2019’s
First-Time Top 10 Points Finishers Utilizing
Extra Time to Up Their Game for 2020
Statesville, North Carolina (May
31, 2020) – At the conclusion of 2019, a half
dozen drivers were celebrated for their
inaugural entrance into the final top 10 in the
Super Cup Stock Car Series standings. Five of
them have already committed to the
season-opening event at Jennerstown Speedway
Complex and Campground on Saturday, July 11 and
will for certain be set to improve upon those
marks in 2020.
Lauren Butler not only captured
Rookie of the Year honors last year, but also
claimed fourth in the overall standings, a mere
nine points shy of third. Adapting quickly to
venues and the traits they offer was a regular
occurrence in 2019 aside from the aforementioned
in which she is a former weekly champion and had
a pair of career best runner-up results. Her
past knowledge from driving and winning in
Street Stocks is a style that has evolved into a
rather seamless transition to a 600 horsepower,
3,300 pound machine.
“I like that it takes a lot of
skill,” the West Mifflin, Pennsylvania driver
remarked. “You can have a fast car all you
want, but this division truly allows the drivers
to shine in what they do and allow them to hone
in on their driving skills and that’s really
what I enjoy.”
Nevertheless, the challenging
continuation of exploring facilities she has
never raced will now occur later in the new
season as part of the Indy Revolution event at
Lucas Oil Raceway on Saturday, October 24.
“If going to pick up our
transmission counts, we did get to actually see
the track once but that’s about it,” Butler
recently shared about the 0.686-mile oval. “It
looks fast, we’ve heard it is fast, and one of
the gentlemen that works up there kind of gave
us some pointers here and there.”
The Edlin Motorsports team has
spent the couple months of unexpected downtime
cleaning up their shop and going over the car as
far as they can, with the installation of a
“heartbeat” under the hood the final step in the
process. In regard to the health sector in
everyday life, Butler also accomplished an
exciting goal of being a Surgical Technologist.
“I’ve waited two years to finally
graduate college and get into my actual career
that I’d like to be doing,” Butler
explained. “Everything I’ve been learning so
far in orientation, I love everything about. I
really like to help people and help their
quality of life.”
As for her expectations on the
track for 2020, they are some pretty high ones
to set for her second full season in the SCSCS.
“My goals for this year are
definitely to win at least two races,” Butler
indicated. “One of those wins I would
definitely like to be at Jennerstown Speedway,
my home track. I also would like to tackle the
Northern (Division) championship.”
Jerod Brougher was the Top
Performing Rookie in 2017, but his steadiest
season to date came last year with a seventh
place points outcome. Finishing outside the top
10 not once and being a front-running contender
during almost outing was a humbling feat for a
family effort that works on their car only when
the time allows between races.
“It felt good for our team,”
Brougher reflected. “If you look at what we
started out with, it is a show of what our
potential is. I’m thankful to the series for us
to have a place to race and my family for giving
me the chance.”
Brougher, also a former feature
winner at Jennerstown in a Street Stock,
performed at his best at the track closest to
his Stahlstown, Pennsylvania home. Despite
leading 26 laps and three of his four top five
finishes in 2019 coming there plus two runner-up
finishes in his SCSCS career, he was quick to
point out his practical approach.
“I have to give a straight out
no,” Brougher answered in response to the
possibility of earning a first points
victory. “There are too many good drivers, so
I’d say I’m not looking for a win this
season. We’re blessed and fortunate that we can
even do this.”
The JKB Motorsports team will
certainly be looking to do the best they can
still. They were pleased to receive the extra
time to get ready for 2020 in regard to picking
up parts and putting the car back together.
“We did more work this offseason
than previous years,” Brougher, who will run a
limited schedule this year which will include
both Jennerstown events and perhaps a couple
other races, explained. “We went over bushings,
ball joints, and other pieces that wear. We’ll
go from there on what needs to be done. Some of
it is up in the air but we take it day by day.”
Ben Ebeling has been handling
multiple tasks in North Carolina in the meantime
while his children are home from school and his
wife and spotter on many race weekends,
Michelle, handles essential tasks as a hospital
lab worker.
“It’s a way different atmosphere
for me at the shop right now, trying to get
things done and have three kids around,” The
Hickory resident commented. “It’s difficult to
do both well, we’ll say.”
Ebeling had his best SCSCS year
to date with his first career Pole Award, five
of them altogether, and five victories. Despite
earning three consecutive Southern Division
titles, he has yet to make a run at the overall
championship. That could change in 2020.
“We weren’t really sure what we
were going to be doing this coming year,”
Ebeling detailed regarding the offseason. “Had
some things happen at the end of the year that
we didn’t get to quite finish out like we wanted
to, but got a new situation. Trying to put
together the rest of the pieces right now to
make a competitive package so we can try and run
a full season. This extra time definitely won’t
hurt us at all.”
Ebeling came on the SCSCS scene
in 2016, winning his first time out at Lonesome
Pine Raceway driving for veteran racer Mike
Potter. Ever since then, the general concept of
what the series is all about has kept him coming
back for more.
“I really like what (Director of
Competition) Joe (Schmaling) has done with the
tires and what he’s got as far as rules with the
cars,” Ebeling mentioned. “I feel like he has
put it in the driver’s hands more than some of
the other series that are out there. To me,
it’s a lot more about driving the cars and being
smart and I enjoy that part of it.”
At the tail end of the top 10
were twin brothers who started off with a $100
go kart a few years back and completed their
first full season in a stock car. Landon
Brothers achieved six top 10 finishes on his way
to ninth in the final standings. Although
sometimes having to share one car, splitting the
ride over twin races, the Brothers Brothers
Racing Team was in attendance at every event
during the 2019 campaign. The goals have
advanced slightly further into 2020.
“We want to try and make it to
every race, but then we want to finish the races
because last year we had a lot of problems with
the cars, engines blowing up and losing the
brakes one time, and all that stuff,” Landon
Brothers noted. “So we want to try and finish
the races.”
In preparation, the team has made
a couple trips south from their York,
Pennsylvania home in order to upgrade their
effort.
“We went down to North Carolina
and bought two engines and the one is ready to
be put in the car so we should be good,” Hayden
Brothers, who had four top 10s and was 10th in
points, said.
After soaking in advice from
fellow drivers, most at least twice their age,
both Landon and Hayden collected Most Improved
Driver of the Year honors at the conclusion of
2019 and have become among the fan favorites at
each track. They have also been active off the
track, performing school work from home and
organizing a golf tournament, which
unfortunately had to be rescheduled from April
to October 2020.
“So that was supposed to be in
memory of Matt Clancy,” Hayden Brothers began to
describe regarding the proceeds they are
raising. “He was a first responder and
committed suicide, so it’s for PTSD awareness.”
Interested competitors are urged
to respond to Joe Schmaling at
JoeSCSCS@gmail.com
or call (828) 768-3589) as soon as possible with
intentions to participate, tire needs, or any
questions involving the season-opening event in
Jennerstown, Pennsylvania.
Further updates will be
forthcoming on the Super Cup Stock Car Series
official web site www.supercupstockcarseries.com,
Facebook (search Super Cup Stock Car Series),
Twitter (@SCSCSRacing), and Instagram (SCSCS_Racing).
