crouse of Plant City, FL. The Adams Used Auto Parts Dash was won by Tom Maddox of Armuchee, GA.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE 3RD ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 12/7-8/07:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 1 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN 100 $10,000
2. 5 78 Doug Horton Bruceton Mills, WV 100 $5,000
3. 9 F21 Frankie Beard Hartwell, GA 100 $3,000
4. 12 17 Todd Morrow Old Fort, TN 100 $2,000
5. 20 19 Anthony White Clinton, TN 100 $1,750
6. 14 50 Shanon Buckingham Morristown, TN 100 $1,500
7. 15 87 Derrick Rainey Powder Springs, GA 100 $1,300
8. 18 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 100 $1,200
9. 21 99 Ken Schrader Fenton, MO 99 $1,100
10. 16 95 Steve Mathis Plant City, FL 99 $1,000
11. 11 00 Jeff Smith Rocky Face, GA 98 $800
12. 26 38c Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 92 $700
13. 2 11 Stacey Roberts Sylvester, GA 89 $600
14. 10 3 Mike Collins Council Bluffs, IA 89 $500
15. 4 B69 Randy Korte Highland, IL 85 $450
16. 24 F2 Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC 85 $440
17. 3 9 John Pursley Clover, SC 72 $430
18. 17 95x Phillip Cobb Riverview, FL 55 $420
19. 8 2L Nick Lyons Centrailia, IL 55 $400
20. 19 G1 Stephen Rogers Knoxville, TN 26 $400
21. 22 21 Josh Pea(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) Dover, FL 25 $400
22. 7 09 Johnny Pursley Clover, SC 25 $400
23. 27 85 Tom Maddox Armuchee, GA 23 $400
24. 23 12 Jack Nosbisch Jr. Riverview, FL 18 $400
25. 25 2x Jay Blair Angie, LA 12 $400
26. 13 02 Keith Nosbisch Valrico, FL 0 $400
27. 6 116 Randy Weaver Crossville, TN 0 $0 DQ-LT

ENTRIES: 74
FAST QUALIFIER: Owens, 15.922 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Blair and Brindle
TRACK PROVISIONAL: Maddox
LEAD CHANGES: 3
LAP LEADERS: Roberts, 1-12; Korte, 13-85; Roberts, 86-89; Owens, 90-100
LAPS LED: Korte, 73; Roberts, 16; Owens, 11
CAUTIONS: 11