Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Runs July 16th through July 30th
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Runs July 16th through July 30th
Contact: Chris Tilley
Southern Nationals Series P.R. Coordinator
828-361-5981 | tilleyracing@gmail.com
BRASSTOWN, NC. – July 8, 2016 –The busiest weeks of dirt track racing in the Southeast kick off on Saturday July 16th with the running of the Twelfth Annual Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series presented by Old Man’s Garage.
The 11-race mini-tour kicks off Saturday Night July 16th at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va. paying $10,000-to-win. Last year’s event winner at Wythe Raceway was Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn.
At Wythe Raceway on July 16th, drivers must meet the following criteria for being eligible to race in the feature event where Promoter Fred Brown has announced all cars that attend the event will be allowed to qualify for the feature event paying $10,000-to-win and $500-to-start. All cars will qualify and heat race. No cars will be locked in through qualifying. The only drivers past the 22-car starting field will be the ones who meet the following criteria: 1) Qualifying lap times must be within 1.5 seconds (max) from the fifth overall fastest driver at the end of qualifying. 2) Legitimate all-aluminum engines will only be permitted. 3) Driver must have raced at least twice in 2016.
Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. will host Round 2 on Sunday Night July 17th paying $3,500-to-win. Volunteer Speedway returns to the schedule for the first time since 2013. Vic Hill won the series’ last visit to Bulls Gap.
411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. will again be on this year’s schedule as the series will roll into the beautiful Smoky Mountains on Tuesday Night July 19th paying $3,500 to win. Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn. won the inaugural visit in 2014 and Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, Ga. won the 2015 series visit.
On Thursday Night July 21st the series will roll into Tri-County Race Track in Brasstown, NC for Round # 4 on the tour paying $3,500-to-win. Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C. won the 2007 race appearance at Tri-County while Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga. won the 2015 visit.
On Friday Night July 22nd the Southern Nationals competitors travel to Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway for Round # 5 of the tour paying $5,300-to-win. Last year at Swainsboro, Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga. claimed the event victory.
Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga. will host the series on Saturday Night July 23rd paying $5,300 to win during the 17th annual Rebel Yell event. Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, S.C. claimed the 2014 and 2015 series visits.
On Sunday Night July 26th, Round # 7 of the series will bring action to the Rome Speedway in Rome, Ga. paying $5,300-to-win. Randy Weaver won in 2014 while last year’s tour appearance was claimed by rain at the famed Rome Speedway.
Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga. will host Round # 8 of the tour for the third time on Tuesday Night July 28th as the SNS competitors will be competing for the $3,500 top prize during NASCAR Night at the track tentatively featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Austin Dillon and his younger brother and NASCAR driver Ty Dillon. Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga. won in 2015 at Boyd’s.
On Thursday Night July 28th the tour will roll into Crossville (Tenn.) Speedway for the first time since 2009 for a 35-lap $3,500-to-win show and Round # 9 of the tour. Chris Madden won the series’ last two visits to Crossville in 2008 and 2009.
Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. will host Round # 10 of the tour on Friday Night July 29th. This will mark the series’ fifth appearance to the track located just minutes from Knoxville. The event pays $5,300-to-win. Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C. claimed the 2014 series visit while Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn. won in 2015.
On Saturday Night July 30th the tour will finish the ten race journey with a $10,000-to-win event at the Gary Hall owned high-banked oval. Eric Jacobsen of Rio Del Mar, Cal. won the 2014 series visit while Vic Hill won the 2015 series visit to the Bad Fast Taz. Tazewell has been the only track on the tour that has hosted the finale every season.
Fifteen drivers have given intentions on trying to complete the entire tour. Those drivers include: Stacy Boles of Clinton, Tenn., Chris Brown of Spring, Texas; Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, Tenn., Derek Ellis of Chatsworth, Ga., Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind., Vic Hill of Mosheim, Tenn., Gavin Landers of Batesville, Ark., Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., Pierce McCarter of Gatlinburg, Tenn., Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, Ga., Robby Moses of Maryville, Tenn., Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., Austin Smith of Senoia, Ga., Craig Vosbergen of Perth, Western Australia. & Ricky Weiss of Headingly, Manitoba, Canada.
Each Night, the tour will feature a complete show of Practice, FK Rod Ends Qualifying, B-Mains and the Main events (either 35 or 53 laps in distance). A $100 entry fee will be charged each night and transponders will be available for rent at each event. At the first series event, provisional starting spots will be based on one from last year’s Southern Nationals Series points and this year’s final Spring Nationals Series points if needed.
