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

February 8, 2013

NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS OFF TO A RECORD BREAKING START TO 2013 SEASON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                CARTERSVILLE, GA – The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series opened its 2013 season in record-breaking fashion during the Rock Auto.com Speedweeks Presented By Racecar Engineering at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala on January 29 through February 2.  The following is a “By The Numbers” synopsis of how it played out.

                $75,435.00 – Paid out in prize money, point fund money, and contingency awards over the five-nights of competition.

                $20,000.00 – Paid out in point fund and contingency awards.  Rock Auto.com and Racecar Engineering combined to pay out $10,000.00 in cash awards to the Top 15 in points, with $2,000.00 going to Rock Auto.com Speedweeks Presented By Racecar Engineering Champion Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL, and each driver in the Top 15 receiving at least $500.00 cash.

                Drivers finishing in the 16th through 30th spots received product worth at least $500.00 from the following manufacturers:  VP Racing Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Velocita Racewear, Hendren’s Racing Engines, Mike’s Custom Tanks, KRC Power Steering, Dominator Race Products, Bilstein Shocks, Hedman Headers, Simpson Safety Products, MSD Ignitions, Stealth Racing Carburetors, PRC and AR Bodies.

                $9,125.00 – Earned by Rock Auto.com Speedweeks Presented By Racecar Engineering Champion Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL.  Hollingsworth earned three $2,000 victories and three Smiley’s Racing Products Fast Time Awards during the five-race series.

                72 – A Series Speedweek record number of different drivers that participated in at least one of the five nights of racing.

                62 - A NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Speedweek record number of average car count during the five-race series.

                46 – Drivers that qualified for at least one of the five NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series main events during the Rock Auto.com Speedweeks Presented By Racecar Engineering at Bubba Raceway Park.

                14 – Different states and provinces of Canada represented by Speedweeks competitors.  The roll call of states is as follows:

1. Florida – 13
2. Mississippi – 13
3. Georgia – 11
4. Tennessee – 9
5. Alabama – 6
6. Pennsylvania – 4
7. Ontario Canada – 4
8. Virginia – 3
9. West Virginia – 3
10. North Carolina – 2
11. Illinois – 1
12. Kentucky – 1
13. South Carolina – 1
14. Wisconsin – 1

                209 – Laps completed of a possible 210 laps run in five nights of racing by Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA.

119 – Laps led of a possible 210 laps run over five races by NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point leader and Rock Auto.com Speedweeks Presented By Racecar Engineering Champion Ronny Lee Hollingsworth. 

Seven different drivers led the field at least once during the five-race series.  Also leading laps were Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN (28), Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL (24), Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL (23), Brad Smith of Clemmons, NC (7), Mike Pegher Jr. of Cranberry Township, PA (5), and Tait Davenport of Benton, KY (4).

48 – Points earned by defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Touring Division Chassis Champion Warrior Race Cars built by Goddard Performance of Knoxville, TN, who leads the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Chassis Manufacturers Challenge point standings.  Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL drove a Warrior to victory on January 30.

Rocket Chassis of Shinnston, WV is second in the Chassis standings with 42 points and Joey Coulter of Concord, NC drove a Rocket to the Smiley’s Racing Products Fast Time Award on February 1.  GRT Race Cars of Greenbrier, AR is third with 38 points and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS drove a GRT to the Smiley’s Racing Products Fast Time Award on January 29. 

TNT Race Cars of Piney Flats, TN is tied for third in the NeSmith Chevrolet Chassis Manufacturers Challenge standings with 38 points.  CVR Race Cars of Loudon, TN is fifth with 33 points, Trak-Star Race Cars built by Boland Performance of Cuba, AL is sixth with 26 points, and Stinger Race Cars built by J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment of Rockford, TN is seventh with 11 points.

                35 – Positions improved over five races by the Hedman Husler point leader, defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Defending Champion Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA.

                15 – Career NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series main events wins by the series’ all-time Career Win leader, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN, who picked up win number 15 on February 2.  Johnson is the only driver who has posted series wins in seven of nine seasons.

                14.744 seconds – The new NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Track Record at Bubba Raceway Park shared by Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL and Joey Coulter of Concord, NC during Smiley’s Racing Products Qualifying.

                3 – Times the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series old Bubba Raceway Park track record of 15.477 seconds set on November 30, 2012 by Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL was broken during the five nights of Speedweeks competition in Smiley’s Racing Products Qualifying.

                Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS set a new track record of 15.115 on January 29, and two other drivers, Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL and Bobby Richardson of Eustis, FL were also under the old track record.  Ronny Lee Hollingsworth lowered the track record to 14.913 seconds on January 30, and Justin McRee of Cottondale, AL was also under the time set the night before by Barrett.

                Hollingsworth lowered the track record to 14.744 seconds on January 31, and McRee was also under the mark set by Hollingsworth on the previous night.  Joey Coulter matched the 14.744 second time on February 1.

                0 – In a testimony of just how tough the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series competition was during the Rock Auto.com Speedweeks Presented By Racecar Engineering at Bubba Raceway Park, no driver was able to post neither a top five nor a top ten finish in all five nights of competition.

                The next event for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be the $5,000-to-win 3rd Annual Rumble On The Gumbo 75 at Greenville Speedway in Greenville, MS on April 12-13.  The more information, visit the Greenville Speedway web site at www.greenvillespeedway.net.

For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at NeSmith Racing.  Becoming a fan of the NeSmith Racing Facebook page will make you eligible for special prizes that will be given away each month.  You can follow us on Twitter @NeSmithRacing.

 

NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Claxton, GA is the Title Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet, Buick, GMC is the nation’s number one GM Powertrain and Performance Dealer six years running, with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast.  Chevrolet Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Hoosier Racing Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Hedman Hedders is the Official Hedder of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and the Hedman Husler Award sponsor.  Bilstein Shocks is the Official Spec Shock of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Old Man’s Garage is the sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series.  RockAuto.com and VP Racing Fuels are Official Sponsors of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2013 are Dominator Race Products, Race Car Engineering, KRC, Stealth Racing Carburetors, Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Schoenfeld Headers, J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment, Kinser Air Filters, AR Bodies, Velocita Racewear, and Performance Rod & Custom.  2013 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, Stinger Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars. 

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