Inside Line Promotions - PUYALLUP, Wash. (Nov. 23, 2020) - Trey Starks produced a variety of strong moments throughout a hectic season.

Starks scored his lone feature triumph in his family owned sprint car at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., in July. Several weeks later he established a new track record at the high-banked oval.

"It was an all-over-the-place season, which a lot of people can say," he said. "We sprinkled in some really good runs. It was really fun to get back in the family car and be able to run a couple of weekly shows. We had a chance to win every one of them. We picked up the one win and the track record so that was exciting. We seemed to be fast every time we were out there."

While he enjoyed a handful of stout results in his race car - two top fives and three top 10s in five races - Starks spent most of the season behind the wheel of the Gobrecht Motorsports entry. The team recorded a ninth-place finish in the championship standings at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, marking the second straight season with a top-10 result in the standings at 'The Sprint Car Capital of the World.'

"We had a few great moments with the Gobrecht Motorsports team as well," he said. "It was different not running as many races. I think it took us longer to get up to speed, but we had some strong moments toward the end of the year. We got beat down at the beginning of the season and had to change some things around. It was tough with the season being so short. You feel like you get going and then the season is over. I think the trials we faced made us better and we made some deep improvements toward the end of the year."

Other highlights included top 10s during his preliminary night of the 360 Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway as well as the Ultimate Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He added one top five during Ollie's Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions competition and charged from 21st to fourth during the Power Series Nationals at Huset's Speedway in Brandon, S.D.

"We were really, really strong there at Huset's," Starks said. "We had a really fast car and felt like we made a breakthrough, which is kind of a bummer because that was about our last race. We had some good moments this year; just need to tighten the consistency up a bit.

"I want to thank Scott, Jeff and everybody with the team for another good season. I got to go to some new tracks I'd never been to before and we had some good times. It was a unique season, but was definitely fun."

SEASON STATS -

44 races, 1 win, 6 top fives, 15 top 10s, 18 top 15s, 26 top 20s

Henderson and Sandvig Racing Find Victory Lane During Unique Season

Inside Line Promotions - SPENCER, Iowa (Nov. 23, 2020) - When Justin Henderson and Mike Sandvig Racing joined forces two seasons ago they had a goal in mind to reach Victory Lane and be competitive for years to come.

After going winless in 2019, the duo entered the 2020 season with high expectations. Once again planning to focus primarily on weekly competition at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, Henderson delivered on his promise as the team reached the Winner's Circle for the first time together to highlight a season that saw racing limited because of the pandemic.

The victory, which came on July 4, and four top 10s earned the team a seventh-place finish in the championship standings at 'The Sprint Car Capital of the World.'

"I think we were the only weekly team outside of the champion to find Victory Lane at Knoxville, so that's something to hang our hat on," Henderson said. "It was certainly a different season and one I'll always remember. We got a win together, which was the ultimate goal, but I think we definitely left a lot on the table in terms of success."

With weekly racing struggling to get underway in the spring because of the pandemic, Henderson and Sandvig were forced to travel elsewhere to begin the season together.

An early season visit to Park Jefferson International Speedway in North Sioux City, S.D., to compete with the Ollie's Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions yielded the team's first top five of the season with a third-place finish after leading seven laps early. Henderson backed that up the following night by finishing 12th with the series.

"At the time there wasn't much racing anywhere so anybody who was looking to race went there and it made for a tough weekend," he said. "To show speed and compete against fields like that, it set the bar high and gave us confidence."

The team also made several starts with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series with their best results coming during the 42 nd annual AGCO Jackson Nationals at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. Henderson produced a seventh-place outing during a preliminary night. He also set fast time with the series later in the season during a return to racing at Huset's Speedway in Brandon, S.D., where he finished the feature 13th.

"We found speed at the end of the year and we were running well against stacked fields night in and night out," he said. "You always want more results, but at some point you have to kind of take what you can get and keep learning. Any time you can run against the Outlaws it's going to make your program better."

The team concluded their season together at the 19th annual Jerry Richert Memorial at Cedar Lake Raceway in New Richmond, Wis., where late-race heartbreak for the second consecutive season cost the team a shot at the win. Henderson was running second and challenging for the lead with only a handful of laps remaining when he got over the cushion and flipped.

"Two years in a row we've been going for the win in that race and it hurts knowing how good we were to end up crashed," he said. "Despite the cost of repairing a car, we left there feeling good heading into next season knowing we have speed and we're going into the offseason feeling good."

