The Southern Nationals mini-series always offers up great racing over the two week period in which it runs each summer. And the 2017 version of the Ray Cook-promoted series is proving to be no different as the final three races loom ahead with three drivers tightly bunched within 24 points of each other.
The Southern Nationals was originally slated for an eleven race schedule over a swath of territory that would include action on eleven different tracks located in four separate states. It will conclude this weekend in a sweep through east Tennessee with events set at the Crossville Speedway on Thursday, Smoky Mountain Speedway on Friday, and the finale at Tazewell Speedway on Saturday. The race originally planned for last Sunday night at Rome(GA) Speedway was rained out and re-set for August 20th as a non points paying affair.
Coming into this weekend’s action, Brandon Overton of Evans, GA leads Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, TN by 12 points and Dawsonville, GA driver Donald McIntosh by 24 markers.
Brandon Overton
Overton came into the Southern Nationals having won races in virtually every series that sanctions events in Dirt Late Model racing. Those wins have included the season opening event for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Georgia’s Golden Isles Speedway and the $30,000-to-win World of Outlaws Late Models sanctioned Firecracker 100 at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway. And so far, the pilot of the No. 116 Chip Stone/Randy Weaver Longhorn Chassis has not disappointed as he has posted two victories in the seven features contested to date. He has not recorded a finish outside the top-10 during the series.
Shanon Buckingham
Although without a win in the series thus far, Buckingham has proven to be the model of consistency to this point. The Double Down Motorsports driver has placed his Longhorn Chassis on the podium at the end of the night four times in the seven races held with an eighth being his worst result. The No. 50 machine has recorded two runner-up finishes along with two third place efforts over the course of the fortnight.
Donald McIntosh
McIntosh has been the big winner so far in this edition of the Southern Nationals with three triumphs to his credit. At the same time, those wins have proven to be the Blount Motorsports entry’s only top-5 finishes during this seven race stretch. The No. 7 Rocket Chassis reeled off those victories in succession in the third, fourth and fifth races on the tour with two paying $3,500 and one paying out $5,300.
While Overton and McIntosh have dominated victory lane in the the 2017 Southern Nationals, the two highest paying events were won by drivers who have not followed the entire series. Vic Hill won the opener at Wythe Raceway in Virginia which doled out $10,000 to the victor while Casey Roberts took home $10,053 for his efforts at Georgia’s Screven Motor Speedway.
The three remaining races pay $3,500, $5,300 and $10,000 respectively at Crossville, Smoky Mountain and Tazewell.
Whatever the final outcome, this year’s version of the Southern Nationals has been an exciting and drama filled tour. It will be interesting to see which driver walks away with the trophy and $5,053 payout for the championship.
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