
Over $825,000 Up for
Grabs in 2023 for Schaeffer’s Oil Spring and Southern Nationals
Competitors!
(December
9, 2022) As day two of the Performance Racing Industry
(PRI) show gets underway today, promoter Ray Cook is proud to
release the 2023 version of both the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring
Nationals Series and Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals
Series schedules. Featuring 26 dates in all, both tours combine
to offer drivers more than $825,000 in purse and point money -
making this upcoming year the most lucrative in the history of
both miniseries. Ray has beefed up the purse structure in certain
areas and none of the 26 scheduled events will shell out less
than $7,553 to the winner.
“I feel like for a regional tour, we’ve been able
to put together a pretty nice package for both our family of tracks
and the drivers that race with us,” quoted Cook while attending
the PRI trade show in Indianapolis, Indiana. “With the help
of our partners and the support from our great track promoters,
we’ve been able to add a little to the purses in certain
areas and pay no less than $7,553 to win and $500 to start. When
we started this thing years ago, a lot of our races were $3,500
to win, but we’ve steadily been trying to raise the bar
as much as we can and I’m really excited about both of our
series schedules heading into the 2023 season!”
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Schaeffer’s Oil
Spring and Southern Nationals Series Partners with SFP Performance
Systems
(October
27, 2022) As owner Ray Cook works to finalize his 2023
schedules for both the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals
and Southern Nationals Series for release during the upcoming
Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show, he is excited to announce
a new partnership with SFP Performance Systems. The Chattanooga,
Tennessee-based business, which offers complete brake line, fuel
line, oil line, and power steering hoses for the Dirt Late Model
market, has recently partnered with both tours and Ray Cook Racing
heading into the 2023 campaign. Both Ray and SFP Performance Systems
owner Josh Davidson are excited about the new partnership.
“Ray (Cook) has been around the sport for a long, long
time and has the respect of the drivers and everyone in the industry,”
commented Davidson in a recent telephone conversation. “I
have been watching him race throughout his career and with what
he’s doing with both the Spring and Southern Nationals,
it is a perfect fit for us to partner with him and his series.
SFP Performance Systems is 100% dedicated to our customers and
is available to do entire bumper-to-bumper service in house or
at the track. We have the new style Peterson Fluid Systems tanks
and pumps in stock and we look forward to outfitting many of the
cars that will race on tour next year with complete brake lines,
fuel lines, oil lines, and power steering hoses.”
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Josh Putnam Wins Spring
Nationals Finale at Duck River; Carson Ferguson Crowned Champion!
(May
29, 2022) The 2022 Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals
tour wrapped up on Sunday night at Duck River Raceway Park and
a new Champion was crowned, along with a brand-new race winner!
Josh Putnam, of Florence, Alabama, etched his name into the long
list of #SpringNationals race winners by emerging victorious in
the ‘Memorial Day Classic’ at the Wheel, Tennessee
facility. Josh earned Fast Time honors during FK Rod Ends qualifying
and later started the 40-lap headliner from the outside of the
front row. He then kept his #212 machine out front for each and
every circuit to claim his first series win and the $5,053 top
prize. (Photo by Connie)
Payton Freeman finished in the runner-up spot for the second
straight evening, as he trailed Putnam by a mere 0.800 seconds
at the waving of the checkered flag. Jadon Frame also stood tall
on the podium in the third position, while Matt Cooper was paid
for a strong fourth place performance. Dillon Tidmore rounded
out the top five in the contest, which was halted on only one
occasion by a slowing Kenny Collins on lap 35. Fourteen of the
twenty starters were on the racetrack at the end of the season
finale.
Sixth place finisher Carson Ferguson, of Lincolnton, North Carolina,
secured his first Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series
title and the $10,053 Championship spoils on the frontstretch
following the race. In the ten miniseries events held this year,
Carson racked up one feature victory, five Top Five finishes,
and nine Top Ten efforts. Payton Freeman was also very consistent
on the tour and was awarded a second place finish in the final
point tally, which was worth an extra $5,053 in point money. A
total of 141 different drivers competed in at least one series
race and eight different drivers celebrated in victory lane.
