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

November 5, 2014

A LOOK BACK AT NeSMITH LATE MODELS - 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                CARTERSVILLE, GA – In the coming days as the 10th Annual Chevrolet Performance World Championship Race approaches on November 20-22, NeSmith Racing will take a look back at the first ten years of the series and the first nine World Championship races.

                The year was 2005.  Dirt Late Model car owner Mike Vaughn was introduced to the economical Chevrolet Performance 604 circle track engine the year before by Dixie Speedway promoter the late Mike Swims.  The idea was to produce an engine for dirt late models that cost under $5,000, and was built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications.

                Many said this concept would never work and that both the fans and competitors would reject it.  Vaughn thought it made sense and embraced the idea.  Many that shared Vaughn’s interest in the engine encouraged him to start a touring series.  Thus for the 2005 season, Crate Racin’ USA was born and a limited schedule of races was well attended.

                Many of the top weekly late model drivers in the Southeastern United States competed in the first season, as well as a pair of National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Inductees, Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN and Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN.

Denny Clayton of Ringgold, GA was the first Crate Racin’ USA Champion and among the race winners during the 2005 season were won by Johnson, Stacy Roberts of Sylvester, GA, Don Jenkins and Owen Olsteen.  At the completion of the first Crate Racin’ USA season, Vaughn still wanted to do one more race and make it big.

The Inaugural World Championship Race was scheduled for East Bay Raceway in Tampa, FL on December 3, 2005.  It would be a 100-lap $10,000-to-win race.  Among the 64 entrants were some of the top super late model drivers in the country that included Hall of Fame drivers Purvis, Johnson, Mike Head Ellenwood, GA and Jack Pennington of Winston, GA.

The field also included UMP National Late Model Champion Rodney Melvin of Benton, IL, former Dirt Track World Championship Race winner Marshall Green of Dalton, GA, Scott Sexton of Pigeon Forge, TN and NASCAR star Ken Schrader of Fenton, MO. 

A young driver out of Newport, TN, who was well known as a multi-time UMP Modified Champion, Jimmy Owens, was in the field and just beginning his dirt late model career.

Driving the Warrior House Car, Owens would battle for the lead with Melvin early in the race.  Owens led the first four laps before Melvin led lap five.  Owens reclaimed the lead on lap six and would lead the rest of the way to pick up the win.  Melvin finished second with Sexton taking the third spot.  Jimmy Sharpe of Vidalia, GA finished fourth and Schrader rounded out the top five.

                “It really helps the profit margin when you can win $10,000 with a $4,800 GM Performance crate engine,” Owens said.  “That with a perfectly set up Warrior chassis put us here in victory lane tonight.”

In preliminary action, John Anderson of Omaha, NE was the Fast Qualifier and the six Heat Races were won by Melvin, Owens, Sexton, Sharpe, Schrader and Roberts.  The three B-Main Races were won by Danny Jolly of Christopher, IL, Scott Hutchinson of Johnson City, IL, and Jeff Mathews of Tampa, FL.

With the first season under its belt and 64 entrants for the first World Championship Race, a strong foundation was built for the future of Crate Racin’ Racin’ USA.  The nay-sayers were still out there saying it was nothing more than a fad in dirt late model racing, but there were also a lot of cheerleaders saying this form of dirt late model was good for the sport.

Would there be growth for Crate Racin’ USA and the World Championship Race in 2006?  Stay tuned for the next installment of “A Look Back!”

For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series all-new 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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE INAUGURAL CRATE RACIN’ USA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT EAST BAY RACEWAY PARK IN TAMPA, FL ON 12/3/05:

