Mother Nature delayed things by a day, but it was worth the wait as Ryan Timms followed up his Thursday prelim victory with a $10,000 payday and his first championship feature event win at the Jesse Hockett/ Daniel McMillin Memorial with the American Sprint Car Series presented by RacinDirt.com.
"I'm really happy I was able to get this win. This is a bucket-list race to win, and I'm glad I was able to get it done this year. I want to thank the Hockett family for everything they do for this event,” stated Timms, who joined Johnny Herrera as the only other driver to win a Sunday showdown at the Hockett/McMillin Memorial.
Leading all by the opening lap Saturday night, which was led by Jake Bubak, Timms shot into the lead on the second revolution. Challenged once during one of the four-race stoppages, the DriveWFX.com No. 5t rolled to the finish with a 1.667-second advantage, running multiple grooves throughout the 30-lap event.
"It was rubbered up earlier on today and rubbered up for that non-wing feature, so I was really expecting it to all blow off really fast and go straight to the top and just conserve your tires. The track actually stayed together fairly well.
Jason Martin fought his way to a runner-up finish, with Bubak ending up third after slipping back to fifth during the mid-point of the feature event.
Mounting a huge charge and at one point looking like he was going to roll by the field, Tim Estenson railed the cushion for a ten-spot gain to finish fourth. Up from ninth with a late race charge, Hank Davis completed the top five.
Battling sixth to second until Lap 23, Sean McClelland slipped back to where he started, with Blake Hahn following in seventh. Jamie Ball finished eighth, with Matt Covington rolling forward nine spots for a ninth-place finish. Miles Paulus made up the top ten.
The Hockett Hard Charger this year was Jeffrey Newell. The award was worth an extra $3,077. The Non-Wing Hard Charger was Jesse Vermillion. The POWRI WAR feature was topped by California’s Ricky Lewis, who did so from the 11th starting spot.
Overall, the 2023 Hockett/McMillin Memorial saw 147 Sprint Cars officially hit the track between both sanctioning bodies.
The night started off with AR Dyno Specialty Qualifiers, with wins going to Hank Davis, Derek Hagar, Jeremy Campbell, Wayne Johnson, and Miles Paulus. Twin BMRS B-Features were won by Howard Moore and Jordon Mallett.
The next event for the American Sprint Car Series presented by RacinDirt.com will be the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals at Texarkana 67 Speedway, happening October 5, 6, and 7, paying $20,000 to win, $1,000 to start. For info and to enter, log onto https://www.
The 2023 season will mark the 32nd year of competition for the American Sprint Car Series. Spearheaded by the American Sprint Car Series National Tour, the ASCS Nation includes Regional Tours that encompass both wing and non-wing competition.
Live coverage of the American Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.racindirt.com. Fans can choose to subscribe for $32.99 a month or $199.99 a year. RacinDirt.com broadcasts can be viewed on your Smart TV, Mobile Devices, and your Laptop or Computer. New subscribers can receive 25% off when they use promo code ASCS2023 at checkout.
For other news, notes, and information on any of the tours under the ASCS banner, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com
Race Results:
ASCS National | ASCS Warrior Region
Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, Mo.)
