SEPTEMBER
23, 2015
Southern Nationals Bonus Series Set for $3,500-to-win
Tarheel 50 October 2nd at Tri-County Race Track
The 12th Annual running of the Ray Cook-promoted and
Rick’s Rental-sponsored Tarheel 50 presented by Jacky
Jones Automotive Group and Hogsed’s Sports Wear of Warne,
NC is set to go on Friday Night October 2, 2015 at the Tri-County
Race Track in Brasstown, NC. An open practice session on Thursday
Night October 1st from 6:00 until 9:30 pm will kick-off this
special event.
The Southern Nationals Bonus Series-sanctioned event will pay
$3,500 to win / $300 to start event and feature a complete show
for the Super Late Models including practice, Time Trials, Dash,
Last Chance Races and the 53-lap main event which will start
20 cars. The Limited/Crate Late Models will race for $600 to
win and a $200 bonus to the highest finishing Crate, the Interstate
Welding Modified Streets race for $400 to win and the Pony division
will race for $300 to win. The 2nd Annual Street Stock Shootout
that was postponed from a few weeks ago will be ran paying $500-to-win.
This will be the final racing event of the season for Tri-County
Race Track.
It’s been a ‘Who’s Who’ of dirt Late
Model racing that has been in attendance at the event or has
won the event since the inception in 2004 at Tri-County Race
Track and when the event was held at Cleveland (TN) Speedway.
Until 2012, no driver from the Tarheel State of North Carolina
had won the event until local hot-shoe David Payne of Murphy
captured the $3,500 victory over Indiana’s Don O’Neal.
Only Casey Roberts is a three-time winner of this event. The
regional stars will face off with the track’s hot-bed
of weekly competitors including Shawn and Johnny Chastain along
with Jamie Oliver, George Mashburn all from Murphy, NC; Danny
Ledford from Warne, NC; David Payne of Murphy, NC; Kenny Collins
of Colbert, GA. Also expected is National star Jonathan Davenport
of Blairsville, Ga., World of Outlaws Late Model Series star
Shane Clanton of Zebulon, GA, Clint Smith of Senoia, GA; Donald
McIntosh of Dawsonville, GA; Casey Roberts of Toccoa, GA, Austin
Smith of Cedartown, GA along with many other local and regional
competitors are expected.
Casey Roberts has won every major Super Late Model event since
2013 so a bounty has been placed on Roberts for this year’s
Tarheel 50 sponsored by Circuit World of Murphy, NC. Any driver
who beats Roberts on the track for the win will receive $1,000.
Roberts, however must finish the race in order for the bounty
to be claimed. If Roberts does indeed win the race, he will
receive the $1,000 bonus and could possibly take home $4,500.
Also, a $1,000 bonus will go to anyone that has never won the
Tarheel 50 race before. Past winners Billy Moyer, Shane Clanton,
Jonathan Davenport, Dennis Franklin, Kayne Hickman, Dale McDowell,
Casey Roberts and David Payne are ineligible for that $1,000
bonus. Fast Time and Dash money will be available and will be
released as the event draws near.
For Thursday’s open practice, grandstand admission is
free and all pit passes will be $15.00. On Friday October 2nd
both grandstand and pit gates will open at 5:00 pm with the
Driver’s Meeting slated for 6:45 pm and racing to begin
at around 7:00 pm. Adult General Admission is $18.00 with children
11-16 admitted for $10.00 while children ten and under are admitted
for Free. Adult Pit Passes are $30.00 with children 11-16 admitted
for $20.00 while children under ten are admitted for Free.
Previous series winners at Tri-County Race Track this season
have included Austin Smith of Cedartown, Ga. on July 9th (Southern
Nationals Bonus Series) and Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga. on
July 30th (Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series).
With lots to do in the area to open the Month of October, be
sure to take in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Super Late
Models that will also be in action at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock,
GA (October 3rd) and Rome Speedway in Rome, GA (October 4th)
for the annual Dixie Shootout weekend as the Nation’s
best will compete for two big nights of racing action. Plenty
goes on the first weekend in October in the Western Carolina
/ North Georgia area in addition to the majestic Mountain views
and the harvest leaves at their peak.
The Southern Nationals Bonus Series by Collins Signs will utilize
the following Tire Rule for Tri-County: American Racer 44, 48
& 56 and Hoosier 1300, 1350 & 1600. At each Old Man’s
Garage Spring Nationals, Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals
and Southern Nationals Bonus Series event in 2015, the highest
finishing CT525 engine in the main event will receive a $200
bonus and the highest finishing Steel Head/SPEC engine will
also receive a $200 bonus.
Further information on the Tri-County Race Track can be obtained
by calling the track Hotline at (828) 837-3815 or Ray Cook (@RayCook53)
at (828) 360-5353 or log on to www.TriCountyRaceTrack.com.
Further information on the Spring Nationals, Southern Nationals
and Southern Nationals Bonus Series can be obtained by calling
Promoter Ray Cook at (828) 360-5353 or Series P.R. Coordinator
Chris Tilley at (606) 219-1723 or visit the official website
located at www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com.
Southern Nationals Bonus Series/Tri-County Payoff: 1) $3,500,
2) $1,500, 3) $1,000, 4) $900, 5) $800, 6) $700, 7) $600, 8)
$550, 9) $500, 10) $480, 11) $460, 12) $440, 13) $420, 14) $400,
15) $380, 16) $360, 17) $350, 18) $350, 19) $350, 20) $350.
Previous Tarheel 50 Winners:
2004-Billy Moyer-Batesville, AR
2005-Shane Clanton-Fayetteville, GA
2006-Jonathan Davenport-Blairsville, GA
2007-Dennis Franklin-Gaffney, SC
2008-Kayne Hickman-Soddy Daisy, Tenn.
2009-Dale McDowell-Chickamauga, Ga.
2010-Rained Out
2011-Casey Roberts-Toccoa, Ga.
2012-David Payne-Murphy, N.C.
2013-Casey Roberts-Toccoa, Ga.
2014-Casey Roberts-Toccoa, Ga.
Current Southern Nationals Bonus Series Points (after
Sept. 6):
1. David Payne-1,440 (Murphy, NC)
2. Tommy Bailey-930 (Corbin, KY)
3. Michael Chilton-922 (Salvisa, KY)
4. Victor Lee-750 (Danville, KY)
5. Austin Smith-720 (Cedartown, GA)
6. Justin Rattliff-590 (Campbellsville, KY)
7. Stephen Breeding-556 (Isom, KY)
8. Jerry Rutherford-429 (Lawrenceburg, KY)
9. Ross White-423 (Knoxville, TN)
10. Ronnie Payne-405 (Murphy, NC)
Southern Nationals Bonus Series Winners:
March 21-Randy Weaver (Boyd’s Speedway)
July 4-Shane Clanton (Senoia Raceway)
July 9-Austin Smith (Tri-County Race Track)
July 18-Mike Marlar (Richmond Raceway)
September 3-Jackie Boggs (201 Speedway)
September 4-Dustin Linville (Ponderosa Speedway)
September 5-Justin Rattliff (Richmond Raceway)
September 6-Chad Ogle (Tazewell Speedway)
Southern Nationals Bonus Series/Upcoming Events:
October 2-Tri-County Race Track-Brasstown, NC-$3,500 to win
October 9/10-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-$25,000 to
win
November 14-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA-$5,000 to win
November 21-Cleveland Speedway-Cleveland, TN-$5,000 to win
