Johnny Reed Foley Season Statistics Wins: 8 Top-5's: 18 Top-10's: 21 Laps Led: 1,630 Overall Average Finish: 13.5 Regular Season Average Finish: 13.4 Chase Average Finish: 13.7
Five drivers enter the Homestead-Miami Speedway with a chance at infinite glory! Johnny Reed Foley parks his trailer next to Ken Pettit's, re-living Thte Championship battle that seemed destined between the two. "I ate a honey bun at one of the local Wawa's a few weeks ago. One of the numbers said "1909". Maybe that was the expiration date because we've struggled mightily since!" As the #8 team faded, Ryan Heuser, Zach Michael, Zakk Miller and Craig Lee rectified their earlier chase woes to climb within striking distance of the AC-Delco #3. 267 laps will determine the Champion!
The green flag waved like a bat out of Babe Ruth's hell! Hot dog wrappers and crunch bars fly in the air as Bink Lucas and Zakk Miller battle to lead the first lap. Bink would get it, staying there through lap-9 before the Bepis-man took the advantage. Ryan Heuser aimed to rectify his 58-point disadvantage by attempting three-wide maneuvers on the inside lane. Zach Michael would do the same, taking the lead from his teammate on lap-22.
Zach Michael dominated the stint, stringing out the pack with help from Ken Pettit and pole-sitter Bink Lucas. Michael came in with a 75-point disadvantage, hoping to lead every lap en route to his first Extravaganza Series Championship! From behind, Foley had traversed from his 23rd starting position to 6th, making in nearly impossible to gain the necessary ground. Foley brought his best piece of equipment. Some would argue he has no bad cars, acquiring Timothy McDonnell's re-bodied Volksagen's after joining the team in 2022.
Ken Pettit, Bink Lucas, Scott Jackson, John Tharp, Tony Pizzaro, John Battista, Dakota Wilkins, Dave Miller and Cristian Torres all entered the pits on lap-64, well short of the three pit-stop window. Johnny Reed Foley came in the following lap, with Ryan Heuser and Zach Michael stretching it long enough to possibly pull off the strategy. Rod Weston ends his Rookie of the Year campaign with a lap led during the cycle. With the #20 and #138 stretching the stint on old tires, Ken Pettit, Bink Lucas and Tony Pizzaro came out up front.
Johnny Reed Foley went from 23rd to 1st to take the lead on lap 73! From there he surged on, pulling ahead of the two-main packs. He would lap Dan Johnston, Ziggy Moonglow, Ken Joynt and Bill Werkheiser; struggling mightily in his final Extravaganza Series event. Both Bill and Tony Long suffered notoriously throughout the weekend, with Long failing to make the field and Bill with an engine-miss throughout practice. Long's final ride in the #15 Budweiser car came at Phoenix one week ago, finishing 34th. Bill's final drive tonight eventually limped him home to 35th.
Johnny Reed Foley came in a "Whiplash Whopping" six laps before Ryan Heuser, who was still dedicated to their three-stop strategy. Zach Michael gave it up, coming in for fresh rubber two laps after halfway. Heuser came out 23rd, traversing through the field to the third position during the 60 lap stint. Foley maintained his five-second advantage at the head of the field. Dalton Lucas, Adam Crapser, Rob Scarberry, Donald Stewart, Steve Inkman, Matt Raboin, Rod Weston, Mark Heron, Tony Gunk and Steven Spears all fell down to the #3 AC-Delco Chevrolet. William Perry was the first to fall out with an engine failure, dropping to 25th in points with Ben Geer taking his spot in the standings after an eventual 15th-place effort.
Logan Sheets and Craig Lee pulled away from the second pack, able to keep pace with Foley as they meandered through the same traffic. Ryan Heuser and Zakk Miller brought the third group back with help from fresher tires, pulling Dave Miller, Bink Lucas and Rick Jackson within ten seconds of the #3. John Battista's Wendy's Chevrolet was the outlier. He stretched three-seconds ahead of the newly formed mob, gaining ground despite his slightly older rubber.
