A blessed day in the night skies of Darlington Raceway initiates the final 10-race stretch of the 2023 season! The moon is out and howls out to an infinite 300,000 people to watch the final crown-jewel event. Craig Lee and Ben Geer lead the 46-car field to the green flag.
Points leader Timothy McDonnell blows up on lap-3! A horrendous development for the driver who dominated the second-third of the season en route to his immaculate regular season Championship. Both he and Zakk Miller led the league in laps completed entering Darlington. By the finish, neither of them will be there at the end.
Craig Lee dominated the first 60-lap stint, with he and Ryan Heuser leading every single lap and keeping the field single-file behind. A mortifying crash involving chase contenders Tony Pizzaro and Matt Raboin brought out the first yellow flag, with both cars winding up on their roofs. Johnny Reed Foley, Donald Stewart and Rob Scarberry would also fall to the wayside due to the accident.
The ensuing 40-lap stint saw Dave Miller, Dakota Wilkins and Ken Pettit all lead the way. Michael Henson, Jonathan Skrabacz and Darlington dominator Scott Jackson all pulled their cars to the front in a mezmorizing Chevrolet domination. There would be another theme for the race, with only 1-2 chase drivers near the front seemingly all night.
Another crash just after the lap-100 mark was initiated by Dave Miller running into Dalton Lucas's depleted #88 automobile. Matthew Dominique narrowly escaped, just in time for Tony Long and Rick Jackson to piledrive straight into the Marlboro-Man. William Perry, Dakota Wilkins and Adam Crapser were involved in the aftermath, each failing to continue.
Veterans Ken Pettit and Scott Jackson looked extremely strong throughout the next green flag run. Pettit was the only chase driver to consistently stay inside the top-10, a complete reverse from his regular season performance. He is the only Championship contender to not record a win, and has recorded the least laps led of anyone. Behind him, more accidents take out chase contenders John Battista and Zakk Miller, as well as Dan Johnston, Tony Gunk, Randy Dobbins and Jonathan Skrabacz.
We have never seen such attrition in an Extravaganza race since Kentucky of 2019. Zach Michael won that event, as he peers ever so close to the lead despite his slightly damaged front end. Cristian Torres wound up passing Pettit for the top-spot and dominated the stint, leading a whopping 62 laps on the day. An attempted Logan Sheets pass for the lead nearly took both racecars out, giving Bink Lucas the nod on the frontstretch.
The #5 Lifesavers machine would slam into Michael Henson to bring out the final caution flag of the race, a horrific break for both drivers who at one point looked like Cinderella stars. Up front, Craig Lee found his way back to his early domination, with John Tharp and Logan Sheets looking to reciprocate for not being in Championship contention. They would soon start lapping the field, leaving a mere 12 drivers to race for the victory.
Alan Nesfeder, miracle-man Jonathan Cheeseman and David Butterworth found themselves up towards the front during the final green-flag stint. Everyone pitted just before the lap-300 mark, leaving some to believe that one of the drivers can make it the rest of the way. If nobody could, Craig Lee looked to be the man to beat, leading by multiple seconds at different points during the run.
Everyone came in to take fuel around the 10-to-go mark. Lee and the #101 crew decided to take two left-side tires along with the rest of the field behind him. Ken Pettit and former R2W teammate David Butterworth decided to stretch the fuel further and come in for a splash-and-go. Miraculously, this brought Pettit from over two seconds back to two seconds ahead, leaving little time for Lee to pass both the #81 and #8 for the victory.
