Blazin' Pedals Racing strikes again! Jeremy Hebel becomes the first 2024 rookie to win the pole, clocking at nearly 27-seconds in his first official timed-lap at the facility. He enters the Rebel 500 140 points behind Molemar Diggs, both finishing a lap down at Talladega and ending Molemar's top-7 streak. Michael Henson will start on the outside, hoping to score a top-10 finish for the struggling Shake N' Bake Racing organization. Atop the points, neither of the top-4 in the standings will start inside the top-15! Points leader Alex Crapser has been prophesied by Steven Spock to become the first "20-30" man in modern Extravaganza (20 top-5's, 30 top-10's). With 46 racecars, a top-10 at Darlington will prove the toughest.
Rattle Snake Drake won the first Rebel 400 in 1952. Scott Jackson has won a record five, including his "blow and go" victory fifteen years ago! He will start 41st, still looking for his first top-20 start for the struggling W.A.S.P. Motorsports. Teammates Bill Werkheiser and Geno Sphere both enter outside the top-35 in points, each having to qualify their way into the field. This could be Werkheiser's second-to-last attempt at the "rustic" facility, hoping to turn around his campaign and make the Southern 500 in September. A pair of 8th place finishes at Atlanta and Bristol for Scott Jackson are the only highlights of the 2024 season, with a clear horsepower advantage compared the big guns of Extravaganza. If any racetrack can break the slide, this is it.
First Ten Rebel 400 Winners 1952: Rattle Snake Drake 1953: Raymond Hale 1954: Dick Seymour 1955: Wimpy Brown 1956: Raymond Hale 1957: Solitaire Swede 1958: Half-Dollar Motley 1959: Solitaire Swede 1960: Wimpy Brown 1961: Buddy Griswald Friday, May 3rd, 6:00 ET
Nine different winners during the first nine events! The vitriol of Talladega could produce a tenth, with horsepower, pit stops and avoiding casualty the primary recipe for victory lane! Ryan Heuser stands on the gas as pole-sitter, leading the first 46-car field of the season!
The Lucas Racing brigade caught the slipstream early, drafting with Ryan Heuser in a 1-2-3 punch at the front. Jimmie Stevens and Chauncey Redmond Jr. broke up the bash, working with points leader Zakk Miller and Johnny Reed Foley to pass the lead-trio. The "AMPIO" #2 stood atop the heap for 20 laps, as memories of their early season struggles dwindle into the abyss.
Chauncey Redmond Jr. took the lead outright on lap 32. He, Stevens and Heuser would dominate the remaining run, going 52-laps before the first fuel stop. "AMPIO's" teammate Bink Lucas and Steve Inkman fell to the engine bug early, both dropping outside the top-20 in points.
The entire field took fuel around the lap-50 mark with Matthew Dominique coming out on top. He and Markell Murphy raced defiantly for the top-spot before a Johnny Reed Foley push put the #47 in the lead. 18 cars still remained in the lead draft, with points leaders Zakk Miller, Ken Pettit and Alex Crapser seven seconds back after attempting to stretch their gas mileage.
Timothy McDonnell and John Battista both lost a lap early, one after pit contact and the former with a left-rear puncture. Rod Weston, Trae Larkin, Geno Sphere, Zach Michael, Ken Joynt, Mark Heron, Jeremy Hebel and Tony Long also lost a lap before the half-way mark. Markell Murphy and Matthew Dominique continued to dominate the remaining stint, with the Red Bull #47 earning the Halfway Bacon Bonus.
Murphy and Dominique came out 1-2 after the second stop, with Logan Sheets, Cristian Torres and Johnny Reed Foley suddenly in the fray. Adam Crapser, Scott Jackson and Geno Sphere would blow smoke after 100-straight laps of green flag action. Jimmie Stevens, who dominated the early portion of the event, lost a lap after a mortifying pit stop lost them the draft.
