CARTERSVILLE, GA – Hedman Husler Hedders has entered into a multi-year agreement to be the Official Hedders of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and will sponsor the Hedman Husler Award at NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring events, and a special season end award.

Formerly known as the Hard Charger Award, the Hedman Husler Award will be a $100 bonus for the driver that improves his position the most from their assigned starting position to their finishing position in each NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring event.

All drivers in each National Touring event will receive one Hedman Husler point for each position they improve from the start of the race to the end of the race. At the end of the season, the driver with the most points will receive the $1,000 Hedman Husler of the Year Award.

Hedman Husler Hedders’ involvement with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series is the latest endeavor for the company in dirt track racing. Hedman Husler Hedders have been a common part of drag racing throughout the company’s 57-year history, but they stepped out into oval track racing over the last 24 months.

“We saw that oval track racing was going to be an important part of the future success for Hedman Husler Hedders and we started out working with all of the top dirt track engine and chassis builders with hundreds of hours of research and development on the dyno and on the race track to make sure we measured up or beat the competition before entering into this new marketplace,” Hedman Husler Hedders General Manager and Director of Racing Chris Vandergriff said. “We see the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series as a great way to showcase the quality, horsepower, and torque our hedders make for the GM Performance Crate Engines. We chose to spend our dirt late model marketing dollars with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series because they’re the best dirt late model series out there when it comes to competition, tech, P.R. and promotion.”

Hedman Husler Hedders was founded as a one-man shop in 1954 by Bob Hedman, who built specialty hedders for street rodders and drag racers. Bob Vandergriff Sr. bought the company in 1977. Through the years, Hedman Husler Hedders has built a great reputation among drag racers like Don Garlits, Shirley Muldonney, and many more.

“We’re excited to have Hedman Husler Hedders as a part of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and we’re looking forward to working with them to make Hedman Husler Hedders as successful in dirt late model racing as they are in drag racing,” NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Founder and Director Mike Vaughn said. “The Hedman Husler Award is a bonus to the driver that has charged through the field while putting on a show for the fans, and that’s something we work hard at in giving recognition to that driver and the sponsor of the award.”

The first three events of the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour for the Hedman Husler Award will be on February 24, 25 and 26 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL.

Past recipients of what will be now known as the Hedman Husler of the Year Award are Frankie Beard (2006), Robert Stutts (2007), Chris Tays (2008), Larry Boutwell (2009), and Matthew Turner (2010).

For more information about Hedman Husler Hedders visit their web site at www.hedmanhusler.com. For more information 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.


NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the nation’s number one GM Powertrain Dealer four years running, and is also the nation’s number one volume dealer of Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC cars, trucks, SUVs and vans with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast. GM Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and Hard Charger Award sponsor. Hoosier Race Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. VP Racing Fuel is the Official Racing Fuel of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Hedman Husler Hedders are the Official Hedders of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2010 are Dominator Race Products, Race Car Engineering, KRC, Joe Gibbs Driven, Maximum Signs and Graphics, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Schoenfeld Headers, Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and Rocket Chassis.