Zakk Miller won the 600-mile race last season on a pass over Tim McDonnell with 10 laps to go. He also won the first quad-oval night race of 2023 at Texas, and starts fifth on the grid tonight. Look for the #30 Bepis Mustang and other dark horses to take the crown jewel trophy away from the usual dominators, through supremacy and attrition alike.
An engine stoppage on the #20 Coca-Cola Team Danger Zone Mustang initiated a pit-road crash involving he, Trey Larkin and Matt Raboin. The latter two would sustain hindering damage for the remainder of the event, while Michael continued on after a trip to the rear. Up front, pole-sitter Tony Pizzaro, Craig Lee, Alex Crapser and Adam Crapser intertwined the top-spot during the early going.
A lap-50 spin by Ben Geer brought out the first caution flag, ensuing with leader Adam Crapser exiting the pits with a damaged hood after fuel stops. He would be rendered uncompetitive for the remaining 500+ miles. His brother would endure the same fate after the restart, slamming hard into the inside wall after contact with John Tharp while exiting turn-2. Despite leading 29 of the initial 69 circuits, he would finish 45th and drop to 18th in the standings.
The subsequent restart initiated some of the best racing for the lead to date. A triumvirate of Chevrolet's battle for the top spot with the chief-less Craig Lee coming out on top. He would relinquish the position to Alan Nesfeder before leading a lap. John Battista would straddle his Lucas Racing horsepower to the front as the lone-dog for the company, remaining there for 28 laps.
Timothy McDonnell drove from the 41st starting spot to the front on lap 105. He would lead four laps before points leader Tony Pizzaro flew by in his race-sponsored Chevrolet. Dave Miller's Quick-Silver horsepower took the heap one lap later, creating a conga-line over fourth place Dan Johnston and the rest of the field.
Several multi-car accidents protruded the second segment of the event. Dalton Lucas tagged Dakota Wilkins entering turn-4 on lap 149, sending the #77 tail-first into the outside wall. Jonathan Skrabacz and Donald Stewart both crashed in attempt to avoid the accident. The ensing restart saw Delta Sim Racing teammates Trae Larkin and Ziggy Moonglow devour the inside backstretch barrier. Only Wilkins would continue on, limping home to 34th.
Lap 169 saw Tony Pizzaro re-take the lead from Tim McDonnell, who inherited the top-spot after leader Dave Miller strugged with his re-fueling system. Jimmie Stevens would make his way by for his first lead of the night, earning himself the best run of his 2023 season at a crown jewel event. He would remain there to lead the Halfway Bacon Bonus just before an Adam Crapser infield spin brought out the yellow.
The #2 lost the lead after green flag stops, watching Pizzaro and Matthew Dominique trade the top spot from his windshield view. Dominique and John Battista would continue the lead battle through lap 272 before a Chauncey Redmond Jr. spin brought out the caution flag. Markell Murphy and Mark Heron would stay out on seven-lap older tires to take the top-2 spots on the ensuing restart.
The biggest crash of the night set off and abundance of burnt rubber and fireworks into the grandstands. Ben Geer and Dalton Lucas made contact off of turn-4, clipping Craig Lee's hood. The #29 was sent for a tailspin of the century before flying into race traffic. Johnny Reed Foley and Randy Dobbins clobbered him, but were able to slow down enough for a less violent impact. The remainder of the field attempted to scramble through the carnage with little hope of sneaking through. Steven Spears, Ben Geer, Ziggy Moonglow, Dave Miller, Dakota Wilkins, Chauncey Redmond Jr., Rob Scarberry and Geno Sphere were all involved in the accident. Redmond, Moonglow and Geer failed to continue, dropping Ben outside the top-35 in points. Scarberry received minimal damage and finished 14th, giving him a provisional for next week's race in St. Louis.
