Welcome to the Southern Mod Lite Racing Series

You have reached the Internet home of the Southern Mod Lite Racing Series. Here, you will find the latest news, information, rules and more about the Southern Mod Lite Racing Series. Keep a close eye on the schedule as the SMLRS invades a track near you. You don't want to miss some of the most exciting three and four wide slide job racing action that these power packed cars bring to the track!

'SUMMER HOLIDAY SHOOTOUT' Details Announced

May 15th, 2012 - White Oak Construction has revealed the details of the Summer Holiday Shootout. This is a three race mini series featuring three tracks. Race number 1 will take place in celebration of Memorial Day on Saturday May 26th at Wartburg Speedway. Race number 2 falls on Saturday June 30th at Tazewell Speedway as part of Independence Day weekend. The mini series will conclude Labor Day weekend on Friday August 31st at Spring City Raceway.

The winner of each race will receive 20 points, 2nd will get 18, 3rd - 17, 4th - 16, 5th - 15 and so on with each position being one point less than the position ahead. To add a twist to the system, there will be a passing points system. Each driver will be awarded one additional point for each car passed in the feature. Also, the pole sitter at each feature event can have the option of starting in the rear to gain one point for each car passed to add to their points total. If the pole sitter turns down the option, then the 2nd starter gets the option and so on, until someone in the field accepts the challenge.

The Summer Holiday Shootout points will be calculated seperately from series points. The Shootout champion will win $150, 2nd = $125, 3rd = $100, 4th = $75 and fifth will pay $50. Special thanks from all of us at the SMLRS goes out to White Oak Construction for supporting the series!

Pugh's Streak Hits 5 Wins

May 12th, 2012 - The SMLRS returned to their home track of Wartburg Speedway Saturday night. Josh Pugh turned his focus up a notch after drawing a pill putting him deep in the field. The outcome was the same however. Josh made his way through the field in the heat to finish second. On the first lap of the feature Josh lost control of his car in turn 3 bringing out the caution. Luckily for Josh the race director called for a complete restart. On the pole was David Appleby and Josh Pugh started outside the front row. Pugh pinched off Appleby going into turn one and Appleby graciously let out of it as to not wreck both cars. Pugh was off to the races from there. He had a challenge again from Ron Dodson who started in the fourth position and earned the West Haven Hard Charger $25 award. Pugh was tough to pass once he was out front and went on to grab his fifth win in a row. Finish - Pugh, Dodson, Bowles, Appleby, Stout, VanWhy, Holt.

The SMLRS returns this Saturday night to Wartburg Speedway!

SMLRS Announces A Schedule Change

May 8th, 2012 - Last Friday night at Spring City Raceway was Westhaven Hard Charger Night. Believe it or not, we did not have a winner. We are going to try again for the hard charger night this Saturday May 12th at Wartburg Speedway.

Also, this will move the Whitworth Drywall Dash For Cash to Saturday June 16th at Wartburg Speedway. Mr. Whitworth has a schedule conflict this weekend with a family event.

Also, the Dash for Cash cars eligible to race will be those drivers that have competed in a minimum of three SMLRS feature events and have not previously won a feature in 2012. The lineup will be based on point standings inverted and the number of laps will be one lap per entry in the race!

This should be an exciting winner takes all $150 from Whitworth Drywall.

Pugh Continues His Win Streak

May 4th, 2012 - Pugh rolled on to yet another SMLRS victory Friday night at Spring City's Bullring. At first glance it seemed as though the full moon was out. Hot laps struck 3 of the 8 cars present before the green flag came out. First to roll on the track was Jackie Griffith, Josh Pugh, John Stout and Alan VanWhy. Under the pace lap Griffith's drive shaft came off and destroyed a brand new motor he had just installed. While pacing for 6 laps to remove his car, VanWhy pulled off the track with an overheating engine. Turns out VanWhy's car had a blown fuse to the fan and it wasn't operating. The remaining cars came out to hot lap and Kelli Barnes never made it past the staging lane with a sour engine.

