$500,000 goes to the winner of the first Consolation Race! The top-20 make the second event, handing half of the field the opportunity to compete for the 2024 All-Star Race feature. Veterans Tony Pizzaro, Matthew Dominique, Dave Miller and Jimmie Stevens will fight for supremacy against Extravaganza underdogs and Bonanza whackers alike!
Qualifying proves imperative with only 50 laps to earn a spot in the second race. Miracle man Philip Parker steals the pole away, with all five Rookie of the Year contenders starting deep in the field. Jeremy Hebel, Molemar Diggs, Steve Inkman, Rod Weston and Tony Gunk will have to come from the rear to make the top-20.
Philip Parker did a fantastic job leading the field, holding the spot for five laps before Ben Geer and the regulars took over. Dave Miller flew from the 8th starting position to take the lead on lap 12, stringing out the pack with his dominant QSM horsepower. In the back Hebel, Diggs, Inkman and Weston rambled their way inside the top-30, with the #1 and #41 past Geno Sphere and Steven Spears to take the final transfer spots.
Rod Weston pile-drove from 39th to 20th with 20 laps to go, flying by Steven Spears with a slowing Jimmie Stevens directly ahead. The #2 struggled to hold on to the 20th position, with pressure from Ken Joynt during the final five laps. He was able to hold him off despite a massive charge out of turn-4, sending Extravaganza regulars Steven Spears, Rob Scarberry, Geno Sphere, Chauncey Redmond Jr., Mark Heron, Tony Long, Steven inkman, Jonathan Skrabacz and Tony Gunk back to their haulers.
A dominant performance by Dave Miller nabs him the $500,000 prize and a chance to make the 2024 All-Star Race. Congrats to Dave, crew chief Sonny Sundae and the entire Quick-Silver Motorsports team for an excellent win. Also congrats to Dalton Lucas, Ben Geer Ziggy Moonglow, Tony Pizzaro, William Perry, Bill Werkheiser, Michael Henson, Adam Crapser, Logan Sheets, Matthew Dominique, Trae Larkin, Cristian Torres, Dan Johnston, David Butterworth, Jeremy Hebel, Molemar Diggs, Philip Parker, Rod Weston and Jimmie Stevens for clinching to the last-chance qualifier!
The 2024 All-Star Race will consist of the 18 drivers who have won in the previous 36 events. A 42-car duel-consolation showdown prior to the main event will add two more to the fray. The first duel will consist of 50-laps, with all 42 non-qualified entries battling for the top-20 positions. Those top-20 will run a final 50 lap dash that will determine the top-2 advancements to the 20-car All-Star Race field. The winner of each event will win $500,000.
The 100-lap All-Star Race feature will include long-shot drivers like Markell Murphy, Bink Lucas and Alan Nesfeder attempting to undertake the top-dogs of Extravaganza. There will be a separate qualifying session to determine the 20-car starting lineup, with transfer drivers able to take their shot at the pole position. Timothy McDonnell looks to earn his third-straight All-Star Race victory, breaking a winless stride on ovals going back to his win at Gateway last June. Can he win it again? The victor of the All-Star Race will take $10,000,000 to the bank!
Three top-tier Extravaganza Series drivers have to fight their way into the show! Matthew Dominique hasn't won a race since Talladega in 2020. Dave Miller's gone winless since his Championship crown two seasons ago, capturing the flag in the inaugural race at Gateway. Tony Pizzaro was the first two-time winner in 2023, failing to find victory lane since Bristol in the spring. The Fenway Frank machine is in danger of missing his first All-Star feature in over a decade, with 39 hungrier foes ready to pounce for the final two spots!
