50 laps of hardcore domination commence at Nashville Superspeedway! Young guns Adam Crapser and Jeremy Hebel start at the front, hoping to hold off the enemies from behind and make the Bepis 400 field. Dave Miller, Bink Lucas, Alex Crapser and Molemar Diggs all grid outside the top-15. They will need a turbo boost from the gods to make the 300-lap event.
Alan Nesfeder has a vibration on the start, forcing him to come in and lose his opportunity to make next weeks' feature. Miracle-man Michael Henson found his way to the lead after the second lap, only to relinquish it to Ryan Heuser who looked to have space-shuttle technology under the hood. Molemar Diggs, Mark Heron and Kevin Corbat flew into the outside wall in turn-3 while racing for the 15th position. All would continue, but neither could make up the lost track position.
Ryan Heuser's 50-lap powerplant turned into a 19-lap inferno from hell! His car went ablaze, with John Battista unable to see through the charring embers of the Quick-Silver machine. Alan Nesfeder, Matt Raboin, and Philip Parker all slammed the Wendy's mobile thereafter, each failing to continue on. The two most dominant cars in 2023 still remain winless. Now Heuser and Battista are in danger of missing the next race. Raboin, Nesfeder and Parker would also fail to tansfer.
The restart saw Craig Lee on top, with Jeremy Hebel, Zach Michael and Dave Miller all taking turns at the top-spot with 20-laps to go. Bink Lucas got past the wreck and took the lead shortly thereafter, being challenged by only Lee, Michael and Alex Crapser for the remainder of the event. Bink would go on to win his second career Nashville Heat victory, with a miraculous effort by Joe Polson to finish 6th! Joe started in the 32nd position, directly behind the first big wreck and easily meandering past the second. An immaculate performance!
The big crash gave opportunity to the other Busch Bonanza regulars. Scott Deutsch and Adriano Fraporti found themselves in the fray for the final transfer spot after the final restart, miraculously finishing 13th and 14th to make the Bepis 400 field! Tony Gunk made a last lap effort underneath Ben Geer for the final transfer spot! He would make it, sending Ben Geer to Heat #3 with a struggling Twinkies Chevrolet.
A devastating last ten races turns into eternal bliss for Bink Lucas! He's failed to record a top-15 finish since his victory at Texas, falling to 29th in points in line with his teammate Jimmie Stevens in 30th. Congrats to Bink, crew chief Doug Wilcox and the entire Lifesaver racing organization for an excellent victory! Also congratulations to Craig Lee, Zach Michael, Alex Crapser, Joe Polson, Jeremy Hebel, Matthew Dominique, Michael Henson, Dave Daniels, Adam Crapser, Steve Inkman, Adriano Fraporti, Scott Deutsch and Tony Gunk for making the Bepis 500 field!
Lucas Racing one-ups the Molemar Diggs deal with a $4,800,000 offer to the struggling Shake N' Bake Racing team. Former Indy Car driver, part time Bonanza-man and full-time road ringer Adriano Fraporti miraculously put the six-year old Johnny Reed Foley dodge-converted chassis into the field. Dalton Lucas now has the ride, giving away his season earnings to keep himself inside the top-35. "We heard Shake N' Bake will be bought by a food mogul." said Lucas. "This might be enough to keep their enterprise alive, at least for one more week." Like the Molemar deal, Lucas can't convert his team equipment due to the manufacturer change. Dalton has never driver a dodge in his life, once equating Chrysler aerodynamics to a floating pizza box.
The first transaction has been made! Wizards of Speed and Lowe Racing make a deal for $4,600,000 to put Molemar Diggs in their #24 Ring of Elysium Toyota! It will be their first entry since Charlotte of 2021, with Stephen Lowe finishing 35th in he field of 42. Molemar currently stands 7th in points, a huge boon to give Chevrolet the okay to drive this car. "Our plan is to let the Lowe's have complete control of the weekend" said Molemar. "We've raced with them in the past and they know how to build an automobile." The biggest drawback is the engine, unable to use their usual Lucas Racing powerplant with the different manufacturer. If they can go the entire 500-mile distance, expect a top-30 finish.
The top-15 drivers in Heat #1 will advance to the Bepis 400! Dakota Wilkins starts on the pole, looking for his second career Nashville Heat victory. Rick Jackson and Tony Pizzaro hold the record by winning two each, with Timothy McDonnell hoping to rectify his mortifying performance in 2023. Scott Jackson, David Butterworth and Dalton Lucas each start outside the top-25 for the 50-lap shootout.
