THEY CALL HIM "KID SMOOTH' & HIS CHILL ATTITUDE & CALM DEMEANOR ISFREEZING LOCAL COMPETITION IN THE STREET STOCK CLASS

THEY CALL HIM "KID SMOOTH' & HIS CHILL ATTITUDE & CALM DEMEANOR IS FREEZING LOCAL COMPETITION IN THE STREET STOCK CLASS

Written by:

Chris Creighton 

June 14th, 2016

Toomsuba Ms.

THEY CALL HIM "KID SMOOTH' & HIS CHILL ATTITUDE & CALM DEMEANOR IS FREEZING LOCAL COMPETITION IN THE STREET STOCK CLASS

 The summer time heat wave is in full force in Southern Mississippi.  The annual scorcher sends mercury bursting out its stick as each day brings record breaking highs as fast as Dick Trickle would have broken a track record in the 80's at some small town short track on the smaller circuit. In dirt track terminology, this time of year means the season is nearing halfway to the end. Championship runs are gearing up for those already winning & promises of a better 2^nd half to others trying to get the formula just right. The best of racing is still yet to come.

Now the dirt life seems simple right? In this league only 1 competitor actually will win the victory & celebrate with pictures of you & your teammates holding the checkered flag with a trophy & a big bright smile. If you aren't that guy winning you are working your tail off to be, asking for a chance if lady luck could be so kindly. Sometimes you can find a win but not in normal victory fashion. With this perception a loss may not necessarily mean failure or fault, as a matter of fact the dirt life is everything of a race in itself. Where time is judged by how fast you turn & consistent time could mean valuable inches that keep you in or out that sacred ceremony. You may not win the race but you clocked the fastest lap of your competitors. Once that small victory is established the race becomes to better that time next time & so on & so forth. Racing becomes an hour glass of sand that isn't judged in minutes but instead fractions of a second.

Which leads me to a story of a young racing talent that worked his way into early success with heart, smarts & a character of charisma that will leaving you thinking this is one cool kid. This young fella is so chill that he brought his own name of "Kid Smooth" to the dirt track scene. Now only months into his journey, expectations have become a reality & many stat readers & racers have already started searching for the number 14 on line up sheets & qualifying times in the street stock division. Competitors & other racers may have not noticed or recognized the Outlaw Black with Red Outline Coopers Country Pleasin’ Sausage High Roller Race Cars street stock in the pits or hot laps but when you realize the 14 is working your quarter panel, his chill skill will be no match for the unnerved. As he launches past your chrome horn understand you just got worked by a by a smooth operator. After the race those that didn’t already know the name will be searching the bracket on the line up or the official finish posted online for the driver behind the wheel of that black #14 & there they will find the pilot of the machine, Benjamin Allen Keith or aka Ben "Kid Smooth" Keith. 

Whether he got the name by his chill approach on the track or just a childhood nickname he carried over, the kid certainly seems a little calmer & more mature than most his age. It's no doubt when he is on the track the Kid lives up to the name & has been all season long earning his place ahead of many seasoned well experienced wheelman in the National NeSmith Street Stock & the local MISSISSIPPI STREET STOCK SERIES. Competing for Rookie of the Year against other highly touted Talents could have easily stunted his development & growth. Most are hit with the realization of unreasonable goals, high expectations or setbacks beyond control but nothing has overshadowed this recent rise to success for this 16 year old Kosciusko High School Junior. Such talent as he has is too hard not to notice. In a league of over 300 stock car teams, in only a few short months “Kid Smooth” has already successfully captured his first career pole, 2 heat race wins & a career best top 3 finish in the feature event this past weekend at the House of Hook, finishing behind Spencer Hughes & longtime veteran Jeffery Walker.

Though some trouble came to pass early on in the season, the race team has manufactured a consistent string of good finishes here of late adding to a steady rise in National points for the rookie. Team 14xxv celebrated a first after breaking into the top 20 in national points after his solid finish this past weekend at the House of Hook. Keith now finds himself perched in 19^th place with 360 points in 11 races rising 14 spots from the 33rd position he was in rolling into the last week of May. The team has recording 6 top 5's & 7 top 10 finishes already & could possibly break into the win column this weekend at the Annual Clash at the Mag in Columbus Ms. Small victories pay big dividends when patience & precision is your fasting approach. Good finishes & consistent runs eventually lead to W’s in the win column.