All-Star Race Entry List Rick Jackson: Charlotte, 2023 Timothy McDonnell: Nashville, 2023 Matt Raboin: Richmond, 2023 John Battista: Bristol, 2023 Alan Nesfeder: Charlotte, 2023 John Tharp: Atlanta, 2023 Ryan Heuser: Rockingham, 2023 Donald Stewart: Homestead, 2023 Alex Crapser: Daytona, 2024 Craig Lee: California, 2024 Markell Murphy: Rockingham, 2024 Bink Lucas: Texas, 2024 Zakk Miller: Bristol, 2024 Zach Michael: Martinsville, 2024 Dakota Wilkins: Talladega, 2024 Ken Pettit: Darlington, 2024 Johnny Reed Foley: Kansas, 2024 Scott Jackson: Pocono, 2024 Consolation Race Top-2: Heat Transfer Consolation Race Top-2: Heat Transfer
In a season where Ryan Heuser and Rick Jackson looked to topple the record books, Scott Jackson came out of nowhere to earn his 79th career victory. Prior to Pocono, the #38 ATEUP Chevrolet led two laps all season, both on fuel mileage strategy in the Cracker Barrel 500. The team ran dead-last the previous week at Kansas during the early stages; the first car to go one lap down on speed. Miraculously, Scott brought it home 24th, nearly finishing in the top-half of the field despite the handicap. This has been a consistent trend for the team all year, qualifying 29th or better in only two events but finishing inside the top-26 in all but two. Jackson's ability to get the most out of his racecar was proven once more at the Pocono 400. His fan club president Rob Stevens kept the scorecard:
The Pennsylvania hills region welcomes it's finest competitors! East of Burwick lies the wondrous Pocono Raceway, ready to roll for the Pocono 400. Bill Werkheiser wins what could be his final Extravaganza Series pole, hoping to bring home the pie in old-man style! If not he will eat his Costco pie in the same style.
Bill Werkheiser lost the lead on the first lap, relinquishing to Ryan Heuser as the #6 dropped to the back. Zach Michael took the helm three laps later, watching Dave Miller come out of the pits one lap down with clutch issues. Points leader Ken Pettit nabbed his first bonus points of the race on lap 7.
Miracle-man Cristian Torres shows what Toyota horsepower is all about! He leads only his 10th lap of the season before Craig Lee and the dominators of Extravaganza rummaged through. He, Alex Crapser and Rookie of the Year leader Molemar Diggs take turns at the helm before the first caution.
Tunnel-turn devastation occurred on lap 40. Rob Scarberry and Ben Geer made contact entering the corner, sending the Twinkie machine hard into the outside wall. Jimmie Stevens sent Geer into a half-flip, with Steven Spears, Tony Gunk, Chauncey Redmond Jr. and pole-sitter Bill Werkheiser all piling up into the accident. Only Spears would continue on, eventually blowing an engine on lap 95.
Molemar Diggs and Matthew Dominique battled defiantly for the top-spot after the ensuing restart. The #41 prevailed, eventually losing the lead to Matt Raboin, Ken Pettit and Logan Sheets. The entire Quantum Racing brigade raced inside the top-5, staying withing the lead group by the halfway point.
Trae Larkin blew an engine early in the go, dropping to 38th in the standings after two top-15's to begin the season. Up front, Craig Lee took the helm with John Tharp and Dan Johnston meandering through the field, finding themselves up front for the first time. Logan Sheets would steal the lead back to win the Halfway Bacon Bonus.
Reigning Champion Ryan Heuser and points leader Ken Pettit come out of the pits 1-2. Heuser is going for victory #83, hoping to pass "Rapid" Roscoe Riker for third on the all-time list. A Steven Spears engine failure would bring out the caution, bunching the field back towards the lap 100-mark.
Race dominator Logan Sheets slammed Spears during the green flag stops, losing four laps after fixing the damage. It's a devastating blow for the Quaker State team, ending their three top-12 finish streak and dropping from 18th to 25th in the standings. Up front, Ryan Heuser dominated the initial 10 laps after the restart, holding off Alex Crapser and John Tharp before the #14 finally stole it away.
John Tharp blows a tire with 39 laps to go! All the hard work to pass the #138 falls into the drain hole, limping to a 36th place finish despite a dominating effort. Heuser, Alex Crapser and Matt Raboin fought for the top spot afterwards, with Heuser and points leader Ken Pettit coming in early. Just after they stopped, Bink Lucas and John Battista crashed in turn-3, bringing out the yellow flag mid-cycle. 18 cars entered the pit road prior, handing them the top-18 spots as Matt Raboin and Alex Crapser dropped to the rear. They would never find their way back.
