CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Three of the four NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region title contenders earned enough points Saturday to tighten up the point standings for the top three points fund-paying spots.
Lucky Keeton, of Toomsuba, the defending and three-time NeSmith Chevrolet West Region Champion, picked up his ninth win of the season at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park in Hattiesburg in the Boland Performance Trak-Star. The victory netted him two points, and he has moved to within three points of the West Region leader Johnny Stokes, of Columbus.
Cliff Williams, of Star, grabbed his seventh win of the season at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, driving the Ware Construction Trak-Star, and netting 25 points in his 17th start of the season. Justin McRee, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., finished second Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park and netted eight points.
Stokes finished second Saturday night at North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, Ala., but failed to net any points with a low car count of seven, which only awarded 39 points for a second-place finish. Stokes still leads the West Region standings with 945 points based on his best 16 finishes in 29 starts.
Keeton is second with 942 points based on his best 16 finishes in 29 starts. McRee is third with 926 points based on his best 16 finishes in 17 starts, and Williams is fourth with 921 points based on his best 16 finishes. All four drivers are still alive for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship with the addition of two more West Region races.
There are still six possible races the top four drivers in the West Region standings can compete in to try and net additional points before the season ends Oct. 3. Hattiesburg Motorsports Park will host double feature races on Saturday night in the only Week 26 event on the schedule. It will then host a pair of $1,000-to-win races on Oct. 1 in Week 27.
Stokes, Keeton, and Williams have all posted West Region wins this season at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park. Other Week 27 events are scheduled for Oct. 2 at Greenville Speedway in Greenville with double-features, Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, and Whynot Motorsports Park, according to the tracks” web sites.
Stokes still can earn a “perfect score” of 950 points, which represents 16 50-point wins and 150 bonus points for competing in six NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Touring events.
Stokes can still net on one 48-point third-place finish and three 49-point second-place finishes. Keeton can still net points on one 48 and five 49s that would bring his possible point total to 949 with six more 50-point wins.
McRee can net on a 41, a 44, a 46 and three 49s that would bring his total to 948 points with six more wins. Six straight wins by Williams would net on two 41s, two 47s and two 49s to bring his possible season point total to 947.
The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Champion Adam Martin of Talladega, Ala., took his fourth straight and sixth win of the season on Saturday night at Talladega Short Track in the Martin Racing Barry Wright to close out their 2010 season.
For a rundown of the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point standings in the East and West Regions, go to www.nesmithracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at NeSmith Racing.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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