Ben "Kid Smooth" Keith can be found & followed each racing week in the state of Mississippi. The 14 crew has raced Jackson Motor Speedway, Whynot Motorsports Park & Magnolia Motor Speedway as often as the doors are opened & racing is allowed. He has also ventured to Louisiana to race La36 Speedway located in St Tammany Parish La. Look for his car the next time you see the heavy metal stock cars hit the speedway & when you see that fourteen passing your favorite, just know that kid is Smooth.... Kid Smooth!!  Ben’s racing career is made possible thanks to these sponsors: High Roller Race Cars, Keith's Service Station, Landscape Designs by Glen, Cooper's Country Pleasin', Big Daddy Approved Chris Harris, Michael Millis State Farm Insurance, Willhite Racing, Dirt Defender, Roofing and Siding with Strength, Amory Powder Coating, Rhino's Remodeling and Electric Topnotch Signs & Apparel. You can follow him on Facebook or Instagram & his race team at AK Motorsports & @_kidsmooth14_

FROM THE PAST

RACE

PURE STREET RULES REVISED AT HATTIESBURG SPEEDWAY

PURE STREET RULES UPDATED

The idea is to keep a stock class with racers that have either been out of racing for awhile or new to it at an even playing field amongst competition. Lots of guys jumped into NeSmith & other higher competitive classes the last few seasons which has allowed other racers & new beginners to step up & succeed in the lower more affordable class. If you have raced more than 3 times in another division at Hattiesburg Speedway as of 2014 you can not return to Pure Street. This has been a questionable & controversial call to some from the day it was implemented but the success of other drivers have proved the process works. Bubba Trotter for example spent several years out of racing & came back, ran pure street at Hattiesburg but flirted with the street stock Series at several
other venues before stepping up to our Outlaw Class. Cole Cameron also graduated from the Pure Street & now races weekly in NeSmith. Some drivers have only 1 more race in Pure Street before having to move up but this allows the racer to know for sure if he or she is ready to make that leap to another division. So many times a driver moves up to a class & finds out the cost is either higher or they might not have been as ready as they had previously thought. Also this class has the chance to field a class of rising stars & young rookie drivers which could bring extra excitement for the fans as they watch their favorite driver make a name for themselves. Just to list a few of our well known & familiar pure street names will be enough to convince most that the plan for this class is working.

Stephanie Cooper - 2016 winner at Hatt & La36

Patrick Hankins - 2nd year competitor knocking on the door for a win has been very competitive in a short amount of time.

Ryan Slade - dominate all season but sat patiently over the last 2 years for his turn while Bubba Trotter & Jeremy Eaton battled for the top spot

Jeremy Eaton Past Champion multiple race winner has one more race in a higher division before he has to leave the class for good. Returned recently in a new car & has already picked up a W. Eaton has a lot of talent & when you do get around him you worked for it. Eaton & a few others keep the dedicated itching to get ahead every week.

Jim French- past champion & feature winner. Jim has competed since 2014 & has built quality seat time. He is consistent & at this time content with the growth of the class.

Pace Cameron a young kid who has worked to get as much seat time as possible to follow footsteps of older brother Cole.

Shannon Fletcher - a feature winner & weekly competitor. Shannon has since raced in the Old bubba trotter car & has shown he could be the next to challenge the top spot weekly.

Russell Griffith, Josh French, Tommy & Cody Pledger, Bruce Williamson & many others that are not listed but have supported this class & I think it has been one of the most exciting.
I think in a few years car owners will be plucking drivers from this class to other higher ranks based off success they achieved racing weekly at the track. It's not a traditional rookie class but it is a beginner class & with two other stock classes to move up to I feel that this rule makes a lot of sense & I think Donald has it moving in the right direction.

