EASTABOGA, Ala — The Newsome/Raceway Parts NetworkNewsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series will head back to Senoia Raceway on Aug. 19 for its second appearance of the season at the 3/8-mile oval. The touring series has also added a new weekend to its schedule on Sept. 22-24, and will now sanction the prestigious Alabama State Championships at East Alabama Motor Speedway, which is scheduled on those dates at the high-banked facility in Phenix City, Ala.
The series last visited Senoia on July 15, and Tyler Millwood of Kingston, Ga., took the checkered flag and earned $3,000 for his efforts. Millwood is one of seven different winners on the series this season, a list which also includes Kyle Bronson, Dillon Brown, reigning series champion Jason Welshan, Mark Whitener, Cory Hedgecock and Cody Overton. The latter driver is the series’ most recent winner at Swainsboro Raceway & Swainsboro Kart Track.
Whitener will arrive at Senoia as the current series points leader, holding a 134-marker advantage [1,078-944] over Jake Knowles of Rome, Ga. Completing the top five in the series points standings are Mario Gresham [892], Hunter Peacock [876], and Trynt Lloyd [754].
Rounding out the top 10 are Jackson Hise [750], Jason Welshan [710], Blake Craft [686], Dalton Dowdy [486] and Cody Overton [468].
Whitener has won three times on the series, taking checkered flags in the Gene Maine Memorial held May 13 at Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, Ga., July 22 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Summertown, Tenn., and July 29 at Golden Isles Speedway in Waynesville, Ga. He has accumulated eight top-five finishes, and has placed in the top 10 a total of 10 times in 12 starts.
Historic Event Sanctioned by Crate USA
Every year in mid-September, the annual Alabama State Championships has helped usher in the fall racing season with a giant event that focuses its spotlight on weekly divisions at the high-banked track. The Sept. 22-24 weekend has been revamped to highlight grassroots racers even more, and will feature 10 divisions, with the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series headlining the weekend in a $10,000-to-win event.
That race will also be part of the organization’s Crate Racin’ USA $100,000+ Challenge circuit, which is a collection of designated races that each pay at least $10,000 to the winner. The unique “series within a series” carries a separate points fund from the regular touring series, and offers $5,000 to its champion.
The weekend actually replaces a date that was originally scheduled at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga., but that historic oval closed its gates during the summer months, and will likely not reopen.
The Alabama State Championship will also feature 602 Late Models racing for a $7,500 payday, and the Hobby division competing for a $4,000 prize. Complete event details will be announced in the coming weeks. Super Late Models will not be part of the weekend.
The race weekend will be streamed live on Hunt the Front TV. For more information and to keep up with all the plans and details for the Alabama State Championship, visit the track’s website at www.eamsdirt.com. For more information on the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series presented by Sweet Victory Apparel Co., visit the series website at www.htfseries.com.