CARTERSVILLE, GA – The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring drivers are anxious to pick up where they left off for Round 15 of the 2009 season with a $3,000-to-win 50-lap main event this Saturday night at Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, TN. Drivers from eight different states are expected to converge on the historic 4/10-mile clay oval.
Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA will be looking for his second-straight and third win of the season at “The Mountain” on Saturday night. Rainey won the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring race at Mountain Raceway Park on July 18, which was also the last event held for the national tour.
That race featured two and three-wide action throughout the field, as Rainey won an exciting duel with National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, in what Rainey called the most exciting win of his career. Johnson will be back at The Mountain this Saturday night to get the “one that got away.”
Many of the fans in attendance for the July 18 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series event at Mountain Raceway Park said the two and three-wide action made for one of the best races they had ever seen at the track.
Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN, a National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee who went on to a successful NASCAR career, will also be in attendance at Mountain Raceway Park on Saturday night to meet and greet race fans with a special autograph and photo session from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Purvis drove in several national dirt late events at The Mountain in the 1980s.
Johnson and Purvis participated in several side-by-side duels during the first season of NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS competition in 2005, and the two Hall of Famers gave the series instant national recognition. Purvis was seriously injured in a highway accident in 2006 while traveling to a series event in Alabama which ended his illustrious racing career.
The NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National touring regulars battling for the 2009 $20,000 National Championship will be taking on some of the top drivers in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series that compete at Mountain Raceway Park on a weekly basis.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series is a series designed for non-touring drivers that compete against drivers other series tracks in the East Region using a points system that counts their best 16 finishes. Local drivers will earn NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series bonus points that will be added to their best 16 finish totals.
Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS is an 18-year-old driver in his sophomore season that is looking to make history by winning both the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Championship and the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region title in the same season. Cooley leads the National standings by 26 points and is sixth in the WRS West Region points.
Cooley also leads the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger point standings, as he has passed the most cars in the first 14 events of the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS season. At each event, a driver earns a GM Performance Parts Hard Charger point for each position they improve from the start of the race to the end of the race.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN is right on Cooley’s heels in his quest for his third title in the last four seasons. Gentry also has a title contender just 18 points behind him in the third spot with Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL. Boutwell has completed the most laps this season, 604 of a possible 610.
Rainey is also in championship contention from the fourth spot, 40 points behind Boutwell. Rainey has posted a series-leading four McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier Awards this season. The McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier from the July 18 series race at The Mountain, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA is fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings.
Turner is the “Ironman” of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, and he will looking to extend his amazing streak on Saturday night at The Mountain of being the only driver that has competed in every NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS event ever held since the series inception in 2005.
The drivers battling for the sixth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings are also locked in a tight battle for the 2009 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Award with just ten points separating them.
Chase Washington, a 19-year-old driver from Houlka, MS, is in the sixth spot in the National standings, and leads the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year points chase. At the end of the season, Sunoco Race Fuels will award the top rookie driver in the series national point standings with $5,000 and a new race car chassis.
Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS is a 20-year-old Junior at Mississippi State University. The Accounting major is seventh in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points and second in the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year standings.
Other NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring stars expected at The Mountain this Saturday night include Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, the defending NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA, Aaron Ridley of Chatsworth, GA, Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN, Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA, Jacob France of Mount Juliet, TN, Tom Maddox of Centre, AL, and Gathan Burns of Piedmont, AL.
Josh “The Jet” Henry of Newport, TN will lead the local contingent of NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series drivers for the National Touring event. The 18-year-old driver has seven NeSmith Chevrolet WRS wins at The Mountain this season.
Another “Young Gun” 15-year-old Hunter Best of Greenback, TN has three WRS wins at the Mountain this season, and was the second-fastest qualifier on July 18 for the last National Touring event. Other Mountain Raceway Park NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series winners this season expected Saturday night include Steve Jones of Maryville, TN, Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN, and Chris Ritchey of Maryville, TN.
Other Mountain regulars expected include Justin Summers of Maryville, TN, Brent Hensley of Russellville, TN, Weston Gantte of Dandridge, TN, Chuck Laney of Sevierville, TN, and Jamison Settlemyre of Maryville, TN.
The NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS competitors are scheduled to participate in McLeod Construction Qualifying, heat races, and the $3,000-to-win 50-lap main event. Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing scheduled for 7 p.m. For more information about Mountain Raceway Park call 865-856-8989, or visit the track web site at www.mountainraceway.net.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA will be looking for his second-straight and third win of the season at “The Mountain” on Saturday night. Rainey won the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring race at Mountain Raceway Park on July 18, which was also the last event held for the national tour.
That race featured two and three-wide action throughout the field, as Rainey won an exciting duel with National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, in what Rainey called the most exciting win of his career. Johnson will be back at The Mountain this Saturday night to get the “one that got away.”
Many of the fans in attendance for the July 18 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series event at Mountain Raceway Park said the two and three-wide action made for one of the best races they had ever seen at the track.
Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN, a National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee who went on to a successful NASCAR career, will also be in attendance at Mountain Raceway Park on Saturday night to meet and greet race fans with a special autograph and photo session from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Purvis drove in several national dirt late events at The Mountain in the 1980s.
Johnson and Purvis participated in several side-by-side duels during the first season of NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS competition in 2005, and the two Hall of Famers gave the series instant national recognition. Purvis was seriously injured in a highway accident in 2006 while traveling to a series event in Alabama which ended his illustrious racing career.
The NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National touring regulars battling for the 2009 $20,000 National Championship will be taking on some of the top drivers in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series that compete at Mountain Raceway Park on a weekly basis.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series is a series designed for non-touring drivers that compete against drivers other series tracks in the East Region using a points system that counts their best 16 finishes. Local drivers will earn NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series bonus points that will be added to their best 16 finish totals.
Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS is an 18-year-old driver in his sophomore season that is looking to make history by winning both the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Championship and the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region title in the same season. Cooley leads the National standings by 26 points and is sixth in the WRS West Region points.
Cooley also leads the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger point standings, as he has passed the most cars in the first 14 events of the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS season. At each event, a driver earns a GM Performance Parts Hard Charger point for each position they improve from the start of the race to the end of the race.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN is right on Cooley’s heels in his quest for his third title in the last four seasons. Gentry also has a title contender just 18 points behind him in the third spot with Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL. Boutwell has completed the most laps this season, 604 of a possible 610.
Rainey is also in championship contention from the fourth spot, 40 points behind Boutwell. Rainey has posted a series-leading four McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier Awards this season. The McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier from the July 18 series race at The Mountain, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA is fifth in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings.
Turner is the “Ironman” of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, and he will looking to extend his amazing streak on Saturday night at The Mountain of being the only driver that has competed in every NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS event ever held since the series inception in 2005.
The drivers battling for the sixth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings are also locked in a tight battle for the 2009 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Award with just ten points separating them.
Chase Washington, a 19-year-old driver from Houlka, MS, is in the sixth spot in the National standings, and leads the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year points chase. At the end of the season, Sunoco Race Fuels will award the top rookie driver in the series national point standings with $5,000 and a new race car chassis.
Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS is a 20-year-old Junior at Mississippi State University. The Accounting major is seventh in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points and second in the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year standings.
Other NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring stars expected at The Mountain this Saturday night include Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, the defending NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA, Aaron Ridley of Chatsworth, GA, Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN, Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA, Jacob France of Mount Juliet, TN, Tom Maddox of Centre, AL, and Gathan Burns of Piedmont, AL.
Josh “The Jet” Henry of Newport, TN will lead the local contingent of NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series drivers for the National Touring event. The 18-year-old driver has seven NeSmith Chevrolet WRS wins at The Mountain this season.
Another “Young Gun” 15-year-old Hunter Best of Greenback, TN has three WRS wins at the Mountain this season, and was the second-fastest qualifier on July 18 for the last National Touring event. Other Mountain Raceway Park NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series winners this season expected Saturday night include Steve Jones of Maryville, TN, Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN, and Chris Ritchey of Maryville, TN.
Other Mountain regulars expected include Justin Summers of Maryville, TN, Brent Hensley of Russellville, TN, Weston Gantte of Dandridge, TN, Chuck Laney of Sevierville, TN, and Jamison Settlemyre of Maryville, TN.
The NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS competitors are scheduled to participate in McLeod Construction Qualifying, heat races, and the $3,000-to-win 50-lap main event. Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing scheduled for 7 p.m. For more information about Mountain Raceway Park call 865-856-8989, or visit the track web site at www.mountainraceway.net.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
