CARTERSVILLE, GA – The Winter Classic at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS this Saturday is up next for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour. Round 2 of the 2009 season will be a 40-lap $2,500-to-win event that will see many new faces vying for top ten point positions, with many series veterans trying to get back into the mix.
Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN won the season opener for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour on January 4 at Talladega Short Track, and in doing so, has become the “Poster Boy” for economy dirt late model racers.
Hall won the event with a five-year-old Rocket chassis powered by a $3,000 two-year-old GM Performance 602 steel-head Crate Engine with the original factory sealing bolts. As he did at Talladega Short Track, the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point leader will tow to Columbus, MS with a ½-ton pick-up truck towing his race car on an open trailer.
Veteran dirt late model pilot Danny Peoples of Margaret, AL is second in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points, and is part of a potent two-car team racing for the 2009 series championship. Peoples will team with his stepson, 2006 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion Jason Wilson of Margaret, AL.
Wilson finished fifth at Talladega Short Track to give the Tommy Pope Construction team a pair of top five finishes. Wilson is also the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the year point leader. Peoples and Wilson have indicated they will run the entire 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring schedule.
Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL finished ninth in the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points, and started off the 2009 season with a fourth-place finish at Talladega Short Track. Hiett also finished fifth in the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region point standings.
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN is the defending and two-time champion of the Winter Classic, and is the only driver in the history of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Tour to win at least one race in each of the four previous seasons of series competition. The Chattanooga Flash is currently seventh in the National points.
Another Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year candidate in 2009 is 18-year-old Kyle Berry of Poplar Bluff, MO. After graduating from Street Stock competition, Berry finished eighth at Talladega Short Track in his first race against National competition. Berry is another driver looking to run the full 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring schedule.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN is back on the National Tour full-time for 2009, and began his quest for a third title with a ninth-place finish at Talladega Short Track.
Several Top 10 drivers from the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings will be looking to race their way back into championship contention at the Winter Classic, including the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA.
Brindle had to take a provisional to start the season opener, and then raced to a 14th-place finish. The 2008 National Championship Runner-Up Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL also had to take a provisional to start the TST race, and finished 12th.
Last year’s third-place driver in National points, 2008 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL started off the season in strong fashion by taking the McLeod Construction Fast Time Award at the season opener among the 87 entrants, and led the first half of the race, but could only salvage a 23rd-place finish after the handling went away on his race car.
Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA failed to qualify for the season opener, but the fourth-place driver in the 2008 points will be looking to get back on track at Columbus Speedway, a track where he has a series win. Chris Tays of Corinth, MS finished fifth in the points last season, and will be looking to come back after a hard crash at TST.
Other 2008 top drivers expected for the Columbus Speedway event this Saturday include Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA, Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS, Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA, Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, 2007 Winter Classic winner Jay Blair of Angie, LA, Chad Wallace of LaGrange, GA, and Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS.
Among the other new faces looking to challenge for the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Championship expected at Columbus Speedway include Sunoco Race Fuel Rookie of the Year candidates Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS, Cody Smith of Holt, FL, Billy Scarbrough of Ethelsville, AL, and Jacob France of Mount Juliet, TN.
The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Track Champion Tony Shelton of Columbus, MS will lead the local contingent of drivers for the Winter Classic that also include Mark Stokes of Steens, MS, Reed Long of Columbus, MS, and Eddie Rickman of Columbus, MS.
Several top drivers from the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing West Region expected to make the trip to Columbus Speedway include defending champion Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS, two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS, and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS.
Columbus Speedway will host an open practice session on Friday night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Saturday, the gates open at 9 a.m. with NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Registration and Tech from 9:30 a.m. until the drivers meeting at 12:30 p.m. Racing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
On Saturday, the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS will compete in McLeod Construction Time Trials to set the Top 6 starting spots for the Winter Classic, B-main Races to fill starting positions seven through 24, and the 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event.
