To the ones who seek truth and to the ones who seek fabrication and fantasy, the latter will be in awe of this empire of a facility. California Speedway is back! Dave Miller and Zach Michael share the front row with 17 cars averaging 190+ miles per hour. A sight for sore eyes for the west coast crowd in definitive need of Extravaganza oval racing.
Dave Miller took the green flag atop the heap and led 12 of the first 15 laps. Rick Jackson and Ryan Heuser nabbed their five bonus points early, with Heuser taking the top spot outright on lap 16. He would lead past the first caution flag.
Lap 63 saw Rick Jackson fly by Heuser on the frontstrtech and take his second lead of the day. He would remain at the top through lap 100, giving way for Craig Lee to win the halfway bacon bonus to refuel the car. The high horsepower duo of Heuser and Jackson seemed to be back in full swing for 2022.
The first caution of the night came on lap 48. Randy Dobbins and Zakk MIller made heavy contact exiting turn 4, sending them both for a spin across the frontstretch. Johnny Reed Foley, Jonathan Skrabacz, Scott Jackson and William Perry were all involved in the high-speed melee. Perry would be the first to fall out of the event.
After the lap 100 pit stop, Rick Jackson misread Craig Lee's yield to pit as Jackson slammed head-on into the rear of the #101. Jackson destroyed the engine, falling out and finishing 41st after a perfect first-half of the event. Lee would limp to 23rd place, the final car on the lead lap. On lap 117, Adam Crapser blew an engine to bring out the third caution flag. He would finish in 40th position.
An enormous accident on lap 126 was initiated by contact between Mark Heron and Cristian Torres. Torres came down and clipped Ken Joynt, turning Heron into oncoming traffic. Tim McDonnell slammed the #01 on the passenger side, flying up into Dan Johnston who careened the #22 hard into Zakk Miller. Michael Henson and Craig Lee failed to slow down in time and mashed the rear-end of Miller's #30, while Bill Werkheiser and John Tharp crashed below trying to avoid the still-spinning Heron. Jonathan Skrabacz, Tony Long and Scott Jackson were also involved in the accident. There was only 31 cars remaining by the lap 131 restart.
Dalton Lucas pitted early under green and found himself second on the restart behind new leader John Battista. He would manage to lead one lap, looking to gain on his early-found points lead to begin the season. Unfortunately, his Little Ceasars chevrolet would blow a piston on lap 149, ending his day in the 31st spot.
Dave Miller found his way backwards after winning the pole only to fly back through the field and take the lead away from Battista. He would lead for four laps before a Heuser-Sheets freight-train on the bottom sailed the #138 into the promise-land. Him and Miller would swap the lead several times before Heuser took it outright with 40 laps to go.
John Battista dropped to the 8th postion before a right-front tire blew after crossing the start-finish line. Matt Raboin knocked the Wendy's machine around for a full-cycle spin into the outside wall. Raboin would fix his front end damage to finish 7th, while Battista limped home to 21st after leading 35 laps.
A restart with 31 laps to go saw Alan Nesfeder on a no-tire strategy to the finish. He was disposed of quickly, with Heuser, Donald Stewart, Matthew Dominique and Tony Pizzaro flying by in a conga-line for the victory. Pizzaro was able to dive past all of them on the inside lane, taking the lead on lap 176 and pulling away from the pack.
A debris caution with 12 laps to go pulled the field back together in hopes of catching the Fenway Fr
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As the series dives back into the Superspeedway roots, California Speedway takes it's place back on the Extravaganza schedule for 2022. Tony Pizzaro is glad to see it back, winning three of the prior five events run at this racetrack. Points leader Dalton Lucas has sustained moderate success here as well, capturing top-20 finishes in both 2019 and 2020. 2019 winner Dave Miller has captured the pole, with Zach Michael on the outside lane. Big names Ben Geer and Dakota Wilkins will miss their second straight race of the season, with Kevin Corbat and the entire Bandit Racing team locked into their place on the grid. Good luck! Provisional Qualifying (Top-7 made the field)
For every driver there is a race that needs to be triumphed. This race has been won by John Tharp and Alex Crapser in the last three years, looking for a new face and perhaps an underdog story to make it's mark on the Great American Race. Three of the last four restrictor plate races have been won by a Lucas Racing driver. With Adam Crapser, Dalton Lucas, and Chauncey Redmond Jr. all winless in the field with high-powered equipment, today could be their day in the moonlight.
