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IT'S
"SHOWTIME" FOR "OLE BLUE" AT THE NORTH-SOUTH SHOOTOUT
Jimmy Blewett Making Return to Asphalt Modified Racing at
Concord |
 When
the green flag falls to start this year's John
Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout at North
Carolina's Concord Speedway, the Boehler Racing
Enterprises team will be able to tell their driver,
"It's Showtime."
Jimmy "Showtime" Blewett and Michael Boehler are
partnering together to have Blewett drive the famous
"Ole Blue" No. 3 machine in this year's
$10,000-to-win Tour-Type Modified main event on
November 7.
The North-South Shootout is Blewett's first event
planned in his return to asphalt racing. Blewett had
been running dirt Modifieds in the Northeast for the
last two years after a successful pavement career
that included a North-South Shootout SK Modified
victory in 2007.
"Not many people know that I took a step back from
dirt racing to head back to asphalt racing," Blewett
said. "I put all my dirt stuff up for sale. I've
pretty much sold half of it already. Michael called
me and he said, 'Hey I heard you're not trying to
run dirt anymore. What do you think about maybe
doing the Shootout?' When he said that I told him
I'd definitely be interested."
The 35-year-old New Jersey driver explained that
when he heard the North-South Shootout was leaving
its most recent home at Caraway Speedway (NC) to
head back to Concord, he just had to find a way to
run the race.
"I'm really looking forward to going back to Concord
for that race," he said. "That's the whole reason I
want to go run the Shootout. And it's been my
brother's memorial race for a few years so it will
mean a lot to me to get back there."
In addition to running the Shootout this year,
Blewett is going to be doing a lot more asphalt
racing over the course of the next year. He said he
plans on coming back to the NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour for the start of the 2016 season, but after
that his plans are kind of up in the air.
"We're going to start out with probably the first
three to five races," said Blewett. "If we're
running in the top 10 or top five in points then
you'll see us at a lot more. We're looking to come
out with everything we need to get the job done. I
can't see why there's any reason we can't put the
car out front right off the bat. I know I've been
away from the Tour for two years, but I haven't
stopped racing in that time."
Blewett has been racing and winning on the dirt of
New Jersey and even sometimes in Pennsylvania, but
he recently decided that it's time to move on from
dirt racing and go back to something that he knew a
little bit better.
"I sat down with my grandfather this past Tuesday
and I said that I think it's time to take a step
back from dirt racing," he said. "We ran it for four
years and won some big races. But it just got to be
a lot for me. I haven't had enough guys to go with
us every week and it got to be too much for me."
For now, Blewett is focused on the North-South
Shootout with "Ole Blue." He just wants to go down
to North Carolina and win a race in his older
brother's memory. Blewett knows that both the driver
behind the wheel and "Ole Blue" can win, but he
believes that some people may already be counting
them out.
"I feel like I'm going into it as an underdog, and I
feel like the team is going into it as an underdog
even though 'Ole Blue' has a lot of wins and
history," Blewett said. "But times have changed
somewhat with the Spec motors and other things. I
feel like some people have counted that car out.
"But we're going with every intention of winning.
There's no doubt in my mind that we can go there and
win. I feel like if you don't think you can win then
there's no sense in even going."
The 13th Annual North-South Shootout will take place
at Concord, North Carolina's Concord Speedway
November 5-7. Entry forms for the $10,000-to-win
John Blewett III Memorial Tour-Type Modified event
are currently available by visiting
www.northsouthshootout.net.
Practice day kicks off the 13th Annual North-South
Shootout on Thursday, November 5. Additional
practice and qualifying will take place on Friday,
November 6, with the North-South Shootout main
events taking the green flag on Saturday, November
7.
For more on the 13th Annual North-South Shootout,
visit
www.northsouthshootout.net.
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Source:
51 Sports / North-South Shootout
Posted:
September 18, 2015 |
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