Dalton Lucas and Trae Larkin collide on the backstretch, collecting points contenders Ken Pettit and John Battista! Lucas and Molemar Diggs slid into the infield grass and up the turn-3 banking, with David Butterworth gyrating into the path of Bill Werkheiser. John Tharp was also involved, possibly ending his streak of nine top-20's to begin the year. He, Pettit and Miller would continue, with Lucas, Butterworth, Werkheiser and Battista heading to the garage after the accident. Still, 37 cars remained for the final 60 laps.
The Red Bull #47 continued to dominate after the restart, leading the field through lap 32 before Cristian Torres and Johnny Reed Foley took the point. Foley, Donald Stewart and Craig Lee each swapped the lead as we headed for the final round of green flag stops. Markell Murphy, Johnny Reed Foley and Matt Raboin came in the earliest, exiting the pits in-line with the pack and continuing their momentum.
Craig Lee runs out of gas with 28 to go! Teammates Logan Sheets and Matthew Dominique battle ferociously at the front, but came in to pit earlier than they anticipated after the #101's misfortune. From there, Alan Nesfeder, Matt Raboin, Dakota Wilkins, Donald Stewart and Alex Crapser joined in for the final seven-lap breakaway to the finish!
Logan Sheets made a bonzai move underneath Raboin to take the top-spot away with 6 laps to go! He pulled to a tectonic advantage with draft help from lapped traffic, handing Raboin, Crapser and Dakota Wilkins the slipstream of the century entering turn-1 on the penultimate lap! Wilkins made a three-wide move underneath the trio. He was successful, with help from Alan Nesfeder from behind. The two raced side-by-side for the entire white flag lap, with draft help from both sides and no direct challenge from behind!
For the first time in Extravaganza Series history, three teams will enter a race with a four-car stable. CFM Motorsports powers down with Kevin Corbat at Doug Spark making the show, adding to Timothy McDonnell and Johnny Reed Foley's powerhouse organization! All of Team Danger Zone and Lucas Racing's entries also make the field, with the latter dominating the restrictor-plate races over the past half-decade. John Battista hopes to win his first race of the year after an outside-pole lap, with Donald Stewart in third hoping to lead his first circuit of the young season. Fall Talladega winner Ryan Heuser edged Adam Crapser out at 46.679 seconds, taking his 10th try to finally earn his first pole-position in 2024! 46 drivers enter the race, with 37 hoping to make it 10 different winners in the first 10 events!
Points Talladega Winners Since 2020 2020 Spring: Alex Crapser 2020 Fall: Matthew Dominique 2021 Spring: John Battista 2021 Fall: Bink Lucas 2022 Spring: Tony Pizzaro 2022 Fall: Alex Crapser 2023 Spring: John Battista 2023 Fall: Ryan Heuser *greenindicates Lucas Racing driver
Steven Spears benefits from the 46-car entry list to make the show at Talladega! This is icing-on-the-cake for Team Danger Zone, coming off two-straight victories during the short track stretch and inheriting the series points lead! Zakk Miller has never been atop the Extravaganza Standings until today, only seven points ahead of Superspeedway ace Alex Crapser. Zach Michael finally clinches the top-10 with a dominating victory at Martinsville! Markell Murphy has shown speed all season, winning from the pole at Rockingham and leading 66 laps at Bristol. So far, they are the only team to score multiple victories with three, and the only team to earn poles with multiple drivers before Ryan Heuser today. They have absolutely dominated in the laps led category, running first in 785 of the 3,119 laps currently run. For the first time since Richmond, all four teams will be in the field in attempt to add to their 2024 domination.
Molemar Diggs stands out! An unbelievable fifth-straight top-7 finish puts the #41 Steelers Chevrolet well atop the Rookie of the Year heap! An ongoing battle, clouting from the rear of the field all season to earn immaculate finishes. Molemar's started 37th or worse five times, finishing sixth at Texas and Martinsville despite the handicap. He currently stands 5th in the standings, leading all of Extravaganza in top-10 finishes!
