By Roby Helm
MOORESVILLE, NC - Dating back to the early 90s, the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series made North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, GA a regular stop. The series, now known as the Xtreme DirtCar Series, will be returning to the 3/8-mile clay oval this Saturday night for the first time since 1996 for the Peach State Dirt Classic 60-lap $10,000-to-win main event.
In the past, North Georgia Speedway has been good to both the touring pros and the local drivers looking to make a name for themselves in the national spotlight of dirt late model racing. The track also has been the springboard for several drivers that have won series events at other tracks, and other drivers that have become well known on the national level.
Brian Hickman of Soddy Daisy, TN began the history between the series and Chatsworth, GA track with a victory on July 19, 1991. The defending and two-time NGS Late Model Champion John Jones of Ringgold, GA was just as strong at his home track in 1992 by taking the HAT/XDCS win on August 14.
Gary McPherson of Dalton, GA is an eight-time NGS Late Model Champion, and defended his home turf by putting a HAT/XDCS win at the top of his resume on July 16, 1993. After 1993, the traveling pros had the place figured out.
Four-time XDCS Champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN picked up one of his 90 XDCS career wins at NGS on July 16, 1994. The 1998 national championship runner-up, Skip Arp of Georgetown, TN won the HAT/XDCS event at NGS on July 5, 1995.
The 1996 XDCS Champion Freddy Smith of Knoxville, TN has had the most success at NGS in series action, by sweeping the two series events during his championship season on July 20 and September 14, 1996.
Several NGS regulars like Rex Richey of Ringgold, GA, Marshall Green of Dalton, GA, and Bobby Turner of Ballground, GA have also posted series wins at other tracks during their respective careers. Richey and Green are former Southern All-Star Regional series champions.
Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA, Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC, and Shane Tankersley of Morganton, GA are well-known on the national level of dirt late model racing, but they always seem to return to NGS to keep their racing skills sharp.
McDowell, the 1999 XDCS Champion and last year's championship runner-up won two big events at NGS last season. McDowell has gotten off to a tough start in the 2003 XDCS season, and is currently 12th in points. McDowell will be looking forward to the familiar site of NGS this Saturday night.
Johnson is ranked fifth in all-time XDCS career wins with 19, and he won the Grant Adcox Memorial Race at NGS last September. Cook has finished in the top ten of the XDCS point standings for the last eight seasons, and had three wins last season at NGS.
Tankersley, who finished second in the series points last season and was the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year runner-up, continues to show improvement, and showed his polished talents at NGS just a few weeks ago with a NGS win.
Other top local favorites expected to take on the traveling pros are several drivers from Murphy, NC. Members of the "Murphy Mafia" include David Payne, David Killian, Johnny Chastain and Shawn Chastain. Another expected Peach State drivers include Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, GA and Ricky Williams of Fayetteville, GA.
These local and regional favorites will be looking to gun down the best drivers in the country, led by XDCS point leader Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI. In the first five events on the 2003 XDCS season, Mars has one win, three top fives, five top tens and one fast time. Mars holds a slim six-point lead over Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL.
Pearson has one win this season, with two top fives, and four top tens. Steve Francis of Ashland, KY is third in the XDCS points chase with three top fives in the first five XDCS events.
For the defending and two-time XDCS Champion Rick Eckert of York, PA, the first five events of the 2003 season have been the best of times and the worst of times. The good times have Eckert with two wins, but the worst of times has him finishing outside the top ten in the other three events. Despite the elevator ride, Eckert is fourth in the series standings.
Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA has made his championship hopes known, and is fifth in points, just 83 points behind Mars. Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH is sixth in points followed by the 2002 UMP Late Model Champion Terry English of Benton, KY.
Bloomquist won the latest series race, his 90th series career-leading victory and the 400th overall, on April 13 in Gastonia, NC. The win vaulted Bloomquist up to the eighth spot in the series points chase. Bloomquist sees Eckert looming in the series record books, and his Drive For Five could keep Eckert from winning a record three straight championships.
Mike Balzano of Parkersburg, WV is ninth in points and Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI rounds out the top ten. Rob Blair of Titusville, PA is 11th, just four points outside the top ten, followed by McDowell, Randy Korte of Highland, IL, Randle Chupp of Mooresville, NC, Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year point leader Matt Miller of Waterville, OH.
Rounding out the top 20 in XDCS points are Steve Shaver of Parkersburg, WV, Cook, Rick Aukland of Zanesville, OH, Tankersley and Smith. In addition to his NGS win earlier this season, Tankersley was the fourth-quick qualifier and had a ninth-place finish at the Gastonia, NC XDCS event. Smith has a couple of big wins in unsanctioned events in the Southeast this season.
The schedule of events for Saturday night has the pit gate opening at 1:30 p.m., the grandstand gate opens and competitor registration begins at 3 p.m., the drivers meeting will be at 5 p.m., with hot laps set for 5:45 p.m., and qualifying scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
There will be a live webcast presented by Autobet.US on the Xtreme DirtCar Series web site at www.xtremedirtcars.com beginning at 9:30 p.m.
For race day and ticket information call North Georgia Speedway at (706) 695-3313, or visit their web site at www.northgeorgiaspeedway.net. North Georgia Speedway is located 5.2 miles south of Alternate S.R. 52 on S.R. 225, then 3/10-miles west on Raceway Drive, or exit I-75 at exit 317, then go 13.4 miles north on S.R. 225.