RULES OF CLASS

PURE STREET
If you race and win a feature in a higher division or run more than 3 races in a higher division, you will not be allowed to return to this division.

1.  36” of 2” exhaust pipe from the end of the collector.  Can be bent to clear bars and such but must be solid…NO HOLES…  We will do random checks on this.  Pipes MUST be in place if you go through tech after the race

2. BODY…Stock production body only.  Hoods may be gutted.  You may use the sheet metal for doors and body panels…MUST HAVE FACTORY BODY LINES…NO FLAT, SQUARE BODIES!!!   May run a 4" spoiler.  MUST MAINTAIN STOCK APPEARANCE…THIS INCLUDES THE NOSE AND TAIL PIECE.  Stock roof for car being raced, must be in stock location (no lowering).  NO GRACE PERIOD ON THE PURE STREET RULES!!  ANY CAR NOT LEGAL FOR PURE STREET MUST RUN OUTLAW STREET STOCK UNTIL CHANGES ARE MADE!!

All safety and general rules apply.  Firewall may be altered for distributor clearance only if necessary.  No engine set back or offset.  No cut out holes in firewall.  Any bars necessary to ensure rigid frame and radiator protection will be permitted behind the front and rear bumpers provided they do not extend past the body.  Aftermarket nosepieces allowed.  May use 22 or 24 gauge sheet metal deck, it must be open on driver side.  Must have original factory front and rear firewall and floor pan.  No cutting of fender wells except for tire clearance only.  Front inner wheel well panels optional.  Trunk lid may be gutted.  Stop sign post material allowed between front and rear fenders on side of body to protect sheet metal and paint jobs.  Front and rear firewalls must be in stock location.  Stock unaltered floor pan required unless needs repairing due to excessive rust.  Entire seat must be in front of rear edge of door.  Minimum wheelbase is 99”.  All cars must weigh a minimum of 3300lbs.

ENGINE OPTION 1:
No 400 cubic inch engines, dished or flat top pistons only.  Must be GM in GM, Ford in Ford, etc.  No crossbreeding of parts.  No stroked or de-stroked engines allowed.  Stock rods for cubic inch engine used.  Stock production heads.  Double hump heads allowed, VORTECS OK.  All heads without casting numbers will be illegal.  No porting, polishing or port matching allowed.  Maximum intake valve 1.94, maximum exhaust valve 1.50.  Maximum valve spring diameter 1.26”, no beehive springs allowed.  Stock 2 or 4 barrel steel intake.  We will be allowing the 3 aluminum intakes with these part numbers ONLY:  Elderbrock part # 2116 or 2701, Action Plus/Wind Part #8120.

Screw in studs and guide plates allowed.  No roller tip or roller rockers, no stud girdles allowed, no roller lifters, no roller cams or ceramic lifters.  Cam lift at 450 Max.  No carburetor spacers, adapters only.

Holley 4412 carburetor unaltered.  Choke flap can be removed.  No after market distributor, stock distributor ignition only points or HEI, may run high output coil but no ignition box.  Street style headers allowed with 1 5/8” primary tubes.  Aluminum pulleys allowed on crank and water pump only.

ENGINE OPTION 2:
Chevy 602 sealed crate motor.  Must run stock 4412 Holley carburetor with a 1” max thickness adapter only. There will be NO weight break for this option.

CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION:
Single disc clutch only 10 ½” minimum, no aluminum flywheel.  Stock type flywheel to weigh no less than 14lbs, stock type pressure plate no less than 13lbs.  Stock disc type clutch and flywheel required.  Stock torque converter (13”) required with automatic transmissions  Transmission may have shift kit installed.  ¼” steel plate surrounding stock bell housing or blow proof bell  housing required.  No racing clutches.

FRAME:
Stock frame for car body used.  Uni-bodies MUST connect front and rear with tubing or use roll cage to strengthen frame, provided they do no extend past the body.

