Monday, November 14, 2016

2016 NWSLMS Championship Driver Review



Wenatchee, WA (November 14, 2016)– As the 2016 season comes to a close the drivers inside the final Top-10 championship standings on Northwest Super Late Model Series were an important part of the of the series this year. The NWSLMS finished up the third season for the premier touring Super Late Model division in the Northwest with sixty-four drivers participating in 2016.

The 2016 Northwest Super Late Model Series Championship Banquet will be held at the Wenatchee Convention Center in Wenatchee, WA on January 14th. Over $25,000 in cash and award will be awarded to eligible drivers from the Top-10 championship standings. Tickets for the banquet are $35 per person. For ticket and other information regarding the banquet call 509-663-8551 or email northwestsuperlatemodels@gmail.com

Here is an inside look at the drivers that finished sixth through 10th in the NWSLMS points standings for 2016.

6th Place
Driver: Ed Thomsen
Hometown: Pasco, WA
2016 Starts: 8
2016 Wins: 0
Top 5 Finishes: 0
Top 10 Finishes: 2
Best 2016 Finish: 6th Place at Stateline Speedway, Idaho Tune Up 150
Thomsen ran with the NWSLMS full time in 2016 after running a limited schedule with the series in 2014 and 2015. The Pasco, WA driver showed that he could still run up front with the series regulars even with using one of the oldest chassis in the series. Thomsen captured his best career NWSLMS finish this season at the Idaho Tune Up 150 with a sixth place run. Thomsen will be awarded $1,000 cash and AR Bodies Body Kit for his sixth place finish in the 2016 NWSLMS Championship.

7th Place
Driver: Glenn Knutson
Hometown: Quincy, WA
2016 Starts: 7
2016 Wins: 0
Top 5 Finishes: 1
Top 10 Finishes: 3
Best 2016 Finish: 5th Place at Stateline Speedway, Idaho 200
The 2015 NWSLMS Rookie of the Year had a slow start in the 2016 season with engine issues but bounced back midway through the season with back to back top 10 finishes at Stateline Speedway. The young gun driver had three blown engines during the 2016 season but the family racing team bounced back each time. Knutson will be award $1,000 cash and a Five Start Bodies Kit for his seventh place finish in the 2016 NWSLMS Championship.

8th Place
Driver: Clint Habart
Hometown: Cranbrook, BC
2016 Starts: 7
2016 Wins: 0
Top 5 Finishes: 2
Top 10 Finishes: 3
Best 2016 Finish: 3rd, Wenatchee Valley Super Oval, Neal Newberry 125
The 2016 season started off slow for the Canadian driver Clint Habart with an early race accident and wrist injury at the Apple Cup in April. Habart and the Kustom Fab race team didn’t let that slow them down as they grabbed a tenth place finish the next race out. Habart captured his best NWSLMS career finish at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval’s Neal Newberry 125 in September when he finished third. Habart will be awarded $1,000 cash and $500 Certificate for Franks Radio Service for his eighth place finish in the 2016 NWSLMS Championship.

9th Place
Driver: Dirk Bennett
Hometown: Spokane, WA
2016 Starts: 7
2016 Wins: 0
Top 5 Finishes: 0
Top 10 Finishes: 0
Best 2016 Finish: 11th, Wenatchee Valley Super Oval, Leonard Evans 150
The 2016 Jefferson Pitts Racing Rookie of the Year contender raced his first full year of Super Late Model racing after just a couple starts in 2015. Bennett joined up with the Kustom Fab race team in 2016 showing progress for the young driver. Bennett had his best series finish of eleventh at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval’s Leonard Evans 150. The rookie finished second in the JPR Rookie of the Year standings. Bennett will be awarded $1,000 cash for his ninth place finish in the 2016 NWSLMS Championship

10th Place
Driver: Shane Mitchell
Hometown: East Wenatchee, WA
2016 Starts: 6
2016 Wins: 0
Top 5 Finishes: 0
Top 10 Finishes: 2
Best 2016 Finish: 7th, Spokane Super Oval, Park Model Homes 125
Mitchell returned to racing full time in 2016 after an early season injury cut his 2015 season short. The past series winner had some early season runs up front at races but late race incidents hurt his finishes. Mitchell found success at Spokane Super Oval for seventh place finishes in both races at the half-mile oval.

The Northwest Super Late Model Series Inc. is the premier regional touring Super Late Model series in the Pacific Northwest. The series has many valued sponsors including Hoosier Racing Tire, McGunegill Engine Performance, Port City Race Cars, AR Bodies, Joes Racing Products, Accelerated Graphics, Five Star Bodies, Longacre Racing Products, Wheel Chill, KRC Power Steering, Racers Against Child Abuse, Atomic Screenprinting and Embroidery, Franks Racing Radio, BLP, Jefferson Pitts Racing and Racing Dynamics. For more information on the series visit www.nwslmseries.com or on Facebook or Twitter.