A welcome appearance to the foothills of New England, where brown bears roam and racecars groan. On the pole, Ryan Heuser looks to capture another victory at one of his home racetracks, while the road-ringers scurry behind in attempt to defeat the rocket-man. Alex Crapser, John Tharp and Jimmie Stevens are all on the outside looking in for the Championship crown, and all have the ability to win at this wonderful facility.
The green flag arose to a roaring crowd in sheer jubilation. Zakk Miller made his bid for the lead on the initial lap, passing the #138 on the right-hander and keeping the pace for six more laps. John Battista would take the top-spot on lap 7, leading for one before handing it back to Miller.
A horrible crash on the no-name straightaway sent the leaders into a frenzy for the ages! Battling for fourth on lap 17, Jimmie Stevens and Tim McDonnell slid into the infield guardrail. Stevens ricocheted into Craig Lee, sending the #2 into a miraculous pirouette. After several summersaults, his car landed with the driver in a daze. Speedy would finish last and out of Championship contention. Lee dropped from 2nd to 4th in the standings.
Zakk Miller passed through John Battista to re-take the top-spot on lap 21. William Perry joined in the battle to lead his third event in his last four races. One lap later, Battista retained his ground on top.
David Baldinger, Tony Pizzaro, Miller and Battista spent the remaining green flag run atop the leaderboard, swapping positions and making their name known in the popular Connecticut fan-base. Pit stops occurred around the lap 50 mark, with Adam Crapser and Tony Pizzaro trading the top-spot numerous times as they raced past the halfway mark. Johnny Reed Foley had crawled his way into the mix, seemingly having the fastest car in the field.
A lap 83 crash between Foley and Battista brought the battle for 5th to a halt as Zakk Miller took the lead to the caution flag. The following restart saw Mark Guthrie's life possibly saved, becoming the first test-driver for the "Forrest Grove" barrier. John Tharp hit the same barrier a few laps afterward, collecting Adam Crapser and Zach Michael in the process. Foley, William Perry, Guthrie, Michael and Crapser would all fall victim to the DNF bug. Zach would drop to 8th in the standings, in danger of missing the cutoff with two races left.
David Baldinger came out atop after the multiple melee's, still searching for his first Extravaganza Series victory. Scott Jackson would up near the front as well, leading multiple laps and attempting to re-capture his 2021 summer stride late into 2022. By the end of the run, the Race-2-Win duo of Tony Pizzaro and Rick Jackson found themselves at the top.
The miracle road course run for Rick came to a tire-squealing halt after he and his teammate collided while battling for the lead. The two nearly tangled in the previous corner as well, racing hard for the the points lead that would ironically go to both drivers anyway. Jackson limped home to 26th, while Pizzaro miraculously crawled to 8th with a beat-up racecar. He would be the new points leader by 7 over his teammate by the end.
As the road-ringers continued to collect themselves in accidents, Scott Jackson and Logan Sheets battled for the win along with their first victory of 2022. Jackson led for the first 12 laps of the run before Sheets made his move through the chicane at the 10-to-go mark. He would be going for his first Extravaganza Series career victory. Can he pull off the feat?
With five laps to go the leaders would tangle once more as the New England crowd roared like it was Fenway Park! The Fenway machine would get involved, as Jackson and Sheets tagged together and slid across the turn-4 grooved into oncoming traffic. Randy Dobbins and Donald Stewart were the first to barely squeeze through and take the lead. Both are looking for the first road course victories of their career.
Ryan Heuser ties points leader Rick Jackson with his fourth pole of the season at Lime Rock Park. He won the inaugural road course event in 2022 and looks to continue his recent streak of dominance in grand style. Jackson on the other hand has a platitude of work ahead of him, mired back in 16th at a racetrack he has struggled at in the past. He has no room for error either, as the top-8 in points are separated by only 105 points. Either of these drivers can come away with the points lead after this race:
Current Points Positions (Race 23 of 26) 1. Rick Jackson: +285(+3) 2. Craig Lee: +265(+1) 3. Matthew Dominique: +248(-1) 4. Johnny Reed Foley: +247(-3) 5. Tony Pizzaro: +235 6. Dave Miller: +215 (+2) 7. John Battista: +214(-1) 8. Zach Michael: +180(-1) 9. Donald Stewart: +37(+3) 10. Zakk Miller: +12 ----------------------------------- 11. Bill Werkheiser: -12(-2) 12. Alex Crapser: -59(-1) 13. John Tharp: -74(+2) ... Read more »
Another trip to the Great Lakes region, where racing continues strong for 50+ years. From the Bonanza foothills of Berlin to Michigan International Speedway, high horsepower and mass durability will be the key. Ryan Heuser is on the pole for the third time this season, looking to strike first for a sixth different event in 2022.