The early part of the event was dominated by Ryan Heuser. He started in 6th position, and threw his way past Alex Crapser and John Tharp on the inside lane to lead lap 2. He remained peaked at the front of the railway through lap 8, where Tony Pizzaro led his first laps of the evening with draft help from Johnny Reed Foley.
Foley, Tim McDonnell, Markell Murphy, Zakk Miller, Steven Spears, Rick Jackson and Randy Dobbins all nabbed their bonus points early, one lap after the next of intense lead swapping. Heuser took back the helm on lap 22, giving way to Dan Johnston, Matthew Dominique and Rick Jackson only to re-take it once more.
Heuser and Pizzaro swapped the top-spot one last time before green flag pit stops. It became a Heuser, Dominique and Michael Henson getaway train, pulling away from the second pack with only three cars. Heuser was clearly the class of the show, showing no signs of speed all week only to propel when it mattered the most.
Trouble on lap 70 after the second pack finally caught up. Bill Wekheiser and Adam Crapser made contact in turn two, in shades of the Dakota Wilkins incident during the Daytona Duels. Bill slid violently up the banking and slammed Michael Henson, who went head-on into the outside wall. Both cars would fail to finish the event, and start their seasons void of a top-40 finish. Randy Dobbins also suffered front-end damage in the accident, finishing 36th.
20 of the next 21 laps were led by the #138, monopolizing the field as they stretched three-wide behind. John Battista and teammate Craig Lee used the lapped car of Dobbins to take advantage of the Rocket Man, with Tim McDonnell leading the Halfway Bacon Bonus lap. By the end of the run, it was a Heuser and Rick Jackson lead swap with Dalton Lucas lurking morbidly behind.
Probably the greatest Superspeedway performance during the first three-fifths of an event that we have witnessed on over a decade, Heuser was easily the king and it is worth reiterating. He led 73 of the first 118 laps in a series that is recognized for constant lead changes at Superspeedway races. Even for Quicksilver, this came as a shock to crews and fans alike.
Lucas would lead the field to the second caution of the event caused by debris from the #96 machine. The restart saw Alex Crapser up front, with an immediate pass from Rick Jackson on the first green lap. Mark Murphy, Dan Johnston, Dave MIller, Rob Scarberry, Zakk Miller, Joh Battista, Craig Lee and Scott Jackson swapped the lead at least a dozen times while Heuser was marred back in traffic, struggling to secure the slim-stream back to the front of the pack. There was 50 laps to go.
The horror story of Speedweeks was shown on lap 154 with a display of immense sorrow and detriment from the enormous Daytona crowd. Aaron Cummings and Ryan Heuser were mired back near 30th place and came together, galloping both cars up the racetrack and hard into the outside wall, taking Zakk Miller with them. The grandstands stood in silence, watching the hero of the night sit motionless in the turn-4 banking. Even sadder of a story, Glenn Kaufmann caught the tail-end of the accident with the right-front of his Clorox chevrolet, ending his night and his tri-decade Extravaganza career. Bets of luck to Glenn Kaufmann and his newfound New Jersey Amishland Bonanza team.
With Heuser out of the event, it became anybody's race for the win. A 41-lap shootout to the finish proved to be a fuel-strategy race if the caution didn't fly. Tim McDonnell, Markell Murphy, Alex Crapser and Craig Lee dominated the first 15 laps of the run, with Talladega winner Bink Lucas holding ground for the next 5 laps. Tim McDonnell held the lead until 16 laps to go with a hellacious draft pass between
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To all who defy glory and miracles, this is the place to defy your glory and miracles. The Daytona 500 is here! The past two winners of the Great American Race align the front row, with favorite John Tharp on the pole. The rest of the field attempt to conquer the masses within the rule package of the new 2022 tungsten chassis, hoping to wear their regal crowns by the end of the night. Good luck to start of the 2022 season, where immortality and praise shall vanquish carnage and defeat!