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Event Count: 85
AR Dyno Specialty Qualifiers
AR Dyno Specialty LCQ 1 (12 Laps): 1. 1H-Hank Davis[2]; 2. 14T-Tim Estenson[4]; 3. 3-Howard Moore[1]; 4. 19-Ayrton Gennetten[3]; 5. 77-Jack Wagner[6]; 6. 8M-Kade Morton[5]; 7. 45X-Kyler Johnson[7]; 8. 71B-Brady Baker[8]; 9. 99D-Tucker Daly[9]; 10. 4-Chase Richards[10]; 11. 96-Brandon Sampson[11]; 12. 22K-Kaleb Johnson[12]; 13. 122-Lane Warner[13]; 14. 71-Channin Tankersley[14]; 15. 91T-Tyler Thomas[15]; 16. 16S-Steven Howell[16]
AR Dyno Specialty LCQ 2 (12 Laps): 1. 9JR-Derek Hagar[1]; 2. 14E-Kyle Bellm[2]; 3. 14-Jordon Mallett[6]; 4. 37-Ayden Gatewood[8]; 5. 1JR-Steven Russell[4]; 6. 47-Dale Howard[5]; 7. 1P-Curtis Evans[10]; 8. 52D-Skyler Daly[11]; 9. 51B-Joe B Miller[3]; 10. 44R-Ronny Howard[9]; 11. 91-Michael Day[7]; 12. 15D-Andrew Deal[12]; 13. 13-Elijah Gile[13]; 14. 9$-Kyle Clark[14]; 15. 73-Samuel Wagner[15]; 16. 22S-Slater Helt[16]
AR Dyno Specialty LCQ 3 (12 Laps): 1. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[1]; 2. 6Z-Zane DeVault[4]; 3. 23M-Lance Moss[7]; 4. 12-Jeffrey Newell[2]; 5. 1K-Kelby Watt[3]; 6. 7M-Chance Morton[6]; 7. 10-Landon Britt[5]; 8. 7C-Chris Morgan[9]; 9. 33-Alan Zoutte[11]; 10. 9C-Tony Crank[10]; 11. 41-Mackenzie Borchers[8]; 12. 4X-Brad Bowden[12]; 13. 74-Tucker Boulton[13]; 14. 16-Hannah Merritt[14]; 15. 12M-Greg Merritt[15]
AR Dyno Specialty LCQ 4 (12 Laps): 1. 2C-Wayne Johnson[2]; 2. 6-Christopher Townsend[3]; 3. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[4]; 4. 55B-Brandon Anderson[1]; 5. 97-Scotty Milan[7]; 6. 2J-Zach Blurton[11]; 7. 79-Gage Montgomery[8]; 8. 57-Billy Butler[14]; 9. 7B-Ben Brown[12]; 10. 44-Chris Martin[5]; 11. 18-Ryan Roberts[6]; 12. 938-Bradley Fezard[9]; 13. 83-Kurt Mueller[10]; 14. 18X-Nathan Ryun[13]; 15. 32D-Daryn Langford[15]
AR Dyno Specialty LCQ 5 (12 Laps): 1. 98P-Miles Paulus[1]; 2. 95-Matt Covington[2]; 3. 187-Landon Crawley[4]; 4. 21-Kameron Key[9]; 5. 2-Chase Porter[8]; 6. 31-Casey Wills[13]; 7. 86-Timothy Smith[5]; 8. 22M-Rees Moran[14]; 9. 55-Chase Howard[12]; 10. 4M-Cameron Martin[6]; 11. 1T-Joshua Tyre[11]; 12. 41H-Colton Hardy[3]; 13. 8-Alex Sewell[7]; 14. 14M-Randy Martin[10]; 15. 2X-Tony Rustad[15]
BMRS B-Feature (Top 2 each advance)
B-Main 1 (15 Laps): 1. 3-Howard Moore[1]; 2. 187-Landon Crawley[3]; 3. 37-Ayden Gatewood[4]; 4. 23M-Lance Moss[2]; 5. 45X-Kyler Johnson[11]; 6. 2J-Zach Blurton[10]; 7. 1K-Kelby Watt[7]; 8. 44-Chris Martin[19]; 9. 99D-Tucker Daly[16]; 10. 55B-Brandon Anderson[5]; 11. 57-Billy Butler[15]; 12. 33-Alan Zoutte[17]; 13. 4-Chase Richards[18]; 14. 52D-Skyler Daly[14]; 15. 2-Chase Porter[8]; 16. 77-Jack Wagner[6]; 17. 47-Dale Howard[9]; 18. 10-Landon Britt[12]; 19. 86-Timothy Smith[13]; 20. 96-Brandon Sampson[20]
B-Main 2 (15 Laps): 1. 14-Jordon Mallett[1]; 2. 12-Jeffrey Newell[4]; 3. 1JR-Steven Russell[6]; 4. 19-Ayrton Gennetten[3]; 5. 20I-Kelsey Ivy[2]; 6. 71B-Brady Baker[13]; 7. 8M-Kade Morton[8]; 8. 22M-Rees Moran[15]; 9. 7C-Chris Morgan[14]; 10. 97-Scotty Milan[7]; 11. 9C-Tony Crank[18]; 12. 1P-Curtis Evans[11]; 13. 21-Kameron Key[5]; 14. 51B-Joe B Miller[16]; 15. 79-Gage Montgomery[12]; 16. 7M-Chance Morton[9]; 17. 31-Casey Wills[10]; 18. 55-Chase Howard[17]; 19. 4M-Cameron Martin[19]
