Crossville/Volunteer Speedways up next for Spring Nationals Series April 21/22
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Crossville and Volunteer Speedways in Tennessee up next for Spring Nationals Series April 21-22
Contact: Chris Tilley
Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series P.R. Coordinator
606-219-1723 | tilleyracing@gmail.com
BRASSTOWN, N.C. – Apr. 16, 2017 – The Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series presented by Sunoco Race Fuels and Tennessee R.V. will be back in action for the second-straight weekend, this time in the Volunteer State for a pair of events April 21-22.
This Friday Night April 21st, the Spring Nationals Series will roll into the Lewis Jackson-promoted Crossville Speedway in Crossville, Tenn. for a 40-lap $4,000-to-win event. On Saturday Night April 22nd, the tour will visit the McCarter Family-promoted Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. for the Fifth Annual Scott Sexton Memorial paying $10,052-to-win.
On Friday Night at Crossville Speedway, the Crate Late Models, Sportsman and Super Stock divisions will all be on the racing card. The pit gates open at 3:00 CST on Friday and hot laps are slated for 7:00 pm CST. Adult general admission is $20.00, adult tier parking is $25.00 and adult pit passes are $35.00. This will mark the first-ever visit by the Spring Nationals Series to Crossville Speedway. The Southern Nationals Bonus Series and Southern Nationals summer tour visited Crossville last season with Donald McIntosh (May and October) and Craig Vosbergen (July) picking up victories.
On Saturday Night at Volunteer Speedway, the Crate Late Models, Sportsman and Modified Streets will all be on the racing card. All gates open at 2:00 pm while the drivers meeting will be at 6:45 pm with hot laps to follow. Adult grandstand admission is $25.00 while adult pit passes are $40.00. This will mark the seventh visit of the series to Volunteer Speedway, the most of any track on the tour. Previous Spring Nationals Series winners to The Gap include Dale McDowell and John Blankenship (2013), Jimmy Owens and Chris Madden (2014) & Mike Marlar and Chris Madden (2016).
This prestigious event on Saturday Night, which is a must-see event for all race fans in the East Tennessee area, is being held in the memory of the late Scott Sexton, a mainstay in the East Tennessee racing scene for more than 25 years, who passed away in January 2013 at just 46 years of age. Scott began his racing career at the tender age of 6. Sexton was an 8-time World Karting Association World Champion before moving into Dirt Late Models in 1986, where he quickly became a fan favorite around East Tennessee, earning the nickname “Superman”. Between 1995 and 2005, Sexton won 10 Southern All Star Racing Series events between Atomic Speedway and Volunteer Speedway, and was the track champion in 1991 and 1995 at Volunteer Speedway, along with garnering many other special event wins. Scott was known as one of the most fan-friendly drivers in the area, always participating in charitable events and usually donating his winning trophies to children at the track. Sexton will always be remembered for giving back to the sport he loved so much.
Previous Scott Sexton Memorial winners include Chris Madden (2013), Brad Neat (2014), Ray Cook (2015) and Ricky Weiss (2016). The 2016 event saw Headingly, Manitoba, Canada’s Ricky Weiss take the $3,052 prize during the Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Series sanctioned race over Shanon Buckingham, Skylar Marlar, David Payne and Stacy Boles.
Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga. currently leads the strong contingent of series regulars into this weekend’s events with a 24-point lead over Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, Ga. Michael Chilton of Salvisa, Ky. is third in the series points, Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, Tenn. is fourth in the tour’s point standings while Ricky Weiss of Headingly, Manitoba, Canada is fifth. Robby Moses, Mike Marlar and Jason Croft round out the top-eight in the standings.
Each night’s events will feature a complete show of Practice, Time Trials, Heat Races, and the main event. The entry fee is $100 at all series events plus transponder rental that will be used to time and score the cars (per series rules). The tire rule for the Crossville and Volunteer events will be as follows: Hoosier- 1350, 1600 and American Racer 48, 56. Tires will also be checked for soaking and by durometer for hardness before each car goes on the track for qualifying or any racing action.
The car and driver weight rules for this event will be as follows: 2350 lbs. for an Open Motor, 2300 lbs. for a Steel Block/Aluminum Head - Spec Motor Only (8" spoiler allowed, 12" sides), 2250 lbs. for a CT525 Motor (8" spoiler allowed) and 2250 lbs. for an all Steel Motor or Crate Motor (8" spoiler allowed, 12" sides). There will be a pound per lap burnoff plus 5 lbs. in Heats, Last Chance races and in the Feature.
Crossville Speedway Purse (40 Laps): 1) $4,000, 2) $2,000, 3) $1,400, 4) $1,000,
5) $800, 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.
Volunteer Speedway Purse (52 laps): 1) $10,052, 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.
Current Spring Nationals Series Points (after April 15th)
1. Brandon Overton-786 (Evans, GA)
2. Donald McIntosh-762 (Dawsonville, GA)
3. Michael Chilton-740 (Salvisa, KY)
4. Shanon Buckingham-698 (Morristown, TN)
5. Ricky Weiss-694 (Headingly, Manitoba, Canada)
6. Robby Moses-656 (Maryville, TN)
7. Mike Marlar-580 (Winfield, TN)
8. Jason Croft-488 (Woodstock, GA)
9. Dale McDowell-390 (Chickamauga, GA)
10. Michael Page-384 (Douglasville, GA)
10. Casey Roberts-384 (Toccoa, GA)
Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series Winners:
Michael Page (Douglasville, GA) March 24th at Senoia Raceway
Donald McIntosh (Dawsonville, GA) March 25th at Senoia Raceway
Brandon Overton (Evans, GA) April 14th at Ponderosa Speedway
Brandon Overton (Evans, GA) April 15th at Florence Speedway
Upcoming Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series Events:
April 21-Crossville Speedway-Crossville, TN-$4,000 to win
April 22-Volunteer Speedway-Bulls Gap, TN-$10,052 to win (Scott Sexton Memorial)
May 4-Smoky Mountain Speedway-Maryville, TN-$15,000 to win (TN Tipoff Classic)
May 26-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA-$4,000 to win
May 27-Dixie Speedway-Woodstock, GA-$5,000 to win
May 28-Rome Speedway-Rome, GA-$6,000 to win
-Michael Despain contributed to this article-