Timothy McDonnell wastes no time, going three-wide on the start to capture the lead on lap 1. A myriad of 11 lead changes would ensue thereafter. Ken Pettit took the top-spot away on lap on lap 3, with teammate Rick Jackson ready to strike from the 9th starting spot. Both Jackson and Pizzaro rummaged through the field in hopes of a 1-2-3 Race-2-Win finish.
The Fenway Frank machine took the top-spot away on lap 13. He and Jackson swapped the lead twice before McDonnell took over, only to hand it back to Pizzaro on the halfway lap. From behind, Rob Scarberry, Steven Spears , Tony Long, Logan Sheets, Bill Werkheiser, Dan Johnston, Geno Sphere, Trae Larkin, Jonathan Skrabacz, Jimmie Stevens, Chauncey Redmond Jr., David Butterworth and Dalton Lucas were battling ferociously for the final transfer spot.
Pizzaro, Jackson and McDonnell monopolilized the remainder of the event. A caution-free stroll to the finish was anything but, with the three drivers battling maniacally for victory and the $500,000 grand prize. William Perry impressed the crowd by entering the top-5, passing the points leader Johnny Reed Foley in hopes of an upset victory. It was not to be.
Rob Scarberry, Steven Spears and Tony Long solidified their way into the field after pulling away from 16th place Dan Johnston during the final five-lap stretch. Pole-sitter Dakota Wilkins blew a tire with 8-to-go, dropping him and Scott Jackson to the wayside as the only two 2024 winners to not make it in on the first attempt. Up front, Pizzaro would lead the final five laps.
Tony Pizzaro earns his record-breaking third career Nashville Heat win. Congrats to he, Neil Justice and the entire Race-to Win Motorsports organization for an excellent victory! Also Congratulations to Rick Jackson, Timothy McDonnell, Zakk Miller, William Perry, Johnny Reed Foley, Ken Pettit, Markell Murphy, Donald Stewart, Cristian Torres, John Tharp, Rob Scarberry, Logan Sheets, Steven Spears and Tony Long for making the Bepis 400 field!
An enormous accident in Heat #2 took out Ryan Heuser, John Battista and Alan Nesfeder, handing opportunities to the fastest Bonanza regulars to make the Bepis 400 field! Adriano Fraporti and Scott Deutsch flew by the accident, putting themselves in position to race Ben Geer and both Solomon-Tark entries for the final transfer spots. They would both make it! Two Cinderella stories in a row, combined with Joe Polson's dominating run in the final heat, with Steven Lowe edging out David Corutney on the final lap to clinch the 45th and final entry!. The #24 Lowe Racing Toyota, #16 Ontario Motorsports Mustang, #18 Shake N' Bake Racing Dodge and Canadian Roadhouse Inc. #007 teams will race in the Bepis 400. With three drivers inside the top-35 in Extravaganza points failing to qualify, deals could be made to finance their Bonanza programs by putting a better driver in the car. Wizards of Speed is already making deals. We'll see where the tarot cards fly.
Last year Timothy McDonnell failed to make the Bepis 400 field, prompting a $4,800,000 buyout of Delta Sim Racing's #02. He finished a miraculous 8th in that race! Yesterday, Ziggy Moonglow won his first Extravagaza sanctioned event in the same exact car, winning Nashville Duel #3 in remarkable style! Sadly Ben Geer, Dalton Lucas and rookie sensation Molemar Diggs failed to finish inside the top-15 in their two allotted heats. They will not be in the Bepis 400 for their regular teams. Molemar currently stands 6th in points with Wizards of Speed in immaculate desperation! Dalton Lucas's hauling fortune is likely to outbid both of them for the first opportunity, with Ziggy Moonglow, Dave Daniels, Tony Gunk, Adriano Fraporti, Scott Deutsch, Stephen Lowe and Joe Polson possibly willing to compromise their starting spot. An estimated $3,000,000 to $6,000,000 could go to any team willing to take out their driver for one of Extravaganza's "Big 35". For now, Diggs, Geer and Lucas go home.