2024 Top-10 Finishes 1. Molemar Diggs: 6
2. Zakk Miller: 5
3. Alex Crapser: 5
4. Ken Pettit: 4
5. Johnny Reed Foley: 4
Jeremy Hebel and Steve Inkman finished 2nd and 12th at Martinsville, encapsulating themselves inside the top-20 in points in what could be the strongest rookie crop in Extravaganza history! Inkman has four top-15 finishes despite an average starting spot of 34th. He's also one of only three drivers without a DNF on the season. Hebel's second-pl
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Joe Mersdorf's death and a campfire mishap send shockwaves around Martinsville Speedway. Both Geer-5 entries are adorned with Mersdorf's logo, and the inferno has dissipated to ash. It's time to go racing! Tony Pizzaro earns his first pole of the year, with points contenders Zakk Miller and Ken Pettit starting outside the top-15.
A field of 43 rampaged across the start-finish line! Drivers Jonathan Skrabacz, Geno Sphere, Chauncey Redmond Jr., Rob Scarberry, Michael Henson and Jimmie Stevens look for a top-25 finish to keep their full-time status in line. Up front, Pizzaro holds off Bink Lucas, Matt Raboin and miracle-man Rod Weston, earning his first career top-3 starting spot.
Bink Lucas took the lead away from Pizzaro on lap-92, ensuring his status as top-dog at Lifesaver Racing. Teammate Jimmie Stevens plowed his way from 35th to 18th, hoping for both drivers to earn a top-10 result. Just 25 laps into Bink's domination, his engine shattered, sending flash-waves of engine debris onto the racetrack. He would finish 42nd on the day, with Dalton Lucas suffering the same fate just 36 laps in.
Among the casualties included William Perry, Dan Johnston and Dave Miller, all suffering from the engine bug. Perry would end his streak of top-10 finishes, with Johnston's inverted Bret Saberhagen impression (top-20's in even-numbered races; bad finishes in odd-numbered races) still in tact. Miller dropped from 5th to 8th in the standings with his 39th place effort. Pizzaro continued to lead throughout, with a consistent top-5 of Matt Raboin, Alex Crapser, Jeremy Hebel and John Tharp.
A flat tire dropped Pizzaro to the back after a Rick Jackson and Mark Heron crash brought out the caution. Matt Raboin led the field to the green, failing to clear the two lapped Solomon-Tark entries with rookie Jeremy Hebel and Alex Crapser ready to pounce. Hebel took the advantage on lap 204 prior to a plethora of accidents.
A crash between good friends David Butterworth and Donald Stewart began the constellation of carnage. The halfway-point blues saw five accidents; three involving three-time Champion Timothy McDonnell. He would manage to finish 32nd despite the devastation, finishing the race in a tin lizzie. Drivers who failed to survive were early-race dominator Tony Pizzaro, Mark Heron and Logan Sheets.
The lead shuffled between Hebel, Molemar Diggs, Jimmie Stevens and Dakota Wilkins during the carousel of caution flags. Zach Michael came out the victor, inheriting the top-spot before the next green-flag stint. Stevens managed to lead the halfway bacon bonus, leaving Donald Stewart, Logan Sheets, Rob Scarberry, Geno Sphere, Jonathan Skrabacz, Rod Weston and Ziggy Moonglow as the only drivers without a lap led on the season.
Zach Michael pulled to a 1.5-second advantage over Jimmie Stevens before lapped-traffic clogged the passageway to victory. Rookie's Jeremy Hebel and Molemar Diggs passed the #2 "Ampio" entry and caught Michael with 150 laps-to-go. Hebel made the pass, with Michael and Diggs battling maniacally for second place before green flag pit stops.
The Coca-Cola pit crew put Zach Michael back on top, with Jimmie Stevens passing both rookies en route for his second stint at the lead. Both he and Hebel would pass Michael just before a Jonathan Skrabacz spin brought out the caution. Nobody could make in it on fuel from here, leaving crew chiefs to strategize the timing of their final stop.