RacinDirt.com A-Feature
RacinDirt A-Main (30 Laps): 1. 5T-Ryan Timms[1]; 2. 36-Jason Martin[3]; 3. 1X-Jake Bubak[2]; 4. 14T-Tim Estenson[14]; 5. 1H-Hank Davis[9]; 6. 1-Sean McClelland[6]; 7. 52-Blake Hahn[4]; 8. 4W-Jamie Ball[5]; 9. 95-Matt Covington[18]; 10. 98P-Miles Paulus[13]; 11. 12-Jeffrey Newell[22]; 12. 9JR-Derek Hagar[10]; 13. 3-Howard Moore[19]; 14. 87J-Jace Park[7]; 15. 45X-Kyler Johnson[24]; 16. 187-Landon Crawley[21]; 17. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[11]; 18. 14-Jordon Mallett[20]; 19. 2-Chase Porter[25]; 20. 6-Christopher Townsend[17]; 21. 6Z-Zane DeVault[16]; 22. 12X-Garet Williamson[8]; 23. 2C-Wayne Johnson[12]; 24. 55B-Brandon Anderson[23]; 25. 14E-Kyle Bellm[15]
Lap Leader(s): Jake Bubak 1; Ryan Timms 2-30
Hard Charger: Jeffrey Newell +11
Quick Time: N/A
High Point Driver: N/A
Provisional(s): Brandon Anderson / Kyler Johnson / Chase Porter
ASCS Online:
American Sprint Car Series: http://www.ascsracing.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.
Broadcast: http://www.
Live-Scoring: My Race Pass App
ASCS Drivers Online:
3 Howard Moore (Memphis, TN) R
6 Christopher Townsend (La Porte, TX) R
10 Landon Britt (Memphis, TN)
13 Elijah Gile (Phoenix, AZ) R
14 Jordon Mallett (Greenbrier, AR)
23 Seth Bergman (Snohomish, WA)
36 Jason Martin (Liberal, KS)
45X Kyler Johnson (Quinter, KS)
55B Brandon Anderson (Glenpool, OK)
71 Brady Baker (Alexander, AR) R
91 Michael Day (Farmersville, TX) R
95 Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK)
R denotes a driver running for the Brodix National Rookie of the Year
2023 Race Winners: Jason Martin – 9 (4/20 – Jackson Motor Speedway; 4/22 – Boothill Speedway; 5/20 – Longdale Speedway; 5/28 – Lake Ozark Speedway; 6/17 – 81 Speedway; 7/7 – Dodge City Raceway Park; 7/22 – 81 Speedway; 8/26 – Salina Highbanks Speedway; 9/2 – Longdale Speedway); Matt Covington – 3 (6/16 – Humboldt Speedway; 7/8 – Dodge City Raceway Park; 8/25 – Lakeside Speedway); Ryan Timms – 2 (9/14 – Lucas Oil Speedway; 9/17 – Lucas Oil Speedway); Seth Bergman – 2 (4/21 – Longdale Speedway; 6/2 – Outlaw Motor Speedway); Jake Bubak – 2 (7/1 – WaKeeney Speedway; 9/15 – Lucas Oil Speedway); Austin McCarl – 1 (5/26 – Lakeside Speedway); Joe B. Miller – 1 (5/17 – Lake Ozark Speedway); Sean McClelland – 1 (6/15 – Creek County Speedway); Jeffrey Newell – 1 (6/22 – Lawton Speedway); Alex Sewell – 1 (6/24 – Caney Valley Speedway); Blake Hahn – 1 (6/30 – Boone County Raceway); Aaron Reutzel – 1 (8/3 – Knoxville Raceway); Parker Price-Miller – 1 (8/4 – Knoxville Raceway); Brian Brown – 1 (8/5 – Knoxville Raceway); Landon Britt – 1 (9/1 – Arrowhead Speedway); Terry McCarl – 1 (9/12 – Clay County Fair Speedway);
2023 Driver Points (Top 10): 1. Jason Martin 3,333; 2. Matt Covington 3,266; 3. Jordon Mallett 3,040; 4. Howard Moore 3,002; 5. Brandon Anderson 2,977; 6. Kyler Johnson 2,813; 7. Landon Britt 2,680; 8. Christopher Townsend 2,664; 9. Michael Day 2,334; 10. Chris Morgan 1,505;
Support of the American Sprint Car Series is brought to you by RacinDirt.com, AR Dyno Specialty, BMRS, The Driver’s Project, Schoenfeld, Brodix, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Smiley’s Racing Products, Impact Signs, Hoosier Tire, RacinDirt.com, and MyRacePass.com.
