Several Storylines Set For World Crown 300 Weekend

The countdown to the 28^th annual Rheem World Crown 300 is almost at zero, as action begins today at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Georgia.

Practice for both the Super Late Models and Pro Late Models is set to roll off at 4 pm at the Jefferson half mile.  The sessions are free for the public to attend.

It’s just the start of one of the biggest weekends of short track racing action in the country.  Here’s a look at some of the storylines coming into the World Crown.

New World Crown Format

The World Crown has always been a challenge for racers and machines.  But this year, things will be a little different.

Sunday’s Super Late Model feature will be run in three segments.  If a single driver can sweep all three, they stand to pocket a cool $20,000.

The first segment will consist of 100 green flag laps, with $4,000 going to the driver leading at the end of the segment.  Then all lead lap cars, along with the first car one lap down, will be inverted based on a fan vote on www.greshammotorsportspark.com.

The second segment will run 75 laps, with $6,000 going to the leader at the end of that run.  Following the flag, only cars on the lead lap plus the first car one lap down will advance to the third segment.

The final segment, a 25 lap shoot-out for a $10,000 prize, promises to be one of the wildest in short track history.

Elliott Doubles Up

Dawsonville, Georgia’s Chase Elliott has a very busy weekend on tap.  First, he’ll be competing on Saturday in the NASCAR K&N West season finale at Phoenix International Raceway.  After that event ends, he’ll fly back to Jefferson, Georgia to get ready to compete in Sunday’s World Crown Super Late model feature.

Crew chief and former driver Ricky Turner is slated to practice and qualify the Aaron’s No. 9 Ford.  That means that Elliott will likely have to start in the rear of the field on Sunday, which, with the new format, will make an early charge an important part of Elliott’s race strategy.

It’s not the first time the Phoenix/Jefferson double has been in play.  Back in 2008, Watkinsville, Georgia’s Jon Wes Townley pulled it off, competing in Friday’s Camping World Truck Series event and Saturday’s Nationwide Series race before catching the red eye back to Georgia for Sunday’s World Crown.

Elliott will be hoping for better results than Townley had back then.  On Friday, Townley crashed his No. 09 Zaxby’s truck at Phoenix, finishing 24^th.  Saturday, he crashed his Nationwide ride, finishing 38^th.  After the late night flight, he started out back of the 38 car field at the World Crown in the pole winning car.  But just 23 laps in, his day ended with a multi-car crash off turn four with Michael Lance and Richard Johns.

Pollard Looking For First World Crown Win

Bubba Pollard has had good luck this year.  He has scored 18 late model victories around the southeast.  Two of those came at Gresham Motorsports Park.  He beat Augie Grill by inches for the win his first PASS South victory on July 16, and would add another win by taking first in the CRA feature on Sept. 17.

Piloting former World Crown winner Ronnie Sanders’ No. 18 Atlanta Thrifty Nickel ride, Pollard will be looking to add the World Crown to his resume.

“The season we have had so far has been spectacular to us,” said Pollard.  “To pull off a victory in the World Crown in our backyard, where we have been trying to get for the past couple of years would be special.  We have been fast there, so hopefully we will have a good run.”

Pulling Double Duty

Several drivers are set to pull double duty this weekend, racing in both Sunday’s World Crown Super Late Model feature and Saturday’s Beau Sloclumb Memorial 100 lapper for Pro Late Models.

That list includes Dalton Grindle, Bubba Pollard, Russell Fleeman, Gus Dean, Rodney Benefield, Eddie Hoffman, Johnny Jenkins, Mike Garvey, Erik Jones, Dwayne Buggay and Jeff Fultz.

In addition, two drivers in Friday’s Rheem 75 truck feature are slated to also run in Saturday’s PLM feature, as Spencer Davis and Brandon Jones will both pull double duty in those events.

Defending World Crown Winning Team Set To Go

In 2010, Carswell Motorsports driver Justin Wakefield stayed out of trouble and outran the competition late to score the win in the 27^th annual World Crown 300.

In 2011, the Carswell team is set to defend that win.  But not with the same driver behind the wheel.

Wakefield made the decision earlier this year to step out of the No. 98 Ford, opening the door for Daniel Hemric to step into the World Crown winning ride.

Hemric has finished in the top four in each of the three events he has competed in this year for Carswell Motorsports, and will be a driver to watch on Sunday.

“It is an awesome opportunity for me entering the World Crown at one of the best facilities in the country with one of the best teams,” said Hemric. “I think we have one of the best shots going into the whole deal. I am excited about it.”

“We are super excited about going back to the Crown to defend our title,” said Jake Carswell. “The circumstances are different than we thought they were going to be, but we are looking forward to going to the track with Daniel behind the wheel. We had a great run in September with Daniel in the car in the CRA race at Gresham, so we are looking for a good run in the World Crown.”

Moore, American Standard, Aladdin & TMC Team For Slocumb Memorial

2004 World Crown champion Fredrick Moore will be behind the wheel of the #31 for car owner Jeff Guthrie for Saturday’s Beau Slocumb Memorial.

Moore, who is one of the all-time winningest drivers in the history of Gresham Motorsports partnered with car owner Jeff Guthrie to pilot the American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning, Aladdin Metal Products and TMC Iron & Steel, Inc entry on Saturday.

I’m so pleased to have the chance to drive for American Standard, Aladdin and TMC,” Moore said. “With a partnership like this and with the good equipment I’ll have under me, I feel like we’ve got an excellent shot at wearing the crown at the end of the day.”