The Southern Nationals Series will feature a points fund in excess of $15,000 with $5,053 going to the Series Champion, second place receives $2,553, third place receives $2,053, fourth place receives $1,553, fifth place receives $1,053, sixth place receives $753, seventh place receives $653 and eighth place in series points will receive $553 along with all other prefect attendance drivers. Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga. is the defending series champion. Race purses in excess of $245,000 will go out the door in just eleven days of racing. The top AR Bodies Rookie of the Year for the tour will receive a $1,000 cash award. The top-five drivers in points after the first event will be guaranteed to leave each race with $600 minimum if they make the feature race and $300 minimum if they don’t make the feature race.
One driver will collect an additional $5,053 if he is the overall champion of the Spring, Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals and Southern Nationals Bonus Series.
At each Old Man’s Garage Spring Nationals, Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals and Southern Nationals Bonus Series event in 2016, the highest finishing CT525 engine in the main event will receive a $200 bonus and the highest finishing Steel Head/SPEC engine will also receive a $200 bonus.
Former Southern Nationals Series Champions include: Jeff Cooke (2005), Anthony White (2006), Chris Madden (2007/2008/2011/2012/2014), Tommy Kerr (2009), Jonathan Davenport (2010/2013), Casey Roberts (2015).
Further information on the Spring Nationals, Southern Nationals and Southern Nationals Bonus Series can be obtained by calling Promoter Ray Cook at (828) 360-5353 or Series P.R. Coordinator Chris Tilley at (606) 219-1723 or visit the official website located at www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com .
2016 Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Schedule:
Saturday July 16-Wythe Raceway-Rural Retreat, VA-$10,000 to win/53 laps
Sunday July 17-Volunteer Speedway-Bulls Gap, TN-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Tuesday July 19-411 Motor Speedway-Seymour, TN-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Thursday July 21-Tri-County Race Track-Brasstown, NC-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Friday July 22-Swainsboro Raceway-Swainsboro, GA-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Saturday July 23-Screven Motor Speedway-Sylvania, GA-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Sunday July 24-Rome Speedway-Rome, GA-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Tuesday July 26-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Thursday July 28-Crossville Speedway-Crossville, TN-$3,500 to win/35 laps
Friday July 29-Smoky Mountain Speedway-Maryville, TN-$5,300 to win/53 laps
Saturday July 30-Tazewell Speedway-Tazewell, TN-$10,000 to win/53 laps
$3,500 to Win Event Purse:
1) $3,500, 2) $2,000, 3) $1,500, 4) $1,200, 5) $900, 6) $700, 7) $600, 8) $550, 9) $525, 10) $500, 11) $480, 12) $470, 13) $460, 14) $450, 15) $440, 16) $430, 17) $420,
18) $410, 19) $400, 20) $400, 21) $400, 22) $400
$5,300 to Win Event Purse:
1) $5,300, 2) $2,600, 3) $1,800, 4) $1,400, 5) $1,100, 6) $850, 7) $750, 8) $725,
9) $700, 10) $675, 11) $650, 12) $625, 13) $600, 14) $580, 15) $570, 16) $560,
17) $550, 18) $540, 19) $530, 20) $530, 21) $530, 22) $530
$10,000 to Win Event Purse:
1) $10,000, 2) $5,000, 3) $2,500, 4) $2,000, 5) $1,500, 6) $1,100, 7) $1,000, 8) $950,
9) $900, 10) $850, 11) $800, 12) $750, 13) $650, 14) $600, 15) $550, 16) $530,
17) $520, 18) $500, 19) $500, 20) $500, 21) $500, 22) $500
Tire Rule for Tri-County, Swainsboro, Screven:
Hoosier Racing Tire: 1300, 1350, 1600, LM 40, Crate 21. (Lucas equivalent allowed)
American Racer: 44, 48, 56.
Tire Rule for Wythe, Volunteer, 411, Rome, Boyd’s, Crossville, Smoky, Tazewell:
Hoosier Racing Tire: 1350, 1600, LM 40, Crate 21. (Lucas equivalent allowed)
American Racer: 48, 56.
Special Thanks to the following Southern Nationals Series Supporters: Schaeffer’s Oil, Old Man’s Garage, Tennessee R.V. Sales & Service Super Center, Arizona Sport Shirts, Gotta Race, American Race Tires, AR Bodies, Collins Signs, Delph Communications, DirtonDirt.com, Dyer’s Top Rods, FK Rod Ends, Hoosier Racing Tire, Keyser Manufacturing, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Capital Race Cars, RockAuto.com, Sunoco Race Fuels (Official Series Fuel), Vic Hill Racing Engines, VP Racing Fuels, Wiles Driveshafts.