Zach Michael pulverized underneath Stevens and Hebel within 10-laps of the restart, inheriting his best set of tires and taking the lead with 90 laps-to-go. Hebel and Matt Raboin kept within two-seconds of the #20, with a short-pit strategy from Stevens pulling him just a few car-lengths behind. The final stops finally cycled through. Michael would pull away from the pack as the field stayed green, earning the victory in Burger King Whopper style!
Zakk Miller sneaks within 10 points of Ken Pettit for the Championship lead! His victory at Bristol put him on the win column for 2024, leading the series in laps led after averaging 85 in the last three events. Up front, Tony Pizzaro and Bink Lucas will lead the field to the green with Rick Jackson, Ryan Heuser, Timothy McDonnell and Dave Miller starting 35th or worse. If they go down a lap early, the grandfather clock will vanish into the hellfire.
One night after Joe Mersdorf's fatal accident, the Geer-5 Racing team remains undecided on their status for the foreseeable future. Rumors had Cristiano De Sa to drive the #54 Statler Brothers entry for Talladega, but proved no merit. Teammate #55 Jonathan Cheeseman will continue his bid for the Championship in honor or Mersdorf's memory. Donald Stewart and Ben Geer will have his #54 racecar on their quarter-panel's for the Extravaganza Series event. He will be buried on the Beit Olamim Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin on Thursday.
Jimmie Stevens makes the show after having to qualify for the Virginia 500, winning the 100-lap pre-qualifier! The #2 Ampio Lifesaver Racing team has finished better than 31st in only three events so far, entering Martinsville 36th in points. Logan Sheets, Ryan Heuser and Alan Nesfeder earned top 5-'s at Texas, Richmond and Bristol to gap themselves out of the hole and re-earn their provisional status. "Speedy" hopes to do the same. He'll start 32nd. Counterpart Steven Spears will miss his second-straight event after finishing second-to-last in the qualifying race.
An enormous blow to the hearts of stock car racing. Just one night after leading the most laps in the Martinsville Busch Bonanza stock car race on Friday, "Smokin" Joe Mersdorf was killed in a highway accident near his home in Cumberland, Virginia while returning from a sponsorship appearance at the Appomattox courthouse. Mersdorf turned 36 last Wednesday, finishing third in the the 2023 Busch Bonanza Championship and was a leading candidate for the title in 2024. He watched the race from Glenn Kaufmann's motor home, driving a Toyota owned by the former Extravaganza Series independent. "He was going east on highway 60, steered into a curve and apparently lost control," said Kal Buckner, a Virginia state trooper. "Apparently he was traveling at a high rate of speed, went sideways and couldn’t correct it." Coincidentally, Buckner attended the North Wilkesboro race in which Mersdorf finished 6th last fall. Mersdorf's sliding truck was struck on the driver’s door by a westbound car. The driver of that car Janet Duffy, 68, of Lynchburg, Virgina, was also killed. The accident occurred at about midnight, according to police. John Hidley of Conover North Carolina, Mersdorf’s car chief and jackman, was injured and was taken to the Centra Lynchburg Medical Hospital for treatment. Glenn Kaufmann, a multi-car team owner and former Extravaganza Series regular who owns Geer-5 Motorsports, picked up Mersdorf after his success at Motor Mile Speedway. He began competing in the Late Model SCUM (Super Crown Ultra Modified) Division just four years ago, winning the Championship for Kaufmann in 2021. "This is an enormous shock and is a loss we will feel even more in the days and weeks to come." said Kaufmann. A memorial service will be held Wednesday at Motor Mile, the site of Mersdorf's finest racing accomplishments. He won two track Championships there in 2015 and 2016. Although originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Mersdorf maintained a residence and racing shop in Farmville, Virginia and also owns a gas station there. "Joe was one of the most promising young drivers in the Extravaganza Series pipeline, so from that standpoint it’s a terrible loss for everyone who enjoys the sport,” said Dalton Lucas, owner of Lucas Hauling and the Bonanza Series teams for Rhamondre Diggs (#41) and Ronaldo Scott (#40). "Personally, it really hits hard because his cousin is one of my best friends in racing, and I know how badly he and the rest of the family are hurting right now. Someone that young, it’s a real tragic situation." Glenn Kaufmann, in addition to managing Mersdorf's career, was crew chief on the car since Bob Watkins left the team during the offseason. "I've always tried to hire the best people I can get for the team." Kaufmann said recently when asked about the #54 team. "I didn’t have much choice with Joe, but he’s turned out pretty good."
