FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
By Chris Tilley, Series P.R. Coordinator
BRASSTOWN, NC (June 26, 2015)—The Southern Nationals Bonus Series presented by Collins Signs will be gearing up for a huge Fourth of July Weekend as the tour will travel to Tri-County Race Track in Brasstown, NC on Friday July 3rd for the Fifth annual Independence Day Championship race and Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA on Saturday Night July 4th for the Inaugural Billy Clanton Memorial race.
In addition to the two Southern Nationals Bonus Series events, the make-up event for the Old Man’s Garage Spring Nationals Series by Schaeffer’s Oil will be in action for a full show on Sunday Night July 5th at the Swainsboro Raceway in Swainsboro, Ga. paying $6,000-to-win and $500-to-start making it a three day weekend of nice paying races for both tours. Each night will feature a complete show of practice, FK Rod Ends Qualifying, Dash, Last Chance Heats and main events.
The Southern Nationals Bonus Series will take to the Western North Carolina oval at Tri-County Race Track during the Independence Day weekend special racing for $3,000-to-win and $300-to-start. The Crate Late Models ($800-to-win), Interstate Welding Modified Street ($400-to-win), Street Stocks ($300-to-win) and the Pony class ($300-to-win) will all be racing during the night’s activities. A Fireworks show will light up the evening sky during intermission. On July 3rd at Tri-County the pit gates open at 4:00 pm, grandstand gates swing open at 5:00 pm and the drivers meeting will be at 7:00 pm with hot laps to follow. Adult general admission is $18.00 while Adult pit passes are $30.00.
The series will sanction the Billy Clanton Memorial race at the Senoia (Ga.) Raceway on Saturday Night July 4th and will pay $4,025-to-win as part of a double-header weekend. The ($25) on the winner’s amount signifies Clanton’s number he ran when he raced. There will also be features for the Limited Late Models, Crate Late Models, B-Cadet, Hobby Stock, Bombers, Mini Stock and Legends cars. The pits will open at 4:00 pm, grandstands open at 5:00 pm, hot laps are at 7:00 pm. Adult general admission is $20.00 while adult pit passes are $35.00. At Senoia Raceway July 4th the leader at lap 25 will receive a $250.00 award courtesy of GW Performance.
Billy Clanton started racing at the dirt tracks in the mid-1960’s and continued until his son Rusty began racing in 1993. He gave racing up for a few years but returned to the track around 1996 for a short stint before retiring. Billy even built race cars with fellow Georgia native and Hall of Famer Roscoe Smith. Two of Billy’s sons Joey and Rusty have had primarily asphalt racing backgrounds. Rusty did some All-Pro racing and Joey went on to win an ASA Championship and eventually drive in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Billy’s other son Shane concentrated on the dirt tracks and has went on to win some of the sport’s largest events including the World and Dream 100 at Eldora Speedway and currently runs with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
Clanton’s son Shane is thrilled about the chance to race in his father’s Memorial race. “I’m really excited to run in it as a Super Late Model race. It was tried before at Seven Flags (Ga.) Speedway as a Limited Late Model race but I’m excited to have the opportunity to race in it. All of the family is looking forward to it and they’ll all be here,” stated Shane.
Series promoter Ray Cook also shares Clanton’s sentiments regarding the event on the schedule. “We’re really excited to be sanctioning the Billy Clanton Memorial at Senoia Raceway. Since they’ve opened this year, they’ve done a lot of good things down there. We want to thank the Clanton family and Senoia Raceway for having us in to sanction this race on July 4th,” commented Cook.
The Paul Purvis owned Swainsboro Raceway located in Swainsboro, Ga. will host the Old Man’s Garage Spring Nationals Series on Sunday Night July 5th paying $6,000-to-win and $500-to-start. Along with the Spring Nationals Late Models, the Crate Late Models and support classes will all be on the racing card. At Swainsboro on July 5th, the gates will open at 1:00 pm, Drivers Meeting at 6:30 pm and Hot Laps will roll out around 7:00 pm. Adult general admission is $15.00 while pit passes go for $35.00.
The Southern Nationals Bonus Series made two previous visits to Tri-County Race Track in 2014 with Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga. taking both events wins that came during the Independence Day Championship race in July and the Tarheel 50 in October. The events that were scheduled for March 27th and May 25th were cancelled due to rain. The event at Senoia Raceway will be a new venue for the Southern Nationals Bonus Series and Swainsboro Raceway will be hosting the make-up Spring Nationals Series race from April 17th.
Randy Weaver dominated the season opening event for the Southern Nationals Bonus Series on March 21st at Boyd’s (Ga.) Speedway claiming the $4,000 payday over Donald McIntosh, Jason Hiett, Bub McCool and David Payne.
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. The tire rule for Senoia will be: 1350 & 1600 and 48 & 56. The tire rule for Swainsboro will be: Hoosier- 1300 (LO1), 1350 (LO3), 1600 (LO6), LM 40 (both front and rear); American Racer- 44, 48, 56 (both front and rear). 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 .
Senoia Raceway is located at 171 Brown Road in Senoia, GA 30276. For more information on Senoia Raceway, please call (770) 599-6161 or log on to www.SenoiaRaceway.com .
Swainsboro Raceway is located at 586 Modoc Road in Swainsboro, GA 30401. For more information on Swainsboro Raceway, please call (478) 252-1300 or log on to www.SwainsboroRaceway.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) $3,000, 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) $340, 18) $320, 19) $300, 20) $300, 21) $300, 22) $300.
Southern Nationals Bonus Series/Senoia Raceway Payoff: 1) $4,025, 2) $2,000, 3) $1,200, 4) $800, 5) $700, 6) $600, 7) $575, 8) $550, 9) $525, 10) $500, 11) $480, 12) $460, 13) $440, 14) $420, 15) $400, 16) $400, 17) $400, 18) $400, 19) $400, 20) $400, 21) $400, 22) $400.
Spring Nationals Series/Swainsboro Raceway Payoff: 1) $6,000, 2) $3,000, 3) $1,800, 4) $1,200, 5) $1,000, 6) $900, 7) $800, 8) $700, 9) $680, 10) $660, 11) $640, 12) $620, 13) $600, 14) $580, 15) $560, 16) $540, 17) $520, 18) $500, 19) $500, 20) $500, 21) $500, 22) $500.
Current Southern Nationals Bonus Series Points (after March 21)
1. Randy Weaver-200 (Crossville, TN)
2. Donald McIntosh-196 (Dawsonville, GA)
3. Jason Hiett-194 (Oxford, AL)
4. Bub McCool-192 (Vicksburg, MS)
5. David Payne-190 (Murphy, NC)
6. Mike Tinker-188 (Ringgold, GA)
7. Riley Hickman-186 (Cleveland, TN)
8. Billy Ogle Jr.-184 (Knoxville, TN)
9. William Thomas-182 (Phenix City, AL)
10. Derek Ellis-180 (Chatsworth, GA)
Upcoming Southern Nationals Bonus Series Races & Winners:
March 21-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA (Randy Weaver)
July 3-Tri-County Race Track-Brasstown, NC-$3,000 to win
July 4-Senoia Raceway-Senoia, GA-$4,025 to win
July 18-Richmond Raceway-Richmond, KY-$10,028 to win
