MOTHER NATURE PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLE IN NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS CHASSIS SET UP AT EAST BAY

               TAMPA , FL :  Teams that compete in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour do many different things to begin their race preparations at different tracks throughout the season.  But when they travel to East Bay Raceway Park this Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, most will do the same thing that will be key in chassis set up – buy a newspaper.

               The local newspapers have a section that shows when the tides come in and go out.  This occurs twice in a 24-hour period.  East Bay Raceway Park is less than a mile from the shores of Tampa Bay that spills into the Gulf of Mexico on Florida ’s West Coast.  When the tide rises, the water table goes up, and when the tide goes out, the water table lowers.

               Local racers at East Bay Raceway Park will tell you that when the tide is high, you get a wet tacky race track, and when the tide is out, you will get a drier racing surface.  When it comes to the tide cycle, timing is everything.

               “I remember the first time I was at a Hav-A-Tampa race at East Bay, and the drivers were complaining that there wasn’t enough water on the track,” NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS President of Operations and Communications Roby Helm said.  “The tide was coming in as they started hot laps, and moisture was coming to the race track from under the surface to the top.  The track really came in when Scott Bloomquist was on the track.  He flat footed it through turns three and four, but by the time he got back to turns one and two, it was really wet, he pushed straight into the wall, destroyed his race car, and broke his wrist.”

               Helm said the water table is parallel to the horizon, and turns one and two at East Bay sit at a lower elevation than turns three and four.  Therefore, the moisture gets to turns one and two before they get to turns three an four.

               Many of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS teams learned this lesson last year, especially the 2008 series Rookie of the Year Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA.  Brindle failed to qualify in his first effort at East Bay last season, but returned the next night to set fast time, lead every lap in the feature race, and post one of his three victories in the season.

Chip Brindle

               “East Bay is a very challenging race track because of the tides,” Brindle said.  “One night, it will be hard and slick, and the next night it will be wet and tacky.  Depending on the tide cycle and how early you start racing on the track during the day, it can change drastically from hot laps to the feature race.  If the tide is coming in, the track gets better as the night goes on.”

               Brindle, who comes into the East Bay races fifth in the national point standings, will be looking to use the lessons he learned last year to continue his East Bay winning ways.

The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Tour will contest rounds three, four and five of the 2008 season this week.  There will be a pair of 40-lap $2,500-to-win races on Thursday and Friday night respectively, and Saturday night’s finale will be a 50-lap $3,000-to-win main event.  East Bay Raceway Park will host an open practice tonight from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

               Ted Lackey of Munford, AL leads the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS point standings after a top five and two top ten finishes in the first two races of the 2008 season.  Lackey is hoping the tide is out at East Bay , as the veteran dirt late model pilot wants a hard slick track for his race car that is powered by a steel-head 350-horsepower GM Performance 602 Crate Engine.

Ted Lackey

               The 602 is one of two GM Performance Crate Engines allowed for competition by the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS.  There is also a 400-horsepower aluminum “604” engine available.  The 604 costs $5,000 and the 602 costs $3,000.  The 602 gets a 150-pound weight break over the 604, and 602 can use a two-inch carburetor spacer versus a one-inch spacer for the 604.

               These breaks for the 602 have served Lackey well on the race track.  The first two events of the season were on ¼-mile dirt tracks that were hard and slick.  In the first race, Lackey started 14^th and finished fourth, and in the second race, Lackey started 20^th and finished 10^th.  Lackey also leads the series’ Hard Charger point standings.

               Veteran Carlton Freeman of Eastaboga , AL is second in the NeSmith Chevrolet National point standings.  The 2006 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region Runner-Up is ten points behind Lackey.  Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA is third in the national points chase, ten points behind Lackey.

Fields has finished in the top five of the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National point standings for the past three seasons.  He was the National Championship Runner-Up in 2005, third in 2006, and fifth last season.  That only leaves two positions in the top five that Fields has yet to place, and he says he’s not looking for fourth this season.

Jay Blair of Angie, LA is currently fourth in the national point standings, just four points behind Fields.  Blair was the 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship Runner-Up after missing the title by 26-points.  Blair missed one race last season and that cost him the championship.

Another 2007 title contender is returning to East Bay with a new team.  Frank Ingram of Woodstock, GA, who contended for the series championship until late last season, will be teaming up with car owner Troy Dixon in the Dixon Hauling and Grading Rocket.  Dixon helped Derrick Rainey in his title run last season.  Rainey finished third in the 2007 point standings.

In addition to the NeSmith Chevrolet National Championship hunt, there will be a tight battle for the 2008 series’ Rookie of the Year title coming into East Bay , with just eight points separating four drivers.

  Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL is eighth overall in the National points, and leads the RoY points with 130.  Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA is ninth overall in the National standings and second in RoY points with 126 points.  Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL is two points behind Peacock with 124 points, and Steve Godsey of Bedford, IN is fourth in RoY points with 122.

 Other NeSmith Chevrolet National Touring drivers expected for the three-race East Bay series include 2006 National Championship Runner-Up Jeff Smith of Rocky Face, GA, Chris Tays of Corinth, MS, 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series South Region Champion Frank Wilson of Harold, FL, Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL, and Matthew Turner of Dawsonville, GA.

 Leading the strong contingent of local East Bay competitors will be Keith Nosbisch of Valrico , FL , along with Shan Smith of Dade City , FL , Josh Peacock of Dover , FL , Jack Nosbisch Jr. of Riverview, FL, and David Schmauss of Tampa, FL

               Each of the three nights of racing will feature qualifying, heat races, and the main events.  The top ten qualifiers will be locked into the main event, and qualifiers 11^th on back will compete in heat races to fill in main event starting spots 11 through 22.  Starting positions 23 and 24 are NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Provisional starting spots reserved for the top 15 in last season’s final point standings.

               Competitors are reminded that mufflers are required for their race cars at East Bay Raceway Park .  East Bay Raceway Park is located five miles south of I-4 on U.S. Highway 41.  For more information call 813-677-7223, or visit the East Bay Raceway Park web site at www.eastbayracewypark.com.