ASCS PR
Conclusion of the 2023 NASCAR Pinty’s season: Louis-Philippe Dumoulin wants to finish on the momentum of the last races
The 2023 season of the NASCAR Pinty’s series will end this Sunday, September 24, with the presentation of the fourteenth and final event. Among the major challenges of this final event, the fight for third place in the championship standings will certainly attract attention while three drivers can still claim to finish on the final 2023 podium. Among them, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, who obviously hopes to conclude the season with another good result after taking pole position and finishing second in the previous event, at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park at the beginning of the month.
This final event of the season will take place as usual at the Delaware Speedway, a beautiful half-mile oval track located a few minutes west of the city of London, Ontario. It’s one of the oldest operating motorsports complexes in Canada and for the driver of car #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab, the Delaware Speedway is one of the most appreciated ovals. “The owners did a very good job renovating the track last year and it’s a track that I really like because it allows you to run two cars side-by-side during a full lap” says Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, which was crowned there in 2021. It was then his third championship title in the NASCAR Pinty's Series.
The car used by Dumoulin for this event is the one with which he scored a podium finish in Saskatoon last July. « Preparing our car #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab of the oval track went perfectly and I am confident of being able to finish the season in style, building on the momentum of our last races" mentions Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, who adds: "the goal of finishing third in the championship is of course in my mind and I would especially like to finish the 2023 season with a fifth podium, or even a victory, while already thinking a lot about the 2024 season.”
For the driver of car #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab, this event will also serve as a basis for preparations for the next season: “We want to collect as much data as possible, refine our settings in anticipation of the 2024 season because we have made constant progress this year in the development of our oval car. We have reached an optimal level and finishing this season with a good result at Delaware Speedway would certainly positive for us and confirm that we are already off to a good start for 2024!"
The Dumoulin Compétition team did not made any testing session prior to this final round at Delaware Speedway this summer. The event, scheduled for late Sunday afternoon (green flag around 4:30 p.m.) will be preceded by a single free practice session (between 12:00 p.m. and 12:45 p.m.) which will therefore be important. Qualifying will take place from 3:20 p.m.
In the drivers' championship, after 13 of the 14 races contested, Louis-Philippe is in fourth place, three points from third place.
LP Dumoulin PR
McDowell and Gilliland Finish Sixth and 16th at the Bristol Motor Speedway. McDowell Misses Round of Twelve
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FRM PR
Short Track Star Layne Riggs Joins Kaulig Racing’s Xfinity Series Program in Multi-Race Deal
Kaulig Racing announced today that 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAWS) champion, Layne Riggs, will drive the No. 11 Infinity Communications Chevrolet in a multi-race NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) deal. He will make his series debut at Texas Motor Speedway on September, 23 for the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300.
Son of Scott Riggs, a NASCAR veteran who made 383 national series starts, Riggs became the youngest driver to win the NAAWS title, which is the combined national championship for all NASCAR-affiliated short tracks, at 20 years old in 2022. He won 16 races and recorded 30 top-five finishes in 43 starts across runs at Dominion Raceway, Hickory Motor Speedway, Motor Mile Speedway, South Boston Speedway and Wake County Speedway. Now age 21, Riggs will bring a unique background to his first start with Kaulig Racing.
“I’m so excited to be making my first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Texas Motor Speedway with a team that has had success in the Xfinity Series,” exclaimed Riggs. “I am super thankful to Jeff Coffey at Infinity Communications along with the whole Kaulig Racing organization for giving me this opportunity. I am so ready to get on track!"