100 drivers were selected by the 45-man Extravaganza panel to compete in the Nashville Superspeedway Duel-Qualifying heats this weekend. This included 45 Extravaganza Series regulars, 39 Bonanza Series regulars, 5 Tundra Cup Series regulars, 3 ARCA Bonzai Series regulars, 2 local Late Model drivers, 2 Indy Car drivers, 2 Wrangler Outlaws, 1 former Formula Europe driver and a celebrity. 84 drivers of the 100 were able to qualify their way into the show via two-lap time trials, with the top-35 in Extravaganza Series points earning provisionals into the heats.
Heat #1: 42 of the odd-numbered qualifiers (1-83) will re-qualify and race a 50-lap heat. The top-15 finishers of the 42 drivers will advance to next week's 300-lap feature. CFM Motorsports and Race-2-Win Motorsports will fight for ultimate supremacy!
Heat #2: 42 of the even-numbered qualifiers (2-84) will re-qualify and race a 50-lap heat. The top-15 finishers of the 42 drivers will advance to next week's 300-lap feature. Lucas Racing and Quick-Silver motorsports fill spar for immaculate glory!
Heat #3: The top-35 in Extravaganza Series points who didn't advance will get a final chance to race into the show. For drivers outside the top-35, the top-finishers in the first two heats who didn't advance will fill up the remainder of the field until it reaches 42 drivers. They will all re-qualify and race a 50-lap heat. The top-15 finishers of the 42 drivers will advance to next week's 300-lap feature. Rod Weston will miss the show after his accident at Sonoma, handing teammate Dave Daniels the opportunity to make the field for his first race of the season!
Consolation: There are no provisionals for the top-35 in Extravaganza Series points if they don't qualify after Heat #3. With bad luck or an improper setup, one big-name driver could easily miss the feature. In consolation, The 16th to 24th place finishers of Heat #3 will receive Extravaganza Series points (16th will get 28, 24th will get 1), and be credited for an Extravaganza Series start.
Heat #1: Friday, June 21st, 6:00 ET
Heat #2: Friday, June 21st, 6:45 ET
Heat #3: Friday, June 21st, 7:30 ET
John Tharp earns his first career Sonoma pole! He, Timothy McDonnell and Scott Jackson have the highest average finishes here during the last five seasons, with the #22 Caterpillar Volkswagen starting on his outside. Jackson stole the win away from Tharp in 2021 after a late-race restart went awry. This is his chance for restitution.
The San Francisco carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide vaporize the skies! Former bread-truck driver and John Tharp gas-man Bill Webster never imagined being part of this immaculate California breeze. His car would take the top-spot from Timothy McDonnell exiting turn-3, leading the first lap as the "techno explosion" residue falls from the sky.
The Zig-Zag #14's pace was insurmountable, pulling to 10-seconds ahead by lap 16. Timothy McDonnell, Logan Sheets, Matthew Dominique, Geno Sphere, Johnny Reed Foley and Zach Michael raced maniacally for the second position. Behind them, Chauncey Redmond Jr. attempted to hold off the remaining field to stay inside the top-10 and rectify his season. He would fail. Michael Henson became the first casualty, blowing up on lap-23.
Plenty of three-wide action occurred during the first green flag run. Several drivers meandered through the dirt, sending grasshoppers and crickets into the grandstands, alive and otherwise. "I've never seen a praying mantis liver before, but it landed in my Heineken." said one dismused fan. "I'm gonna sell it for a ticket to next years race!"
A turn-1 crash between Rod Weston and David Baldinger brought out the first caution on lap 40. Johnny Reed Foley was the only driver not to pit, trapping Craig Lee, Ryan Heuser, Ben Geer, Dalton Lucas, Steve Inkman, Chauncey Redmond Jr., William Perry, Alan Nesfeder, Markell Murphy, Bill Werkheiser, Dan Johnston and Ziggy Moonglow one lap down. Most would start ahead of Tharp after the restart, sending Geno Sphere and the remaining front-runners into a frenzy!
Impeccable moves put Johnny Reed Foley back to the fourth position after his track-position letdown, John Tharp led the halfway lap, earning the first road course slab of 2024! The bacon may have slowed the #14 Zig-Zag Toyota down with Foley, McDonnell, Matt Raboin, Zach Michael and Matthew Dominique all hard on the charge.