It's the 40th anniversary of Mert Socks' final career victory at Darlington in 1983. His predecessor of domination Ryan Heuser comes in second in points to begin the chase, failing to finish inside the top-20 in his last four Southern 500 attempts. He has never won the 500-mile event here, a race Scott Jackson has stolen from him numerous times over the years. Fortunately, the #138 comes in leading 201 laps in the spring event, delegating Jackson to a third place finish while taking away Logan Sheets's first career victory. Matt Raboin won this event last season, looking to capitalize again after making his first chase in over a half-decade of wins and spins. This could be the year for the #87 to take Valvoline to the promiseland, just like the great Buddy Rakestraw.It's the 40th anniversary of Mert Socks' final career victory at Darlington in 1983. His predecessor of domination Ryan Heuser comes in second in points to begin the chase, failing to finish inside the top-20 in his last four Southern 500 attempts. He has never won the 500-mile event here, a race Scott Jackson has stolen from him numerous times over the years. Fortunately, the #138 comes in leading 201 laps in the spring event, delegating Jackson to a third place finish while taking away Logan Sheets's first career victory. Matt Raboin won this event last season, looking to capitalize again after making his first chase in over a half-decade of wins and spins. This could be the year for the #87 to take Valvoline to the promiseland, just like the great Buddy Rakestraw.
Solomon-Tark Motorsports fields both of their entries for the 2023 Southern 500, qualifying the #57 and #59 into the show. Neither Steve Inkman or Tony Gunk have Extravaganza race experience at a non restrictor-plate track, but are both honored to be in the race at competitive speed. "This is our chance to make it to the big time. My mother made a soufflé before qualifying and boy did it pay off! I used the excess grease to ripen my steering wheel." Fans are eagerly awaiting a top-40 finish for the duo!
Points Standings (After 26 of 36 Events) 1. Tim McDonnell: - 2. Ryan Heuser: -5 3. John Battista: -10 4. Zach Michael: -15 5. Tony Pizzaro: -20 6. Rick Jackson: -25 7. Zakk Miller: -30 8. Matt Raboin: -35 9. Ken Pettit: -40 (+2) 10. Alex Crapser: -45
Nine drivers come in with a realistic shot at occupying the final three spots of the Championship ten. Alex Crapser, John Tharp and Matt Raboin qualified 1-2-3 last week and all ran strong, proving their teams are prioritizing in getting these drivers into the chase. This race, these same three drivers qualify 1st, 3rd and 5th. Tharp comes in 12 points out. Crapser comes in 6 points in. Raboin enters 71 points in, needing to finish respectably to clinch his chase birth at one of his favorite racetracks.
Matt Raboin jumps off to an excellent start while miracle-man Dakota Wilkins attempts to hold off the dominators. Both he and Michael Henson drop off in the early laps, catching a break early with a Bink Lucas engine failure on lap 19. Another collapsed motor by William Perry on lap 51 brought out the second yellow flag.
A stereotypical top-5 leads the field while chase contenders John Tharp, Ken Pettit and Jimmie Stevens meander around 10th place. Stevens would get loose exiting turn-4 on lap 78, getting spun after contact from Rick Jackson and slapping the outside wall on the right-rear quarter-panel. He would make an unscheduled pit stop, lucking into a yellow flag after the pit cycle finished.
Richmond-dominator Ryan Heuser passed Alex Crapser for the second position on lap 104. Adam Crapser would fly by both drivers on lap 120, making a bid for the top-spot with Matt Raboin leading every lap so far. The #4 would take the lead, looking to finally win his first career race after five full seasons.
With the Crapser brothers 1-2, Alex looked in excellent shape to clinch his spot to fight for the Championship crown. To help, Adam put Alan Nesfeder one lap down on lap 158. Nesfeder came in 52 points behind entering the event. Jimmie Stevens also went a lap down after the halfway mark, struggling with a damaged racecar after his near-spin on the frontstretch.
A horrifying accident on lap 170 took out contender John Tharp for good. Contact between Bill Werkheiser and Tharp sent the #14 into the wall head-first, destroying the car immediately. Logan Sheets fell to the same fate after a Timothy McDonnell and Craig Lee spin. The #58 slammed into the rear of Lee, destroying his automobile. Only seven contenders remained.