While this will be Riggs’ first start in the NXS, he has made six starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS), and earned one top five and two top-10 finishes.
The Kaulig Racing All-Star Car, which has been piloted by the likes of AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Justin Haley and Jordan Taylor, has so far yielded three wins in 2023. It has also provided up-and-coming drivers like Derek Kraus valuable seat time. Riggs will be the 11th driver to feature in the car this season.
“I’ve been watching Layne (Riggs) on the short-track circuit for a couple of years now and I am impressed what he has earned so far in his young career,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “He’s had a couple of starts in the truck series and I look forward to seeing what he can do in one of our cars.” Rice continued, “Infinity Communications has been a huge supporter of Layne's career so far, so I’m happy that he is able to bring them along for the ride”.
The Andy's Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway will air at 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA and will be the second race in the NXS Playoffs Round of 12.
Kaulig Racing PR
Buescher Finishes Fourth in Bristol, Punches Ticket in Round of 12 in NASCAR Playoffs
Chris Buescher and the No. 17 team punched its ticket in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs, finishing fourth Saturday night in the Bristol Night Race.
“Yeah, it was a great day for us,” Buescher said. “Our BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang was really fast. We’re not disappointed in the car at all. Obviously, we want to win and coming off the win last time being close and seeing it was good, but we had a really good race car. We needed a touch more to go fight for that win, but I’m really proud of this group.”
Buescher – the defending race winner – was one of the fastest cars in practice on Friday, finishing second among all cars. He went on to qualify 20th, as the 500-lap race was initially delayed due to inclement weather.
Once the race got rolling, the opening 70 laps ran caution-free before the first yellow, when Buescher took two tires on the BuildSubmarines.com Ford. He restarted 16th for the next green-flag run, which ran 30 laps before a caution for rain. After a four-tire stop, Buescher restarted 20th, but began his fight forward from there, earning a 13th-place finish to end stage one.
With the track position flip, Buescher began the second stage in fifth, and never left from there, ending stage two in seventh. A solid pit stop put him back in fifth on the restart for stage three, as just two more yellows – two of six in total – split up the final 250 laps.
Buescher worked his way to fourth by lap 262, and was in that position on the race’s final restart with 131 laps remaining, before going on to cross the stripe in fourth.
“We’re on to the next round of playoffs. We’ve got some more really great tracks coming for us. We’ve got the first Ford out here tonight, so it was definitely a strong night for us. We just want a little bit more.”
Up Next
Texas Motor Speedway hosts the first race of the Round of 12 next weekend. Race coverage on Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on USA, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
RFK PR
Daniel Dye Racing, alongside Alpha Prime Racing, is pleased to announce that Daniel Dye will pilot the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro in three NASCAR Xfinity Series events. The first event will occur this coming weekend at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, along with races at Las Vegas and Phoenix to end the year.
Champion Container, Dye's primary truck sponsor, will continue their outstanding support as he transitions to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for three events, boasting a striking red, yellow, and white color scheme. The essential message of Race to Stop Suicide will also adorn Dye's Camaro.
Dye, a 19-year-old competitor and native of Daytona Beach, Florida, has raced full-time for GMS Racing in his inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season in 2023.
Interestingly, this represents only the second instance in Dye's professional career where he won't be driving a car numbered 43; he previously raced the No. 21 for GMS Racing in a limited 2021 schedule, securing a win in the ARCA Menards Series at Berlin Raceway.
"I'm really looking forward to making my Xfinity debut with Tommy Joe Martins and everyone at Alpha Prime," remarked Daniel Dye. "It's a great opportunity to compete at the next level and get a feel for what the Xfinity car is like before hopefully getting more opportunities in the future."
Champion Container has become the leading packaging container distributor in the Northeast, with seven strategic locations catering to both domestic and international customers across various industries, including chemical, food, and pharmaceutical. Their strength lies in timely deliveries via their own fleet and a vast inventory. With a knowledgeable team, they provide expert packaging guidance. Over the years, acquisitions such as Canpak Inc., AB Container, Jachts Columbia Can, Yankee Containers, and the recent addition of Harvey Lipsitz Co. in 2023, have expanded their reach and product offerings, solidifying their dedication to quality service and customer satisfaction.
