Only one Championship contender finished inside the top-14 in the first race of the chase. Ken Pettit won the event in grand style, taking over the points lead by 22 in search for his second come-from-behind title in three seasons. He'll most likely complete lap #1 behind the top of the standings, with Ryan Heuser on the pole in search for another dominating Las Vegas performance.
A horrendous break for the pole sitter! Ryan Heuser blows just before the green, crossing the starting line in a cloud of gray smoke. Matt Raboin would also blow on the grid, leaving two QSM engines out of the race without taking a lap. 17 circuits later, Quantum Racing teammate Matthew Dominique also fell to the engine bug, leaving half of the QSM motor brigade out of the event early.
Bill Werkheiser inherited the lead with his third starting spot, leading the field for the first seven laps while holding off Alex Crapser. John Tharp took the advantage after the first caution flag and cruised ahead to lead the entire stint. An excellent pit stop by the Wendy's crew gave John Battista the top spot after the second yellow on lap 40.
A lap 6 accident sent Johnny Reed Foley into the outside turn-1 wall, rebounding to a 22nd-place finish. Cristian Torres brought out the second yellow after smacking the turn-4 wall, spinning out and eventually blowing up on lap 91, finishing 35th. The third yellow initiated with David Butterworth doing the same, careening into Dave Miller while Cristiano De Sa, Zakk Miller, Adam Crapser and Steven Spears all failed to miss the melee, destroying their automobiles.
A pit road accident put Rick Jackson one lap down, becoming the fifth chase driver to endure trouble before the lap-100 mark. Up front, it was John Battista, John Tharp, Bink Lucas, Markell Murphy, Ben Geer and Scott Jackson swapping the top-6 continuously. On the restart after the third caution, Murphy beat Battista out of the pits only to see the #39 take it back on the restart.
The Extravaganza Series points standings practically reversed after the immaculate attrition rate at Darlington last week. Points leader Timothy McDonnell went down immediately, putting an end to his running-at-the-finish streak in 2023, as well as pitfalling to 7th in the Championship race. Ken Pettit put a dagger into his own streak by winning the event in grand style, becoming the final chase driver in 2023 to score a victory, as well as stealing the points lead from the #22. It was also Ken's first Crown Jewel win of his Extravaganza Series career, looking to double his efforts at the esteemed Eddie Money Classic at Las Vegas!
Ryan Heuser ties Rick Jackson for his fourth pole of the season at an irreproachable 203.054 miles-per-hour. He and Alex Crapser occupy the front row with their immaculate record pace, with 39 drivers clinching the 200+ barrier after a "repave of the ages". "My Pontiac was a demonic frisbee." said Mark Heron, who pulled off a miraculous fourth place qualifying effort. "My eyeballs became olives. I could barely see the windshield during the run." Both he and Dalton Lucas qualified inside the top-10, looking for their first top-10 finishes of 2023.
Points Standings (After 28 of 36 Events) 1. Ken Pettit: - (+8) 2. Ryan Heuser: -22
3. Zach Michael: -40 (+1) 4. Alex Crapser: -76 (+6) 5. John Battista: -83 (-2) 6. Zakk Miller: -100 (+1) 7. Tim McDonnell: -115 (-6) 8. Rick Jackson: -122 (-2) 9. Tony Pizzaro: -129 (-4) 10. Matt Raboin: -141 (-2)
Rumors that started at the beginning of 2022 have finally come into fruition. Just eight weeks before the end of 2023, Randy Dobbins has decided to retire. "It's time." "I always said if I ain't competitive, I ain't racing." said Dobbins, who's averaged a career worst 27th place finish." "We're struggling to find the top-30 these days. I feel like an old man racing with a bunch of Elmo's." Dobbins has recorded only one top-30 finish in his last ten races, with four DNF's during that span. He led his first lap of the season last week at Darlington, only to fall to an accident before the halfway point. He currently has 28 career Extravaganza Series victories. He's got nine more races to add one more to the record books.
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 »