Markell Murphy and Mark Heron were the only two drivers to take four tires on the next pit stop. Murp
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Last year's 600-mile event saw Zakk Miller steal the victory away from Tim McDonnell during the final laps, ensuring his trip to the 2023 All-Star Race where he finished a middling 15th position. McDonnell redeemed himself by winning at the road course during the fall, earning his All-Star birth and taking full advantage with a victory in the race last Sunday. He has won three-straight for the first time in his entire career. A near-spin entering turn-1 on his qualifying lap will drop him to 42nd on the grid, fairing better than Rick Jackson and Dakota Wilkins who crashed in the same corner. Points leader Tony Pizzaro will lead the field to the green with a 198.340 MPH time. Trey Larkin and Dalton Lucas pulled off two miracle laps to start inside the top-10. A Cinderella may be in the works if the young guys stay hydrated for this three+ hour event. Good luck the the 45-faithful in the 2023 Coca-Cola 600!
Points Standings (After 13 of 36 Events) 1. Tony Pizzaro: +279 2. Ryan Heuser: +245 3. Zach Michael: +168 (+1) 4. Logan Sheets: +162 (+1) 5. John Battista: +145 (-2) 6. Zakk Miller: +139 7. Timothy McDonnell: +88 (+2) 8. Adam Crapser: +83 (-1) 9. Dave Miller: +72 (+1) 10. Matthew Dominique: +7 (+1) --------------------------------------------------------- 11. Jimmie Stevens: -7 (+2) 12. Rick Jackson: -57 (+2) 13. Alan Nesfeder: -62 (-5) 14. Alex Crapser: -75 (+4) 15. John Tharp: -75 16. Ken Pettit: -86 (-4) 17. Markell Murphy: -92 18. Johnny Reed Foley: -110 (-2) 19. Matt Raboin: -114 20. Donald Stewart: -150
Spook Millikan remains unemployed after a full week on the sidelines, divulging in his famous "Cheeto cakes" and "Pop-rock Pizza" with his wife at home. Dave Miller's chief fabricator Jim Kirk and former William Perry crew chief Pokey Reese will share duties atop the pit box in replacement. With that combination, Lee has been lightning fast, inside the top-5 in every practice session while qualifying second on the grid behind Tony Pizzaro. This could easily be the night Lee turns his 2023 misfortune into grandeur and domination.
The 2023 Extravaganza Series All-Star Race will consist of 20 drivers looking to capture the $10,000,000 prize, and an etch into racing's "Rock of Glory". They only have 100 laps to get their car in perfect position for an immaculate victory of the ages!
The Lucas Racing teammates start on the pole once more, a common occurrence during the 2023 season. Alex Crapser clears the field on lap 1 as the re-branded Craig Lee flies by John Battista for the second position.
Twenty cars in total fight hard during the initial 10-lap segment, with only Dakota Wilkins and Heat #2 winner Ben Geer struggling with their handling. They would drop back to 19th and 20th with the hopes of a caution flag to re-balance themselves into the fray.
Battista was able to make his way past Craig Lee early in the go, making it a 1-2 Lucas Racing punch ahead of the field. In typical fashion, the Wendy's Chevrolet would ride behind his teammate and fend off the crowd, handing Alex Crapser the lap-25 $1,000,000 bonus.
Crapser would win the lap-50 $1,000,000 halfway prize after pulling away from the pack. Green flag pit stops would initiate little strategy, with every driver coming in for tires around the lap-60 mark.
A 1.5-second advantage for Crapser was eradicated when John Battista took the lead for the first and only time on lap 69. He would take home the lap-75 $1,000,000 bonus, with Lucas Racing sweeping all three segment winnings in grand style.
From well behind, Tim McDonnell strutted from his 17th starting position to slowly meander through the field. He came out of the pits in 7th place, passing by teammate Johnny Reed Foley, John Tharp and Donald Stewart by lap 75.
Despite a quick catch and pass for the lead by John Battista, he could not pull away. The Pennzoil #04 remained within striking distance for a re-pass as the rest of the pack battled defiantly from behind.
Matt Raboin enjoyed an excellent run behind the two leaders after the pit stop, but could hold off the #22 no longer. Tim McDonnell was in third place and charging, flying by the #04 with 15 laps remaining and less than a second behind Battista for the victory.
The #39 held off McDonnell by the 10-to-go mark. Three laps later, he made his charge for the win entering turn-2, racing side-by-side on the backstretch before Battista inevitably gave way. They would remain bumper-to-bumper with five laps-to-go.