The first Daytona Duel was dominated by one driver alone, leaving some to believe that Duel #2 will be the best of the two events. Logan Sheets, Mark Heron, Mark Guthrie, Connor Germain, David Courtney, Brian Lowe, Jim Fitzmaurice and Ken Joynt will fight for the final three of eight spots to make the Daytona 500 field! Good luck!
A full Top-Gear Motorsports front row saw newfound teammates Tim McDonnell and Johnny Reed Foley ready for 60-lap action, hoping to blockade the field all the way through. It would be all for not, as Logan Sheets immediately power-housed himself to the front, leaving a rotisserie of veterans and rookies alike with their share of the lead.
Every lap seemingly had a new leader through the halfway point, proving that John Tharp's Daytona package may be the one to beat next Sunday. Rick Jackson led a whopping 5 laps during the metamorphosis, the most of any driver. Struggling Ryan Heuser finally found some speed this week and topped the leaderboard, leading laps 31 through 38.
An accident entering the pits with fourteen laps to go halted the record-setting progress, averaging 205+ mile per hour race pace before the crash. Michael Henson and Bill Werkheiser made contact while slowing down for their stops, clipping Jonathan Skrabacz. The #48 spun into oncoming traffic, getting hit by Randy Dobbins, Alan Nesfeder, David Butterworth and Mark Heron. All would continue, though Heron would struggle to keep up and lose his Daytona 500 bid.
Jim Fitzmaurice and David Courtney made a ferocious bid to win the event, attempting to make it on 60 laps of fuel and retaining the #1 and #2 positions. Unfortunately, they would run dry, and separate the pack in the process. Johnny Reed Foley, Tim McDonnell and Mark Guthrie found themselves in the lead during the final 10-lap shootout.
Mark Guthrie and Brian Lowe had easily clinched by staying within the lead pack. Logan Sheets, Ken Joynt and Conner Germain battled heavily in the second pack to earn the final spot, with no chance to catch the leaders. Coming to three laps to go, Alex Crapser made a move to the bottom and took the lead away from the Muzzy machine with draft helf from Shootout winner Dave Miller.
Dalton Lucas found his way to second place, blocking the field for his teammate to earn the victory and front-row spot in the 500. Craig Lee passed him with ease, though a pass on the backstretch failed when Johnny Reed Foley lurked to the inside trying to steal second place away. Crapser crossed the line in first, making it a front row of the last three Daytona 500 winners! Congrats to Alex for the victory, and to Mark Guthrie, Brian Lowe and Logan Sheets for clinching the Daytona 500 field!
Tony Pizzaro and John Battista sit atop the front row, attempting to hold off the hungry make-it-or-break-it crowd from behind for 60 laps. Dakota Wilkins, Geno Sphere, Ben Geer, Philip Parker, Mike Carroll, Kevin Corbat, Scott Drake, Chauncey Redmond Jr., Jonathan Cheeseman, Scott Deutsch, David Baldinger, Glenn Kaufmann and Stephen Lowe attempt to make the Daytona 500 field by being the best four out of thirteen. Good luck!
Dan Johnston and Zakk Miller took turns at the helm before disaster struck on lap 2. Kevin Corbat and Scott Jackson made contact in turn 3, sliding both cars into the apron with the #38 flying into oncoming traffic. Dakota Wilkins slammed the rear-end of Jackson's ATEUP chevrolet hard, flying head-first into the outside wall for a second massive blow. Matt Raboin knocked the passenger side of Wilkins and hit Tony Long in the aftermath. All four cars fell out of the race, with Wilkins unable to make the show due to the accident.
As the damages healed up, the racing began with John Tharp and John Battista dominating the event. Battista led laps 9 through 13 before Tharp made his move on the backstretch inside lane. Zach Michael, Mark Murphy, Dan Johnston and Donald Stewart all had their share of laps led before the halfway point, giving hope that the dominant cars won't run away with the show.
A debris caution on lap 26 saw John Tharp re-take the lead and dominate the rest of the event, leading 21 straight laps. With 12 to go, Tharp passed the lapped car of Stephen Lowe as the rest of the pack fell behind, leaving Battista enough momentum to pass entering turn 1 with the Red Bull draft help of Mark Murphy. He would only stay atop the heap for 1-lap.