While he only won once in the Sandvig Racing machine, Henderson did pick up several wins in 360ci sprint car competition in his own sprint car. He streamlined his personal operation to match the Sandvig car early in the season and he credits the team's efforts in helping him be more competitive elsewhere.

"We found a lot of things in Mike's car that I directly put into my deal to make us faster," he said. "Any time you can have someone like Mike helping on your deal and bringing his knowledge, it's going to pay off and I can't thank them enough. I think together we'll be successful for a long time."

Current plans for the team are to again compete regularly at Knoxville Raceway in 2021. Along with chasing a track championship there, the team is planning to do some early season racing elsewhere depending on schedules.

"This year was tough as you could never really get into a groove and it made it tough to be consistent," he said. "We're going to try and get in as many races as possible before Knoxville starts up. That way when we get into the weekly swing we already have things dialed in and I think we're ready to take the next step forward as a team."

SEASON STATS -

23 races, 1 win, 2 top fives, 6 top 10s, 13 top 15s, 16 top 20s

Old School Racing's Tankersley Picks Up Three Wins and Valuable 410 Sprint Car Experience

Inside Line Promotions - HIGHLANDS, Texas (Nov. 25, 2020) - A trio of victories highlighted the 2020 season for Old School Racing driver Channin Tankersley.

However, the experience he gained while making limited 410ci winged sprint car starts is what stands out to Tankersley as he reviewed his season.

"Gaining some experience in the 410 ranks was great," he said. "This was the first year we had a good motor, enough that if we had a decent night we could run with them up front. I think we did six or seven 410 races this year. Next year we're looking at doubling that.

"We ran three or four of the All Star shows in Oklahoma and Texas, a World of Outlaws show and then the one at Park Jefferson. Going from that and running with those guys and then into the 360s I definitely could tell a difference. Just the pace that we race with those guys, I feel like it helped me in the 360s."

Tankersley earned his career-best 410 result of fifth at Park Jefferson International Speedway in North Sioux City, S.D., in late April. He produced a career-best Ollie's Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions outing of 10th at Chatham Speedway in Chatham, La., in June before capping the season with a career-best World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series showing of 12th at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, in September.

Tankersley's three victories came on May 9 at Monarch Motor Speedway in Wichita Falls, Texas; on July 10 at Heart O' Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas; and on Nov. 7 at 82 Speedway in Petty, Texas. All three were with the Sprint Car Bandits. Tankersley finished fifth in the championship standings despite skipping multiple races with the series.

"For as little as we did race I felt like we had a pretty decent year for the most part," he said. "We were relatively up to pace just about everywhere we went. Even in the 410 deal, once we got a balance we were trending in the right direction and picking up speed."

SEASON STATS -

20 races, 3 wins, 9 top fives, 12 top 10s, 15 top 15s, 17 top 20s

Williamson Earns Top 10 at Merced Speedway and Top Five at Antioch Speedway

Inside Line Promotions - ANTIOCH, Calif. (Nov. 25, 2020) - Garet Williamson had high aspirations heading into a handful of 360ci sprint car events in California.

Things didn't start out too well. Williamson had some bad luck at Stockton Dirt Track and Keller Auto Speedway in previous weeks, but that didn't stop the Bryant Paver Motorsports team from staying the course.

That dedication paid off last weekend at Merced Speedway and Antioch Speedway. Williamson avoided any hiccups and landed a top-10 finish against a stacked field at Merced Speedway in Merced on Friday before he put together a solid fifth-place run one night later at Antioch Speedway.

"It felt good to bounce back," he said. "We struggled early on out here, but when we went to Merced we ran really good with all of the guys there.

"To qualify good, run really well in the feature and have a really fast car, it meant a lot. We got the monkey off our back and to do it again at Antioch was really good, too."

Williamson suffered bad luck the previous two weekends, including a problem in the front end while running in a lock-in spot during his Nov. 7 start at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton.

Not only did the 20-year-old Missouri driver avoid any problems last weekend, his team and the car were on point. The end result was a solid eighth-place outing on Friday and a fifth-place performance on Saturday that saved his trip through 'The Golden State.'

"Honestly, we didn't have anything go wrong," Williamson said. "At Stockton we had a right front go dead, but that's racing sometimes. Everything doesn't go perfect, but we try to limit that as much as we can.

