CARTERSVILLE, GA – The year was 2010. A mix of veterans and young guns were making headlines in 2010. When the 2010 season came to an end, Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS had his second straight NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship on his resume before reaching the age of 20.

Cooley had two NeSmith Late Model wins during the 2010 season on his way to his second straight $20,000 National Championship under the tutelage of his Hall of Fame mentor Billy Moyer, who accompanied his 19-year-old protégé to the NeSmith Racing Annual Awards Banquet. Larry Harrod of Plains, GA also had two series wins that led to his 2010 Rookie of the Year Award.

Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA posted one win and finished second in the NeSmith Late Model point standings, and Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL took the third spot with one win during the 2010 season. Harrod was fourth and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS finished fifth and was second in the Rookie points.

Charlie Henderson of Cottondale, AL was sixth in the points chase and third in the Rookie standing and Chris McElhenney of Lake, MS finished seventh. Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS took the eighth spot in the NeSmith Late Model standings and finished fourth in the Rookie standings. Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS was ninth, and Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS rounded out the Top 10 with one win on the season.

There were 22 races on the 2010 NeSmith Late Model National Tour at 11 different tracks in five different states. Other 2010 race winners were Mike Boland of Cuba, AL with four wins and Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN had two wins to keep his streak alive of winning at least one race in each of the first six NeSmith Late Model seasons.

Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN and Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA each had two NeSmith Late Model wins during the 2010 season. Single 2010 NeSmith Late Model wins were earned by William Thomas of Phenix City, AL, Shan Smith of Dade City, FL, Chris Ragan of Ramer, TN, and Terrance Nowell of Phenix City, AL.

The veteran Stokes, also known as Dr. Dirt, was the 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion and another teenage prodigy, 18-year-old Chase Edge of LaFayette, AL was the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion.

An impressive gathering of three different groups of drivers took on each other in the 2010 NeSmith Late Model season finale, the $10,000-to-win 6th Annual World Championship Race at East Bay Raceway in Tampa, FL on December 11, 2010.

There were super late model pilots, NeSmith Late Model regulars, and local favorites looking to make headlines in the premier race in the country for dirt late models powered by the economical Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engines.

Super late model standout Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY was back to defend his race win from 2009. He was joined by Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA, and Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC.

McCreadie served notice early that he was looking for his second $10,000 check as he set fast time and won the first heat race to earn the pole position for the 100-lap race. Davenport has other ideas, as he took the lead from his outside front row starting spot and led the first 11 laps of the race.

McCreadie caught Davenport in lapped traffic on lap 11, and on lap 12 used a lapped car for pick to take the lead in turn four. T-Mac stayed out front for the next 60 laps until Horton closed in to challenge for the point. Horton was all over McCreadie to challenge for the lead, and drove by him on the outside in turn four on lap 72 to grab the point.

After a second-place finish in 2008 and a tenth-place effort in 2009, Horton held off McCreadie in final laps to pick up the biggest win of his career. Horton paid a compliment to the NeSmith Late Model drivers in victory lane on just how tough they were in the race.

“There were a lot of good super late model drivers in this race tonight, and I don’t know what they think, but the guys that race with these crate engines are good because when these cars get a push where the car won’t turn left, you don’t have the horsepower a super late model has to pull you out of it,” Horton said. “You really have to drive these cars and this win special because of that.”

Other preliminary Heat Races were won by Davenport, Bryan Bernhardt of Clearwater, FL and Jeff Smith of Chatsworth, GA. The two B-Main races were won by Josh Pea(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) of Dover, FL and Den Breuer of Troutman, NC.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE 6TH ANNUAL NeSMITH CHEVROLET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 12/10-11/10:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 6 11 Doug Horton Bruceton Mills, WV 100 $10,000
2. 1 101 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY 100 $5,000
3. 8 116 Randy Weaver Crossville, TN 100 $3,000
4. 7 2 Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC 100 $2,000
5. 4 17 Jeff Smith Chatsworth, GA 100 $1,750
6. 11 32 Phillip Cobb Riverview, FL 100 $1,500
7. 3 B69 Bryan Bernhardt Clearwater, FL 100 $1,300
8. 16 95 Steve Mathis Plant City, FL 100 $1,200
9. 21 21b Chip Brindle Chatsworth, GA 100 $1,100
10. 18 B7 Dan Breuer Troutman, NC 100 $1,000
11. 17 21p Josh Pea(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) Dover, FL 100 $800
12. 2 49 Jonathan Davenport Cowpens, SC 100 $700
13. 9 41 Travis Varnadore Dover, FL 100 $600
14. 23 77 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 99 $500
15. 24 47 Shannon Lee Lumberton, MS 99 $450
16. 14 33x Rodney Wing Meridian, MS 68 $440
17. 5 12 Jack Nosbisch Jr. Riverview, FL 67 $430
18. 15 07 Doug Watson Lithia, FL 65 $420
19. 19 22 Perry Brown Riverview, FL 52 $400
20. 13 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN 49 $400
21. 22 19 Chase Washington Houlka, MS 36 $400
22. 20 8Ball Scott Weber Festus, MO 35 $400
23. 12 99 Shan Smith Dade City, FL 33 $400
24. 25 14 Mavrick Varnadore Dover, FL 23 $400
25. 10 33 Jeff Mathews Dover, FL 14 $400

ENTRIES: 44
FAST QUALIFIER: McCreadie, 16.197 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Turner and Lee
TRACK PROVISIONAL: M. Varnadore
LEAD CHANGES: 2
LAP LEADERS: Davenport, 1-11; McCreadie, 12-71; Horton, 72-100
LAPS LED: McCreadie, 60; Horton, 29; Davenport, 11
CAUTIONS: 10
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .822 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes and 25.204 Seconds