“When I found out that American Standard and Aladdin were going to be able to team up with us, I knew the only driver for us was Fredrick,” said Jeff Guthrie.  “With his knowledge of the track and his patience in a race like the World Crown, there’s nobody better to be piloting our car at Gresham Motorsports Park.”

Former World Crown Champs Set To Contend

For example, a job crisis, with increased pressure not only to perform, but also to look more polished and youthful. Typical symptoms: recurrent episodes of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia, heart illness, hypertension and decreased high density lipoprotein (HDL) level. It takes a great personality and high level of effectiveness. This has constricting effect on the smooth muscle of blood vessels allowing increased blood flow. While 2004 World Crown champ Moore will be in Saturday’s field, two more World Crown winners will be looking to wear the crown for a second time on Sunday.

2008 winner Russell Fleeman is slated to run in Sunday’s super late model feature, along with Jimmy Garmon, who scored the win in the Crown back in 1998.

For Fleeman, a win would be his first return to victory lane at the Jefferson, Georgia track since it was refurbished and rechristened Gresham Motorsports Park.

For Garmon, should he wear the crown on Sunday, it would mark the longest amount of time between wins for a driver in the World Crown – 13 years.

Kelley To Spend Weekend As Crew Chief

Paul Kelley is the all-time win leader in the World Crown, having scored four victories over the years, in 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

This year, he’ll be looking for victory during the World Crown weekend from a different perspective, as he’ll be working as the crew chief for R.S. Senter in Saturday’s Beau Slocumb Memorial.

“I really wanted to compete this year for a chance to be a five-time champion of the World Crown, but my car was too damaged in the last race I competed in,” said Kelley. “R.S. has been preparing a car to race at Gresham, so I will be his crew chief during the Pro Late Model race.”

For Senter, it will be his first start in a World Crown late model event.

Georgians Look To Continue Winning Streak

For the past 10 years, drivers from Georgia have dominated the World Crown.

The streak began in 2000, when Peach State native Micky Cain scored the win, only the second for a Georgia driver in the World Crown (the first came in 1998 with Hoschton, Georgia’s Jimmy Garmon).

Since then, Georgia drivers have held control of victory lane, with drivers such as Paul Kelley, Russell Fleeman, Ronnie Sanders, Fredrick Moore, Clay Dale and Justin Wakefield keeping all out-of-state contenders from wearing the crown.

Going into the World Crown weekend, the Georgia Gang appears to have the upper hand again.  Of the 36 confirmed entries going into Thursday’s opening action, 12 are natives of the Peach State.

The last non-Georgian to win was Mooresville, North Carolina’s Freddie Query, who won in 1999.

The World Crown Is Truly World Wide

When the Beau Slocumb Memorial rolls off Saturday night, it may have one of the few international drivers to ever take part in the World Crown weekend,

Akinori Ogata, a native of Kanagawa, Japan, is slated to pilot his #83 pro late model entry in the event.

According to his website, Ogata now makes his home in Mooresville, NC.  He has competed mostly in NASCAR Whelen All American Series events at Hickory Motor Speedway and Caraway Speedway.

The 38 year old Ogata will be looking to make his first start at Gresham Motorsports Park on Saturday.

Ruston Looks To Make More History

2011 has been a big year for Kenzie Ruston, as she became the first female to score a CRA Super Late Model victory in an event at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana.

This Sunday, she hopes to have a shot at adding another historic first to her resume – the first female winner of the World Crown.

She is pretty familiar with the track, as the Oklahoma native competed at GMP in a CRA event in September, coming home with a 10^th place finish.

“We struggled there a little bit in the CRA race there at Gresham,” said Ruston. “We are planning on testing to get ourselves better for the World Crown.

“The set-up for this year is crazy and it is going to be intense. I like to ride and save my car, but in this race we aren’t going to be able to do that, so it is going to be a bit different for me.”

And what about the chances of another history making win?

“It would be huge to win,” explained Ruston. “I guess it still hasn’t really hit me being the first female to win a CRA race, so it is weird hearing that. To win a big race like the World Crown would be a big accomplishment.”

Let’s Not Forget The Other Action This Weekend

While a lot of emphasis is being placed on the two Late Model features, not to be forgotten are the Hometown Heroes racing in the local divisions, which makes up much of the unforgettable excitement of the World Crown Weekend.

On Friday, the Trucks, Mini-Cup and Sportsman divisions will take center stage.  The trucks will run the Rheem 75, with Dawsonville, Georgia’s Spencer Davis, Marietta, Georgia’s Cody Haskins and Atlanta’s Brandon Jones expected to lead the charge.

Friday will also feature qualifying for the top 25 starters for Sunday’s Super Late Model feature.

Joining the bill with the Pro Late Models on Saturday will be the Renegades, the Mini-Stocks and the Outlaw Late Models.  The Renegades will see Tony Newman of Lilburn, Georgia and Jody Trivette of Sugar Hill, Georgia, among others, slug it out on the Jefferson high banks.  GMP veteran and hometown racer Steve Hill of Jefferson will lead the charge for the Mini-Stocks, while local drivers David Murphy and Hoyt Stephens will do battle with what’s expected to be a large field of Outlaw Late Models.

Saturday will also feature Pro Late Model qualifying, as well as last chance qualifying races for both the Pro Late Models and the Super Late Models.

The World Crown weekend will roll off today (Thursday) with practice for the Super Late Models and Pro Late Models, which will be free to the public to attend.

So the only question that remains is this – at the end of the day Sunday, who will have put their names in the World Crown history book?  Four big days of racing lie ahead to find that out.

For more information and to order tickets for the 28^th annual Rheem World Crown 300, visit www.greshammotorsportspark.com.