POS        STRT     CAR #    DRIVER                               HOMETOWN                     LAPS     $ WON 

1.             2              20           Jimmy Owens                     Newport, TN                        100         $10,000
2.             1              59           Rodney  Melvin                   Benton, IL                            100         $5,000
3.             3              8s            Scott Sexton                         Pigeon Forge, TN               100         $3,000
4.             4              X             Jimmy Sharpe                    Vidalia, GA                          100         $2,000
5.             5              99           Ken Schrader                      Fenton, MO                          100         $1,750
6.             7              0k           John Anderson                    Omaha, NE                          100         $1,500
7.             24           5              Ronnie Johnson                  Chattanooga, TN                100         $1,300
8.             8              40           Marshall Green                  Woodstock, GA                   100         $1,200
9.             9              44           Shannon Buckingham       Morristown, TN                  100         $1,100
10.          14           9d           Ed Kosiski                            Ralston, NE                          100         $1,000
11.          15           38           Chris Mullinax                   Birmingham, AL                100         $800
12.          13           41           Tim Busha                           Boaz, AL                              100         $700
13.          18           15           Jeff Purvis                           Clarksville, TN                   100         $600
14.          11           2              Devin Dixon                         Riverview, FL                     100         $500
15.          26           32           Roger Crouse                      Plant City, FL                     99           $450
16.          16           3              Mike Collins                        Council Bluffs, IA              82           $440
17.          23           27           Pete Cochran                       Villa Rica, GA                     78           $430
18.          17           66           Jake Knowles                      Tyrone, GA                          77           $420
19.          10           9              Frank Ingram                     Acworth, GA                        63           $400
20.          6              11r         Stacey Roberts                    Sylvester, GA                      63           $400
21.          22           01           Jack Pennington                 Winston, GA                        46           $400
22.          25           99s          Denny Slayton                     Rossville, GA                       42           $400
23.          12           P1           Josh Peacock                       Dover, FL                             36           $400
24.          20           13h         Scott Hutchinson                Johnston City, IL               27           $400
25.          21           007         Jeff Mathews                       Tampa, FL                           21           $400
26.          19           U2           Danny Jolly                         Christopher, IL                   16           $400

ENTRIES:  64
PROVISIONALS:  Slayton and Crouse
LEAD CHANGES: 2
LAP LEADERS:  Owens, 1-4; Melvin, 5; Owens, 6-100
LAPS LED:  Owens, 99; Melvin, 1
HARD CHARGER:  Johnson (started 24th and finished 7th)
CAUTIONS:  8
TIME OF THE RACE:  59 Minutes, 21.220 Seconds

QUALIFICATIONS:

HEAT RACES (15 Laps – Top 3 Finishers Transfer To A-Main):

                1ST HEAT:  1. Melvin; 2. Anderson; 3. Busha; 4. Pennington; 5. Crouse; 6. Barrett; 7. Browning; 8. Williams; 9. Prewitt; 10. Jordan.

                2ND HEAT:  1. Owens; 2. Green; 3. E. Kosiski; 4. Jolly; 5. Ward; 6. Haugen; 7. Roberts; 8. DuSabban; 9. Stanley; 10. S. Smith.

                3RD HEAT:  1. Sexton; 2. Buckingham; 4. Hutchinson; 5. Z. Nichols; 6. Whitener; 7. Mathis; 8. Cochran; 9. Bilbrey; 10. Nodine.

                4TH HEAT:  1. Sharpe; 2. Ingram; 3. Collins; 4. J. Smith; 5. Parker; 6. Davis; 7. Pipkin; 8. Ferguson; 9. Turner; 10. Beard; 11. Cobb.

                5TH HEAT:  1. Schrader; 2. D. Dixon; 3. Knowles; 4. Mathews; 5. Johnson; 6. Ashby; 7. Kay; 8. R. Dixon; 9. Kinsey; 10. Slayton.

                6TH HEAT:  1. Roberts; 2. Peacock; 3. Purvis; 4. S. Kosiski; 5. Cline; 6. Head; 7. Thomason; 8. Champ; 9. Grumbles.

B-MAINS (20 Laps – Top 2 Finishers Transfer To A-Main):

                1ST B-MAIN:  1. Jolly; 2. Pennington; 3. Crouse; 4. Williams; 5. Ward; 6. Barrett; 7. Roberts; 8. Prewitt; 9. Jordan; 10. Browning; 11. DuSabban; 12. Haugen; 13. S. Smith.

                2ND B-MAIN:  1. Hutchinson; 2. Cochran; 3. Turner; 4. Mathis; 5. Davis; 6. Pipkin; 7. Fields; 8. Ferguson; 9, Cobb; 10. Z. Nichols; 11. Beard; 12. Parker; 13. J. Smith.

                3RD B-MAIN:  1. Matthews; 2. Johnson; 3. S. Kosiski; 4. Head; 5. Grumbles; 6. Dixon; 7. Thomason; 8. Cline; 9. Kinsey; 10. Ashby; 11. Slayton; 12. Kay.

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.  RockAuto.com is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Racecar Engineering is the Official Parts Supplier of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  Renegade Race and Performance Fuels are a series Associate Sponsor and fuel supplier.  Schaeffer’s Oil Presented By Chad Wallace and Heather Newsome is the Official Oil of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  AR Bodies is an Associate Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2014 are Dominator Race Products, Stealth Racing Carburetors, Modern Images, Mike Custom Tanks, Schoenfeld Headers, Kinser Air Filters, Performance Rod & Custom, and David Smith Carburetors.  2014 Chassis Sponsors are Trak-Star Race Cars, Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and CVR Race Cars.