CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - Joseph Joiner of Milton, FL and Michael Arnold of Hattiesburg, MS were the big winners in NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 1 action. Joiner took the 2015 season opener for the NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series at Southern Raceway in Milton, FL, while Arnold opened the 27-week 2015 season with two wins.
Joiner survived a lap 19 tangle with Cody Smith of Holt, FL to take the win in the first-ever NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series Race driving the Three Trade Consultants Special. The two drivers tangled on the backstretch while battling for the lead. Smith climbed out of his Smith Performance Rocket to pursue Joiner on foot and was disqualified from the event.
“I was so excited because we’re planning to chase the NeSmith Weekly Racing Series points around here, and to start off with a win was a pretty good start,” Joiner said. “Our car wasn’t too good early in the night, but it got to running better for us. I guess emotions took over because we were able to start the points season with a victory.”
Bo Slay of Milton, FL was the apparent second-place finisher in the Slay’s Machine Service GRT, but he was light at the scales. That moved Frank Wilson of Milton, FL up to the second spot in the Wilson Lumber Trak-Star, and third went to Mark Clifton of Brewton, AL in the Carboline Special. Ryan Crane of Panama City, FL was fourth in the Panama City Cycles Trak-Star, and Josh Huss of Flomaton, AL rounded out the top five in the Huss Racing Warrior.
Arnold opened the weekend by taking his first win on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, MS in The Strength Center Special, and then on Saturday night, the “Hattiesburg Hustler” topped a 28-car field and picked up the $1,000 top prize in the 45 Challenge Series Race at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS.
With their wins, Arnold and Joiner are tied for the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series point lead with 50 points apiece. Arnold can only count one of his wins towards points for Week 1, but he can use the second win towards a tie-breaker.
Wilson, Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS and Nick Thrash of Meridian, MS are tied for the third spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series standings with 49 points apiece after Week 1 second-place finishes.
Lee drove the Billy Riels Racing Special to a second-place finish on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway, and Thrash finished second on Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park in the McDevitt Enterprises GRT.
Clifton, the 2013 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series National Champion Noah Daspit of Kiln, MS and Brent Barrett of Cleveland, MS are tied for the sixth spot in the National standings after Week 1 third-place finishes.
Daspit finished third on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway driving the Billy Riels Racing Special, and Barrett took the third spot on Saturday night at Whynot Motorsport Park driving the Custom Spraying, Inc. GRT.
There is a three-way tie for the ninth spot in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series National point standings among Crane, Sid Scarbrough of Florence, MS and Monte Skinner of Saraland, AL. They all recorded fourth-place finishes in Week 1 competition.
Scarbrough drove the Villa South Trak-Star to a fourth-place finish on Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway, and Skinner took the fourth spot on Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park driving the Skinner Racing Special.
Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL was scheduled for NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Week 1 action, but they were forced to cancel due to cold temperatures.
For more information and rules about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at NesmithRacing.com.
NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series
Week 1 Race Results
March 27
HATTIESBURG MOTORSPORTS PARK – HATTIESBURG, MS
1. 4 Michael Arnold
2. 47 Shannon Lee
3. 347 Noah Daspit
4. 33 Sid Scarbrough
5. 22 Lucky Keeton
6. G33 Greg Dedwylder
7. 11 Wayne Byrd
8. 22w David Weems
9. 75 Dustin Boykin
March 28
SOUTHERN RACEWAY – MILTON, FL (NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series)
1. 10 Joseph Joiner
2. 72 Frank Wilson
3. 11 Mark Clifton
4. 10 Ryan Crane
5. 25 Josh Huss
6. 79 Kyle Bryant
7. 34 Lee Mason
8. 72n Todd Neiheiser
9. 7 Hunter Lewis
10. 40 Bo Slay DQ/LT
11. 3 Cody Smith DQ
WHYNOT MOTORSPORTS PARK – MERIDIAN, MS
1. 4 Michael Arnold
2. 01 Nick Thrash
3. 110 Brent Barrett
4. 00 Monte Skinner
5. 232 Jamey Boland
6. C11 Cliff Williams
7. 48 Tody Ratcliff
8. 11 Cruz Skinner
9. 118 Randy Boyd
10. 27 Larry Murphy
11. 15 heath Minor
12. G33 Greg Dedwylder
13. J8 Bobby Jordan
14. 25 Justin McRee
15. 33 Sid Scarbrough
16. 4w Wiley Williams
17. 24 Ryan Oswalt
18. 02 Stephen Brantley
19. 14 Casey Haney
20. 11 Tim Dees
21. 760 Jim McDuffie
22. 11r Joey Mullenix
23. 19 Dustin Turner
24. 54 Richie Beasley
25. 55 Aaron Fitzhugh DNS
26. 9 James Moore DNS
27. 2L Thomas Langley DNS
28. 2 Tyler Burgess DNS
TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK – EASTABOGA, AL
Froze Out
NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series
Week 1 Point Standings
| POS | CAR # | DRIVER | PTS | RACES | WINS | TOP 5 | TOP 10 |
| 1 | 4 | Michael Arnold | 50 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | 10 | Joseph Joiner | 50 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 47 | Shannon Lee | 49 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | 72 | Frank Wilson | 49 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | 01 | Nick Thrash | 49 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 6 | 347 | Noah Daspit | 48 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | 11 | Mark Clifton | 48 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | 110 | Brent Barrett | 48 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 9 | 33 | Sid Scarbrough | 47 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | 10 | Ryan Crane | 47 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | 00 | Monte Skinner | 47 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 12 | 22 | Lucky Keeton | 46 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 13 | 25 | Josh Huss | 46 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 14 | 232 | Jamey Boland | 46 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 15 | G33 | Greg Dedwylder | 45 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 79 | Kyle Bryant | 45 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 17 | C11 | Cliff Williams | 45 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 18 | 11 | Wayne Byrd | 44 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 19 | 34 | Lee Mason | 44 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 20 | 48 | Tody Ratcliff | 44 | 1 | 1 |