Adam Crapser pulls off a miracle 14.751 mile-per-hour lap, the only driver inside the 15-second bracket! He comes in 35th in the standings, needing to showcase his regular short track speed and finish it off, something the #4 team has struggled to do over their tenure. He and Markell Murphy occupy the front row.
The high-line remains advantageous as Markell Murphy occupied the top-spot off of turn-2, leading the first 15 laps. Points leader Ken Pettit dropped from 6th to 30th during the same span with a racecar he deemed "demonic" during the first green flag run. Rookie of the Year contender and surprise of the season Steve Inkman took the lead from lap 15 to 20.
Markell Murphy took the lead from laps 21 to 37 while Imkman and Adam Crapser interchanged the second position. Chauncey Redmond Jr., Alex Crapser and Ryan Heuser caught up to the top-3 during the swaps, with the #47 back on top from laps 42 to 46. Steve Inkman led the ensuing two laps before Adam Crapser took over. Lapped traffic loomed ahead.
The Green Bay Packers #4 was unstoppable through lapped traffic. Only 23 cars were on the lead lap by lap 100, with points leader Ken Pettit, Craig Lee, Zach Michael, Timothy McDonnell, Scott Jackson, Rick Jackson and John Battista all falling to the wayside. By lap 142, only twelve cars remained. Adam's advantage over second-place Steve Inkman grew to a modest seven seconds. Unfortunately, contact between Johnny Reed Foley sent the #4 car hard into the outside turn-3 wall! John Tharp, Dakota Wilkins and Craig Lee smacked Adam in the front, turning the Packers Chevrolet into an acordion on wheels. A second crash after the restart rendered his car destroyed, losing several laps and unable to match the speed he previously occupied. Adam would finish 32nd after leading 98 laps. Jonathan Skrabacz, David Butterworth and Logan Sheets were also involved in the crash.
A speeding penalty took Chancey Redmond out of the lead, ending the reign of the NFL-sponsored cars. Saints-man Jimmie Stevens broke a gearbox on lap 211, finishing last on the day and dropping out of the top-35 in points. Up front, Markell Murphy remained up front through lap 169. Alex Crapser led from lap 170 through lap 194 before Ryan Heuser took the advantage. He, Crapser, Markell Murphy, Zakk Miller and William Perry swapped the top-5 positions for the remainder of the run.
Alex Crapser led the lap 220 restart after Jimmie Stevens' engine failure. He pulled away from the field in shades of his brother, leading the Halfway Bacon Bonus before lapped traffic pushed him back. Teammate John Battista earned his lap back after Adam's accident, working defiantly on his handling to take the lead on lap 265. William Perry earned the top-spot two laps later, with Jeremy Hebel earning five bonus points for his Rookie of the Year campaign. John Battista and Alex Crapser were back to 1-2 by lap 273.
The Pennzoil #04 and #138 NOS Energy Chevrolet's found their way past the Wendy's "Dave's Quadruple" #39. The immaculate lead changing brought the top-9 within two seconds of the leader, with William Perry and Zach Michael passing Heuser and the Lucas Racing duo. Michael took the lead outright on lap 280, pulling away from the field with Steve Inkman, Scott Jackson, Perry, Tony Pizzaro and John Tharp showcasing their long-run speed by passing the earlier contenders. Michael gaped to a five-second advantage over Steve Inkman before the next caution.