MOORESVILLE, NC - Dating back to the early 90s, the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series made North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, GA a regular stop. The series, now known as the Xtreme DirtCar Series, will be returning to the 3/8-mile clay oval this Saturday night for the first time since 1996 for the Peach State Dirt Classic 60-lap $10,000-to-win main event.
In the past, North Georgia Speedway has been good to both the touring pros and the local drivers looking to make a name for themselves in the national spotlight of dirt late model racing. The track also has been the springboard for several drivers that have won series events at other tracks, and other drivers that have become well known on the national level.
Brian Hickman of Soddy Daisy, TN began the history between the series and Chatsworth, GA track with a victory on July 19, 1991. The defending and two-time NGS Late Model Champion John Jones of Ringgold, GA was just as strong at his home track in 1992 by taking the HAT/XDCS win on August 14.
Gary McPherson of Dalton, GA is an eight-time NGS Late Model Champion, and defended his home turf by putting a HAT/XDCS win at the top of his resume on July 16, 1993. After 1993, the traveling pros had the place figured out.
Four-time XDCS Champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN picked up one of his 90 XDCS career wins at NGS on July 16, 1994. The 1998 national championship runner-up, Skip Arp of Georgetown, TN won the HAT/XDCS event at NGS on July 5, 1995.
The 1996 XDCS Champion Freddy Smith of Knoxville, TN has had the most success at NGS in series action, by sweeping the two series events during his championship season on July 20 and September 14, 1996.
Several NGS regulars like Rex Richey of Ringgold, GA, Marshall Green of Dalton, GA, and Bobby Turner of Ballground, GA have also posted series wins at other tracks during their respective careers. Richey and Green are former Southern All-Star Regional series champions.
Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA, Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC, and Shane Tankersley of Morganton, GA are well-known on the national level of dirt late model racing, but they always seem to return to NGS to keep their racing skills sharp.
McDowell, the 1999 XDCS Champion and last year's championship runner-up won two big events at NGS last season. McDowell has gotten off to a tough start in the 2003 XDCS season, and is currently 12th in points. McDowell will be looking forward to the familiar site of NGS this Saturday night.
Johnson is ranked fifth in all-time XDCS career wins with 19, and he won the Grant Adcox Memorial Race at NGS last September. Cook has finished in the top ten of the XDCS point standings for the last eight seasons, and had three wins last season at NGS.
Tankersley, who finished second in the series points last season and was the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year runner-up, continues to show improvement, and showed his polished talents at NGS just a few weeks ago with a NGS win.
Other top local favorites expected to take on the traveling pros are several drivers from Murphy, NC. Members of the "Murphy Mafia" include David Payne, David Killian, Johnny Chastain and Shawn Chastain. Another expected Peach State drivers include Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, GA and Ricky Williams of Fayetteville, GA.
These local and regional favorites will be looking to gun down the best drivers in the country, led by XDCS point leader Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI. In the first five events on the 2003 XDCS season, Mars has one win, three top fives, five top tens and one fast time. Mars holds a slim six-point lead over Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL.
Pearson has one win this season, with two top fives, and four top tens. Steve Francis of Ashland, KY is third in the XDCS points chase with three top fives in the first five XDCS events.
For the defending and two-time XDCS Champion Rick Eckert of York, PA, the first five events of the 2003 season have been the best of times and the worst of times. The good times have Eckert with two wins, but the worst of times has him finishing outside the top ten in the other three events. Despite the elevator ride, Eckert is fourth in the series standings.
Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA has made his championship hopes known, and is fifth in points, just 83 points behind Mars. Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH is sixth in points followed by the 2002 UMP Late Model Champion Terry English of Benton, KY.
Bloomquist won the latest series race, his 90th series career-leading victory and the 400th overall, on April 13 in Gastonia, NC. The win vaulted Bloomquist up to the eighth spot in the series points chase. Bloomquist sees Eckert looming in the series record books, and his Drive For Five could keep Eckert from winning a record three straight championships.
Mike Balzano of Parkersburg, WV is ninth in points and Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI rounds out the top ten. Rob Blair of Titusville, PA is 11th, just four points outside the top ten, followed by McDowell, Randy Korte of Highland, IL, Randle Chupp of Mooresville, NC, Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year point leader Matt Miller of Waterville, OH.
Rounding out the top 20 in XDCS points are Steve Shaver of Parkersburg, WV, Cook, Rick Aukland of Zanesville, OH, Tankersley and Smith. In addition to his NGS win earlier this season, Tankersley was the fourth-quick qualifier and had a ninth-place finish at the Gastonia, NC XDCS event. Smith has a couple of big wins in unsanctioned events in the Southeast this season.
The schedule of events for Saturday night has the pit gate opening at 1:30 p.m., the grandstand gate opens and competitor registration begins at 3 p.m., the drivers meeting will be at 5 p.m., with hot laps set for 5:45 p.m., and qualifying scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
There will be a live webcast presented by Autobet.US on the Xtreme DirtCar Series web site at www.xtremedirtcars.com beginning at 9:30 p.m.
For race day and ticket information call North Georgia Speedway at (706) 695-3313, or visit their web site at www.northgeorgiaspeedway.net. North Georgia Speedway is located 5.2 miles south of Alternate S.R. 52 on S.R. 225, then 3/10-miles west on Raceway Drive, or exit I-75 at exit 317, then go 13.4 miles north on S.R. 225.
