Skinner Clinches Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series Title

CARTERSVILLE, GA – NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series driver, 14-year-old Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL, has clinched the 2015 Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series Championship for NeSmith Late Model drivers 18 years of age and younger. Sunoco Race Fuels, the Official Race Fuel of NeSmith Racing, will present Skinner with a $1,000 check out of the $5,000 point fund.

Skinner drove the Skinner’s Body Shop CVR to seven wins, 16 top five finishes, and 22 top ten finishes in 30 races with the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series and the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour. Skinner also finished third in the 2015 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series among 343 other drivers.

There is one race left on the schedule that will award Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series points, and that is the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 11th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL on November 20-21. The top six drivers in the Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point standings have been decided.

“We can’t thank Green Oil Company and Sunoco Race Fuels enough for their help with this program because this gives us a chance to showcase the future of our sport, and it also encourages young drivers to be a part of it,” NeSmith Racing Founder and CEO Mike Vaughn said. “I have had the pleasure of meeting these impressive young drivers, watch them compete, and observe them off the track. Not only are they very talented, but they are also fine spokespersons for our sport.”

Cole Daffron of Pell City, AL will finish second in the Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point standings. The 17-year-old driver competed in 22 races with 13 top five finishes and 16 top ten finishes driving the TSR Race Cars Warrior. Daffron also finished tenth in the 2015 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings.

The youngest driver in the 2015 Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series, 12-year-old Colton Horner of Katy, TX, finished third in the point standings. Horner drove the Houston Specialty Products Company Special to ten top five finishes and 19 top ten finishes in 20 races.

Bryant Marsh of Corinth, MS will finish fourth in the 2015 Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point standings. The 15-year-old driver had seven top five finishes and seven top ten finishes in 19 races driving the Modern Woodmen Trak-Star.

Josh Banes of Learned, MS will finish fifth in the 2015 Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point standings. Banes drove the Diversified Pest Management Special in 17 races with five top five finishes and 11 top ten finishes.

Will Roland of Jasper, GA is sixth in the 2015 Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point standings. The 13-year-old driver has competed in nine NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring Series events with one top ten finish driving the Roland Tire Warrior.

Four drivers have an opportunity to battle it out for the seventh through tenth spots in the 2015 Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point standings. Seventh through tenth respectively in the points chase are 16-year-old Peyton Wilkerson of Leland, MS, 15-year-old Dylan Allen of Baytown, TX, 18-year-old Marshall Hooter of Prairieville, LA, and 13-year-old Tyler Clem of St. Petersburg, FL.

Drivers in the Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series compete against each other using a points system that will count their best 14 weekly point totals over the 2015 Nesmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring Series that runs from January through November and the 27-week NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series season from March 23 through September 27.

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at NeSmith Racing. Becoming a fan of the NeSmith Racing Facebook page will make you eligible for special prizes that will be given away each month. 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 the nation’s number one GM Powertrain and Performance Dealer six 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. RockAuto.com is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. Beyea Headers is the NeSmith Late Model Hard Charger Sponsor. Sunoco Race Fuels is the Official Race Fuel of the NeSmith Late Models. Panama City Cycles is the Official ATV Provider of the NeSmith Late Models. AR Bodies is an Associate Sponsor of the NeSmith Late Models. NeSmith Late Model Contingency Sponsors for 2015 are CrateInsider.Com, Integra Racing Shocks, Image Screen Printing, and Gresham Race Parts. 2015 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.