Ken Pettit takes the lead! Ryan Heuser struggled early with the 2-lap older tires, handing the top-2 spots to teammates Pettit and Rick Jackson. The #44 Crown Royal team looks to tie Buddy Griswald for his 70th career victory, taking the lead away with 20 laps to go! Miracle-man Cristian Torres powerhoused his way to the second position in search of his first win, sandwiched between the Jackson cousins, Timothy McDonnell and Pettit. Scott Jackson, who stood in the 45th position during the initial laps, finally passed Torres with 7 laps to go with a hard-charge from Timothy McDonnell from behind. Jackson hasn't won a race since the 2021 Sharpie 500. McDonnell drives with severe bruising on his body after an a mortifying accident last week at Kansas. The #22 made his mo
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Qualifying Results CFM Motorsports president Yogi Arnoux renders Timothy McDonnell "bruised beyond comprehension" but is "ready to ride" for Pocono. Hopefully he will ride with ability to turn a steering wheel. The newly-christened "catchfence man" goes to one of his best racetracks, destitute of extreme physical torture. If is engine holds up, he or Craig Lee will be the men to beat. Their records here are fabulous, with Lee breaking out of his funk here in 2023. Three years earlier Volkswagen won their first two Extravaganza Series races, watching The #22 sweep the Pocono duels en route to their third Championship title. It's not one of McDonnell's favorite tracks to race, but he did mention that he "enjoyed the facilities". We're not sure if he was referring to Pocono itself, the lavatories or the infield cream pies sold by Farmer Spence behind the old legends oval. Either way, look for McDonnell or Lee to be among the favorites today.
2024 Carnage Ratings (10,000 is Critical)
1. William Perry @ Atlanta: 9,607 2. Dakota Wilkins @ Daytona: 9,500 3. Adam Crapser @ Texas: 9,310 4. Timothy McDonnell @ Kansas: 9,107 5. Ziggy Moonglow @ Texas: 9,107 6. Ryan Heuser @ Homestead: 9,060 7. Steven Spears @ California: 9,060 8. Alex Crapser @ Texas: 8,857 9. Mark Heron @ Rockingham: 8,679 10. Matthew Dominique @ Rockingham: 8,619
Milestones are in reach at Pocono! Ryan Heuser needs one more to pass "Rapid" Roscoe Riker for third on the all time list! A godsend for his season if he can pull off the feat, coming in 30th in the standings after two straight DNF's. Rick Jackson hopes to tie the late Buddy Griswald for 6th. A victory would cap his third-straight top-5 finish with the ultimate prize! They will start 2nd and 25th respectively. Bill Werkheiser is on the pole!
Extravaganza Series Career Wins
1. Harrison James: 129 2. Buddy Rakestraw: 88 3. Roscoe Riker: 82 4. Ryan Heuser: 82 5. Scott Jackson: 78 6. Buddy Griswald: 70 7. Rick Jackson: 69 8. Mert Socks: 65 9. Brandon Beyke: 58
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An immaculate race track! Kansas Speedway has seen it's share of winners and spinners; smokers and chokers; crashers and throttle mashers! Ken Pettit comes in leading the points by 14, handicapped after a qualifying crash. He and Crapser will endure the traffic jam of the century! Up front, Timothy McDonnell looks to win his second-straight Pizza Hut 400.
Bink Lucas hopes to earn his first top-20 finish since his victory at Texas! He leads the field to the green, leading the opening two laps before Zakk Miller took the point. The #30 Bepis Mustang scored a lap led in nine of their last ten events. The race he didn't was his pole-sitting effort at Atlanta.
A three-wide frenzy for the top-spot on lap 8! Timothy McDonnell renegades to the front, leading his first laps since mid-March at the Cracker Barrel 400. He, Miller, Ryan Heuser, John Battista and William Perry would occupy the top-5 spots by lap 50, with Heuser up on top for the remainder of the run.
John Battista's bid for the lead came on lap 91, 102 laps short of his 193-french fry large he got from Wendy's on Thursday. Every year, Tito from the Parallel Parkway chain stuffs as many fries into the box as possible, giving Battista and crew the ammunition they need before opening practice. He crammed 186 into the box two years ago, handing the meal to jackman Bo Densham. They won the pole the following day, and hope to win tonight's race in the same grand style!
