CARTERSVILLE, GA – The 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series season finale will be this Friday and Saturday nights with the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 7th Annual GM Performance Parts World Championship Race at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL. This race is always a battle among the top series drivers, super late model drivers and local favorites.
In addition to the $10,000 top prize, the Top 10 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series drivers will be racing for point fund paying positions. Dan Breuer of Troutman, NC holds a 54 point lead over two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion David Earl Gentry of Murfreesboro, TN.
To clinch the $20,000 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Championship, all Breuer has to do is start the main event. Breuer is guaranteed a provisional starting spot as the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point leader. Gentry is guaranteed the second spot in the point standings, worth $7,000 out of the $50,000 point fund, just by completing one qualifying lap.
Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA is third in the point standings with an 86-point advantage over the fourth-place driver Chase Edge of Lafayette, AL. Turner will be looking to extend his “Ironman” appearance streak of 124 consecutive races. Turner is the only driver to have competed in every NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS event held since its inception in 2005.
To clinch the third spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point standings and the $5,000 in point fund money that goes with it, Turner has to complete one qualifying lap to secure his 30 show up points.
Edge has already clinched the 2011 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Award and the $5,000 bonus. However, Edge is still in a battle with Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS for the fourth spot in the points chase. Edge holds a 40-point advantage over Lee. Fourth-place in the standings pays $4,500 and fifth pays $3,500 in point fund money.
Mark Tice of Avon, MS will be the 2011 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Runner-Up, and he is currently sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point standings. Tice still has a mathematical chance to finish fifth, as he is 86 points behind Lee, but Tice has a lock on the sixth spot worth $3,000 out of the series point fund.
Steve Cooke of Mt. Airy, NC is set in the seventh spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings, as he cannot earn enough points to move up to sixth, and has a big enough advantage over the eighth-place driver Tootie Arnold of Bude, MS. Cooke will earn $2,500 in point fund money.
A pair of 2011 VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year candidates will battle for the eighth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point standings. Arnold has a ten-point advantage over Frank Wilson of Harold, FL. The eighth spot pays $2,000 and the ninth spot pays $1,500 out of the point fund.
Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS is safely in the tenth and last points fund paying spot of $1,000 in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series points chase. Stokes has used a win, four top five finishes and five top ten finishes in his last five starts to climb into the tenth spot.
Several super late model drivers from across the country show up at the NeSmith Chevrolet GM Performance Parts World Championship Race at East Bay Raceway Park each year. The 2011 race will continue that trend.
Former race winners include Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN (2005 and 2007), Randy Korte of Highland, IL (2006), Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, TN (2008), Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY (2009), and defending race champion Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, WV. McCreadie, Korte and Horton are entered for the 2011 race.
Horton followed up his 2010 GM Performance Parts World Championship Race win with a NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series victory in February at East Bay Raceway Park. Horton has a total of four NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS wins at East Bay Raceway Park.
Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA and Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, SC will team with Breuer and Cook to make up a potent four-car AES Racing team. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA, with two EBRP wins will team with Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN.
Rodney Wing of Meridian, MS will wheel the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Rocket on the Lawson Construction Team with Tony Lawson of Laurel, MS. Steve Francis will drive the CVR House car for Chip Vineyard of Lenoir City, TN. Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN, who has two series wins at EBRP, will team with Shan Smith of Dade City, FL, who has one series win at EBRP.
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, who has one series win at East Bay Raceway Park, will team with Turner on the Hedman Husler Racing Team.
Several East Bay Raceway Park regulars have had success with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series at their home track. Keith Nosbisch of Valrico, FL has three series wins, Smith has one win, Jack Nosbisch Jr. of Riverview, FL has one win, and Phillip Cobb of Apollo Beach, FL has one win.
Two other NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Bonus Awards will be decided at the 7th Annual GM Performance World Championship Race. Gentry, Breuer, Turner, Lee and Wilson will be battling for the Hedman Husler of the Year Award. At each series touring event, drivers earn one point for each position they improve from the start of the race to the end of the race.
Gentry leads the Hedman Husler of the Year standings with 77 points, Breuer is second with 76 points, Turner is third with 70 points, Lee is fourth with 65 points, and Wilson is fifth with 55 points. Hedman Husler Hedders will award the driver with the most points at the end of the season with a $1,000 bonus.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge will also be decided this weekend at “The Clay By The Bay.” GRT Race Cars of Greenbrier, AR leads Rocket Chassis of Shinnston, WV by six points. GRT has already won the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Chassis Manufacturers Challenge for the fourth time with 57 wins this season.
Also participating in the 2011 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Chassis Manufacturers Challenge are two-time champion Warrior Race Cars built by Goddard Performance of Knoxville, TN, two-time WRS Champion Trak-Star Race Cars built by Boland Performance of Cuba, AL, Stinger Race Cars built by J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment of Rockford, TN and TNT Race Cars of Piney Flats, TN.
On the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Tour, GRT has three wins and two Fast Time honors. Rocket Chassis has three wins on the series tour in 2011. Rocket Chassis has won the World Championship Race twice and Warrior Race Cars has three wins in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS season finale.
East Bay Raceway Park will host a practice session for the 7th Annual GM Performance Parts World Championship Race on Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Friday night, the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will compete in Qualifying and 15-lap Heat Races to set the first 18 starting positions for the main event.
On Saturday night, the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model series will compete in 20-lap B-Main Races to set the 19th through 25th starting spots, followed by the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 7th Annual GM Performance Parts World Championship Race.
On Friday, the pit gate will be open all day with NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Registration and Pre-Race Technical Inspection from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Drivers Meeting is set for 5 p.m. with Hot Laps at 5:30 p.m. and racing is scheduled for 7 p.m. On Saturday night, Driver Check-In will be from 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., the Drivers Meeting will be at 5:45 p.m., Hot Laps at 6 p.m., and racing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The Best Western Business and Conference Center Hotel in Brandon, FL is the Official Host Hotel for the 7th Annual $10,000-to-win NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series World Championship Race at East Bay Raceway Park on December 1-3. The Best Western will be offering NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS fans and competitors a special discount rate.
The Best Western Business and Conference Center Hotel is located one mile west of Exit 257 on I-75 on State Road 60, just minutes from East Bay Raceway Park with a plethora of restaurants surrounding the facility. There is a Beef O’Brady’s Restaurant and Sports Bar, and an American Pie Pizza Restaurant right on the property.
To make reservations call the Best Western Business and Conference Center Hotel at 813-621-5555 and be sure to ask for the special East Bay Raceway Park special discount rate of $55.00 per night.
For more information call East Bay Raceway Park at 813-677-7223, or visit the track web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com. East Bay Raceway Park is located five miles south of I-4 just off U.S. Highway 41.
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, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast. GM Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Hoosier Racing 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 Hedders is the Official Hedder of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and the Hedman Husler Award sponsor. Old Man’s Garage (OMG) is the sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region. NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2011 are Dominator Race Products, Race Car Engineering, KRC, QA 1 Precision Products, Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Schoenfeld Headers, Integra Racing Shocks, J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment, Cofields Racing Starters, Kinser Air Filters, Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and Stinger Race Cars.