Alex Crapser inherited the lead during the John Tharp caution flag. An immaculate pit stop by the #4 crew after next yellow put Adam back up front from third to first, initiating his dominant run during the next 100+ laps. Steven Spears was still on the lead lap after the restart and got spun, slamming into the inside wall and limping for the rest of the way.
The Crapser brothers pulled off their most dominating performance, meandering through lapped traffic with a four-second advantage over the rest of the field. The gap narrowed after a Michael Henson and Tony Long crash in turn-4, taking out Steven Spears and Jonathan Skrabacz in the process. A Ben Geer spin after the ensuing restart provided the opportunity for the Crapser brothers to pit for the final time, taking fuel only.
A 100-lap shootout caused immaculate mid-pack panic. Mark Heron and Zakk Miller flew into the outside turn-2 wall, sending the #30 airborne while John Battista, Craig Lee, Rick Jackson, Ken Joynt and Zach Michael frenzied behind. Miller miraculously continued on while Heron dropped out, becoming the 10th casualty of the evening. A Ben Geer spin brought out the final caution flag on lap 314, remaining on the lead lap despite his multiple misfortunes.
Matt Raboin took two-tires on his final stop, coming in several laps after the Crapser brothers took fuel only. Alex would struggle to fight back through the field, as Ken Pettit quietly passed him late in the run to jump ahead of him in points. Fortunately for him, Jimmie Stevens was too far behind to hold off his slim 25-point advantage and dropped to 11th in the standings. It would be Raboin, Crapser and Pettit clinching the final three spots of the 2023 chase after excellent runs and flying through the attrition!. Up front, Adam Crapser was able to drive back to tow
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The living members of the Quicksilver Messenger Service were Grand Marshal's this week, hoping to witness an Extravaganza event before they die. They should get a good one, with ten drivers going for the final three spots in the 2023 Chase for the Championship. Good luck to these final men.
Points Standings (After 25 of 36 Events) 1. Tim McDonnell: +661 2. Ryan Heuser: +589 3. John Battista: +528 4. Zach Michael: +485 5. Tony Pizzaro: +302 6. Rick Jackson: +286 7. Zakk Miller: +184 8. Matt Raboin: +71 (+3) 9. Jimmie Stevens: +25 10. Alex Crapser: +6 (+2) --------------------------------------------------------- 11. Ken Pettit: -6 (+4) 12. John Tharp: -12 (-2) 13. Matthew Dominique: -21 (-5) 14. Logan Sheets: -39 15. Johnny Reed Foley: -45 (-2) 16. Alan Nesfeder: -52 17. Markell Murphy: -118 18. Craig Lee: -131 (+2) 19. Adam Crapser: -144 (+2) 20. Dave Miller: ... Read more »
For the second-straight season, the reigning Champion will fail to make the Extravaganza Series Chase. Dave Miller comes in 20th in points in a struggling campaign for two of the three Quick-Silver teams in 2023. Ken Pettit comes in only six points back in hopes of restitution after missing the chase last season. Within the cut-line, Mr. Consistency Jimmie Stevens has only led 33 laps all year, miraculously finding himself 25 points to-the-good while Logan Sheets with seven top-5's, and Johnny Reed Foley with 347 laps led are in the red. Richmond dominators Matt Raboin, Alex Crapser and Matthew Dominique are the three favorites to occupy the final three spots after the race this Friday. The outcome awaits under the lights!
Chase Drivers: Last Four Seasons John Battista: 4 Ryan Heuser: 3 Matthew Dominique: 3 Timothy McDonnell: 3 Zach Michael: 3 Alex Crapser: 3 John Tharp: 3 Scott Jackson: 3 Craig Lee: 3 Tony Pizzaro: 3 Rick Jackson: 2 Ken Pettit: 2 Johnny Reed Foley: 2 Dave Miller: 2 Donald Stewart: 1
With only two races left, ten drivers from Matthew Dominique in 8th through Markell Murphy in 17th attempt to dominate Watkins Glen and make the 2023 chase. Neither of these 10 drivers, other than Ken Pettit, have occupied the Championship crown. Alex Crapser, John Tharp and Matt Raboin are all within 19 points of the chase cutoff, starting 1-2-3 as we take the green flag.