An accident involving Jeremy Hebel, Alan Nesfeder and Dalton Lucas scaled down the flow of the event, bringing out the caution flag on lap 114. Lucas's car half-flipped over Hebel after the three cars slapped the outside wall in turn-1. Lucas would ride the barrier and miraculously continue. Nesfeder also carried on, with Hebel finishing 44th. Hebel would drop from 11th to 17th in the standings. Two more crashes involving Zakk Miller and Jonathan Skrabacz halted the field, both able to limp to top-32 finishes. Miller would drop to 4th in points.
A mortifying crash off of turn-4. Ryan Heuser and Molemar Diggs made contact, sending the #138 in a tailspin of the ages! Timothy McDonnell wheel-hopped off of Markell Murphy attempting to avoid the accident, sending McDonnell flying atop the roof of Heuser. The Caterpillar #22 desolated the catch-fence and into a series of pirouettes, getting smashed by Dalton Lucas roof-side first after landing.
Both Ken Pettit and Alex Crapser were involved in the accident, with the #04 Pennzoil Chevrolet unable to continue on. In all, McDonnell, Heuser, Murphy, Pettit, Crapser, Lucas, Matthew Dominique, Donald Stewart, Chauncey Redmond Jr., Jonathan Skrabacz, Dakota Wilkins, Jimmie Stevens, David Butterworth, Cristian Torres and Dan Johnston all received damage from the crash. McDonnell was airlifted to the University of Kansas hospital, waving to the Legends Field prep crew during the transit. Miraculously, he appeared to avoid serious injury.
McDonnell's teammate Johnny Reed Foley stole the lead from John Battista after the Scrabacz incident, leading the field to green for the ensuing restart. Three 'John's" would occupy the top-3 positions through the 20-to-go mark, with miracle-men Bill Werkheiser and Ziggy Moonglow attempting to steal the show late. Up front, Foley and John Tharp would race side-by-side for several laps before Tharp took it outright before the final green flag stops.
Foley and Battista entered the pits with 24 laps-to-go. Tharp came in one lap later, waiting for one of the three to come in before he made his commitment. That move would lose him the race. The #3 AC Delco Chevrolet flew by Tharp on the backstretch, pulling ahead for the remainder of the event while Tharp dropped to the fifth position.
Old man Bill Werkheiser was on the charge! He had to qualify just to make the 45-c
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The rotisserie atop the Extravaganza points standings continues! Ken Pettit's victory puts him atop the board, and as luck would have it, qualifies 44th for the Pizza Hut 400. Alex Crapser grids middle-of-the-pack in 24th, with Zakk Miller likely to occupy the points lead after the first lap is complete. Timothy McDonnell won the Pizza Hut 400 one year ago, showing speed again after starting outside front-row. He joins a plethora of multiple-time winners in 2023 who have failed to win this season. This could be the breakout race for these guys to dominate the summer stretch.
2023 Multiple-Time Winners (Winless in 2024) 1.John Battista: 2nd at Alanta, Texas 2.Rick Jackson: 2nd at Darlington 3. Ryan Heuser: 3rd at Richmond 4.Matt Raboin: 3rd at Rockingham 5. Tony Pizzaro: 4th at Bristol 6. Timothy McDonnell: 7th at California, Atlanta
Bink Lucas nabs his first pole of the season! Lucas qualified dead-last at Darlington, and finished dead-last the previous week. It's been a rough road since his victory at Texas just six races ago. Timothy McDonnell starts on the outside front-row, suffering similar woes related less to bad fortune and more to lack of speed. Look for the "Volkswagen man's" luck to change. Timothy McDonnell turned his season around last year at Kansas, starting his streak of five-straight top-3 finishes with a victory in the Pizza Hut 400! This year he's failed to earn a single top-5, not leading a lap since Atlanta and showing very little speed. Crew chief Kenzou Yamada decided to bring that Atlanta car here. The result is an outside-pole, hoping to beat Bink Lucas to the line and dominate the show! A dominating summer stretch for McDonnell, Battista and Heuser is in the midst after a slow start. The Pizza Hut 400 could be the catalyst.
