Extravaganza record 19 pole-sitters! Mandatory pit stop and a 50 lap shootout. The league winner in victories, and the 2022 Champion will watch from the sidelines because the couldn't achieve the Friday speed needed to make the Big bud Shootout. Will Johnny Reed Foley have the same horsepower as he did with Shake N' Bake? Will the Race-2-Win and Quicksilver teams out-horsepower the show? Can Rockingham pole master Ken Joynt keep up the pace? So many questions for the 2022 Big Bud Shootout. Good luck!
Recently we learned the whereabouts and physical condition of former Extravaganza driver Russ Charneski, who was near-fatally injured after a horrifying accident during the last lap of the 2019 O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas. Charneski was immediately rushed to the hospital after flipping 20 times in 6 seconds after a Steven Spears bonzai attempt through the middle while crossing the white flag. Scott Jackson, who suffered a broken collarbone in the same accident, saw Charneski at the hospital just 30 minutes after the crash. "I knew it was bad. His face was completely red, with parts of his skull peering out of his skin. It was horrible. They were trying to get him to breathe, knowing both of his lungs were completely collapsed. It's a complete miracle he made it through that hour, let alone to still be here today." Charneski was diagnosed with severe head-trauma, a fractured skull, broken collarbone, three broken ribs, two collapsed lungs and a bruised heart the following day.
The last three years have been an enormous struggle for Russ. His situation has been unknown up until recently, where Glenn Kaufmann decided to pay a visit to his fellow New Jersey counterpart at his home in the northern part of the state. Surprisingly, he found that Russ was able to walk around and talk without much impairment. "We had a nice three-hour conversation. We talked about our small-team budgets and independent backgrounds, and how Race-2-Win was prepared to hire him after Butterworth's contract expired at the end of that season. Obviously it never came to be." Recently, Charneski has quoted the media in regards to the visit:
"I've had a total of 16 surgeries over the last three years to help repair my face, brain and chest. Thankfully, my injuries were not neck or back related, so I can still function and walk like a regular person. I am still suffering from severe headaches and seizures, though they have become less frequent over the last year. It's become very difficult to watch the races, knowing that I cannot take part in the playing. Thankfully most of my former crewmen on Action-Ice Motorsports have joined other teams and have become extremely successful. That makes me happier than the physical healing ever could."
Suddenly, Charneski has eclipsed a mere hero persona. He has become an Extravaganza icon, and has achieved more with his story than a racing career ever could. Now, we will see him at Daytona!
February 4th, 2022: Big Bud Shootout* February 11th, 2022: Daytona Duels* February 18th, 2022: Daytona February 25th, 2022: Auto Club March 4th, 2022: Homestead March 11th, 2022: Phoenix March 18th, 2022: Atlanta March 25th, 2022: Texas April 1st, 2022: Richmond April 8th, 2022: Martinsville April 15th, 2022: Bristol April 22nd, 2022: Talladega April 29th, 2022: Dover May 6th, 2022: Darlington May 13th, 2022: Kansas May 20th, 2022: All-Star Race* May 17th, 2022: Charlotte June 3rd, 2022: Gateway June 10th, 2022: Sonoma June 17th, 2022: Nashville Superspeedway Duels* June 24th, 2022: Nashville Superspeedway July 1st, 2022: Daytona July 8th, 2022: Chicagoland July 15th, 2022: New Hampshire July 22nd, 2022: Pocono July 29th, 2022: Indianapolis August 5th, 2022: Michigan August 12th, 2022: Lime Rock August 19th, 2022: Watkins Glen August 26th, 2022: Richmond ----------------------------------------------------- September 2nd, 2022: Darlington September 9th, 2022: Las Vegas September 16th, 2022: Bristol September 23rd, 2022: Martinsville September 30th, 2022: Talladega October 7th, 2022: Charlotte Road October 14th, 2022: Charlotte October 21st, 2022: Rockingham October 28th, 2022: Phoenix November 4th, 2022: Homestead
18-year old Chauncey Redmond Jr. earned an enormous big-time Bonanza ride, being signed to drive the famed #40 Pennzoil machine by Lucas Racing for the 2022 season. With that opportunity, he will mimic Bink Lucas's Extravaganza Series schedule by driving the #64 New England Patriots machine. His first attempt will be the Daytona 500, the most enormous feat in the family since his father earned the NFL 50-INT. milestone just three years ago.
Kevin Corbat has surprisingly been named to a third team for the former Top Geer Motorsports program, leaving many to question why Ben Geer was deemed unworthy in the first place. The Auto Value branding will stick with the team as well as the #46, recruiting crew chief Larry Lack and the rest of the bunch from the newly founded Lifesaver Racing team. "We are honored to have Kevin Corbat's grilling skills added to the plethora of talent at this fine organization" said Yogi Arnoux. "With Johnny Reed Foley in the house, we will need some good game meat for race day and beyond! Hopefully he can score some top-20's as well." The owners points from Ben Geer will still go to Johnny Reed Foley, who would be a dismantled being if he were to miss the Daytona 500 in his new ride. Kevin will have to race his way in, but at least he has a decent ride for 2022!
2021 Average Finish: 32nd
2021 Best Finish: 20th (Road America and Richmond)
Cristian Torres will finally acquire a full-time teammate in Geno Sphere for the 2022 season. He will be sponsored by Subway, a company that was swept under the rug at Team Danger Zone after the infamous "Bepis Buyout" lured them without a driver for the upcoming season. During this time, Geno Sphere had been snubbed by three-time Champion Tim McDonnell after being slated to replace Ben Geer in the #29 Budweiser car. "He's not ready for a ride of this magnitude. Signing Foley was the obvious decision" said McDonnell. In consequence, owner G.G. Sphere had cut ties with Top Geer and is rumoured to buy out the Twisted Metal Racing team. "Tim's a good guy, but the irony of him criticizing the veterans all season while not hiring a rookie is dumbfounding." says G.G.. "We've seen the talent that Geno possesses at the Bonanza short tracks all season, and hopefully it can translate to the Atlanta's and Charlotte's of big time Extravaganza." Cristian Torres's success at the crown jewel races may soar this team into the stratosphere of prosperity. Last year he was voted as the best Extravaganza driver yet to win a race. He and Geno would like to change that in 2022.
The Extravaganza Voting panel voted 35-0 against the idea of a 336 hour Daytona race in 2023. Panel member and Tundra Cup Series Champion Tommy "Two-Fingers" Davis exclaimed that the race would not cater to the benefit of the spectators, giving them "an excuse to drink until their liver fossilizes." There was also a safety concern, as bored fans may start throwing glass shards onto the racetrack. The biggest issue was whether the track could handle two weeks of high-pace racing, leaving obvious craters to fill just before stock car Speedweeks. Popular opinion states the proper decision was made.