The 2023 Budweiser at The Glen has one of the most loyal fan bases in all of Extravaganza. Driver Dalton Lucas used to drive from his native Buffalo through the "one road to Watkins Glen". "It was the loneliest trip. I saw bats look like bears during the night-time ride, but it was worth it." 200,000 people traverse through the grasslands just outside the racetrack in anticipation of the annual event.
The green flag waved as the leaders slammed into the braking zone with Alex Crapser on top. His pace remained quick during the initial laps as the #04, #87 and #14 pulled ahead by over a second. All three drivers were well-within chase contention, leaving the #8, #3, #2, #25 and #58 into the mid-pack dust.
Only 90 laps proved difficult for Zakk Miller and Timothy McDonnell to work their way through the traffic after their poor qualifying attempts. Up front, Matt Raboin and John Tharp battled hard for the second position, with the #87 winding up on top in search for his third top-2 on a road course in 2023. Behind the top-3, Zach Michael, Tony Pizzaro, Scott Jackson and Logan Sheets fought hard to be the first car in charge of catching the lead group.
Scott Jackson pulled off a miracle speed-run after a season lacking of horsepower. From the fourteenth starting position, Jackson was able to meander his way through the traffic and take the lead over Alex Crapser on lap 37. The #38 would lead the halfway bacon bonus before coming in to pit, with Crapser, Tharp, Michael, Pizzaro, Jimmie Stevens, Logan Sheets and David Baldinger all coming in just after the fuel window.
An unbelievable pit stop by the Logan Sheets crew put him ahead by two seconds despite coming in 6th position. His lack of pace was evident, but he was able to hold off Raboin and Crapser due to heavy defense exiting the inner-loop, forcing them to pass him through the grass on exit. Sheets would lead 19 laps on the day, well needed after coming in 14th in points.
The #04 made his charge to re-take the top-spot with 20 laps-to-go. He pulverized his way through the inner loop in grand style, remaining side-by-side with the #58 for the entire final third of the lap. With draft help from David Baldinger on the frontstretch, he would eventually take the lead outright exiting the esses with Baldinger up to second place.
A crash caused by Philip Parker's blown engine brought out the only caution of the event. Off of the outer loop, the #79 obliterated in front of the field, getting slammed by Randy Dobbins and directly into the path of the struggling Matthew Dominique. Both cars were destroyed. The #25 came in 8th in the standings and seemingly in the good. after the accident, he would drop to 13th in points, a full 21 back from 10th place. Up front, leader Alex Crapser horrifyingly entered the pit lane with only one car following his path. The #04 crew didn't get all of the fuel into the tank, and dropped them to 42nd place on the restart with only 16 laps remaining. This could be the end of their chase hopes after another dominating effort falls short.
The restart began with David Baldinger and Logan Sheets taking the green inside the top-3. Neither driver has won an Extravaganza Series race as they attempt to hold off John Tharp, desperate for a chase birth after only one top-5 all season. Lap after lap, Baldinger would attempt the Sheets strategy of pinning Tharp into the grass off of the inner-loop, and every lap it worked. The #14 and #99 were side-by-side for the top position seemingly every lap, but only to the avail of Baldinger.
A horrifying display occurred with two laps remaining, as Tharp, Pizzzaro and Sheets all come in to take fuel. After going 47+ laps on their first run it seemed impossible to run out, but the pace grew quicker and the bulbs started flashing. Baldinger was sure to wi
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Seven drivers enter upstate New York's grand facility within 100 points of the chase cutoff, with road-ringers Matthew Dominique, Jimmie Stevens and John Tharp occupying the final three spots. Just two points out in 11th, Matt Raboin enters the third road course event of 2023 with an average finish of 1.5 in the previous two. Behind him just 19 points out is Alex Crapser, who starts this event on the pole attempting redemption after his horrifying crash in the esses last season. Behind him just 27 points out is Johnny Reed Foley, who led 30 laps last season and won this event in 2019. Logan Sheets, Ken Pettit and Alan Nesfeder are all well within reach of the chase as well, gridding 9th, 17th and 14th respectively.