An apparition of Walter Chrysler was rumored to be seen at the Auburn Hills headquarters. The big-men at Dodge are in severe dismay, citing their bereftness of victory as justification for the ghost. "We were smoking a pack of Marlboro lights next to the headlamp room. Suddenly, he was just standing there." said one of the clerks. "He said something about a fork and disappeared. He looked peaceful." Look for Quantum Racing to use this as ammunition for a well-needed victory.
Alex Crapser, Ken Pettit and Zakk Miller come into Darlington in a dead-heat for the Extravaganza Series title! Each driver has scored a victory, 100+ laps led and combined for 29 of 30 finishes inside the top-30. All three failed to start inside the top-15, with points contenders Johnny Reed Foley, John Battista and Dakota Wilkins hot-lapping their way towards the front of the grid!
The moon is full enough to heat the racetrack, forcing drivers slide for the entire 400-mile distance. Jeremy Hebel earns his first career pole, lacerating the asphalt with a 28.021 mile-per-hour lap with Michael Henson on the outside! Neither would lead the first lap, with Matt Raboin narrowly edging out Hebel to earn the first bonus points of the race.
Johnny Reed Foley and Craig Lee both made attempts at the top-spot, with the #101 power-housing his way to the point on lap 17. Rookie of the Year leader Molemar Diggs spins out, slapping the outside wall and into Ken Joynt. The #41 Pittsburgh Steelers Chevrolet spun around once and continued forward, bringing out the first caution flag.
Last week's winner Dakota Wilkins found himself atop the heap after pit stops, leading his third-straight event with Ryan Heuser, Michael Henson, Dave Miller and Chauncey Redmond Jr. ready to pounce. A three-wide maneuver for Miller was deemed unsuccessful, giving Heuser the advantage on the high-side to keep the second spot. The #138 took the lead on lap 32, handing it to teammate Miller five laps later.
Quick-Silver Motorsports and Lucas Racing occupied the top-four positions, with Adam and Alex Crapser creeping towards the front. Points leader Alex took the lead on lap 54, dominating the remainder of the run before a check-up on pit road. This handed Adam, Dave Miller and Alan Nesfeder the advantage.
The #90 Marlboro Chevrolet blows a right-rear tire! The leader now stood in the 44th place, ahead of only Tony Pizzaro and John Battista's engine failure. Everyone else remained on the lead lap by the halfway point, handing Alan Nesfeder the Halfway Bacon Bonus with Adam Crapser, Logan Sheets, Rick Jackson and Zakk Miller directly in tow.
Points leaders Crapser, Miller and Pettit all crab-walked their way to the front despite their mediocre starting spots. Miller and Pettit all battled deep inside the top-10, with Crapser dropping to 14th after a myriad of bad pit stops. Up front, Alan Nesfeder and Adam Crapser pulled to a near four-second advantage over the field with 85 laps remaining.
Ryan Heuser breaks a camshaft with 60 laps to go, dropping from 19th to 28th in the standings after a 44th place finish. Darlington hoped to be the tide-turner for he and John Battista, both going winless for the first ten races in 2024. Both finished outside the top-43; the first time the top-2 winners in the previous season would finish that low in Extravaganza Series history. Geno Sphere also lost an engine, dropping his average finish to 32nd while remaining 40th in points.
Alan Nesfeder's crew missed the signal to come in during the Heuser caution! The race dominator is forced to pit the ensuing lap, leading 106 circuits to finish 28th and end his three-race top-10 streak. The benefactor was Rick Jackson, leading his first laps on the night after an immaculate pit stop by the Crown Royal crew!
The lapped car of Cristian Torres scraped the outside wall exiting turn-2, forcing Jackson to lift and hand Miller the advantage on the inside! Adam Crapser took the top-spot with 48 laps-to-go. He, Miller, Jackson, Johnny Reed Foley, Logan Sheets and Ken Pettit rode in a six-car conga-line for the victory! Miller made several attempts to pass Crapser, with the last one costing him two spots. Foley and Pettit made it by the #30, continuing to race for second before Pettit took the position. The #8 Bob Marley machine closed towards the Packer man, looking to steal his first career victory away after five-years of emphatic frustration. Crapser could not hold him off, handing Pettit the lead with 20 laps remaining and never looked back.