FRONT SUSPENSION:
Must be stock as produced by the manufacturer.  Shocks must be in stock location using stock mounts.  No screw jacks.  Racing springs and racing shocks allowed.  Steel shocks only. $300 shock claim on all four shocks.  In order to claim you must have finished on lead lap and claim must be made to the tech man with cash in hand within 10 minutes of checkered flag. Only stock proportioning valves are permitted. After market brake pedals allowed.  Quick disconnect steering wheel and quick steer ok.  All other steering components must be stock.  No threaded adjustable buckets allowed.  Aftermarket upper A-arms can be run in stock mounted location.

REAR SUSPENSION:
Stock as produced by the manufacturer, except rear end housing may be replaced with an 5 or 6 lug rear end.  Ford 8” or 9” rear end ok (GM included).  Floater rear ends allowed.  Stock suspension must be retained.  Shocks must be in stock location.  No add on traction devices or modifications.  Adjustable shackles and racing springs allowed, no sliders.  No adjustable lowering blocks, aluminum lowering blocks ok.  No heim joints allowed.  Aftermarket bushings will be allowed.  Rear end may be locked.  May use production disc brakes.  No threaded adjustable buckets allowed.  Lower trailing arms must be stock and mounted in stock location as produced from factory.  Lower trailing arm mounts must be mounted equal length on both sides from the bottom of the rear end housing to the center of the bolt hole +/- ¼” and will not vary more than ½” from stock.  Aftermarket rubber or steel trailing arm bushings allowed.

WHEELS AND TIRES:
8” steel wheels.  15x8 maximum wheel size.  Bead lock allowed on right rear only.  DOT approved passenger street radial tires.  DOT tires cannot be wider than 60 series.  No mud grip tires.  We will allow the H500 and any G60 tire as well as 8” asphalt pull offs and A40s. 8" towel city recaps allowed. Tires can be grooved.

Anything not specified will revert back to stock.

CREAM RISES TO THE TOP AT ECM SPEEDWAY SEASON OPENER

CREAM RISES TO THE TOP AT ECM SPEEDWAY SEASON OPENER

Whynot Motorsports Park,Chambers Mcgilberry,Factory Stock

June 5, 2016

Yellowcautionflag Entertainment Promotions Toomsuba Ms. 

CREAM RISES TO THE TOP IN SEASON OPENER @ECM SPEEDWAY

The 13 year old Talented Young Gun Chambers McGilberry, from Selma AL. took home his first win of the season @ the ECM Season Opener in neighboring west Alabama. The highly touted young wheelman that has local crowds Cheering "Chambers", is a Star on the Rise in DIRT TRACK RACING around this part of the woods! Took no time at all to start turning heads when he took to the track & started tracking down the front runners in the Factory Stock class. His skills are well seasoned but McGilberry's debut in a stock car was no more than a little over 8 weeks ago @ Whynot Motorsports Park.  As if a legend was born, those who were there noticed in his very first race the kid had talent. It took no time at all accustoming hisself to the weight factor, set up or for that matter anything else. 

Several top 3 finishes & very strong performances each night out ignited the question that was floated around the dirt track & local race shops . The question was not if, but when would he win? The #66McGilberryTEAM has been flirting with flawlessness & seat time will only make him better. Anticipation of a future star could be on the horizon in the southeast. His skills matched with his recorded stats have been undeniable & measurable with any of the top guns in his division. Not to forget about the almost win just last month at The House of Hook. It was just last week High Roller Race Cars announced him as a new owner to a HRRC LATE MODEL, adding Him to a list of many talented drivers who pilot Late Model or Street Stock Chassis from this local company. 

Chambers is by no means a stranger to winning at circle tracks. Having piloted gokarts since young & even a bid with Legend Cars on the asphalt in Georgia. All the experience has literally payed huge ends with his development from valuable seat time. From all signs so far this young man looks to be well mentored & his molded racing mentality was groomed at an early age. At this point his future could go a long way & with the right exposure he still has plenty of time finding sponsorship as he works through the ranks. No doubt his marketability factor kicked in long before making his way into stock car racing with his resume. 

Congrats to the whole team on taking home the checkered flag at the  ECM Speedway. All of us Yellowcautionflag.com DIRT News & Promotions wish you many more along your way. #thedirtlife #inIT2winIT