Rick Jackson and Ryan Heuser raced side-by-side for the opening two laps. Ken Pettit made a charge on the #138 on lap-5 but to no avail, dropping to 7th while stuck on the inside lane. Heuser would continue to lead the field to the first caution involving Bink Lucas and Steven Spears on the frontstraightaway.
Dave Miller took charge two laps after the restart, bolting past Heuser with draft help from Zakk Miller on the inside lane. He would continue the pace through the next green flag stop and onward despite multiple charges from Ben Geer. Alex Crapser also ventured for the lead numerous times but to no avail.
Dave Miller led through the halfway point before a miscue through lapped traffic gave Crapser his first lead of the race. He would lose his advantage after green flag pit stops, handing Miller the short-pit advantage with a 2+ second lead. He would be caught by the pack by lap 130 with Ryan Heuser, Tim McDonnell and points leader Johnny Reed Foley attacking the inside line.
Foley wound up with the lead after a failed pass attempt by his teammate Tim McDonnell. The #3 would sit atop the board through lap 147 before Miller passed him back in a draft line with Tony Pizzaro. Foley took the spot back six laps later, racing side-by-side with Rick Jackson for the lead before the final green flag stops halted their progress.
The #90 Marlboro machine gave the Michigan crowd a roar for the ages after another excellent pit stop put him back at the heap. Miller dropped back to third after a freight-train power move by Crapser and Heuser sent them to the top. These two would pull away from the field and race for the victory.
Alex Crapser hasn't led more than 10 laps in an Extravaganza Series event all season, and has failed to record a top-3. He is looking to conquer those demons at his home Superspeedway in grand style, racing and edging out the dominator during the final green flag stretch. He would lead all of his 36 laps on the day, squeezing through lapped traffic with ease en route to what could be his first victory of the season!
A horrifying occurrence coming to seven laps to go, initiated with contact between Ken Joynt and Rob Scarberry. The two cars collided into the leader in a desperate attempt to remain on the lead lap. Crapser spun upwards into Rod Weston, knocking the #04 downward into a violent collision with Steven Spears directly on the racing groove.
Ben Geer and Adam Crapser atom-bombed the rear end of the Pennzoil machine, knocking him up the track once more into the path of Jimmie Stevens. The blow to the AMPIO ford sent him for a 107 mile-per-hour ricochet from hell, helicoptering from one direction to another within milliseconds. Surprisingly, a concussion and a broken heart were his only serious injuries.
Johnny Reed Foley, Adam Crapser, Jimmie Stevens and Ben Geer all went from a top-11 run to a DNF after 190+ laps of work. Foley would drop to fourth in the standings after leading the points for ages. Rick Jackson would narrowly miss the wreck and finish 10th, taking the points lead for the first time in years. Somehow second place Ryan Heuser was able to miss the wreck entirely after a bold move to the inside lane. He and Dave Miller would race to the checkered flag in a three-lap dash for the cash.
Johnny Reed Foley maintains his points lead after his 11th-straight top-20 finish. Matthew Dominique, Craig Lee and Rick Jackson are deadlocked for the second position just 40 points behind, looking to earn the five bonus points per position entering the chase. Four races remain, beginning with Michigan and followed by a duel road course stretch in the Northeast. Alex Crapser and Zach Michael hope to stand strong after a blistering summer stretch, searching for reprieve at Lime Rock and Watkins Glen. Drivers like Bill Werkheiser and Dave Miller will have to earn the most at the high-horsepower facility this week to make-up for their shortcomings at the right-handed corners. Miller won this race last season on excellent tire strategy. He will start 15th two rows behind Bill. Ryan Heuser continues his hot-streak with his third pole of the season, with the hopefully resurging Ken Pettit on the outside row at one of his favorite racetracks. Ken has finished exactly 41st five times this season. Perhaps a victory today will lighten his spirits.
