CARTERSVILLE, GA – Round 21 of the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring season will take place this Saturday night at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL with a 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event. Drivers will have an opportunity to use this event as a tune-up race for the $10,000-to-win Red Top Auto Auctions Dega 100 at Talladega Short Track on October 22, 23, and 24.
Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS will be looking to Saturday night’s race to all but clinch the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship. Going into the weekend, Cooley has a 102-point lead over Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL for the top spot in the series point standings.
If the 18-year-old point leader can leave Talladega Short Track on Saturday night with a 97-point lead, all Cooley has to do is start the final two point races of the season at South Mississippi Speedway in Gulfport, MS on October 16 and 17 to claim the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship.
Along with Cooley and Boutwell, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, and Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA will be looking to keep their title hopes alive this Saturday night at the quarter-mile clay oval known as “The Hornet’s Nest.” Along with battling for spots in the point standings, several drivers will also be looking to pick up post-season bonus awards.
Cooley and Turner will be looking for their second wins of the season, and Rainey will be hunting his third win of the season. Turner leads Rainey for the third spot in the National standings by 44 points. Rainey will also be looking to pick up his fifth McLeod Construction Fast Time Award, and the $1,000 that goes to the driver with the most fast time awards this season.
Boutwell will be looking to put his first mark of the season in the win column at Talladega Short Track. The “Baker Lawbreaker” also leads the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger point standings by six points over Cooley. The driver with the most GM Performance Parts Hard Charger points at the end of the season picks up a $1,000 bonus.
Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS are locked in a tight battle for the $5,000 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Award, as well as the fifth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings. McCreary leads Washington by just two points coming into this Saturday night’s event at Talladega Short Track.
Also expected this Saturday night at Talladega Short Track are Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA, Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN, and Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL. Knowles recently clinched the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Championship, after winning the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year title in 2008.
Knowles will return to Talladega Short Track looking for the one that got away earlier this season, Knowles was the McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier at the season-opener for the series in January at the Ice Bowl at TST, and led 30 of 40 laps before the handling went away on his race car. Knowles has two wins this season in National Touring competition.
The local contingent will be led by a pair of former NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champions. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region Champion Adam Martin of Talladega, AL has six wins this season at TST, and leads the track point standings. Martin will be looking to clinch the third spot in the 2009 East Region point standings.
The 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region Champion Logan Yates of Delta, AL has three TST wins this season. Jerry Goodwin of Wilsonville, AL is ninth in the East Region standings with four TST wins this season. Jimmy Elkins Jr. of Talladega, AL is second in the TST point standings and tenth in the East Region standings.
Talladega Short Track will host a practice session on Thursday night with the gates opening at 5 p.m., and practice from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring cars will compete in McLeod Construction Qualifying, Heat Races, B-Main races, and the 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event on Saturday night at Talladega Short Track. Gates open at 4 p.m., the drivers meeting will be at 6:30 p.m., and racing is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For more information call Talladega Short Track at 256-591-1545, or visit the track web site at www.talladegashorttrack.com. For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS will be looking to Saturday night’s race to all but clinch the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship. Going into the weekend, Cooley has a 102-point lead over Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL for the top spot in the series point standings.
If the 18-year-old point leader can leave Talladega Short Track on Saturday night with a 97-point lead, all Cooley has to do is start the final two point races of the season at South Mississippi Speedway in Gulfport, MS on October 16 and 17 to claim the $20,000 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship.
Along with Cooley and Boutwell, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, and Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA will be looking to keep their title hopes alive this Saturday night at the quarter-mile clay oval known as “The Hornet’s Nest.” Along with battling for spots in the point standings, several drivers will also be looking to pick up post-season bonus awards.
Cooley and Turner will be looking for their second wins of the season, and Rainey will be hunting his third win of the season. Turner leads Rainey for the third spot in the National standings by 44 points. Rainey will also be looking to pick up his fifth McLeod Construction Fast Time Award, and the $1,000 that goes to the driver with the most fast time awards this season.
Boutwell will be looking to put his first mark of the season in the win column at Talladega Short Track. The “Baker Lawbreaker” also leads the GM Performance Parts Hard Charger point standings by six points over Cooley. The driver with the most GM Performance Parts Hard Charger points at the end of the season picks up a $1,000 bonus.
Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS and Chase Washington of Houlka, MS are locked in a tight battle for the $5,000 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Award, as well as the fifth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings. McCreary leads Washington by just two points coming into this Saturday night’s event at Talladega Short Track.
Also expected this Saturday night at Talladega Short Track are Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS, Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA, Todd Morrow of East Ridge, TN, and Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL. Knowles recently clinched the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Championship, after winning the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year title in 2008.
Knowles will return to Talladega Short Track looking for the one that got away earlier this season, Knowles was the McLeod Construction Fast Qualifier at the season-opener for the series in January at the Ice Bowl at TST, and led 30 of 40 laps before the handling went away on his race car. Knowles has two wins this season in National Touring competition.
The local contingent will be led by a pair of former NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champions. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region Champion Adam Martin of Talladega, AL has six wins this season at TST, and leads the track point standings. Martin will be looking to clinch the third spot in the 2009 East Region point standings.
The 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet WRS East Region Champion Logan Yates of Delta, AL has three TST wins this season. Jerry Goodwin of Wilsonville, AL is ninth in the East Region standings with four TST wins this season. Jimmy Elkins Jr. of Talladega, AL is second in the TST point standings and tenth in the East Region standings.
Talladega Short Track will host a practice session on Thursday night with the gates opening at 5 p.m., and practice from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring cars will compete in McLeod Construction Qualifying, Heat Races, B-Main races, and the 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event on Saturday night at Talladega Short Track. Gates open at 4 p.m., the drivers meeting will be at 6:30 p.m., and racing is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For more information call Talladega Short Track at 256-591-1545, or visit the track web site at www.talladegashorttrack.com. For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