Associate sponsors ONE DAYTONA, B&L Construction, DME Academy, and Kevtron Media will be displayed on the No. 44. Additional sponsorship slots remain available.
"Daniel is a really exciting prospect," stated team owner Tommy Joe Martins. "We feel fortunate to be the team giving him his first shot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and we're really looking forward to seeing what he can do at Texas, Vegas, and Phoenix to close out the year."
Fans can keep up with Daniel's various racing activities by searching for his accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Daniel Dye merchandise can be found at www.shopdanieldye.com.
All three Xfinity Series races air live on the USA Network, with additional coverage from MRN, PRN, and SiriusXM.
Details pertaining to Dye's 2024 NASCAR plans will be announced soon.
Daniel Dye PR
Brad Keselowski clinched his position in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs Saturday night in the Bristol Night Race, and went on to finish eighth in the Castrol Edge Ford.
“It’s good to move into the next round,” Keselowski said after the 500-lap race. “We certainly are going to have our work cut out for us, but that’s what this thing is all about. It was a good day for us for both cars. It was a good Round of 16 for us and let the Round of 12 begin.”
Intermittent rain was the storyline for the opening moments and laps as the race was initially delayed, and was stopped a pair of times for rain showers. It ultimately subsided with all 500 laps being completed in the first cutoff race of the NASCAR Playoffs.
Keselowski had a solid qualifying effort on Friday, putting the No. 6 Ford sixth on the grid. A pair of early cautions broke up the opening 125-lap stage, as Keselowski took right-side tires only under the team’s first stop of the day at lap 68. He would stay out during the next yellow some 20 laps later, and went on to finish the stage in seventh, earning stage points.
Following a brief delay for rain in the stage break, track position flipped for Keselowski as he restarted 26th to begin stage two. That stage ran all green, though, as teams had to manage a full tire run. He finished the second segment in 19th, setting up the final, 250-lap run to the checkered.
He would restart 17th, and officially clinched his Round of 12 position with 70 to go. He later battled back into the top-10, and worked to an eighth-place finish, his 14th top-10 of the season.
Up Next
Texas Motor Speedway hosts the first race of the Round of 12 next weekend. Race coverage on Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on USA, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
RFK PR
When talented Southern California racer Braden Chiaramonte arrived at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex for last week’s POWRi-sanctioned Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge, he brought more than enough with him to win the prestigious race. After all, he carries a boatload of racing talent everywhere he goes. He also had a gorgeous new Hyper house car with his #73B painted on the tail tank. The only thing that did not accompany the young driver to the $10,000.00 to-win race was some good luck. While the luck part put a bit of a damper on the weekend, his talent shined through and made a lasting impression on those watching in person and the thousands around the globe who caught the three nights of racing live online.
The three-night affair brought out some of the best 600cc Micro Wingless Outlaw drivers, including El Cajon, California-based Chiaramonte. The prestigious race was also contested by two-time NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch. The Thursday and Friday portions of the show included qualifying, heat races, qualifiers, semis, and A mains. Saturday’s program featured preliminary mains and the $10,000.00 to win 30-lap main event. The idea for each of the drivers on the first two nights was to at least finish in the top four of the main event to guarantee themselves a starting position in Saturday’s finale.
Thursday, September 7: A total of 56 cars showed up for the opening night of the Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge. Sixteen-year-old Chiaramonte steered the beautiful bright red, black, and white Hyper #73B to the 10th fastest time in qualifying with a sizzling 12.639 clock stopper. In his heat race, “Buckwylde” started and finished third. That sounds rather mundane. So, the truth be it, he was waist-deep in a crowd-pleasing slide job affair and his hard-fought-for third-place finish guaranteed a ticket into the night's main event.
In his 10-lap qualifier to determine where he would start in the main, Chiaramonte began on the outside of the front row and won the race with room to spare.
