NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS NATIONAL TOUR READY TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

               CARTERSVILLE, GA – The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour will make its annual trek to Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, TN this Saturday night for Round 15 of the 2010 season with the $3,000-to-win Thunder On The Mountain 50.  The championship battle is still going strong, but the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year title hunt is as hot as it gets.

               The defending NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS is the current point leader in quest of his second straight title.  Cooley leads Matthew Turner of Dawsonville , GA by 52 points coming into the Mountain Raceway Park Saturday night show.  Cooley has 1,270 points, and Turner has 1,218 points.

               In the first 14 races of the 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring season, Cooley has two wins and nine top five finishes.  Cooley has finished in the top ten in every race this season, and he has one fast time award.  Turner is still looking for his first win of the season, but he has seven top fives and 13 top tens in 14 starts.

               Turner just reached a major milestone, along with the series, last Sunday night at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL.  Turner made his 100^th consecutive NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring race appearance, and is the only drive to compete in every race the series has held since its inception in 2005.

               Justin McRee of Tuscaloosa, AL is still a title contender from the third spot with 1,140 points with one win, five top fives, nine top tens, and one fast time award.  The 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Champion will receive a $20,000 cash award and a new GM Performance 604 Crate Engine.

               Just behind J-Mac in the points chase are four drivers not only battling for positions in the National point standings, but drivers also battling for the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year title that pays an additional $5,000 to the top rookie driver in the point standings at the end of the season.  Coming into this Saturday night’s race at Mountain Raceway Park, just 100 points separate the top four VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year candidates.

               “Chargin’ Charlie” Henderson of Cottondale , AL currently leads the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year standings, and he is also fourth in the National standings with 1,044 points.  Henderson has two top five finishes and two fast time awards in 14 starts.

Henderson holds a slim ten-point lead over Shannon Lee of Lumberton , MS , who is also fifth in the National standings with 1,034 points.  Lee has turned in five top ten finishes in 14 starts.  Larry Harrod of Plains, GA is third in the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year points, and sixth in the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National standings with 996 points.

Harrod is 38 points behind Lee, and 48 points behind Henderson .  “The Big Tree,” as Harrod is known as due to his occupation as a logger, missed the first race of the season, but he still has one win, four top five finishes, six top ten finishes, and one fast time award in 13 starts.  Harrod is also a title contender for the 2010 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region title.

Michael Blount of Sumrall, MS, a Lamar County, MS Deputy Sheriff, is in hot pursuit of Henderson, Lee, and Harrod for the VP Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year Award.  Blount is fourth in the rookie points, and eighth in the National standings with 944 points.  Blount has a second-place finish this season and five top ten finishes in 14 starts.

Other top NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Touring expected this Saturday night include Chris McElhenney of Lake, MS, who is seventh in the National points, the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Champion Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA, and Troy Dixon of Temple, GA. 

The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring drivers will face a strong contingent of local NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region drivers that compete at Mountain Raceway Park every Saturday night.

Hunter Best of Louisville, TN is a NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region top 20 driver, and has two wins, seven top fives, and ten top tens in ten starts this season at Mountain Raceway Park.  Chris Wilson of Crossville, TN has three East Region wins this season at MRP, and Jason Welshan of Ten Mile, TN is a threat to win any race he enters at the historic track.

               Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN is expected, and the 2009 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Late Model Champion at MRP Josh “The Jet” Henry of Newport, TN is considering a return to “The Mountain” in quest of the $3,000 top prize.  East Tennessee veteran Jason Trammell of Knoxville, TN is another expected entrant.

Other top local drivers expected include Justin Summers of Greenback, TN, Jamison Settlemyre of Greenback, TN, Chuck Laney of Sevierville, TN, Weston Gantte of Dandridge, TN, Junior Walker of Maryville, TN, Herb Garner of Maryville, TN, David Young of Maryville, TN, Jake Teague of Wartburg, TN, Brad Coffey of Maryville, TN, Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN, and Steve Jones of Maryville, TN.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring event on Saturday night at Mountain Raceway Park will include time trials, preliminary qualifying races, and the 50-lap $3,000-to-win main event.  All eligible drivers entered in the race will receive 25 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series bonus points that will be added to their best 16 finish point totals.

On Saturday night, the pit gate opens at 3 p.m. , and the grandstand gates open at 4 p.m.   NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Registration and Pre-Race Tech Inspection will begin at 4 p.m.   Racing is scheduled for 7 p.m.   For more information about Mountain Raceway Park call 865-856-8989, or visit the track web site at www.mountainraceway.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.

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 Dealer four years running, and is also the nation’s number one volume dealer of Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC cars, trucks, SUVs and vans with free delivery anywhere in the Southeast.  GM Performance Parts is an Official Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series and Hard Charger Award sponsor.  Hoosier Race Tire is the Official Tire Sponsor of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  VP Racing Fuel is the Official Racing Fuel of the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series.  NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Contingency Sponsors for 2010 are Dominator Race Products, Race Car Engineering, KRC , Joe Gibbs Driven, Maximum Signs and Graphics, Mike Custom Tanks, Shorty’s Shock Service, Warrior Race Cars , Trak-Star Race Cars, GRT Race Cars, TNT Race Cars, and Rocket Chassis.