A Look Back At The NeSmith Late Models - 2005

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CARTERSVILLE, GA – In the coming days as the 10th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race approaches on November 20-22, NeSmith Racing will take a look back at the first ten years of the series and the first nine World Championship races.

The year was 2005. Dirt Late Model car owner Mike Vaughn was introduced to the economical Chevrolet Performance 604 circle track engine the year before by Dixie Speedway promoter the late Mike Swims. The idea was to produce an engine for dirt late models that cost under $5,000, and was built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications.

Many said this concept would never work and that both the fans and competitors would reject it. Vaughn thought it made sense and embraced the idea. Many that shared Vaughn’s interest in the engine encouraged him to start a touring series. Thus for the 2005 season, Crate Racin’ USA was born and a limited schedule of races was well attended.

Many of the top weekly late model drivers in the Southeastern United States competed in the first season, as well as a pair of National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductees, Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN and Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN.

Denny Slayton of Ringgold, GA was the first Crate Racin’ USA Champion and among the race winners during the 2005 season were won by Johnson, Stacy Roberts of Sylvester, GA, Don Jenkins and Owen Olsteen. At the completion of the first Crate Racin’ USA season, Vaughn still wanted to do one more race and make it big.

The Inaugural World Championship Race was scheduled for East Bay Raceway in Tampa, FL on December 3, 2005. It would be a 100-lap $10,000-to-win race. Among the 64 entrants were some of the top super late model drivers in the country that included Hall of Fame drivers Purvis, Johnson, Mike Head Ellenwood, GA and Jack Pennington of Winston, GA.

The field also included UMP National Late Model Champion Rodney Melvin of Benton, IL, former Dirt Track World Championship Race winner Marshall Green of Dalton, GA, Scott Sexton of Pigeon Forge, TN and NASCAR star Ken Schrader of Fenton, MO.

A young driver out of Newport, TN, who was well known as a multi-time UMP Modified Champion, Jimmy Owens, was in the field and just beginning his dirt late model career.

Driving the Warrior House Car, Owens would battle for the lead with Melvin early in the race. Owens led the first four laps before Melvin led lap five. Owens reclaimed the lead on lap six and would lead the rest of the way to pick up the win. Melvin finished second with Sexton taking the third spot. Jimmy Sharpe of Vidalia, GA finished fourth and Schrader rounded out the top five.

“It really helps the profit margin when you can win $10,000 with a $4,800 GM Performance crate engine,” Owens said. “That with a perfectly set up Warrior chassis put us here in victory lane tonight.”

In preliminary action, John Anderson of Omaha, NE was the Fast Qualifier and the six Heat Races were won by Melvin, Owens, Sexton, Sharpe, Schrader and Roberts. The three B-Main Races were won by Danny Jolly of Christopher, IL, Scott Hutchinson of Johnson City, IL, and Jeff Mathews of Tampa, FL.

With the first season under its belt and 64 entrants for the first World Championship Race, a strong foundation was built for the future of Crate Racin’ Racin’ USA. The nay-sayers were still out there saying it was nothing more than a fad in dirt late model racing, but there were also a lot of cheerleaders saying this form of dirt late model was good for the sport.

Would there be growth for Crate Racin’ USA and the World Championship Race in 2006? Stay tuned for the next installment of “A Look Back!”

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series all-new 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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE INAUGURAL CRATE RACIN’ USA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 12/3/05:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN 100 $10,000
2. 1 59 Rodney Melvin Benton, IL 100 $5,000
3. 3 8s Scott Sexton Pigeon Forge, TN 100 $3,000
4. 4 X Jimmy Sharpe Vidalia, GA 100 $2,000
5. 5 99 Ken Schrader Fenton, MO 100 $1,750
6. 7 0k John Anderson Omaha, NE 100 $1,500
7. 24 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 100 $1,300
8. 8 40 Marshall Green Woodstock, GA 100 $1,200
9. 9 44 Shannon Buckingham Morristown, TN 100 $1,100
10. 14 9d Ed Kosiski Ralston, NE 100 $1,000
11. 15 38 Chris Mullinax Birmingham, AL 100 $800
12. 13 41 Tim Busha Boaz, AL 100 $700
13. 18 15 Jeff Purvis Clarksville, TN 100 $600
14. 11 2 Devin Dixon Riverview, FL 100 $500
15. 26 32 Roger Crouse Plant City, FL 99 $450
16. 16 3 Mike Collins Council Bluffs, IA 82 $440
17. 23 27 Pete Cochran Villa Rica, GA 78 $430
18. 17 66 Jake Knowles Tyrone, GA 77 $420
19. 10 9 Frank Ingram Acworth, GA 63 $400
20. 6 11r Stacey Roberts Sylvester, GA 63 $400
21. 22 01 Jack Pennington Winston, GA 46 $400
22. 25 99s Denny Slayton Rossville, GA 42 $400
23. 12 P1 Josh Pea(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) Dover, FL 36 $400
24. 20 13h Scott Hutchinson Johnston City, IL 27 $400
25. 21 007 Jeff Mathews Tampa, FL 21 $400
26. 19 U2 Danny Jolly Christopher, IL 16 $400

ENTRIES: 64
PROVISIONALS: Slayton and Crouse
LEAD CHANGES: 2
LAP LEADERS: Owens, 1-4; Melvin, 5; Owens, 6-100
LAPS LED: Owens, 99; Melvin, 1
HARD CHARGER: Johnson (started 24th and finished 7th)
CAUTIONS: 8
TIME OF THE RACE: 59 Minutes, 21.220 Seconds