CLARKSVILLE, TN – Shannon Buckingham of Morristown, TN will lead a host of the top dirt late model drivers in the Southeast to Penton Raceway in Penton, AL for a 40-lap $2,000-to-win event, the eighth round of the 2006 StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour. Buckingham is red-hot coming into the event and leads the series National point standings.
Buckingham has won three of the last four events with the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour, and is the only driver to post top ten finishes in all seven of the previous events this season. Buckingham, in only his second season of dirt late model racing, holds a 28-point lead over David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN.
Gentry won the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series season opener on January 8 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL, but since then, the winner’s circle has eluded Gentry. Nonetheless, Gentry has had it in his sights with four second-place finishes, including the last three events.
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN is third in the StormPay.com DLMS National points chase with two wins season. The “Chattanooga Flash” is only six points behind Gentry. Peach State drivers Jeff Smith of Villanow, GA and Jeff Smith of Aragon, GA are fourth and fifth respectively in StormPay.com National points.
Carnell Parker III of Clarksville, TN is sixth, followed by the top Rookie of the Year candidate 20-year-old Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA in seventh, and Zach Nichols of Cedartown, GA in the eighth spot.
Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN, another National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee and successful NASCAR veteran, is in the ninth spot, and 18-year-old Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA rounds out the top ten in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National point standings coming into the Penton, AL event on the 3/8-mile clay oval.
The top ten in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour represents what the series was founded for, and is all about.
The dirt late models in the StormPay.com series are powered by economical V-8 engines, built and sealed by GM Performance. The special bolts that seal the inner components of these engines cannot be tampered with. This prevents competitors from making any expensive modifications to the engines.
These GM Performance engines are ready to race right out the packing crate, which has given these engines the name “Crate Engines.” An unlimited dirt late model engine can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000. The GM Performance Crate Engines cost one-tenth of that. The aluminum-head engine costs just under $5,000 and the steel-head engine costs just under $3,000.
With equal engines under the hood, more competitive emphasis is placed on driving skill and chassis set up. This enables a level playing field for nationally-known stars like Johnson and Purvis, regional stars like Gentry and Nichols, successful weekly racers like Smith, Fields and Parker, and young drivers looking to make a name for themselves like Buckingham, Beard, and Nipper.
There is one more element that the Crate Engine concept the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series has brought to the sport to add to the mix. Several weekly racers from Alabama that compete in the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series are also expected to compete against the National Touring drivers at Penton Raceway on June 23.
The StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series gives Crate Late Model drivers an opportunity to compete against each other for regional and national points without leaving the friendly confines of their home track.
StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series sanctioned tracks in Alabama are Talladega Short Track, Childersburg Speedway in Childersburg, AL, and Thunder Mountain Speedway in Fyffe, AL. These tracks will be giving their StormPay.com Crate Late Model Divisions the weekend off so their drivers can compete in the national events on June 23 at Penton Raceways, and on June 24 at Talladega Short Track.
Among the entrants expected for the Penton Raceway event are the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series East Region top drivers that include Jason Wilson, John Pierce, Carlton Freeman, Jimmy Elkins, Logan Yates, Steve Kirk, Buddy George, Tim Staples, Chris Hill, and Kasey Hall.
The StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series will compete in Time Trials, the StormPay.com Lightning Quick 6 Dash, B-Mains, and the 40-lap $2,000-to-win Feature Race on June 23 at Penton Raceway. The gates will open at 5 p.m., with the drivers meeting set for 7 p.m., immediately followed by hot laps and racing action.
For more information call Penton Raceway at 334-864-0666, or visit the track web site at www.pentonraceways.com. For more information about the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.stormpayracing.com.
Buckingham has won three of the last four events with the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour, and is the only driver to post top ten finishes in all seven of the previous events this season. Buckingham, in only his second season of dirt late model racing, holds a 28-point lead over David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN.
Gentry won the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series season opener on January 8 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL, but since then, the winner’s circle has eluded Gentry. Nonetheless, Gentry has had it in his sights with four second-place finishes, including the last three events.
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN is third in the StormPay.com DLMS National points chase with two wins season. The “Chattanooga Flash” is only six points behind Gentry. Peach State drivers Jeff Smith of Villanow, GA and Jeff Smith of Aragon, GA are fourth and fifth respectively in StormPay.com National points.
Carnell Parker III of Clarksville, TN is sixth, followed by the top Rookie of the Year candidate 20-year-old Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA in seventh, and Zach Nichols of Cedartown, GA in the eighth spot.
Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN, another National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee and successful NASCAR veteran, is in the ninth spot, and 18-year-old Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA rounds out the top ten in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National point standings coming into the Penton, AL event on the 3/8-mile clay oval.
The top ten in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour represents what the series was founded for, and is all about.
The dirt late models in the StormPay.com series are powered by economical V-8 engines, built and sealed by GM Performance. The special bolts that seal the inner components of these engines cannot be tampered with. This prevents competitors from making any expensive modifications to the engines.
These GM Performance engines are ready to race right out the packing crate, which has given these engines the name “Crate Engines.” An unlimited dirt late model engine can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000. The GM Performance Crate Engines cost one-tenth of that. The aluminum-head engine costs just under $5,000 and the steel-head engine costs just under $3,000.
With equal engines under the hood, more competitive emphasis is placed on driving skill and chassis set up. This enables a level playing field for nationally-known stars like Johnson and Purvis, regional stars like Gentry and Nichols, successful weekly racers like Smith, Fields and Parker, and young drivers looking to make a name for themselves like Buckingham, Beard, and Nipper.
There is one more element that the Crate Engine concept the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series has brought to the sport to add to the mix. Several weekly racers from Alabama that compete in the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series are also expected to compete against the National Touring drivers at Penton Raceway on June 23.
The StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series gives Crate Late Model drivers an opportunity to compete against each other for regional and national points without leaving the friendly confines of their home track.
StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series sanctioned tracks in Alabama are Talladega Short Track, Childersburg Speedway in Childersburg, AL, and Thunder Mountain Speedway in Fyffe, AL. These tracks will be giving their StormPay.com Crate Late Model Divisions the weekend off so their drivers can compete in the national events on June 23 at Penton Raceways, and on June 24 at Talladega Short Track.
Among the entrants expected for the Penton Raceway event are the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series East Region top drivers that include Jason Wilson, John Pierce, Carlton Freeman, Jimmy Elkins, Logan Yates, Steve Kirk, Buddy George, Tim Staples, Chris Hill, and Kasey Hall.
The StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series will compete in Time Trials, the StormPay.com Lightning Quick 6 Dash, B-Mains, and the 40-lap $2,000-to-win Feature Race on June 23 at Penton Raceway. The gates will open at 5 p.m., with the drivers meeting set for 7 p.m., immediately followed by hot laps and racing action.
For more information call Penton Raceway at 334-864-0666, or visit the track web site at www.pentonraceways.com. For more information about the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.stormpayracing.com.