A Ben Geer spin took out Rick Jackson and Timothy McDonnell, with Rob Scarberry and Scott Jackson finding themselves sandwiched in the accident. Jackson continued on to finish 8th, with Scarberry limping to 36th on the day. Leader Zach Michael suffered a speeding penalty, handing William Perry the advantage on the restart. He, Inkman and Tharp occupied the top-3 before a Logan Sheets spin, followed by a Mark Heron, Jeremy Hebel, Scott Jackson and Bink Lucas accident in turn-1. Steve Inkman and Dan Johnston gambled by staying out on old tires, attempting to out-wit the other 11 lead lap cars in hopes of an upset victory!
Dan Johnston continued his 2024 late-race heroics by taking the lead away from Inkman with 112 laps-to-go. The four-tire armada rummaged through, with John Tharp and Alan Nesfeder swapping the top-spot through lap 415. Zakk Miller fl
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Ken Pettit extends his points lead to 73 over Zakk Miller after an immaculate victory at Richmond last week! Reese's cups fell through the sky in victory lane, leaving the Bob Marley team well fed for a repeat performance at the "Concrete Canyon". He will start inside the top five. Miracle-man Cristian Torres starts third behind pole-sitter Adam Crapser and Markell Murphy. Crapser currently stands 35th in the standings after three DNF's to begin the year. A lap led and a top-20 finish should take him out of the danger zone to make the show for Martinsville, one of his favorite race tracks. Tony Pizzaro and John Battista won the two events here last season. If they can do it again, it will be eight-straight winners to begin the 2024 season!
Molemar Diggs, Steve Inkman and Jeremy Hebel are in a dead-heat battle for the Rookie of the Year Championship. Diggs currently stands 9th in points after three masterful performances, capped by 105 laps led at Richmond. Inkman has finished every race so far in 2023, easily the underdog of the three with three-top-15 finishes. Jeremy has been the best qualifier, entering Bristol with with five-straight top-20's on the grid. This "triple-threat armada" could be the future of Extravaganza racing, with veterans Rob Scarberry and Bill Werkheiser struggling to find speed all season.
John Tharp did it again! A twelfth at Richmond keeps his streak of finishing between 11th and 19th in tact! He's currently 6th in the standings without a single top-10, rendering his "Extravaganza-Elite" status in limbo while glorifying his immaculate consistency. Here is John's results so far:
John Battista and Matt Raboin won the two events at Richmond last season. This blackballed Ryan Heuser from a victory at the track for the first time in nearly a decade, winning the Championship despite the failure. He was able to win the qualifying race to make the show after a morbid start to 2024. This is his opportunity to finally get the ball rolling, gridding 21st in hopes for a top-10 finish with two more short tracks ahead!
Michael Henson earns his first pole of 2024! The Black + Decker team earned three in 2022, all on speedway's en route to his top-10 finish in the 2023 Big Bud Shootout. He couldn't finish better than 21st in those events, hoping to break the mold today by earning his first victory since Bristol in 2017. Molemar Diggs starts his first race inside the top-20, starting on the outside pole. He's in a dead heat for Rookie of the Year with Jeremy Hebel, with Diggs in hope of earning his third-straight top-6 finish!
The #144 held off the charge for 13 laps before Molemar Diggs took the advantage, leading his first career Extravaganza Series laps. Molemar would dominate the run, with Johnny Reed Foley and Zakk Miller in tow throughout. Steve Inkman, Logan Sheets, David Butterworth, Ben Geer, Geno Sphere, Jeremy Hebel, Bill Werkheiser, Trae Larkin and Cristian Torres all fell down a lap to the advantage of Molemar.
A debris caution would bring an end to Molemar's reign, losing the lead to Johnny Reed Foley after the restart. The #3 AC Delco Chevrolet and Zakk Miller's Bepis Mustang would swap the top-spot before two caution flags in-a-row set the field at a standstill. Zach Michael, Alex Crapser, Dan Johnston and Markell Murphy all went for spins, recovering with minor damage while able to continue.