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Mack McCarter Steers
to First Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Triumph at Boyd’s
Speedway
(May
28, 2022) Mack McCarter, of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, recorded
his first career Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals victory
on Saturday night in the penultimate series event at Boyd’s
Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia! Mack clicked off the fastest lap
in Group A during the qualifying session to earn the pole position
for the 40-lap feature event. He then tracked down early race
leader Jensen Ford and muscled past to grab the point on the twelfth
circuit. From there, Mack controlled the field for the remainder
of the distance to collect the $5,053 winner’s check at
the Chattanooga-area oval. (Photos by the Dr.)
Series regular Payton Freeman, who sits second in points, improved
four positions during the course of the contest to land an impressive
runner-up performance - only 1.570 seconds behind at the checkers.
Current #SpringNationals point leader Carson Ferguson marched
past seven competitors to round out the podium in third. Early
pacesetter Jensen Ford, who led the first eleven circuits, came
home in the fourth position while Brandon Williams crossed the
finish line in fifth after briefly running as high as second.
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Schaeffer’s Oil
Spring Nationals Stop to Lavonia Speedway Halted by Rain and Flooding
(May
27, 2022) The inaugural trip for the Schaeffer’s
Oil Spring Nationals Series to Lavonia Speedway, which was scheduled
for tonight, May 27, has been halted due to heavy overnight thunderstorms
and flooding at the racetrack. The $4,053 to win event at the
historic Lavonia, Georgia oval will not be made up as a points
race, but discussions are underway with track officials to reschedule
later this summer as a non-points show. Details on a make-up date
will be announced in the future.
With the Lavonia rain-out, what was originally scheduled as a
Memorial Day tripleheader to wrap up the 2022 Schaeffer’s
Oil Spring Nationals tour will now to be condensed into two hardcore
days of racing action. Up first will be a visit to Boyd’s
Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia for a $5,053 to win showdown on
Saturday, May 28 before the season finale takes place on Sunday,
May 29 at Duck River Raceway Park in Wheel, Tennessee - where
another $5,053 top prize will be on the line.
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Brandon Overton Owns
EAMS for Third Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Win of the
Year!
(May
7, 2022) Picking up his third five-figure payday with
the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series in 2022, Brandon
Overton celebrated in victory lane on Saturday night at the historic
East Alabama Motor Speedway after winning the annual ‘Jimmy
Thomas Memorial!’ Brandon stopped the clock second quickest
overall in FK Rod Ends qualifying before securing a popular heat
race win. The Evans, Georgia standout then started the 53-lap
feature from the outside of the front row and stalked early leader
Tim McCreadie for the first nineteen circuits. After nabbing the
point on lap twenty, Brandon held the talented field behind him
for the remainder of the contest and survived a late caution to
bag the $10,053 first place prize money.
Finishing 1.088 seconds behind Overton at the unfurling of the
checkered flag was 15th-starting Ashton Winger. The young Hampton,
Georgia ace picked off thirteen competitors during the ‘Jimmy
Thomas Memorial’ at EAMS and closed on Overton’s #76
machine a few different times in lapped traffic before settling
for the strong runner-up performance. Third-starting Michael Page
ran a steady race and rounded out the all-Georgia podium in the
third spot. Garrett Smith flexed his muscle early in the event
before finishing fourth, while current Spring Nationals point
leader Carson Ferguson jockeyed all over the top ten prior to
recording a solid fifth place performance. |
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Jadon Frame Outduels
Ferguson for First Spring Nationals Victory at Clarksville Speedway
(April
23, 2022) After finishing second in this race one year
ago, Jadon Frame got over the hump and celebrated in Schaeffer’s
Oil Spring Nationals Series victory lane for the first time in
his career on Saturday night at Clarksville Speedway! Jadon timed
in third quickest overall during the qualifying session prior
to securing a victory in the third heat race to earn the inside
of the second row for the start of the 53-lap feature event. The
Winchester, Tennessee native then outdueled outside polesitter
Carson Ferguson to grab the lead on lap 26 before nabbing the
point for good on the 29th circuit. Jadon then held off a rally
from Chatham, Illinois star Brian Shirley in the late stages of
the contest to collect the $10,053 first place prize money.