A draft-line kept the Wendy's #39 in the pathway of McDonnell, who would cross the finish line for his second-straight All-Star Race victory! This would be the #22 teams' unprecedented third straight Extravaganza Series win, taking helm of a possible third Championship in five seasons at their current pace. Congrats to McDonnell, crew chief Kenzou Yamada and the entire CFM Motorsports organization for another excellent victory!
All-Star Race Entry List Ryan Heuser: Darlington, 2023 John Battista: Talladega, 2023 Tim McDonnell: Pocono, 2023 Zakk Miller: Texas, 2023 John Tharp: Homestead, 2023 Matt Raboin: Rockingham, 2022 Tony Pizzaro: Bristol, 2023 Dave Miller: Gateway, 2022... Read more »
The 2023 All-Star Race will consist of the 16 drivers who have won in the previous 36 events. A 42-car duel-consolation showdown prior to the main event will add four more to the fray. The first duel will consist of 50-laps, with all 42 non-qualified entries battling for the top-20 positions. Those top-20 will run a final 50 lap dash that will determine the top-4 advancements to the 20-car All-Star Race field. The winner of each event will win $500,000.
The 100-lap All-Star Race feature will include longshot drivers like Dakota Wilkins, Bink Lucas and Alan Nesfeder attempting to undertake the top-dogs of Extravaganza. There will be a separate qualifying session to determine the 20-car starting lineup, with transfer drivers able to take their shot at the pole position. Our last three All-Star Race winners will be in the field including Alan Nesfeder, who's victory prompted Pepsi-Co out of Extravaganza competition after the 2019 event. Can he win it again? The victor of the All-Star Race will take $10,000,000 to the bank!
All-Star Race Entry List Ryan Heuser: Darlington, 2023 John Battista: Talladega, 2023 Tim McDonnell: Pocono, 2023 Zakk Miller: Texas, 2023 John Tharp: Homestead, 2023 Matt Raboin: Rockingham, 2022 Tony Pizzaro: Bristol, 2023 Dave Miller: Gateway, 2022 Alan Nesfeder: Pocono, 2023 Donald Stewart: Lime Rock, 2022 Zach Michael: Richmond, 2022 Bink Lucas: Las Vegas, 2022 Craig Lee: Bristol, 2022 Alex Crapser: Talladega, 2022 Johnny Reed Foley: Homestead, 2022 Dakota Wilkins: California, 2023 Consolation Race Top-4: Heat Transfer Consolation Race Top-4: Heat Transfer Consolation Race Top-4: Heat Transfer Consolation Race Top-4: Heat Transfer
Quick-Silver Motorsports is in severe dismay! Craig Lee was leading the Pocono 400 with 70 laps to go. Spook made a conservative call to pit, ensuring that they could make it to end on one more stop. Nobody else came in, dropping them to 40th on the restart. They would gain only eight more positions and place 32nd by the end. Five finishes of 37th or worse in the previous six races had already devastated the NOS Energy team, with their early-race domination completely depleted after the pit call. This final blow led to the eventual firing of Millikan after a full decade of success. "We've had speed all season and fell to the gremlins week after week. It's not Spook's fault." said Lee. "Nobody had to be blamed but he took the fall. I'm devastated." Needless to say, many teams will be ecstatic to acquire his services.
A sunny Pennsylvania afternoon crowds over 150,000 faithful Quakers in desperate need of exuberance and intensive modulation. Two of the three corners will enter at over 200+ miles-per-hour, with brakes being pressed into the heavens at three severe slow-down points. Expect brake decline and throttle exhaustion by the conclusion of the 160 laps.
A crash at the tail end of the field caused by a 46-car wagon-train saw Rob Scarberry locked in an overturned state. The #42 tagged the quarter-panel of Dakota Wilkins, spinning upward towards David Baldinger who dispatched the STP dodge into the air, halfway upside-down sliding across the outside concrete barrier. He would overturn and stop, ending the race for both he and Baldinger. Scarberry would drop to 36th in points, having to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600 field in two weeks.
