Texan Colton Horner Chasing NeSmith Rookie Honors in 2017

Fourteen-year-old Colton Horner currently sits second behind well respected and experienced veteran Ronnie Johnson in the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series RockAuto.com Winter Shootout standings. "Lil' Horner" from Katy, Texas plans to run the full NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series schedule for 2017. After completing the four remaining races of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout at Cochran Motor Speedway and Oglethorpe Speedway Park, Horner then plans to run for the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series Cruise with the Champions Rookie of the Year title.

Racing has been a tradition of the Horner household for many years, as Colton's father raced Open Wheeled Modifieds for many years. Colton's father, David, has been a strong influence in his racing career, and because of that Colton shares the number 56 with his father. The 2016 Sunoco Young Gun Challenge Runner-up has been racing since he was six years old, and has been behind the wheel of go-karts, mini-sprints, and 2017 will mark his third season in a dirt late model car. His first win came in the 2016 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series at his home track Battleground Speedway located just outside of Houston, TX.

Colton made an appearance at the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series RockAuto.com Winter Shootout’s 3rd Annual Groundhog Classic at East Alabama Motor Speedway by qualifying on the pole for the 50 lap feature. His good friend, none other than sixteen-year-old Ashton Winger, lined up beside him on the outside pole. Horner edged out the driver of the number 12 Bad Boy Off Road Rocket from Griffin, Georgia by only four one hundredths of a second. After an early race mishap forced Horner to restart at the back of the pack, he still made a charge through the field ending the night with an eleventh place finish.

"In this series it's cool to be able to travel to different tracks while learning from the veterans. Ronnie Johnson has taught me a lot and my favorite race was at Greenville where he and I raced door to door for about forty laps. Each race teaches me something new and I love to learn so I think we're going to have a good year chasing the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series title and Rookie of the Year," Horner said about the upcoming touring season. The driver of the Modern Motorsports, Houston Specialty Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Graphics, Black Diamond hopes to put some of the knowledge to use during the Rumble on the Gumbo Double Header season opener for the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series regular Touring Schedule at Greenville Speedway on Friday and Saturday April 7th and 8th.

For more information and to keep up with the latest from Colton Horner and his Modern Motorsports team you can follow him on social media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/racer56jr/
Twitter - @racer56jr

For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series website at www.nesmithracing.com. You can also follow the series by Liking the Facebook page at NeSmith Racing; following on Twitter @NeSmithRacing; and Instagram @nesmithracing.
NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the Official Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Chevrolet Performance is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.
Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire of the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series. Sunoco Race Fuels is the Official Race Fuel of the Series. Cruise with the Champions is the Official Vacation and Rookie of the Year Sponsor for the Series.
RockAuto.com is an Associate Sponsor of the Series and Official Sponsor of the RockAuto.com Winter Shootout Series. David Smith Carburetors is the Official Carburetor of NeSmith Racing.

Contingency Sponsors Include: Out-Pace Performance, AR Bodies, Crate Insider.com, Gresham Racing Parts, Knowles Racing Parts and Bodies, and FreeStyle Graphix.

Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.