Columbus Speedway is located seven miles east of Columbus, MS 1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 82. Takes Stokes Road, 1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 82, then turn right on Lacy Road. The track will be ¾-mile on the left. For more information call 662-241-5004, or visit the track web site at www.columbusspeedway.net.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
Brad Hall of Knoxville, TN won the season opener for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour on January 4 at Talladega Short Track, and in doing so, has become the “Poster Boy” for economy dirt late model racers.
Hall won the event with a five-year-old Rocket chassis powered by a $3,000 two-year-old GM Performance 602 steel-head Crate Engine with the original factory sealing bolts. As he did at Talladega Short Track, the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point leader will tow to Columbus, MS with a ½-ton pick-up truck towing his race car on an open trailer.
Veteran dirt late model pilot Danny Peoples of Margaret, AL is second in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points, and is part of a potent two-car team racing for the 2009 series championship. Peoples will team with his stepson, 2006 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion Jason Wilson of Margaret, AL.
Wilson finished fifth at Talladega Short Track to give the Tommy Pope Construction team a pair of top five finishes. Wilson is also the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the year point leader. Peoples and Wilson have indicated they will run the entire 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring schedule.
Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL finished ninth in the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points, and started off the 2009 season with a fourth-place finish at Talladega Short Track. Hiett also finished fifth in the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region point standings.
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN is the defending and two-time champion of the Winter Classic, and is the only driver in the history of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Tour to win at least one race in each of the four previous seasons of series competition. The Chattanooga Flash is currently seventh in the National points.
Another Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year candidate in 2009 is 18-year-old Kyle Berry of Poplar Bluff, MO. After graduating from Street Stock competition, Berry finished eighth at Talladega Short Track in his first race against National competition. Berry is another driver looking to run the full 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring schedule.
Two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN is back on the National Tour full-time for 2009, and began his quest for a third title with a ninth-place finish at Talladega Short Track.
Several Top 10 drivers from the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings will be looking to race their way back into championship contention at the Winter Classic, including the defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA.
Brindle had to take a provisional to start the season opener, and then raced to a 14th-place finish. The 2008 National Championship Runner-Up Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL also had to take a provisional to start the TST race, and finished 12th.
Last year’s third-place driver in National points, 2008 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL started off the season in strong fashion by taking the McLeod Construction Fast Time Award at the season opener among the 87 entrants, and led the first half of the race, but could only salvage a 23rd-place finish after the handling went away on his race car.
Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs, GA failed to qualify for the season opener, but the fourth-place driver in the 2008 points will be looking to get back on track at Columbus Speedway, a track where he has a series win. Chris Tays of Corinth, MS finished fifth in the points last season, and will be looking to come back after a hard crash at TST.
Other 2008 top drivers expected for the Columbus Speedway event this Saturday include Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA, Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS, Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA, Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA, Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA, 2007 Winter Classic winner Jay Blair of Angie, LA, Chad Wallace of LaGrange, GA, and Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS.
Among the other new faces looking to challenge for the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Championship expected at Columbus Speedway include Sunoco Race Fuel Rookie of the Year candidates Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, MS, Cody Smith of Holt, FL, Billy Scarbrough of Ethelsville, AL, and Jacob France of Mount Juliet, TN.
The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Track Champion Tony Shelton of Columbus, MS will lead the local contingent of drivers for the Winter Classic that also include Mark Stokes of Steens, MS, Reed Long of Columbus, MS, and Eddie Rickman of Columbus, MS.
Several top drivers from the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing West Region expected to make the trip to Columbus Speedway include defending champion Jim McDuffie of Meridian, MS, two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS, and Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS.
Columbus Speedway will host an open practice session on Friday night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Saturday, the gates open at 9 a.m. with NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Registration and Tech from 9:30 a.m. until the drivers meeting at 12:30 p.m. Racing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
On Saturday, the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS will compete in McLeod Construction Time Trials to set the Top 6 starting spots for the Winter Classic, B-main Races to fill starting positions seven through 24, and the 40-lap $2,500-to-win main event.
Columbus Speedway is located seven miles east of Columbus, MS 1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 82. Takes Stokes Road, 1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 82, then turn right on Lacy Road. The track will be ¾-mile on the left. For more information call 662-241-5004, or visit the track web site at www.columbusspeedway.net.
For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