Shirley, who suffered through electrical problems last night
at Crossville Speedway, drove his new #3s mount to a strong runner-up
performance after starting the A-Main from the inside of the third
row. Spring Nationals point leader and Crossville winner Carson
Ferguson led a total of 27 circuits around the Clarksville, Tennessee
oval before settling for a third place podium effort. Fast qualifier
and polesitter Josh Putnam came home in the fourth finishing position,
while Payton Freeman wrapped up his consistent weekend with a
hard fought fifth place showing.
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Carson Ferguson Stretches
Current Spring Nationals Point Lead by Conquering Crossville
(April
22, 2022) Current Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals
point leader Carson Ferguson broke through in a big way on Friday
night by picking up his first career series victory in a wild
contest at Crossville Speedway! Carson stopped the clock third
fastest during FK Rod Ends time trials at the Crossville, Tennessee
oval to earn the inside of the second row for the start of the
40-lap headliner. After racing hard all over the top five for
the first half of the distance, the Lincolnton, North Carolina
ace turned up the wick on the competition and eventually muscled
past leader Josh Putnam to nab the point with a slidejob on lap
31. Carson then led the remaining circuits to claim the $4,053
top prize, which also stretched his series point lead to sixteen
markers over Cla Knight.
Fast qualifier Josh Putnam, who started from the pole position
and led laps 10-30 of the feature, came home in the runner-up
position. Payton Freeman experienced mechanical trouble during
qualifying and did not record an official time, but stormed from
the back of the field in the 40-lapper to round out the podium
in third. Last night’s winner Garrett Smith vaulted to as
high as second in the running order, but had to survive a melee
with Cory Hedgecock on lap 22 to finish in the fourth spot. Kyle
Beard was able to quietly move past six competitors during the
course of the race to place fifth in the final rundown of the
action-packed show. |
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Garrett Smith Survives
Attrition-Filled Tri-County Contest for First Spring Nationals
Win
(April
21, 2022) Young upstart driver Garrett Smith, of Eatonton,
Georgia, captured his first career Schaeffer’s Oil Spring
Nationals Series victory on Thursday evening in an attrition-filled
battle at Tri-County Race Track! Garrett stopped the clock second
quickest overall during the FK Rod Ends qualifying session at
the Brasstown, North Carolina oval, which locked him into the
outside of the front row for the 40-lap headliner. Garrett got
the jump at the outset of the race over polesitter Payton Freeman
and survived nine caution flags - five coming in the final seven
circuits - to bag the $4,053 winner’s check. (Candice
McCue Photo)
Freeman, who earlier in the night set a New Track Record in qualifying
at the “Tiger Pit” with his quick lap of 12.069 seconds,
slipped back to as far as fourth in the running order before making
a late charge to a strong runner-up performance. New #SpringNationals
point leader Carson Ferguson moved up three spots to finish in
the third position to round out the podium. Local favorite Jamie
Oliver was steady in advancing past four racecars to nab a fourth
place effort, while Kenny Collins debuted a new car to a fifth
place showing despite an unfortunate spin on lap 33.
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Chris Madden Marvelous
in Winning Lil' Bill Corum Memorial for $21,000 at Tazewell Speedway
(April
16, 2022) Continuing his red-hot start to the 2022 racing
season, Chris Madden wired the feature field on Saturday night
at Tazewell Speedway to bag the $21,000 paycheck in the 2nd edition
of the ‘Lil Bill Corum Memorial!’ After topping Group
B in time trials at the bad-fast Tazewell, Tennessee facility,
Chris won his heat race in preliminary action to earn the outside
of the front row for the start of the 75-lap headliner, which
was co-sanctioned by the both the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring
Nationals Series and the Iron-Man Late Model Series. The Gray
Court, South Carolina hotshoe then nabbed the point at the drop
of the green flag over last night’s winner and polesitter
Brandon Overton and never relinquished the lead in winning by
a 0.885 second margin in front of an overflow hillside crowd.
(MRM
Racing Photo)
Finishing behind Madden’s #44 machine was runner-up Ricky
Weiss, who was also a heat race winner and started the ‘Lil
Bill Corum Memorial’ from the outside of the second row.