That compressed the field to one heat race. The track was a little greasy making it hard to find multiple lanes to pass. With a very fast & tacky track Pugh won the heat race with a high speed freight train behind him. The feature proved to be the same conditions. Although Josh won again, Lovelace followed closely and the race to watch all night was Stout in third, with Appleby on his bumper and VanWhy in fifth. The three battled lap after lap diving and sliding through the turns looking for the advantage. The track was just too fast and the three never swapped positions. The top five remained together on the same straightaway for 20 laps. The finish put Pugh in victory lane over Lovelace, Stout, Appleby, VanWhy, Atheide, Griffith & Barnes.

Speedway Videos 300 goes to Pugh at Spring CIty Raceway

April 27th, 2012 - Speedway Videos put up the anty for Friday's race at Spring City Raceway. The track was in great shape Friday night despite a wet week in East Tennessee. Josh Pugh was on a rail again as he made it three in a row in SMLRS events.

Heat race action was crazy. All the drivers seemed to be fighting their cars for handling. Chris Bowles was the surprise in heat race #1 as he ran away from Pugh, Stout and Dodson. The three guys that seem to be the ones to beat thus far in 2012. The second heat went to Lovelace as he held off Appleby, Knoedler and Holt.

Feature racing had its share of heartache and cautions. Before the race even started 2011 Champion David Appleby had an oil pan failure on the pace laps ended his night. At the drop of the green Lovelace had handling issues as Pugh, Stout and Dodson all raced around him. By lap four Pugh was already in the lead and Lovelace dropped another position to Knoedler. Lap seven was the first caution when James Holt tried to pass Lovelace and ended up with both cars in the infield.

On the next restart heat race winner Chris Bowles saw his night go in circles as he looped into the infield while running second. The next restart saw Dodson miss a shift but the loser in that incident was Knoedler who rammed Dodson from behind and was pancaked by Lovelace. Knoedler went airborne and backed into the wall ending his night. Josh brought them green again and lead the finals laps on his way to victory lane over Stout, Dodson, Lovelace, Holt, Bowles, Knoedler & Appleby.

The SMLRS will return Friday May 5th to the bullring in Spring City for a rematch. THANK YOU SPEEDWAY VIDEOS!

Josh Pugh Makes It Two In A Row.

April 21st, 2012 - Wartburg Speedway rolled the dice Saturday with an 80% chance of rain in the area. With a mist falling all night the track was tacky and fast. With the mod lite car count at 8, all drivers were grouped into one heat race. The action was crazy. Two & three wide from the lead to the back, cars were able to race every inch of the track for some furiuos action. Josh Pugh rolled on for the heat win to earn the pole for the feature.

With VanWhy, Barnes & Griffith knocked out of the heat race and done for the night, feature racing only had 5 starters. Pugh looked to check out on the field again, but in the second half of the race Dodson closed back in on the high side. Dodson pulled along side a handful of times to try to make the pass but Pugh held on for the win by half a car length. Dodson was second over Bowles, Stout, Appleby, VanWhy (DNS), Barnes (DNS), Griffith (DNS)

Josh Pugh Earns Every Inch!

April 14th, 2012 - It certainly didn't come easy on Saturday night for eventual feature winner Josh Pugh. In the records books it appears to be an easy flag to flag, start first and finish first 20 lap feature for Pugh. However his night began with a bad draw for the heat putting him tail on the field. What seemed to be the start to a rough night turned into the closest finish ever in a Mod Lite heat. Josh cautiously worked his way through traffic passing one car after another. With the white flag in the air it appeared that David Appleby had the win in the bag as he had checked out on the field from his pole starting spot. Some how, some way, Pugh drove off into turn three on the final lap, there was just enough room under Appleby, yet with high side momentum Appleby appeared to have the race won. Pugh stuck to the bottom and nosed Appleby for the heat victory by inches.

Feature racing didn't come much easier for Pugh. His heat win earned the pole, but Ron Dodson was outside pole and his car was fast. Fifth place starter Carl Lovelace had some things to say to the leaders as well. Seventh place starter and last weeks winner John Stout was also running strong. Lovelace moved to fourth on lap 2, then to third on lap 5. Meanwhile Dodson and Pugh ran bumper to bumper lap after lap as Dodson tried to find a way into the lead.

Stout's progress was slowed by 5th place running Eddie Rowland. On lap 5 Stout made the pass, but two laps later Rowland came right back, they ran door to door for two laps with Stout finally pulling ahead on lap 9. Rowland's night came to an end on lap 12 as he had engine failure. The restart saw Pugh leading Dodson, Lovelace, Appleby & Stout.

