NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 17 Preview

CARTERSVILLE, GA – A busy Week 17 is on tap for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Models, as there are nine races at seven different tracks in three states. Many drivers are also approaching the 14 week mark of their season and those back of tenth spot in the point standings will be looking to make some big moves.

There are two NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 17 races on the schedule for Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, MS and at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS. On Saturday night, competitors have a choice to race for extra points, or extra money.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series will co-sanction a $1,000-to-win race on Saturday night with the Southern Crate Late Model Series at Ark-LA-Tex Speedway in Vivian, LA. Robbie Starnes of Livingston, TX is the Southern Crate Late Model Series point leader. Starnes also won the Week 16 race last Saturday night at Battleground Race Park in Highlands, TX.

Flomaton Speedway in Flomaton, AL will host Round 9 of the 2015 NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series this Saturday night that is also a part of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series. Joseph Joiner of Milton, FL leads the NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series point standings.

Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS will offer Double Features on Saturday night to make up for a plethora of rainouts this season. The first feature race will award NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 8 points, and the second feature race will be the regularly scheduled Week 17 race.

Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS will present a $1,000-to-win I-20 Challenge Series Race for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Models on Saturday night. Magnolia Motor Speedway will return on Saturday night for their second Week 17 race. Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL will also be in action on Saturday night.

Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS leads the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 685 points. Arnold has reached the 14 week mark of his season and will be trying to net on a 44. The rest of the drivers in the point standings have at least two more weeks to earn full points in an effort to challenge Arnold for the $10,000 National Championship.

Joiner is second in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 556 points, and Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS is third with 524 points. Both Joiner and Jordan have two more weeks to earn full points.

Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS is fourth with 521 points, and his teammate, 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series National Champion Noah Daspit of Kiln, MS is fifth with 519 points. Both Lee and Daspit have three more weeks to earn full points.

Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL is sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 482 points, and the 13-year-old driver also leads the Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point standings for NeSmith Late Model drivers 18 years of age and younger. Skinner also has three more weeks to earn full points.

Greg Fore of Greenville, MS is seventh in the standings with 469 points and Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS is eighth with 461 points. Three-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Collinsville, MS is ninth with 458 points.

Sid Scarbrough of Florence, MS rounds out the Top 10 of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 432 points. Fore, Palasini, Keeton and Scarbrough still have four more weeks to earn full points.

The Weekly Point Averages, or WPAs, show Arnold with the highest among the Top 20 drivers in the point standings at 48.93 out of a possible 50, but his closest challengers on the WPA are outside the Top 10 in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings.

Adam Cummings of Odenville, AL has the second highest WPA at 47.63, and he still has six more weeks to earn full points. Cummings is 15th in the standings with 381 points. Starnes has the third highest WPA at 47.44, and he has five more weeks to earn full points. Starnes is 11th in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 427 points.

Lee has the fourth highest WPA at 47.36 and Daspit has the fifth highest WPA at 47.18. Fore has the sixth highest WPA at 46.90 and Joiner has the seventh highest WPA at 46.33. Palasini has the eighth highest WPA at 46.10 and Keeton has the ninth highest WPA among the Top 20 driver in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings at 45.80.

Another Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series driver, 17-year-old Cole Daffron of Pell City, AL has the tenth highest WPA at 45.78 and he has five more weeks to earn full points. Daffron is currently 12th in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 412 points.

Drivers in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series will compete against each other nationally using a points system that will count their best 14 weekly point totals over a 27-week season from March 23 through September 27. The $20,000 National point fund will pay $10,000 to the National Champion and pay back to the Top 10 drivers in the final point standings.

NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series competitors have the option of two different economical Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engines to compete with. The aluminum-head 400 horsepower 604 engine costs $5,795 and the steel-head 350 horsepower Chevrolet Performance 602 Circle Track Engine with a 100-pound weight break costs $3,495.

Both of these Chevrolet Performance Racing Engines are in stock and available at NeSmith Chevrolet in Claxton, GA with free next day delivery anywhere in the Southeast. To place an order, call Tim Bland at 1-877-497-3624.

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 WEEKLY RACING SERIES LATE WEEK 16 RESULTS:

July 11:

BATTLEGROUND RACE PARK – HIGHLANDS, TX:
1. 77 Robbie Starnes
2. 20 Kevin Sitton
3. 117 Todd Jouett
4. 88 Steve Hamilton
5. 99 Randy Lovell
6. 56 Colton Horner (Y)
7. 95 Jamie Green
8. 00 Donald Mick
9. 22 Trinity Richardson
10. 45 Earl Cannon
11. 65 Lucas Peterson
12. 48 Dylan Allen (Y)

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES WEEK 17 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

July 17:

HATTIESBURG SPEEDWAY – HATTIESBURG, MS
MAGNOLIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY – COLUMBUS, MS

July 18:

ARK-LA-TEX SPEEDWAY – VIVIAN, LA ($1,000-To-Win Southern Crate Late Model Series)
FLOMATON SPEEDWAY – FLOMATON, AL (NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series)
GREENVILLE SPEEDWAY – GREENVILLE, MS (Double Features – Week 8 Make-Up Race)
JACKSON MOTOR SPEEDWAY – JACKSON, MS ($1,000-To-Win I-20 Challenge Series Race)
MAGNOLIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY – COLUMBUS, MS
TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK – EASTABOGA, AL


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. Racecar Engineering is the Official Parts Supplier 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, TNT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.