John Battista has absolutely dominated this facility during the last five season. During his pre-rookie season, his #94 McDonald's self-owned ford flipped over in his entrance to the inner-loop on lap 1. Ever since, he has endured an immaculate disdain for this racetrack. The dominance over the last five season is restitution for that day, with three victories and no finishes worse than fourth in his last five races here. Battista will grid 10th in 2023, looking for his third-straight win at The Glen and his sixth on the season.
Watkins Glen Winners: Last Five Seasons 2018: John Battista 2019: Johnny Reed Foley 2020: Zach Michael 2021: John Battista 2022: John Battista
Ken Joynt is back and ready to roll! The former Rockingham pole winner has healed from his tumultuous accident at Indianapolis. Canadian and American Extravaganza fans alike are excited about the news, including his Bandit Racing teammate Mark Heron. "Joynt is the glue that binds our organization" said Heron. "His fifth-place at Nashville gave me the funds to buy my first waffle iron. I used it to heat my dip yesterday." Unfortunately, both drivers did not make the field.
Points Standings (After 24 of 36 Events) 1. Tim McDonnell: +622 2. Ryan Heuser: +554 3. John Battista: +442 4. Zach Michael: +424 5. Tony Pizzaro: +319 (+1) 6. Rick Jackson: +255 (-1) 7. Zakk Miller: +213 8. Matthew Dominique: +56 9. Jimmie Stevens: +45 10. John Tharp: +2 (+2) --------------------------------------------------------- 11. Matt Raboin: -2 (+3) 12. Alex Crapser: -19 (+1) 13. Johnny Reed Foley:... Read more »
Matthew Dominique, Jimmie Stevens and Logan Sheets attempt to maintain their distance from 11th place in points with three events left in the regular season. All three drivers start 20th or worse, proving a boon for John Tharp, Alex Crapser and Alan Nesfeder to pounce after gridding near the pole. Zakk Miller and Crapser start on the front row, with Cristiano De Sa pulling off a miracle 9th place run.
The green flag waved with three-wide action broiling mid-way through the pack. The high-intense mania continued through lap 2, with Timothy McDonnell passing Alex Crapser for second and taking the lead away through the uphill chicane. Miller would pass him back on the same corner two laps later.
Tony Pizzaro found his way to the third position as McDonnell and Miller continued to battle for the lead. The field remained close behind due to the swapping, producing continuous two-wide action towards the tail-end of the top-10. Miller would fly through lap 20 as the leader with Alex Crapser close behind.
The #04 Pennzoil car led his first lap of the race on lap 21. He would earn his well needed five bonus-points, coming in 62 points behind 10th-place Logan Sheets in the standings who was struggling outside the top-20. Timothy McDonnell would re-take the top-spot on lap 23, relinquishing the position to John Battista before taking it back a couple laps later.
An accident off the downhill into the Sam Posey straightaway brought out the first caution of the race. Rick Jackson ran wide coming off of the final corner, lifting with Philip Parker directly behind. The two made contact, with Parker exiting the corner without anticipating the check-up. Both cars catapulted into the inside tire-barrier. The #44 flew back up the racetrack and into Bill Werkheiser. All three cars received massive damage and failed to continue.
The ensuing restart saw Craig Lee stay out without re-fueling, desperate for five-bonus points after coming in 175 behind the chase cutoff. He could only maintain pace for a full lap before McDonnell re-took the lead. Lee and second place Zakk Miller would swap the second position several times, causing McDonnell to pull away from the field. The #22 would inexplicably short-pit despite his advantage, leaving Alex Crapser and Zach Michael to battle for the top-spot.