After a couple cautions for spins, Dodson finally got the inside lane he needed on Pugh, the two touched as they ran wheel to wheel for a lap, it looked like Dodson was faster, but he lost it just a hair off turn two which allowed Lovelace to pounce into second and Pugh to get a comfort zone. Dodson wasn't done, on the next lap he took the spot back from Lovelace and closed on Pugh for the final lap, but he didn't have enough time to try again and Josh Pugh hung on for the win over Dodson, Lovelace, Stout, Appleby, Holt, Barnes, Bowles & Rowland.

West Haven Hard Charger winner is John Stout - started 7th, finished 4th.

Heat #1 - Pugh, Appleby, Stout, Lovelace, Holt

Heat#2 - Dodson, Rowland, Barnes, Bowles

John Stout Kicks Off The Season With His First Mod Lite Victory!

April 7th, 2012 - With many years of racing experience under his belt it was no suprise that in his first ever race in a Modified Lite race car, John Stout drove his way into victory lane in the first SMLRS race of the year at Wartburg Speedway. John made a furious charge in his heat race coming from the tail of the field all the way to a second place finish giving him the fourth starting position in the feature. He lined up behind pole sitter Ron Dodson, Josh Pugh and Carl Lovelace.

At the drop of the green in the feature it was Josh Pugh out front. Josh was class of the field as he had a straightaway lead by the midway point. Pugh worked his way through lapped traffic nicely and on lap 13 heartbreak struck as Josh lost the car coming off of turn two and spun to the infield. By this time Stout had made his way from fourth to second, but Pugh was too far ahead to run down. On the restart Stout lead over Lovelace, Dodson, Rowland and Appleby.

The restart saw a hard charge from Lovelace as he ran door to door with Stout for the lead. Behind them Dodson, Rowland and Appleby were inches apart all fighting for third. Stout held on for the win in the 20 lap main event over Dodson, Lovelace, Pugh who came from the tail after spinning, Appleby, Rowland, Boles, Holt and Barnes. VanWhy & Champ had tough luck in hot laps and were unable to make the show.

Heat #1 - Dodson, Lovelace, Rowland, Appleby

Heat#2 - Pugh, Stout, Boles, Holt, Barnes

It Is Almost Time For The Dirt To Fly...Wartburg Speedway - April 7th, 2012!!!

February 1, 2012 - Attention owners, drivers, fans & foes..... The first edition of the Southern Mod Lite Racing Series is set to take place starting in April. Amid huge support and growth over the winter months, the SMLRS has formed a race schedule consisting of 27 shows featuring two East Tennessee tracks. 19 series events will take place at the home track of the SMLRS, Wartburg Speedway. The remaining 8 events will be at Spring City Raceway. There are plans as of now to add a few more events as the season unfolds at 411 Motor Speedway and North Georgia Speedway.

These 27 events currently scheduled will set the stage for the first ever Southern Mod Lite Racing Series points championship. With an ever growing list of sponsors, the championship will see support from Speedway Videos, Whitworth Drywall, White Oak Construction, Omega Realty Group LLC, Noble Knights Construction Services Inc., Counter Fire, Outlaw Graphics, Braille Battery, Fluid Film, RACEceiver and White Lightning Bodies. Many more sponsors are in negotiations to provide more prize money and products for the points title.

To make things more interesting in 2012, there are THREE possibilities to win a points title. Wartburg Speedway has funded a local points championship for 2012 season separate from the series chase consisting of only those events run at Wartburg. On top of that, White Oak Construction has formed the Holiday Summer Shootout consisting of three races on their own points system. The top three positions in points for the shootout will share a $500 championship fund. And if that isn't enough, a few times this season a unique Dash for Cash race will be held with a winner takes all $150 purse. The Dash for Cash drivers will be those at that point in the season that have not won a feature event and they will line up by points....inverted!!! There is something for everyone to win in 2012!

Currently there are 12 drivers ready to let the dirt fly, wheel to wheel, 3 and 4 wide, all the while puting on the slide jobs for some furious open wheel dirt track racing! The SMLRS is here to give back to the fans and will do so not only on the track but through many community events as well in 2012! Meet all of your drivers on the media page. We look forward to seeing YOU at the track!