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!” | full story

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.” | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story

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. | full story