A Ken Joynt pit collision ended the Bandit's day early, restarting on lap-6 with a conventional 43-car horde to the green. Craig Lee continued on the racetrack while a 42-car assemblage entered the pits to secure their fuel window. He would lead a lap before vacating his supremacy to Alex Crapser and Kansas winner Timothy McDonnell.
The #04 Pennsoil chevrolet would return to the forefront after a three-lap stint in command for the #22. Alex would remain there for a modest four circuits before Tony Pizzaro took the helm on lap 26. Zach Michael took over the spot after 12 laps of Fenway Park domination, leading through the conclusion of the green flag run.
Craig Lee recaptured the lead following an involuntary short-pit due to staying out after the first caution flag. Alex Crapser was able to tailgate the #101 out of the pit lane in a five-second secession from the rest of the pack. It's an opportune time for Lee to dominate, entering the event 26th in the standings after several finishes 37th or worse in 2023.
Alex Crapser captured the top-spot for the third time on lap 50 in ambition to tango away from the field. The top-runners inevitably caught the two within 20 laps, concluding with a Zach Michael pass for the lead on lap 69. The #20 Coca-Cola mustang would retain it's dominion to win the Halfway Bacon Bonus.
The #101 re-acquired the top-spot after a second spell of green flag pit stops, terminating the strategy after debris from Donald Stewart's #55 brought out the caution for the second time. Alex Crapser leads the vanguard to the green, holding off Ryan Heuser, Dave Miller, Logan Sheets and Tim McDonnell for sixteen laps despite several attacks from behind. 2022 summer winner Alan Nesfeder would blow his engine during the high-intensity action, finishing 43rd and the fourth to drop out.
Logan Sheets and Ryan Heuser would interchange the lead several times from lap 109 to the final green flag stops after lap 120. Craig Lee catapaulted to the lead in a reversed strategy from earlier, staying out five laps later than the rest of the field. It would develop into a desolate final 30 laps for the NOS energy crew, losing substatial track position only to fight to a 32nd place finish. He would drop to 27th in the standings after an excellent run that could have re-energized his season.
Atop the heap for the fourth time was Alex Crapser, entering the 20-to-go mark with Sheets and Heuser behind with better rubber. The Pizza Hut charger took the lead on lap 141 in search of his seemingly inevitable first career victory. He would withdraw the spot to Heuser just three laps later, giving it back to Sheets with Tim McDonnell, Jimmie Stevens and Dave Miller well in tow.
The 10-to-go mark witnessed an auspicious Jimmie Stevens make his first bid for the lead with draft help from Dave Miller, dropping Sheets back to fourth. He would maintain his advantage with relative ease for the four two laps while Sheets and McDonnell interchanged the third position, giving the front two the opportunity to pull away from the field in search for their first win of 2023. Once McDonnell was able to pass the #58, he flew by Miller for second place without serenity, seeking his second victory in-a-row.
The finish of the 2023 Pocono 400 will mark the halfway point of the regular season, with Pocono career dominators Tony Pizzaro and Ryan Heuser atop the heap. Third place John Battista is still recovering from his turn-1 accident in 2019, rebounding last season with a dominating 103-lap led performance. Kansas domninater Alan Nesfeder won the fall race last year, his second and final victory of 2022 just before his devastating Indianapolis pit wall accident. Fortunately he has recovered in grand style, entering this event 8th in points with a 15th place starting spot. Last week's Kansas winner Tim McDonnell won his first oval race since Daytona of 2021, looking to re-capture his former Pennsylvania glory after sweeping the Pocono Duels in 2020. He will start 5th. Gridding first and second is Ryan Heuser and Rick Jackson.
Craig Lee comes into Pocono a career-worst 26th in points after another complication handed him a 41st-place finish at Kansas. Over the last six races, Lee has finished 37th or worse five times, with an average finish of 36.8 in that span. That is the lowest in the series by three positions to Dalton Lucas's 33.3. The #101 Quick-Silver Motorsports team entered Richmond 5th in the standings. They are now 26th. An 11th-place starting spot at Pocono could be the turning point as we near the halfway mark of the regular season.