Current Points Positions (Race 22 of 26) 1. Johnny Reed Foley:+285 2. Matthew Dominique:+246 3. Craig Lee: +245(+1) 4. Rick Jackson:+244(-1) 5. Tony Pizzaro: +178 6. John Battista: +166(+1) 7. Zach Michael:+140(-1) 8. Dave Miller:+133 9. Bill Werkheiser:+16 (+1) 10. Zakk Miller:+1(-1) ----------------------------------- 11. Alex Crapser:-1(+1) 12. Donald Stewart: ... Read more »
Alan Nesfeder remains in the Indianapolis University medical center after a head-on collision with the pit road wall on lap 80 of the Brickyard 400 yesterday. He will remain in a hospital bed for at least another week, suffering from a broken collarbone, two broken ribs, one cracked rib, a moderate concussion and hearing loss. He was alert and awake shortly after the accident took place, informing safety officials that he felt like a triceratops landed on his body. The accident occurred at the halfway mark after contact between Scott Jackson and Jonathan Skrabacz catapulted the #48 into Alan's right side. This sent his Coke Zero #78 in an out-of-control nose-dive into the pit wall at 160 miles per hour. Fortunately Nesfeder would survive the accident, but his 2022 season may be in jeopardy. No word on his replacement for the upcoming weeks.
Only 377 points separate 1st through 15th coming into Indianapolis. Any of these drivers could find themselves inside the chase window with just a couple decent finishes down the stretch. Teams like Donald Stewart and Dave Miller need to strike at the 2.5-miler before the road courses force their peril like they did in 2021. Only points leader Johnny Reed Foley can ease through without much worry. Here are the standing as of now:
Current Points Positions 1. Johnny Reed Foley: +316 2. Matthew Dominique: +226 (+3) 3. Rick Jackson:+214(-1) 4. Craig Lee:+205 (-1) 5. Tony Pizzaro:+191 (+1) 6. Zach Michael: +186(+1) 7. John Battista:+163(+1) 8. Dave Miller:+161(-4) 9. Zakk Miller:+101 10. Bill Werkheiser:+38(+2) ----------------------------------- 11. John Tharp: -38 12. Alex Crapser:-40(-2) 13. Bink Lucas: -60(+1) 14. Donald Stewart:-70(+2) 15. Jimmie Stevens: -99(-2) 16. Scott Jackson:-147 (-1) 17. Alan Nesfeder:-243 (+6) 18. Logan Sheets:-257(+3)
Ryan Heuser avenges his 42nd place effort last week at Pocono with his second pole of the season at Indy. He eclipsed the 47-second bracket with John Battista on the outside row. Wagers have already been placed on who will lead lap 1. John Battista joked that he would bet on Ryan and let him by to "help pay for Adam's crash damage and medical reparations". You would think that Dalton's Daytona victory would have been enough to pay the bills. Either way, a chase birth will reward more than just compensated expenses. A top-10 finish at Indy will certainly help the cause of clinching the final 10. There are just five races remaining in the regular season. Grab your goody bags and heat up that jiffy pop! This is about to get intense.
Nobody enjoys Pocono more than the great fans of Pennsylvania's countryside. New York City, Philadelphia and the Quakers are all ready for an excellent 2.5-mile bout across the northern Appalachian plains. Ryan Heuser is looking for four-in-a-row in hopes of resurging a nearly heart-broken season into one of sheer jubilation. He will start 12th.
Rick Jackson starts on the pole in conventional form with John Battista on the outside lane. The #39 would endure a terrible restart, getting passed by 3rd place Craig Lee exiting turn-1. Lee and Jackson would find themselves side-by-side on the second backstretch before the #101 took the top-spot outright to lead lap 1. A few circuits later, Matthew Dominique would seize first place.
Rob Scarberry and Mike Carroll make contact entering turn-3, bringing out the first caution flag on lap 6. Tony Long whacked the drivers-side of Carroll, sending the #15 into the outside wall while Dan Johnston pulverized the rear of the #50. Johnston's durable All-State front-end remained in tact to forge a 20th place finish while the others dropped outside the top-37.
Horror occurred on pit road when Geno Sphere and Ryan Heuser body-slammed during their initial stops. Heuser was attempting to exit his pit after a 2-tire change while Sphere darted for the same space. This sent the #138 hard into the Steven Spears stall directly in front. The Mello-Yello crew barely escaped from the mayhem, though Heuser destroyed the radiator and effectively ended his race. He would finish 42nd after five weeks of outright dominance. Spears and Sphere would wind up 25th and 35th respectively.