Zakk Miller dominated the second green flag run, clinching the halfway bacon bonus before coming in for a pit stop. Most of the field came in early in hopes of a tire advantage. William Perry, Molemar Diggs and Dalton Lucas attempted to stretch their fuel to the limit, succeeding in their strategy after a Dan Johnston spin brought out the caution on lap 254.
Only Johnny Reed Foley, Zakk Miller, Adam Crapser and Tony Pizzaro stayed out during the yellow flag. William Perry, Molemar Diggs, Dalton Lucas, Ryan Heuser, Ken Pettit, Alex Crapser, Rick Jackson and Dakota Wilkins came in for fresh tires towards a 140-lap shootout to the finish! Miraculously, all 43 cars were still running by this point, leaving an accident or engine failure for one driver as a devastating blow in the points.
Johnny Reed Foley meandered through the inside traffic after the restart, extending his lap-led total on the season to 250. Perry's #70 Flex Fuel Dodge fought back to the forefront to occupy second place, passing Diggs and Miller in persuit of his second lead of the night. Tex hasn't won a race since Martinsville of 2016, narrowly making the Reese's Cup 400 field after starting the season 37th in points. He is now in contention for the victory.
Perry, Molemar Diggs and Dalton Lucas used their immaculate pit strategy to underdog the field, occupying the 1-2-3 positions after crossing the 100-to-go mark! Perry hasn't won since 2016. Molemar has never been to victory lane. Lucas is looking for career win #2, two years removed from his Daytona 500 glory. At the 60-to-go mark, the #88 Little Caesar's Chevrolet made his bid for the lead and took it outright from Perry!
Five laps after losing the lead, William Perry came in for his final stop. Lucas entered the pits two laps later, coming out just behind Diggs before disaster struck! Ninth-place point man Dakota Wilkins blew a right-front tire off of turn-2, stacking the field and sending last week's winner Bink Lucas and pole-sitter Michael Henson for a spin. Craig Lee and Chauncey Redmond Jr. power-slammed the #144, blocking the racetrack in front of the second and third-place drivers. Molemar was able to navigate through in immaculate style! Lucas plowed the #144, destroying his radiator after his greatest Richmond performance to date. John Battista, Rod Weston, Ben Geer, Matt Raboin, Dakota Wilkins, Cristian Torres and Adam Crapser all couldn't stop in time. Only Weston was able to continue.
Michael Henson and Molemar Diggs pull off a miracle front-row in hopes of holding off the field for the entire 400-lap distance! This is the first time since Rick Jackson and John Tharp that cars numbered only one and four occupy the front row. One plus four is five, which means Bink Lucas could win two in-a-row! New points leader Ken Pettit comes in as the only driver finishing all six events in the first-half of the field. He will start 17th today. Richmond dominator Ryan Heuser made the field after a horrid start to the season. He is the favorite to win the Reese's Cup 400!
Ryan Heuser, Jimmie Stevens and Alan Nesfeder, William Perry, Steven Spears, Geno Sphere and Jonathan Skrabacz all needed to qualify for the Reese's Cup 400 field at Richmond. Only Jonathan Skrabacz failed to make the field, missing his first Extravaganza Series event in over a half-decade! The #48 Castrol Chevrolet's finished 40th or worse three times this season, including a devastating accident at Homestead that nearly took him out of the car. Jonathan's last top-5 finish was at Daytona in 2022. Fortunately, he has Bristol coming up next week, a track he led 47 laps at in the summer race last season.
Points Standings (After 6 of 36 Events) 36. Jimmie Stevens: -4
37. Alan Nesfeder: -25
38. Ryan Heuser: -30
39. William Perry: -30
40. Geno Sphere: -37
41. Steven Spears: -41 42. Jonathan Skrabacz: -73
