(Savannah, GA)  The 2005 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series season came to a close on Friday evening at the historic half mile Oglethorpe Speedway Park.  Four new NASCAR champions were crowned in the Coca-Cola Late Models, Love’s Seafood Street Stocks, Sunset Novelties Mini Stocks and Southern Racing Supplies Pure Stocks.

            Twenty-year-old Robert Diekemper picked up his second career OSP NASCAR Championship on Friday night.  But, his first in the high powered late model division.  Diekemper won the Street Stock title at OSP three years ago and was the late model rookie of the year in 2003.  The young gun only had to start the feature race Friday night to capture his late model crown.

            “This has been a great season,” said Diekemper on the front straightaway in front of his cheering fans.  “There have been a lot people who have helped me get to this position and tonight is just the beginning of my thank yous.”

            Diekemper also found out that on the heels of his championship night that a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team based in North Carolina had been inquiring about the talented young man for the past two months.  The team is following his progress as he charged to the championship.

            “Robert has a lot of talent,” said track promoter Ted Austad.  “I would like to see him get an opportunity.  I think he could really turn some heads.”

            Finishing second in the Coca-Cola Late Model point standings was another of OSP’s young guns.  Eighteen-year-old Sean Meeks climbed through the standings to finish second to only Diekemper while also locking up the “Rookie of the Year” title for the late models.  Two-time OSP late model champion Donnie Bazemore finished three points ahead of another late model rookie Jay Hendricks for third in the points.  A third rookie candidate, Lonnie Brant, came home fifth overall in the final point standings.

            In the last points race of the season, Savannah’s Russ Brown picked up where he left off the Friday before.  Brown led flag to flag winning for the second straight week and ending with a divisional high five wins.

            Clint Sills did the same thing in the Love’s Seafood Street Stocks as the Rincon driver won for the second straight week.  Sills accomplishment was overshadowed by the crowning of the season champions.

            It has taken 16 years for ‘Rapid’ Ray Collins to win a season title at the well respected half mile oval.  He stumbled last week finishing near the back of the pack.  But, he rose to the occasion Friday night finishing third and putting an exclaimation point on his title season.  Chris Litchfield wound up second in the points ahead of Donald Norby, Brian Barnes and Clint Sills.

            Dan Douglas was the only driver that had the championship locked up prior to green flag racing on Friday night.  Douglas cruised the entire night finishing among the top five to claim his Southern Racing Supplies Pure Stock title.  Last year’s champion, Terron Roberts, finished second ahead of Buster Kleckley and Don Douglas.  All four drivers are teammates that formed what became known as the Carolina Mafia late in the year.

            Billy Oglesby won the feature race for the Pure Stocks on Friday night.  Oglesby was the forty-seventh different winner at the speedway in 2005.  He did a great job of holding back Terron Roberts for the victory.

            Charles Swann ended his NASCAR championship chase in the best way.  Swann took advantage of a late race crash between then leader Bobby Morris and Randall Wegmann.  He inherited the lead and then coasted to victory lane putting a seal on the title in the Sunset Novelties Mini Stocks.  Chris Johnson finished second to Swann in Friday night’s feature as well as the season point standings.

            The Four Star Security 440 and Queen Bees did not decide championships on Friday night.  But, the four cylinder entry level class did run a pair of feature races.  Charissa Dudley returned to her winning ways in the Queen Bees while another new winner James Jones claimed his first OSP victory in the 440 feature.  The 440 and Queen Bees will decide their season point champions at the 8^th Annual Showdown on the Coast in October.

            The speedway is now quickly preparing for this weekend’s Red Cross “Hurricane Relief” concert featuring rock icon Meat Loaf.  The historic half mile speedway will return to racing action in October with the running of the 8^th Annual Showdown on the Coast.  Last year’s Showdown drew over 275 race cars and nearly 14,000 race fans.  For additional information, contact the speedway at 912-964-8200 or visit www.ospracing.net.