Chiaramonte closed the first night by starting seventh in the 25-lap main event. He did not get an ideal start and slipped back to 10th on the first lap. Battling hard in the race, he found himself back to 12th when a red flag halted the action. From that point on he clawed his way forward and by the end of the 15th circuit, he had worked his way up the 10th. A yellow flag slowed the progress of the race on lap 21. By that time, the hard-charging driver had advanced another two spots to 8th. When the green light came back on he became embroiled in a huge battle to try and get up to fourth. He advanced one more position and was on a run when the checkered flag ended the race with him in seventh.
Friday, September 8: Fifty-five cars showed up for the Friday portion of the Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge. Once again, the kid from San Diego County was lightning fast in qualifying. For the second night in succession, he was 10th fastest. This time he timed in at 12.378. Another hard-fought heat race battle saw Chiaramonte come home fourth after starting third. That earned a ticket straight into the main event for the second night in a row.
For his qualifier, Chiaramonte was on the front row with Busch. The NASCAR star got the jump on the teenager but as the race wore on, Chiaramonte was closing in on the famous leader. However, his progress was interrupted by a yellow flag. That killed his momentum. When the race went back to green, it was like the start with Busch pulling away and then Chiaramonte starting to reel him in. In the end, the teen had to settle for second.
Up to that point, things had gone well for the high school student. He started the main in 12th and was alongside Busch again. Early on, alert driving narrowly allowed Chiaramonte to avoid a car that spun in front of him. Once the race restarted, he got a tremendous start and was steaming forward. He was up to fifth on lap three and one circuit later, he roared into fourth. He was lightning-fast and moving into the top three looked inevitable. That all changed on lap 15 when he suddenly slowed on the track the victim of a broken throttle cable. The crew did not have time to change it and instead of a potential victory, the driver and his team were saddled with a 24th place finish.
Saturday, September 9th: For the finale on Saturday, Chiaramonte had to run one of the B mains and finish in the top eight to punch his ticket into the 30-lap finale. Even though he was starting on the front row, it was never going to be a cakewalk as it was the final chance to get into the A for every driver in the race. Chiaramonte was leading the B when he got clobbered by another car in turn one on lap four. Suddenly, his hopes of making the finale took a dark turn. That is they took a dark turn for those spectating, but not for the relentless driver or his determined team.
Fortunately, the #73B was not badly damaged, but Chiaramonte was forced to restart in 18th and had to race his way up to seventh to make the main for the third consecutive night. To top things off, he only had 11 laps to pass at least 10 fast cars. A subsequent restart with eight laps remaining found the friendly driver still lurking outside of the top 10. Things were not looking good, but you can never count Chiaramonte out. With three laps to go, he was 10th. At the start of the last lap, he was still 10th but in typical “Braden Chiaramonte Never Give Up Style,” he passed three cars to finish seventh!!!
For the finale, Chiaramonte started 24th. Once the green flag opened the action, he started his usual progress towards the front. By lap six, he had raced by eight cars and was up to 16th. All indications were pointing to another great “Chiaramonte Run.” Sadly, that was taken away when another car got into him. The contact moved the front axle over about two inches and a pin fell out of the left rear shackle. It all added up to a DNF and a 24th-place finish.
While the race did not end the way Chiaramonte wanted, he was clearly one of the fastest drivers at the track over the three days. In addition, of the more than 60 different drivers who showed up, he was one of only 14 of them to qualify for all three main events.
This weekend Chiaramonte is off. Next week he is headed to the Lil Texas Speedway in Fort Worth for the three-night Micro Mania. The second annual running of the race will take place on September 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. The winner of the main event on the 23rd will take home $10,000.00.
After Texas, the team will book it to the “Richest Weekend In Micro Racing,” the Dirt2Media Deuces Wild Shootout, on September 28th, 29th, and 30th at Indiana’s US24 Raceway. For Stock Non-Wing and Winged A Class Micros, the preliminary main events in each class will pay $1,222.22 each night. At the finale on Saturday, the winner in each class will pocket a cool $12,222.22.
The ambitious team will continue to zig-zag its way across the country when it heads back to the “Golden State” for the annual Cal Cup at the Lemoore Jet Bowl on October 12th, 13th, and 14th. It will turn right around and make the 1,543-mile jaunt to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Port City Raceway for the finals of the 5th Annual Keith Kunz Giveback Classic on the third weekend in October.
Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, King Racing Products, Tiner-Hirst Enterprises, and Keizer Wheels.
Braden Chiaramonte PR
NASCAR isn’t just returning to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2024. It’s adding more racing to a power-packed lineup.
NASCAR announced today that a NASCAR Mexico Series race on Sunday, Feb. 4, will precede its season-opening exhibition featuring the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series, the third-annual Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. That means fans can enjoy two great races in one day inside “The Greatest Stadium in the World.”
“This is a tremendous win for our fans and our sport,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy. “Not only will the fans see the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series in action, they will also bear witness to the talent and skill that is found within the NASCAR Mexico Series. I can’t think of a better way to begin our 2024 season.”
NASCAR has opened its season with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum for the past two years. Joey Logano won the inaugural event in 2022, while Martin Truex Jr. hoisted aloft the 2023 trophy beneath the Olympic cauldron in February. Now a NASCAR Mexico Series driver will also have an opportunity to celebrate a triumph inside an international stadium that’s hosted two Super Bowls, two Olympics, a World Series and countless other major events over the past 100 years.
“This is an incredible honor for the NASCAR Mexico Series and its drivers,” said Jimmy Morales, President and General Manager of the NASCAR Mexico Series. “The competition in our series is always intense, but I know our drivers will want nothing more than to become the first Mexican driver to win inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This is going to be a race we will not soon forget.”
The roots of the NASCAR Mexico Series were planted in 2004, and three years later, it became NASCAR’s first internationally sanctioned series. It competes on tracks throughout nine major cities in Mexico, providing racing fans with some of the most intense stock car racing on the planet. Current NASCAR Cup Series star and 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion Daniel Suárez began his stock car racing career in the NASCAR Mexico Series in 2008, and other NASCAR Mexico Series alumni like Max Gutierrez and Andres Perez de Lara are working their way up the NASCAR touring ladder.
The list of NASCAR Mexico Series drivers competing at the Coliseum on Feb. 4 will be announced at a later date, along with the full day’s schedule of racing and entertainment. NASCAR on FOX will once again broadcast the Busch Light Clash to set the stage for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. The NASCAR Mexico Series race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 3 in Mexico, and available pan regionally on Claro Sports and the D Motors channel on DirecTV.
A single ticket purchased is good for both races, and tickets begin at $65, with kids 12-and-under at $10. Fans who want to take their race-day experience to the next level can upgrade to the NASCAR Pre-Race Party, which includes brunch, cocktails, musical entertainment, surprise guests and more! It also includes track walk access, signing the start / finish line and exclusive on-track photo opportunities. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets now while supplies last by visiting www.nascarclash.com.
College students can experience the Busch Light Clash from the Torch Party Porch for just $40. This standing-room-only general admission section, located on the Coliseum’s peristyle steps, provides college students with up-close access to all the musical entertainment, driver introductions and racing action. College students can take advantage of this exclusive offer by visiting www.nascarclash.com/student.
NASCAR Clash Experiences will serve as the Official Travel and Experience Package Provider for the 2024 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, offering attendees specialized access to unique experiences such as driver interactions, VIP garage area tours, exclusive hospitality options, and much more to enrich the overall spectator experience. Experience Packages now available at nascarclashexperiences.com.
NASCAR PR
Burton Finishes 28th at Bristol
Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team battled all race long in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and came away with a 28th-place finish.
Burton started the race from 32nd place and made his first pit stop at Lap 70 from 34th place. He gained two spots over the remainder of the first 125-lap Stage to end that segment in 32nd place but with fresh tires so he could forego a pit stop during the caution period for the end of the Stage.
That allowed him to move to 21st place for the start of the second Stage. He was running there when the race was red flagged for rain, and moved into the top 20 when the green flag flew after the track dried.
At the end of the second Stage he was scored in 25th place, one lap down.
In the third and final segment of the race he had moved in to the free-pass position when a caution flag for a wreck involving Corey LaJoie and Joey Logano allowed him to rejoin the lead lap. Burton narrowly avoided being collected in that crash.
He then ran in the top 25 for most of the remainder of the race, but faded a bit in the closing laps to finish 28th, five laps down.
The No. 21 team now turns its attention to next Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
WBR PR