CARTERSVILLE, GA - Week 22 of the 27-week NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series season could be a very important one for point leader Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS, as he tries to pick up a win to give him a perfect season, and a possibility to clinch the $10,000 2015 National Championship. Going into Week 22 competition, five other drivers still have a chance to challenge.

There are six races at five tracks on the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 22 schedule of events. Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS will host a pair of $1,000-to-win races, with one on Friday night, and one on Saturday night. The Friday night race at Whynot Motorsports Park will be a Week 15 Make Up Race.

Salina Speedway in Salina, KS will also host a Friday night NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 22 event. Also hosting Saturday night Week 22 races will be Battleground Race Park in Highlands, TX, Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS, and Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL.

Arnold, who needs one more 50-point win to reach a perfect 14 week total of 700 points, has won races this season at three of the tracks on the Week 22 schedule, Whynot Motorsports Park, Greenville Speedway, and Talladega Short Track. A win in Week 22 would give Arnold a total of 17 wins and that would change the championship scenario in his favor.

So let’s start with the championship scenario going into this weekend’s NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series action. Behind Arnold in the point standings with six 50-point wins on the season are Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL, Mike Palasini Jr. of Leland, MS, and Kevin Sitton of Baytown, TX. Two with five wins are the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series National Champion Noah Daspit of Kiln, MS and Ronnie Cooper of McKenzie, TN.

There are six weeks left in the season, so if at least one eligible track exercises their option to run a double feature event to make up for a rain out earlier in the season in each of those six weeks, that makes for a possible 12 chances for a driver to post a victory. Skinner, Palasini and Sitton would have a chance to end up with 18 wins, while Daspit and Cooper would have a chance to end up with 17 wins.

For Skinner, Palasini and Sitton; their respective home tracks of Talladega Short Track, Greenville Speedway, and Battleground Race Park are in action this weekend. Sitton has won five in-a-row at Battleground Race Park. If they would win one or two races this weekend they would stay in the hunt for the title.

If Arnold picks up a Week 22 win for number 17 on the season, while Skinner, Palasini, and Sitton do not win in Week 22, or the Week 15 Make Up Race at Whynot Motorsports Park; Arnold clinches the 2015 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series National Championship.

A win by Arnold on Saturday could create the possibility of a tie of wins, so the second-place finishes would come into play if Skinner, Palasini, or Sitton pick up a win this weekend. A Saturday win by Arnold would also eliminate Daspit and Cooper from title contention. Daspit and Cooper have to win this weekend to stay alive in the title chase.

A Friday win in the Make Up Race at Whynot Motorsports Park does not do Arnold any good, as he already has a Week 15 win, but he could keep Skinner, Palasini, or Sitton from winning if they are there.

Looking ahead, no tracks have requested double features past Week 22, but they have until 12 noon on Monday to do so for Week 23 competition. If no tracks schedule double features for Week 23, that would leave a possible nine point races left. To stay in the fight, Skinner, Palasini, and Sitton would have to win this weekend.

Behind the battle for the $10,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series National Championship, drivers are also contesting for the Top 10 points fund-paying spot in the standings during the last six weeks of the 2015 season. They are also competing for a seat at the table of the Annual NeSmith Racing Awards Banquet at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and Thunder Road Museum in Dawsonville, GA.

Skinner is second in the point standings 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. Palasini is third, Daspit is fourth and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS is tied with Robbie Starnes of Livingston, TX for the fifth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series points.

Joseph Joiner of Milton, FL is seventh in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings, and he also leads the NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series point standings. Greg Fore of Greenville, MS is eighth and Cole Daffron of Pell City, AL is ninth. The 17-year-old Daffron is also second in the Sunoco Young Guns Challenge Series points. Bobby Jordan of McCarley, MS rounds out the Top 10 in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings.

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 21 RESULTS:

August 15:

FLOMATON SPEEDWAY – FLOMATON, AL (NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series):
1. 11 Mark Clifton
2. 10 Joseph Joiner
3. 25 Josh Huss
4. 02 Stephen Brantley
5. 12 Tracey Sutton
6. 6 Brandon Hood
7. 61 Randall Adams
8. 1 Kevin Maher
9. 79 Kyle Bryant
10. 47 James Gilmore

NeSMITH CHEVROLET WEEKLY RACING SERIES WEEK 22 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

August 21:

SALINA SPEEDWAY – SALINA, KS
WHYNOT MOTORSPORTS PARK – MERIDIAN, MS ($1,000-To-Win – Week 15 Make Up Race)

August 22:

BATTLEGROUND RACE PARK – HIGHLAND, TX
GREENVILLE SPEEDWAY – GREENVILLE, MS
TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK – EASTABOGA, AL
WHYNOT MOTORSPORTS PARK – MERIDIAN, MS ($1,000-To-Win)


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. 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, and CVR Race Cars.