Craig Lee avenged his teammate's misfortune by re-taking the lead just before the yellow. Zakk Miller earned it himself with a two-tire change, leading the field on the restart. John Battista took it away on lap 14, hogging the top-spot for 20-straight laps before a Johnny Reed Foley pass on lap 34. Battista would steal it back the following lap and orbit another 22 laps up front.
It was the John Battista and Alan Nesfeder show at the top of the heap as we closed towards the halfway point. Nesfeder took the lead outright on lap 59 while towing Donald Stewart, Dave Miller, Foley and Matthew Dominique from behind. This would be Nesfeder's second-straight race competing for the win after last-week's 3rd place effort at New Hampshire.
Nesfeder came from the 31st starting spot to shatter through the field and take the lead, earning one spot for every two laps of action. He would be re-passed by Battista on lap 63, leading through green flag stops before handing it off to Donald Stewart after the cycle. Both Alan and Stewart are looking for win number two on the season, with Battista miraculously waiting for his first despite leading twice as many laps as the two combined.
A tunnel-turn pass on lap 76 sent the #78 to the front just in time for the Halfway Bacon Bonus. He would remain there through lap 90 as he and Battista swapped the immortal position several times. An excellent green flag stop by Battista gave he and Stewart a three second gap while Matt Raboin, Dave Miller, Tim McDonnell, Nesfeder, Logan Sheets, Zakk Miller, Ken Joynt, Randy Dobbins, Bill Werkheiser and Bink Lucas all sandwiched together a pack in effort to catch the top-2. They would eventually do so.
A debris caution in the middle of green flag pit stops nearly swapped the lead group with 26 laps remaining. Seven cars would stay out on at least one-lap old tires while Sheets, McDonnell, Michael Henson, and Nesfeder came out of the pits as the first cars with purely fresh rubber. The drivers lapped by the caution held up the leaders after the restart, checking up the field and initiating contact between Steven Spears and John Tharp from the back. Tharp meandered towards the turn-3 wall and into Jimmie Stevens, while Dalton Lucas, Mark Guthrie and Markell Murphy tangled during the aftermath. Murphy was the only driver unable to continue.
John Battista led the 16-lap shootout to the checkered flag. He and Stewart were divided by the lapped car of Alex Crapser until Alan Nesfed
... Read more »
The Championship picture looks pretty stout, with the average finish of our points leader a very moderate 14th. Nobody has had a perfect year, with the dominant drivers of the early season falling back rapidly while the top-3 in points were struggling at the time. In fact, Foley, Rick Jackson and Craig Lee were 13th, 18th and 27th in the points after five races. Quite a turnaround run, with Dave Miller and Matthew Dominique the only two consistently inside the top-10 all season. Jackson will start on the pole in hopes of his eighth-straight top-7 finish and 40+ points gained on Foley to take the lead in the standings. John Battista will be on his outside row looking for his first victory of the season. He was a top-3 favorite to win the Championship this year, and looks to go on the stretch of the century after a disappointing first-half of 2022.
Ryan Heuser looks for four victories in-a-row for the first time since he himself performed the same feat back in 2011. Then he won at Dover, Charlotte, Kansas and Pocono. He will come back to the Pennsylvania grasslands in an attempt to perform the same feat 11 years later. Rick Jackson's seven straight top-10 finishes are impressive as well, but lost in the headlines to the Heuser domination. Normally drivers with these achievements are well within the running of the drivers Championship. Due to his multiple DNF's and missed races, it only adds an abstract storyline for the ages apart from the close Championship race. He still has a chance to clinch the chase, and a fourth-straight victory will propel his chances. Heuser will start 12th.
Current Points Positions 1. Johnny Reed Foley: +278 2. Rick Jackson: +238(+1) 3. Craig Lee: +227(+1) 4. Dave Miller: +197(+2) 5. Matthew Dominique: +150 6. Tony Pizzaro: +150(-4) 7. Zach Michael: +105 8. John Battista: +62(+2) 9. Zakk Miller: +20 10. Alex Crapser: +10(+1) ----------------------------------- 11. John Tharp: -10(-3) 12. Bill Werkheiser: -17 13. Jimmie Stevens: -67 14. Bink Lucas: -67(+1) 15. Scott Jackson: -101 (+1) 16. Donald Stewart: -114(-2) 17. Markell Murphy: -215 18. Ryan Heuser: -239(+4)
