NeSmith tour assists ailing weekly champ
By Roby Helm
NeSmith Dirt Late Model SeriesThe NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series family of promoters, officials, competitors and fans are coming together to help out one of their own. There will be a benefit raffle at each of three Mississippi Memorial Day weekend tour races for 2012 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Champion Chase Washington of Houlka, Miss.
The three raffles are scheduled for May 24 at Hattiesburg Motorsports Park, May 25 at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian and May 26 at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus.
Earlier this year, Washington was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a form a cancer. He said he underwent major surgery April 19 and they removed a foot of his small intestine.
“We got good news when the post-surgery tests came back that they removed all of the cancer, but as a precaution, I’m going to have to have six chemotherapy treatments, one every three weeks for 18 weeks,” Washington said. “I’ll be out of the race car for a while, but I hope to be back on the track before the end of the season.”
In the meantime, Washington has put Dirt Late Model veteran Scott Dedwylder of Vossburg, Miss., in his No. 38 Jerry Inmon Racing Special, and they have had immediate success. Over the past two weeks, Dedwylder has turned in two wins and one third-place finish in three Nesmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series starts.
“We really need that No. 38 car to be successful while I’m healing up because we’ve got a lot of doctor and hospital bills to pay,” Washington said. “Scott is going a great a job for us, and I knew he would, but it’s different watching that car go around the track and me not in it.”
Having heard Washington talk about the medical bills piling up, the family of his closest rival from last season decided to step up to the plate and do something to help him out. Sharon Trosclair, the mother of Mickey Trosclair of Luling, La., decided to organize the raffles and make sure Washington got the proceeds.
Washington and Trosclair raced each other across the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series area of sanctioned tracks last season for the championship all of the way down to the last week, at the last lap of the last race. They ended up tied in points, but Washington won the championship via tiebreaker.
“Even though we’re competitors on the track, we’re still one big racing family, and as a mother, I felt like I needed to do something to help Chase,” Sharon Trosclair said. “I began contacting vendors and race teams to donate items for the raffles, and response has been tremendous. We have wraps, t-shirts, memorabilia like car doors, hoods, and quarter panels to raffle off at each raffle at the three races. Mickey and my daughter Tabitha will be handling everything at the racetrack.”
Raffle tickets can be purchased at each track the night of the respective raffles for $1 apiece, or six for $5. Sharon Trosclair said if anyone would like to donate items to be raffled off, they may contact her at (504) 508-3508, or by E-mail at racinbd21@cox.net.
In an interview on the In The Dirt internet radio show, Washington got emotional, in a positive way, by what he is going through, and by the outpouring of support he has received in the past two months.
“This has been a life-changing experience for me, as I have gotten closer to God and I’ve felt the power of prayer,” Washington said. “I can’t thank everyone enough for all of the prayers, visits, phone calls, text messages, and Emails I received since this all began. I just can’t express in words how grateful I am to everyone, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the racetrack.”