The tenacious battle for second place kept Tharp in the lead despite his slower stride. Johnny Reed Foley occupied the position just before green flag stops, seemingly faster than the #14 and pulling away from third place Zach Michael. Both drivers came in with 32 laps remaining, able to make their way to the finish on fuel. Zach Michael, Adam Crapser, Molemar Diggs, Geno Sphere, Zakk Miller, Cristian Torres and Bink Lucas each failed to pit before the caution flag flew, trapping them all from the finish they deserved.
A gruesome crash in shades of Ziggy Moonglow last season saw Rod Weston penetrate the pit road wall hard! Contact from Ryan Heuser sent both drivers sliding towards the entry, with the #56 slamming driver-side first into the tires. Weston was hurt; airlifted to Santa Rosa for further observation. It's been a difficult season for the Extravaganza rookie, currently 4th of 4 behind Molemar Diggs, Jeremy Hebel and Steve Inkman in the standings. The top-three are inside the top-35 in points, with Weston mired in 43rd despite decent finishes when making the show. Now, we can only hope he can finish the season. Ryan Heuser failed to finish as well but was uninjured. Another devastating result for the reigning Champion, exiting 213 points out of chase contention with only 10 races remaining. Out of the 46 drivers attempting to make every race of the season, Heuser comes out of Sonoma ranking 27th; unfamiliar territory for the team. He still leads the league in laps led, showing similar domination without the results to show it off. David Baldinger and Alan Nesfeder would spin on the ensuing restart, bringing out the third yellow flag of the race.
Zach Michael, Adam Crapser and Cristian Torres all showed top-10 speed during the first 80 laps. All three were now trapped towards the rear, with two falling to the wayside on lap 88. Geno Sphere and Steve Inkman made contact on the frontstretch, sending the #444 into the outside wall and into the Packers #4. Adam and Zach flew towards the inside tire barrier, with Adam able to steer away. Zach and Geno plowed into it hard, ending both of their races. Adam's car flew towards the r
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Johnny Reed Foley closed the gap on Ken Pettit's insurmountable points lead with six-straight top-16 finishes and two victories since Talladega. He was fastest in happy hour and will start ninth on the grid, hoping to capitalize for another road course victory! Teammate Timothy McDonnell and John Tharp will lead the field to the green as computer remnants fall from the heavens and black smoke blinds the turn-10 corner! Last to cross the starting line will be Ziggy Moonglow, searching for restitution after his season-ending accident at the facility in 2023. His team hasn't recovered since, struggling to qualify for events during the first-third of the tour. Each driver hopes for immaculate pit strategy and apex mastery! Good luck at Sonoma!
Points Standings (After 15 of 36 Events) 1. Ken Pettit: +392 2. Johnny Reed Foley: +378 3. Zakk Miller: +249(+2) 4. John Tharp: +245 (-1) 5. Alex Crapser: +237 (-1) 6. Molemar Diggs: +155 7. Zach Michael: +107 8. Rick Jackson: +106 (+1) 9. Dakota Wilkins: +40 (-1) 10. Scott Jackson: +9 (+4) -------------------------------------------------- 11. Craig Lee: -9 (+1) 12. Matt Raboin: -17 (+6) 13. Dave Miller: -18 (+3) 14. John Battista: -34 (-3) 15. Alan Nesfeder: -35 16. Markell Murphy: -44 (-3) 17. Donald Stewart: -65 (-7) 18. Adam Crapser: -67 (+2) 19. William Perry: -86 20. Cristian Torres: -88 (+2)
Miracle-man Ken Joynt tromps the field with an immaculate lap of 32.637! His prismatic green machine looks to hold off the dominators, ready to join Dave Miller and Timothy McDonnell as winners at this facility. The nighttime skies glitter the horizon, ready to be desecrated by the smoke and fumes of Illinois' finest track!
Outside pole-sitter Dakota Wilkins stalled on the grid, handing the outside-pole to Zakk Miller to take the green! The #30 was unable to beat Joynt to the line as the #33 leads his first laps of 2024. Ben Geer and Ryan Heuser both flew by the Bepis machine, with Joynt miraculously holding them off in a shower of Canadian glory!
A turn-3 crash between Bill Werkheiser, Donald Stewart and Jimmie Stevens brought out the first caution flag on lap-2. Dakota Wilkins slammed into the leader during the yellow, blaming the #33 for his early tribulations. Joynt chose not to repair the left-side damage, leading the field to the green before a violent tire rub sent him to the pits. By lap 10, both front-row drivers stood one lap down. Donald Stewart's #55 Clorox Chevrolet would drop out of the race after the initial accident.
