Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series News Release:  Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157

January 18, 2014

THOMAS CALLS IN TO COLLECT $10,000 FOR CHEVY SUPER SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                 DAWSONVILLE, GA – William Thomas of Phenix City, AL dropped a dime to collect $10,000 for winning the 2013 Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series Championship.  Thomas was unable to attend the NeSmith Racing Awards Banquet on Saturday night at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, but his wife Alexis accepted his awards, and William address the gathering via telephone.

                “It’s been a great season and we really enjoyed racing in the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series,” Thomas said from Tucson, AZ where he was competing in the Winter Classic.  “Tim Busha, Ronnie Johnson and Matthew Turner really made us race hard for the championship, and that just goes to show you how competitive the Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine is.”

                The economical all-aluminum Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine is based off the production Chevrolet LS3 Engine that comes in the Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Camaro and the Chevrolet SS available at Chevrolet dealerships worldwide.  With an engine that has an initial cost of $10,000; Thomas made headlines by winning races against open engines costing four times more.

                “We’ve had a lot of success this season with the Chevrolet Performance CT525, and won enough big races the first two weeks we ran it to pay for it, and that’s something that’s unheard of in today’s super late model racing,” Thomas said.  “I believe in this engine so much, we brought it all of the way out here to Arizona to compete against the open motors.”

                Thomas also thanked his car owner and sponsors, and gave credit to his crew chief, Zack Kinsey, who was named the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series Crew Chief of the Year earlier in the evening.

                “I want to thank Alexander’s Industrial Service for giving me a great GRT Race Car to drive, and my crew chief Zack Kinsey for preparing it all season long,” Thomas said.  “I also want to thank Mike Vaughn for putting this season together, Chevrolet Performance for supporting it, the track owners for putting on the races, and the fans for coming out to see us race.”

With the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series in 2013, Thomas won four of the seven races with six top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes driving the Alexander’s Industrial Service GRT.  Tim Busha of Boaz, AL and Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN turned in the same point totals behind Thomas in the standings, but Busha won the tie-breaker with two wins.

                Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA took the fourth spot in the standings with one win, and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS collected the fifth-place trophy.  Adam Martin of Talladega, AL finished sixth, and Chase Edge took the stage to accept the seventh-place trophy. 

Ross Martin of Talladega, AL made two trips to the podium to collect his eighth-place trophy, and the sixth-place trophy for his son Adam, who was under the weather and could not attend.  David Brannon of Elora, TN picked up the ninth-place trophy.

The Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series made history in its inaugural season as the first “Factory Backed and Factory Built” super late model series in the country.  The super late model race cars powered by the Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine created their own style of super late model racing where two and three-wide racing was the rule rather than the exception.

During his State of the Series Address during the Awards Banquet, NeSmith Racing Founder and CEO Mike Vaughn said he was happy with how the Chevrolet Super Late Model Series turned out in its first season, and he was anticipating bigger and better things for the series in 2014.

“We didn’t start out with full fields with the Chevy Super Series this season because like anything new in dirt late model racing, a lot of people took a wait and see attitude towards it,” Vaughn said.  “Those people didn’t have to wait long to see that this was going to be something special.”

Vaughn said the all-aluminum Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine gave these super late models an opportunity to race two and three-wide all night long and give racers an economical way to do it.

“Everywhere we went, the fans were amazed with the action and they all looked forward to seeing the series again,” Vaughn said.  “There is going to be growth in the Chevy Super Series for 2014, as this new brand of “Factory Backed and Factory Built” racing is quickly gaining popularity with competitors, fans, promoters and track owners.  There will be new competitors, new fans, and new tracks in 2014 for the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.”

Vaughn announced that ten races are currently on the 2014 Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series schedule, and that at least five more events will be announced in the coming weeks.  The first race of the 2014 Chevy Super Series will be a 50-lap $3,000-to-win $300-to-start event at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL on March 15.

For more information about the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.525superseries.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series. 

 

Chevrolet Performance Parts is the Title Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Hedman Hedders is the Official Hedder of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series and the Hedman Husler Award sponsor.  Bilstein Shocks is the Official Spec Shock of the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series.  Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2013 are Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, AR Bodies, Velocita Racewear, KRC Power Steering, Lazer Race Cars, and Landrum Springs. 

-30-