Battista was freight-trained by Murphy and the rest of the pack, including Chauncey Rednond Jr. and Glenn Kaufmann who were fighting to make their first and last Daytona 500's. Tony Pizzaro made his mark at the front for one lap before Murphy re-took the spot, proving that the Danger Zone horsepower was no fluke during the Shootout.
It was certanly flukeless, as the Zach Michael Danger Zone mustang pushed Tharp back to the front coming to three laps remaining. The white flag lap saw Tony Pizzaro and John Battista's high-horsepower engines tag-team, still struggling to keep up with the independent John Tharp. From behind, Glenn Kaufmann and Geno Sphere were battling for the final spot in the Daytona 500.
Tharp would cross the line in first place after a completely dominating performance, leading 29 of the 60 laps en route to another Daytona victory. Congrats to Tharp for the victory and the Daytona 500 pole, and to Scott Drake (6th), Chauncey Redmond Jr. (9th), Philip Parker (11th), and Glenn Kaufmann (12th) for making the Daytona 500 field!
21 drivers battle for the final 7 spots in the 2022 Daytona 500! Ben Geer is among the laggards, attempting to revitalize his career with the newly found "Junkyard Twinkie" chevrolet. Two big-named rookies in Logan Sheets and Geno Sphere will be on the outside looking in as well, looking to stay out of the provisional vortex in 2022. Glenn Kaufmann will attempt what could be his final race of his illustrious independent career, handing the reigns to Ben Geer for good. Will he make the show? It will be more difficult than ever. Duel #1 will take in 3 of 8 drivers. Duel #2 is takes in only 4 of 13. There will be many disappointed souls during the aftermath of these two 60-lap features. Good luck!
The 2022 Big Budweiser Shootout started off with a Craig Lee and Matthew Dominique front row. Behind them, 17 drivers attempt their way through the field and into the laps of the Extravaganza gods, wishing to earn the coveted prize of first winner of 2022. It's a 50-lap shootout for the ages!
Rick Jackson took the lead on lap 2 and stood his ground with the field in tow for a few laps, relinquishing to Johnny Reed Foley. He and Foley endured superlative horsepower throughout the event, becoming the odds-on favorites for the lap-10 bookies. Alex Crapser, Scott Jackson and Zach Michael all sought turns at the front, only to have the #44 and #3 at the helm by the next lap.
Last year's winner Johnny Reed Foley emerged as the leader on three different occasions, first by passing pole-sitter Craig lee on the backstretch of lap 1. He would lose it one lap later to Rick Jackson, but found himself drafting to the front five different times for 17 laps of leading before the mandatory pit stop. It would be the most of anybody all night
The fervent crowd roars after the lap-40 mark as an incursion of Extravaganza superstars take their way to the pits. Everyone went for the splash-and-go strategy, except for John Tharp. Tharp went in-and-out of his pits without servicing the car, coming out as the leader with just a handful of laps to go. His fuel cell from the gods may play a role in earning his third Daytona 500 victory in four years, and may deliver him the Big Bud Shootout crown.
With six laps to go it was a four-car breakaway at the front, battling their way to the top-spot as new-found teammates Johnny Reed Foley and Tim McDonnell easily handle Tharp and Dominique. The side-by-side battling shot Zach Michael, Dave Miller and the rest of the field back to the lead draft, creating a three-lap circus for the victory.
Johnny Reed Foley led the final lap, putting his new Top-Geer horsepower to the ultimate advantage. His second-straight Shootout victory would be in jeopardy on the backstretch, as Dave Miller leaped to the inside with the draft help of Zakk Miller and Rick Jackson. They would remain side-by-side coming off of turn 4, with all of the momentum on the inside lane.
Rick Jackson would maneuver his way to second place but unfortunately ran out of time. Dave Miller crosses the line in first for the Big Budweiser Shootout victory, leading his only lap of the event at the pinnacle moment. Dave wasn't the fastest car all day, but neither was the entire Quick-Silver Mororsports brigade, leading some to question the rumour that they lowered their horsepower this season to prevent the engine failures that cost them the crown in recent seasons. Either way, congrats to Dave Miller, crew chief Sonny Sundae, and the entire Quick-Silver Motorsports crew for an excellent victory!