A crash between Ben Geer and Jonathan Skrabacz on the righthander brought out the second yellow flag. This would trap chase contenders Matthew Dominique, Craig Lee and Adam Crapser one lap down. Fortunately, a multi-car spin between Dave Miller, Frank Womack, Rob Scarberry and Trae Larkin would hand Lee and Dominique their lap back. Nobody involved in the accident received significant damage. Logan Sheets earned five bonus-points in the process. Cristian De Sa earned the Cinderella halfway bacon bonus!
The ensuing restart was led by John Battista after the pit cycle, fighting his teammate Adam Crapser to keep him one lap down. Lap 79 saw Zach Michael take advantage of the battle, taking the top-spot on as the #4 continued to fight for his 2023 season. The #20 pulled to over a two-second advantage. Battista, Alex Crapser, Tony Pizzaro, Matt Raboin and Scott Jackson fought hard for the second position as we reached towards the 100-lap mark.
The final pit stops ensued around the 40-to-go mark. John Battista and Tony Pizzaro were the first to take tires, with Matt Raboin, Alex Crapser and Scott Jackson making their stops just one lap later. Timothy McDonnell exited the pits just behind Jackson and Raboin, who battled for the lead of the drivers that already came in. Zach Michael and Ryan Heuser stayed out as long as they could while anticipating a caution flag. It would never come. Fortunately, the #20 crew pulled off a miraculous two-tire stop with 28 laps-to-go, handing Zach a five-second advantage on the field.
The Coca-Cola Mustang was suddenly in a struggle of the ages, enduring the best he could to earn his third-straight victory. It was to no avail. Matt Raboin slowly grinded at the lead, finally making the pass on Zach with 11 laps remaining. The entire CFM brigade were sud
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Last years' event saw the leaders in utter calamity towards the finish. David Baldinger, Zakk Miller, Scott Jackson, Rick Jackson, John Battista and Ryan Heuser all battled ferociously for the lead during the waning laps only to fall to the wayside. Donald Stewart won the event, with Randy Dobbins, Dakota Wilkins and Tony Long occupying the top-4, proving that purely staying on the race-course could lead to a dominant finish. It was a season-best effort for all four drivers, and set the impetus for Dakota's upset victory at California this season. Look for the regulars to stay up front this time. Baldinger is back for his first road course event in 2023, with Matt Raboin looking to follow up his Sonoma victory in the midst of a possible chase birth.
The points standings took a slight spread after last week, with drivers Markell Murphy, Alan Nesfeder, Logan Sheets and John Tharp either failing to finish or wound up disfigured by the end. Ken Pettit was able to jump five spots from 16th to 11th due to the misfortune, with the top-10 now pulled away by 43 points. Ten drivers are still within one race-length from a chase birth with only three races left in the regular season. Johnny Reed Foley and Craig Lee are coming from impossible distances to possibly find their way in. Despite their dominance, Matthew Dominique and Jimmie Stevens continue their consistent runs to remain in the bottom-half of the top-10. A bad finish for one of them will be the time to strike for the ten outsiders. Good luck at Lime Rock!
Points Standings (After 23 of 36 Events) 1. Tim McDonnell: +587 (+1) 2. Ryan Heuser: +560 (-1) 3. John Battista: +422 4. Zach Michael: +404 (+1) 5. Rick Jackson: +369 (+1) 6. Tony Pizzaro: +340 (-2) 7. Zakk Miller: +265 8. Matthew Dominique: +78 (+2) 9. Jimmie Stevens: +44 10. Logan Sheets: +43 (-2) --------------------------------------------------------- 11. Ken Pettit: -43 (+5) 12. John Tharp: -46 (-1) 13. Alex Crapser: -62 (+1) 14. Matt Raboin: -73 (+1) 15. Johnny Reed Foley: -93 (+2) 16. Alan Nesfeder: -102 (-4) 17. Markell Murphy: -117 (-4) 18. Adam Crapser: -158 19. Dave Miller: -170 (+2) 20. Craig Lee: -175
