CARTERSVILLE, GA – Several NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Top 20 drivers had success in Week 18 competition, but the top two drivers in the point standings were unable to help their respective causes in getting closer to the $10,000 National Championship. With eight weeks to go in the 27-week season, several drivers are beginning to position themselves for a late season title run.

Point leader Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS was looking to net on a 46. Arnold was unable to earn any points, as his best Week 18 finish was a tenth on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, MS driving The Strength Center Special. Arnold has a best 14 week total of 690 points after 11 wins, 15 top five finishes and 18 top ten finishes in 23 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series races.

Joseph Joiner of Milton, FL is second in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 644 points, and he reached the 14 week mark of his season with his lowest weekly total after a 40 point win on Saturday night at Southern Raceway in Milton, FL in a NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series race. In 15 races, Joiner has two wins, 12 top five finishes and 14 top ten finishes in the Three Trade Consultant Special.

Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS continued his recent string of Top 5 finishes with a third-place finish in the Week 15 Make Up Race on Friday night at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS. Jordan is third in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with a best 14 week total of 628 points after two wins, seven top five finishes and ten top ten finishes in 18 races driving the SMJ Race Parts Trak-Star.

The 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series National Champion Noah Daspit of Kiln, MS remains a 2015 title contender after a fourth-place finish on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway in the Billy Riels Racing Special. Daspit is fourth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 616 points after five wins, ten top five finishes and 14 top ten finishes in 15 races over 13 weeks.

Daspit’s teammate Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS drove his Billy Riels Racing Special to a second-place finish on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway and is fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 612 points. Lee has one win, 13 top five finishes and 15 top ten finishes in 15 races over 13 weeks.

Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS is going to be a driver to watch in the last eight weeks of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series season, as he drove the MP Trucking Special to his sixth win of the season on Friday night in the Week 15 Make-Up Race at Greenville Speedway. Palasini is sixth in the standings with 610 points after six wins and 12 top five finishes in 14 races over 13 weeks.

Greg Fore of Greenville, MS is seventh in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 586 points after two wins, eight top five finishes and 12 top ten finishes in 15 races over 13 weeks. Fore did not start the Friday night Week 15 Make Up Race at Greenville Speedway in the Washington Body Shop GRT.

Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL is a 13-year-old driver looking at challenging for two National Championships. Skinner is eighth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series National standings with 581 points after six wins, 11 top five finishes, and 13 top ten finishes in 14 races over 12 weeks.

Skinner drove the Skinner’s Body Shop CVR to his sixth win of the season on Saturday night at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL. Skinner also leads the Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series point standings for NeSmith Late Model drivers 18 years of age and younger.

Sid Scarbrough of Florence, MS is ninth in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 525 points after four top five finishes and nine top ten finishes in 14 races over 12 weeks. Scarbrough drove the Villa South Trak Star to a fifth-place finish on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway.

Robbie Starnes of Livingston, TX rounds out the Top 10 in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 524 points after three wins, ten top five finishes and 12 top ten finishes in 12 races over 11 weeks. Starnes finished third on Saturday night at Battleground Race Park in Highlands, TX driving the Lonestar Hydro and Maintenance Special.

In other NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 18 action, Jamey Boland of Cuba, AL had a big weekend as both a driver and a chassis manufacturer. Boland drove the Boland Performance Trak-Star “House Car” to a pair of Week 18 victories. Boland took the win on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway, and followed that up with a Saturday night win at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS.

The two wins by Boland moved three-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Champion Trak-Star Race Cars built by Boland Performance of Cuba, AL into a tie for the point lead with 11 wins with four-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufactures Challenge Champion GRT Race Cars of Greenbrier, AR.

Ronnie Cooper of McKenzie, TN drove the Ronnie Cooper Trucking Rocket to his fourth win of the season with a 40-point victory on Saturday night at Camden Speedway in Camden, TN. That gives Rocket Chassis of Shinnston, WV their ninth win of the season and the third spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufactures Challenge point standings.

Skinner gave CVR Race Cars of Lenoir City, TN their sixth win of the season and the fourth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufactures Challenge point standings. Warrior Race Cars built by Goddard Performance of Knoxville, TN is still looking for their first win of the season.

Dusty Leonard of Marysville, KS drove the Brice Leonard Insurance Special to his third win of the season on Friday night at Salina Speedway in Salina, KS. Kevin Sitton of Baytown, TX took his third NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model win of the season on Saturday night at Battleground Race Park driving the Mirage Construction Special.

The Saturday night NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 18 race scheduled for Greenville Speedway was rained out. Kansas State Fair Speedway in Hutchinson, KS did not report their Saturday night Week 18 results.

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