Official Results from Friday, September 9, 2005

Coca-Cola Late Models (Feature): 1-Russ Brown, Savannah  2-Shane Riner, Guyton  3-Jay Hendricks, Rincon  4-Robbie Cowart, Savannah  5-Lonnie Brant, Bloomingdale  6-Steven Howard, Bloomingdale  7-Corey Fletcher, Guyton  8-Glenn Yawn, Rincon  9-Steven Senter, Savannah  10-Donnie Bazemore, Guyton  11-Sean Meeks, Guyton  12-Robert Diekemper, Bloomingdale  13-Branden Yawn, Springfield  14-Casey Barrow, Guyton  15-Shawn Pritchard, Rincon  16-Chris Dorsey, Swainsboro

Love’s Seafood Street Stocks (Feature): 1-Clint Sills, Rincon  2-Albert Cosnahan, Guyton  3-Ray Collins, Ellabell  4-Brian Barnes, Bloomingdale  5-Wayne Page, Savannah  6-Michael Helmly, Guyton  7-Donald Norby, Midway  8-Dustin Collins, Ellabell  9-Chris Litchfield, Rincon  10-John McCosker, Richmond Hill  11-Timmy Dasher, Bluffton, SC  12-Allen White, Ellabell  13-Gary Munn, Savannah  14-Jeff Banfield, Beaufort, SC  15-Butch Reich, Eden  16-Nicky Smith, Springfield

Southern Racing Supplies Pure Stocks (Feature): 1-Billy Oglesby, Pembroke  2-Terron Roberts, Walterboro, SC  3-Walter Sills, Bloomingdale  4-Anthony Parker, Rincon  5-Dan Douglas, Hardeeville, SC  6-Jamie Hopkins, Guyton  7-Buster Kleckley, Ridgeland, SC  8-Don Douglas, Richmond Hill  9-Charles Williams, Pembroke  10-Donnie Cannon, Guyton  11-Timmy Dasher, Jr., Bluffton, SC  12-Alfred Banks, Richmond Hill  13-Kenny Siemienkiewicz, Brooklet  14-Greg Annas, Springfield  15-John Loomis, Savannah  16-Annette Hadden, Rincon  17-Cari Howze, Rincon  18-John REwis, Guyton  19-Daniel Douglas, Hardeeville, SC  20-Andy Stallings, Pembroke  21-Buddy Howze, Hardeeville, SC  22-Alan Wiggins, Allenhurst

Sunset Novelties Mini Stocks (Feature): 1-Charles Swann, Garden City  2-Chris Johnson, Rincon  3-Josh Carter. Guyton  4-Buddy Jacoby, Rincon  5-Mark Susen, Hardeeville, SC  6-Timmy Dickey, Garden City  7-Bobby Morris, Guyton  8-Jimmy Groce, Sr., Springfield  9-Dean Roberts, Statetsboro  10-Randall Wegmann, Guyton  11-Matt Prescott, Guyton  12-Randy Gregory, Midway  13-Kenny Gregory, Midway  14-AJ Horton, Statetsboro  15-Ricky Cannady, Bloomingdale  16-Randy Fields, Springfield

Four Star Security 440 (Feature): 1-James Jones, Hilton Head, SC  2-Jason REwis, Guyton  3-Ricky Kellam, Rincon  4-Phillip Dickerson, Guyton  5-WR Rewis, Guyton  6-Clate Fail, Jr., Brooklet  7-Sean Swilpa, Ridgeland, SC  8-Scott Maxey, Hilton Head, SC  9-Chris Fail, Brooklet  10-Brian Nerich, Richmond Hill  11-Mark Nettles, Hardeeville, SC  12-Mike Daniels, Richmond Hill  13-Keith Bath, Bloomingdale  14-Gunny Prescott, Guyton  15-Danny Herrington, Rincon

Queen Bee (Feature): 1-Charissa Dudley, Savannah  2-Jennifer Sitgreaves, Garden City  3-Anna Wendelkon, Guyton  4-Nicole West, Guyton  5-Denise Gavin, Brooklet  6-Heather Hopkins, Guyton  7-Patty Rewis, Guyton  8-Brandy Brown, Guyton  9-April Barnes, Bloomingdale  10-Ruth Tuttle, Richmond Hill  11-Kristy Wilson.