Ben Geer's Twinkie machine led the field to the green, remaining there through lap 13 before a Ryan Heuser pass in turn-1. The #138 entered the event 27th in points with 12 race remaining; a morbidly difficult climb to the "Championship Ten". Despite the pains, he's now led his 6th consecutive event in hopes of capping off the night with a top-5 finish and his first victory of 2024.
A Dave Miller spin brought out the second caution flag, caused by contact from Steve inkman in turn-1. Jimmie Stevens, narrowly involved in both accidents would finally lose it all in the pits. He slammed into Dalton Lucas radiator-first as the #88 attempted to leave his stall. Both drivers were done for the night. Lucas would drop to 32nd in the standings. Stevens fell to 33rd, nearly ending his Championship bid after his third-straight finish of 40th or worse.
Johnny Reed Foley took the lead away from Heuser on lap 84, with John Battista, Matt Raboin and Rick Jackson charging from behind. An immaculate performance from the #3 AC-Delco entry, hightailing from the 39th starting spot to dominate the show! His four-wide Bonanza Series flip here in 2011 will live in infamy, re-defining the laws of physics after showcasing his aggressive style to the "Big-Mac" faithful! A Jonathan Skrabacz and Tony Pizzaro spin on lap-100 brought out the third caution, handing Heuser back the advantage with an immaculate pit stop.
A two-man show at the top developed into a battle for the Halfway Bacon Bonus. Foley took the top-position three laps prior, only for Heuser to steal it back and win the slab! The #138 pulled away from the field, forcing Foley to hold off Matt Raboin and Rick Jackson for the second position. Geno Sphere, Ziggy Moonglow, Tony Pizzaro, Steve Inkman, Michael Henson, Matthew Dominique, Bill Werkheiser and Bink Lucas all fell one lap down during the run.
John Battista and John Tharp struggled to stay inside the top-20 during the later stages. They both attempted to stretch their fuel 68-laps to win the Budweiser 300, a Herculean task to take down the King Heuser and the Quick-Silver brigade! Heuser was 15-seconds behind Battista with 20 laps remaining. Both drivers have failed to win a race in 2024, hoping for redemption at the immaculate "City of Arch's"!
Battista's tires felt like soap bars by lap 228, with Heuser already on his bumper and Tharp immediately disposed. Miraculously, Johnny Reed Foley, phenom-man Cristian Torres and Rick Jackson caught Heuser during the run, leading to a five-car battle for the victory! Heuser and Foley passed the Wendy's machine with ease.
The #138 and #3 raced side-by-side with 10 laps-to-go. Torres and Jackson loomed for a "Big-Mac land" upset from behind, with Foley clearing Heuser with lapped traffic looming ahead. Both drivers failed to steamroll through the jungle of cars with ease. Foley stayed ahead of Heuser by several ca
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Miracle-man Ken Joynt pulls off the upset of the Millenium! A lap of 32.627 seconds wins the Gateway pole over Extravaganza's elite, notching himself a spot in the 2025 Big Bud Shootout! Surprisingly, this is his second career pole, earning his first at Rockingham during the Skoal Bandit's rookie campaign in 2021. That day, Ken led the initial seven laps before earning a respectable 29th place finish. Can he improve on that effort? A career best finish of 3rd at Atlanta and Rockingham last season set the tone for this one-lap masterpiece. If he caps it off with a victory, the Gateway Arch will surely explode.
Points Standings (After 14 of 36 Events) 1. Ken Pettit: +365 2. Johnny Reed Foley: +331 (+1) 3. John Tharp: +290 (+2) 4. Alex Crapser: +249 (-2) 5. Zakk Miller: +244 (-1) 6. Molemar Diggs: +191 (+1) 7. Zach Michael: +146 (-1) 8. Dakota Wilkins: +127 9. Rick Jackson: +74 (+1) 10. Donald Stewart: +43 (+2) -------------------------------------------------------- 11. John Battista: -43 (-2) 12. Craig Lee: -44 (+1) 13. Markell Murphy: -54 (+3) 14. Scott Jackson: -56 15. Alan Nesfeder: -60 (-4) 16. Dave Miller: -61 (+1) 17. Timothy McDonnell: -63 (+4) 18. Matt Raboin: -64 (-3) 19. William Perry: -87 (+3) 20. Adam Crapser: -98 (+6)
