Story By: RYAN DELPH / SPRING NATIONALS SERIES – TAZEWELL, TN – On Monday evening, July 3, the 3rd edition of the Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial, which was rained-out back on April 8, will take center stage at Tazewell Speedway.
The Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series and Iron-Man Racing Series will co-sanction the contest, which will carry a $21,000 winner’s check out of a $64,000 total purse.
In addition, a $2,100 Fast Time Award has been posted by the track courtesy of Toyota Knoxville for drivers that pre-entered for the event prior to March 29. The Sportsman Late Model ($1,000 to win) and Classic Car ($600 to win) divisions will join the ground-pounding Super Late Models at the high-banked venue.
There will also be a huge fireworks show during intermission.
Adult grandstand admission on Monday will be $30.00, while kids 9 and under will be admitted into the stands for FREE. Pit admission will be $45.00 for adults and $35.00 for children ages 12 and under. There are also a limited number of camping spots with electric (first come, first serve) available on the grounds for $25.00 nightly. The pit gates will swing open at the Tazewell, Tennessee oval starting at 2:00pm, while the grandstands will start to allow patrons into the hillside bleachers starting at 5:00pm. The drivers meeting is slated for 7:00pm with hot laps and time trials beginning at 7:45pm.
These 18 pre-entered drivers are eligible for the $2,100 Fast Time Award that is courtesy of Toyota Knoxville: Tyler Erb, Austin Neely, Steve Smith, Ricky Weiss, David Payne, Stacy Boles, Brian Shockley, Dale McDowell, Jimmy Owens, Dakotah Knuckles, Ryan King, Mack McCarter, Brandon Overton, Ross Bailes, John Llewellyn, Jason Trammell, Carson Ferguson, and Michael Chilton. Any other driver is still welcome to enter the $21,000 to win, 75-lap mega-event, but will not be eligible for the Fast Time bonus money.
Jonathan Davenport won the inaugural version of the Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial back in 2021 over a top five that included runner-up Kyle Larson, Tyler Erb, Dale McDowell, and Donald McIntosh. Chris Madden added his name to the winner’s list in 2022 by besting Ricky Weiss, Dale McDowell, Scott Bloomquist, and Dakotah Knuckles.
Monday’s single-day program memorializes Lil’ Bill Corum, who was the winner of more than 300 races and is a Hall of Fame member at three different racetracks. His career spanned from 1959 through 1989 in east Tennessee and north Georgia and he won the first event at Knoxville Raceway, was a two-time winner of the ‘Tennessee Dirt Track Championship,’ and he captured the NDRA’s Strohs 100 at Atomic Motor Speedway in 1981.
Corum also competed in the only ARCA race that was held at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tennessee – finishing third in 1973. He collected track championships at 411 Motor Speedway, Atomic Motor Speedway, Tazewell Speedway, Knoxville Raceway, Ashway Speedway, Appalachian Speedway, and Newport Speedway.