By Bret Emrick
When the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series dawned in February, Clint Smith of Senoia,GA anxiously looked forward to the season. He had been down this road during the inaugural World of Outlaws tour in 2004. He knew it would be tough but he was ready.
With a Top 5 finish and a Top 10 finish to open the season at Voulsia Speedway Park in Florida, “The Cat Daddy” was “ok” with his seventh place Championship point standing. He thought he could do better when the season resumed in a few months.
A finish out of the Top 10 at Allegany County Speedway in Maryland wouldn’t cut it for Smith. The next night at Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, “The Cat Daddy” nailed his first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory and also went into the record books as the first winner of a World of Outlaws Late Model Series SPEED Channel broadcast. Plus, the win shot him into the runner-up standings in Championship points.
Smith fell to third after the April event at Lernerville Speedway in Pennsylvania but rebounded with his second trip to a World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory Lane after notching another win on May 14th at Butler Speedway in Michigan and moved back into the runner-up spot in Championship points.
Racing luck left Smith during the next three events with only one Top 10 finish. Two DNF’s saw Smith tumble to eighth in the points. Coming back with a Top 5 finish and a Top 10 finish in the next three events kept Smith from falling any further.
Good finishes and some not so good for Smith during late June through early June had been a trying time for the driver of the JP Drilling/CSR Aluminum/Turkey Creek Snack sponsored Jerry Passmore/Clint Smith owned No. 44 GRT Race Cars/Race Tek Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo. That stretch of races ended with Smith now in ninth place in the Championship points.
Heading for the Mid-South races in late July the gremlins that plagued Smith continued resulting in another drop in the point standings. But, two Top 10 finishes at Red River Valley Speedway in North Dakota moved “The Cat Daddy” back to the ninth position in points.
As the season continued on Smith chalked up enough Top 5 finishes and Top 10 finishes to stay comfortably in the ninth position in Championship points. “Cat Daddy” racked up a sold second place finish at Clarksville Racing Complex in Tennessee in late September solidifying his position in Championship points stating after the event, “We’re really happy after breaking last night (at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway) while running second. Tonight we sorta sealed our deal in points running second. So, we’ll take it and move on to the last two races and hopefully we’ll do pretty good.”
With two wins, seven Top 5 finishes and eighteen Top 10 finishes, Smith also was among the series leaders in heat race wins (8) and pole dash wins (5) giving “Cat Daddy” a ninth place finish in the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship chase.
2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Final Championship Points
Showing Pos., Car #, Driver, Residence, Entered, Starts, Wins, Top 5’s, Top 10’s, Fast Times, Heat Wins, “B” Wins, Dash Wins, Purse $ Won, Point Fund $ Won
9. # 44 Clint Smith – Senoia,GA: 39 – 39 – 2 – 7 – 18 – 1 – 8 – 2 – 5 - $78,600 - $31,000
The World Of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to the fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire and SPEED Channel. Promotional Partners include AMB i.t., RACEceiver, HUMMERSGONEWILD.COM, Zippo Lighters, and The University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors include DART Machinery, MSD Ignitions, Wrisco Industries, and Quarter Master.
When the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series dawned in February, Clint Smith of Senoia,GA anxiously looked forward to the season. He had been down this road during the inaugural World of Outlaws tour in 2004. He knew it would be tough but he was ready.
With a Top 5 finish and a Top 10 finish to open the season at Voulsia Speedway Park in Florida, “The Cat Daddy” was “ok” with his seventh place Championship point standing. He thought he could do better when the season resumed in a few months.
A finish out of the Top 10 at Allegany County Speedway in Maryland wouldn’t cut it for Smith. The next night at Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, “The Cat Daddy” nailed his first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory and also went into the record books as the first winner of a World of Outlaws Late Model Series SPEED Channel broadcast. Plus, the win shot him into the runner-up standings in Championship points.
Smith fell to third after the April event at Lernerville Speedway in Pennsylvania but rebounded with his second trip to a World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory Lane after notching another win on May 14th at Butler Speedway in Michigan and moved back into the runner-up spot in Championship points.
Racing luck left Smith during the next three events with only one Top 10 finish. Two DNF’s saw Smith tumble to eighth in the points. Coming back with a Top 5 finish and a Top 10 finish in the next three events kept Smith from falling any further.
Good finishes and some not so good for Smith during late June through early June had been a trying time for the driver of the JP Drilling/CSR Aluminum/Turkey Creek Snack sponsored Jerry Passmore/Clint Smith owned No. 44 GRT Race Cars/Race Tek Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo. That stretch of races ended with Smith now in ninth place in the Championship points.
Heading for the Mid-South races in late July the gremlins that plagued Smith continued resulting in another drop in the point standings. But, two Top 10 finishes at Red River Valley Speedway in North Dakota moved “The Cat Daddy” back to the ninth position in points.
As the season continued on Smith chalked up enough Top 5 finishes and Top 10 finishes to stay comfortably in the ninth position in Championship points. “Cat Daddy” racked up a sold second place finish at Clarksville Racing Complex in Tennessee in late September solidifying his position in Championship points stating after the event, “We’re really happy after breaking last night (at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway) while running second. Tonight we sorta sealed our deal in points running second. So, we’ll take it and move on to the last two races and hopefully we’ll do pretty good.”
With two wins, seven Top 5 finishes and eighteen Top 10 finishes, Smith also was among the series leaders in heat race wins (8) and pole dash wins (5) giving “Cat Daddy” a ninth place finish in the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship chase.
2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Final Championship Points
Showing Pos., Car #, Driver, Residence, Entered, Starts, Wins, Top 5’s, Top 10’s, Fast Times, Heat Wins, “B” Wins, Dash Wins, Purse $ Won, Point Fund $ Won
9. # 44 Clint Smith – Senoia,GA: 39 – 39 – 2 – 7 – 18 – 1 – 8 – 2 – 5 - $78,600 - $31,000
The World Of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to the fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire and SPEED Channel. Promotional Partners include AMB i.t., RACEceiver, HUMMERSGONEWILD.COM, Zippo Lighters, and The University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors include DART Machinery, MSD Ignitions, Wrisco Industries, and Quarter Master.
