EASTABOGA, Ala. (June 1) — It’s doubleheader time on the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series, and for the first time this season the Adam Stewart-managed touring series will stage two separate races at two different tracks in a single weekend.
The first stop will be Fri., June 2 at the Shannon Littleton-operated I-75 Raceway in Niota, Tenn., marking the traveling circuit’s return to the oval after an absence of nearly six years. The touring series’ last appearance at the track located near Sweetwater, Tenn., was June 9, 2017, when Jesse Lowe defeated Cory Hedgecock, Colton Horner, Walker Arthur and Logan Robertson in a 40-lapper at the high-banked track.
The weekend finale is Sat., June 2, at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala., which serves as the defacto home track for the organization. Crate Racin’ USA is based at the facility, and its offices are located across the street at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame building that is located on the grounds of 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
The event at I-75 will pay $5,000 to win, and TST’s race will award $10,000 to the winner, and also be part of the Crate Racin’ USA $100,000+ Challenge program, which is a collection of designated events that each pay (at least) $10,000 to win. That “series within a series” offers a separate points fund from the regular touring series that pays $5,000 to its champion.
The unique weekend opportunity for competitors provides two chances for them to carry home some money, and will be the sixth and seventh races of the season for the tour.
“Since the last time we raced at I-75, they have done a lot of work on the track, there’s a new management team in place, and most of the reviews we’ve heard from drivers and teams indicate that it’s been improved a bunch,” Stewart said. “We’re really looking forward to having our teams race there on the reconfigured layout. All indications are that it’s become a racy place, and it should be a great location to showcase our brand of Chevrolet Performance 604 Late Model competition.”
As the series leaves I-75 Raceway and heads toward Alabama and the historic TST facility that has undergone many improvements under the direction of Stewart’s co-ownership of the facility with David Miller, the race will mark new promotional territory for both the high-banked oval and the touring series.
“It’s the first time ever that we’ve done a one-day, $10,000-to-win event at Talladega Short Track for our Crate 604 Late Model touring division,” Stewart said. “That has us excited to see the results, and it’s also a great opportunity to team up with another track that’s just three hours away for a two-race weekend. The travel isn’t too bad for our teams, who will now have two opportunities to race for a grand total of $15,000 over the two nights. We’ve established some momentum for our organization with solid car counts at every race we’ve had this season, and it should be another great weekend for our entire group.”
Middleburg, Fla., driver Mark Whitener enters the weekend as the series points leader by a 24-point margin [442-418] over Jason Welshan. Completing the top five in the points standings are Hunter Peacock [410], Blake Craft [398] and Jake Knowles [396].
Weekend Schedule:
I-75 Raceway
Pits/tier parking open @ 4 p.m.
Grandstands open @ 5 p.m
General admission: Adults (12 and up): $15; (ages 6-11): $5
Pits: $35 (12 and up); $15 (ages 6-11):
Drivers meeting @ 7 p.m.
Hot laps to follow…
(Other divisions featured on the program at I-75 Raceway include Limited Late Models, B-Sportsman, Street Stock, Front Wheel Drive, Junior Front Wheel Drive.)
Talladega Short Track
Gates open @ 5 p.m.
Drivers meeting @ 6:30 p.m.
Racing @ 7:30 p.m
Grandstands: $20 for Adults; (ages nine and under): Free
(Other divisions featured on the program at Talladega Short Track include Talladega Sportsman, CRUSA Late Model Sportsman, CRUSA Modified Sportsman, Factory Stocks and Hot Shots.)