The Headingley, Manitoba driver mounted a serious charge in the
late stages of the contest, but a lap 73 caution flag stymied
his bid for a second career Spring Nationals victory and forced
him to settle for a strong second place finish. Dale McDowell,
of Chickamauga, Georgia, worked his way past four competitors
to join Madden and Weiss on the podium in third. Dirt Late Model
Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist thrilled his home state fan base
by climbing six spots to finish fourth, while Dakotah Knuckles
rounded out the top five by streaking past seven racecars during
the 75-lap affair. |
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Brandon Overton Pulls
Off Last Corner Pass for Dramatic Spring Nationals Win at Wythe
Raceway
(April
15, 2022) Pulling off a dramatic pass of race-long leader
Jonathan Davenport on the final circuit, Brandon Overton picked
up his second Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series victory
of 2022 on Friday night in front of a huge crowd at the picturesque
Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia! Brandon ran second in
his heat race during preliminary action to earn the outside of
the second row for the start of the 53-lap headliner. The Evans,
Georgia standout advanced up to second in the first half of the
feature distance before setting his sights on outside polesitter
Davenport.
After hounding the Blairsville, Georgia driver lap after lap
around the sprawling 1/2-mile speedplant during the last half
of the contest, Brandon finally pulled the trigger heading into
turn three on the final lap. His patience paid off in a big way,
as the driver known as “Big Sexy” grabbed the point
coming off of turn four and beat Davenport to the checkers by
a mere 0.337 seconds to lay claim to the $10,053 windfall. Chris
Ferguson, of Mount Holly, North Carolina, vaulted past two competitors
to stand on the podium in third. Ross Bailes came home in the
fourth position, while “MacDaddy” Dale McDowell streaked
past four racecars to round out the top five.
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Shane Clanton Cashes
$10,053 Paycheck at Senoia Raceway for First Spring Nationals
Win
(March
5, 2022) Racing in front of a large crowd on Saturday
at Senoia Raceway, Shane Clanton, of nearby Zebulon, Georgia,
dominated the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals feature to
claim the $10,053 top prize! In the second round of the twelve
race miniseries, Shane started the evening by posting the fifth
quickest lap overall during the FK Rod Ends qualifying session
before driving his Capital racecar to a heat race triumph. After
rolling off from the outside of the front row in the 53-lap headliner,
Shane blasted past polesitter Chris Madden with an outside move
on the second circuit to grab the point and never looked back
- ultimately lapping up to the fifth position. Shane’s dominating
performance at the Senoia, Georgia oval marked his first career
Spring Nationals victory.
Finishing 3.232 seconds behind Clanton at the checkers was runner-up
Dylan Knowles, who started in the fifth spot. For the second straight
night, Floridian Mark Whitener steered the Big Frog Motorsports
mount to a third place podium effort after picking off six competitors.
Michael Page, who now finds himself tied with Whitener for the
series point lead, came home in the fourth position while Sam
Seawright was the final driver on the lead lap in fifth.
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Brandon Overton Sensational
in Swainsboro Spring Nationals Opener to Bag $10,053
(March
4, 2022) The driver of the year in Super Late Model
racing in 2021 is back at it again early in the 2022 campaign,
as Brandon Overton racked up a commanding flag-to-flag victory
tonight in the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series lid
lifter at Swainsboro Raceway! Brandon was quick right out of the
box, as he steered his #76 Longhorn Chassis to the fastest time
in FK Rod Ends qualifying before securing a dominating heat race
triumph. The Evans, Georgia standout then started the 53-lap headliner
from the pole position and kept his machine out front each circuit
during the miniseries’ first-ever race at the Swainsboro,
Georgia facility to bag the $10,053 payday. (PRN's
At The Track Photo)
After starting the feature from the outside of the second row,
Michael Page quickly moved up to the second spot and finished
in the runner-up position - 2.828 seconds behind winner Overton
at the unfurling of the checkered flag. Floridian Mark Whitener
picked off eight competitors during the course of the contest
to land on the podium in third. Dalton Cook came home in the fourth
spot, while Ashton Winger drove past a handful of racecars during
the 53-lapper to round out the list of top five finishers.
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