"This weekend everything went smooth. The car was really good, nothing went wrong and we were really good as a team all night."

Williamson's solid weekend gave the driver and team plenty of confidence. It will be needed this Friday and Saturday when he heads to Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz., for the Copper Classic with the ASCS Southwest Region.

"We want to end strong and on a high note heading into next year so last week was huge," Williamson said. "I've never been to Arizona Speedway so I will watch a couple of races from there. I watched the USAC race the other week and it looks like a big, fast, racy track. It looks like it gets pretty nice so I'm looking forward to it.

"We got our confidence back and any time you can go into the weekend with confidence it helps a lot. I'm excited about that, and hopefully, we can carry it into the end of the year and end strong."

QUICK RESULTS -

Nov. 20 - Merced Speedway in Merced, Calif. - Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 2 (2); Feature: 8 (11).

Nov. 21 - Antioch Speedway in Antioch, Calif. - Heat race: 3 (1); Feature: 5 (7).

SEASON STATS -

38 races, 3 wins, 8 top fives, 13 top 10s, 21 top 15s, 27 top 20s

UP NEXT -

Friday and Saturday at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz., for the Copper Classic with the ASCS Southwest Region

Chase Johnson Seeking Sprint Car and Midget Opportunity for 2021 Season

Inside Line Promotions - PENNGROVE, Calif. (Nov. 23, 2020) - Chase Johnson is open for opportunities in the sprint car and midget realm of racing for the 2021 campaign.

The only current ride the California native has lined up is a handful of winged sprint car shows in the Midwest with Shawn and Cyndi Thomas, who are relocating to Iowa.

"We've had a lot of success with the Thomas Family and I'll be in the No. 68 in Iowa on a limited basis," Johnson said. "Once a month might be more than what's going to happen. I've been fortunate to race with them the last few years and I'm looking forward to whatever opportunity I have with them next year."

Johnson enjoyed a breakout season in 2019 and elevated himself on a national level in 2020 when he competed across the country in various midget, winged sprint car and non-wing sprint car shows despite the pandemic stymying an original plan of 100-plus races.

"I got to run a whole bunch of national races this year and we were able to be competitive while racing with USAC, POWRi and other top-notch series with stellar competition," he said. "I'm thankful for the opportunity this year with Tom Malloy and the Trench Shoring backed team. While I won't be back with them next year I wish them success moving forward."

Johnson stated that he is willing to accept an opportunity from regional to national and from a handful of races to full time with a series. It all boils down to the best opportunity to compete for wins.

"I'm really open for anything," he said. "I'm not closing my doors to anything. I'm looking for something for the Chili Bowl as well as winged sprint car, non-wing sprint car or midget opportunities for the upcoming season."

Interested teams can contact Johnson via his phone at 707-569-4009 or email at ChaseJohnsonRacing@yahoo.com .

Crouch Heading to Arizona Speedway This Weekend for ASCS Sprint Car Debut

Inside Line Promotions - MERCED, Calif. (Nov. 23, 2020) - Brenham Crouch will make his ASCS debut this weekend during the Copper Classic.

Crouch, who has two career winged sprint car races under his belt, invades Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz., on Friday and Saturday for the ASCS Southwest Region doubleheader.

"I feel like I got some good dry slick laps in the 360 the last time out," he said. "Arizona Speedway is big and fast. There will be a lot of sprint cars there. The track should slick off pretty fast I think. That will help a lot.

"Racing the midget has helped a lot as far as pounding the curb or rolling the bottom. I've picked up on that a lot these past few weeks."

Crouch recorded a top-10 outing during his 360ci winged sprint car debut a couple of weeks ago. He's hopeful the momentum from that performance combined with laps during midget competition at Arizona Speedway earlier this month will translate to success this weekend.

"It's going to be all about keeping your momentum up," he said. "If I can somewhat do that I think we'll be in good shape.

"I'd really like to make both A Mains this weekend and shoot for a top 10 along the way. Even though we haven't gotten the results we've wanted in the midget, I've picked up a lot of knowledge and aggressiveness lately. I think that momentum can carry over to this weekend in the sprint car."

The two-race weekend will mark the final event of the season for Crouch.

SEASON STATS -

59 races, 1 win, 7 top fives, 20 top 10s, 36 top 15s, 42 top 20s

UP NEXT -

Friday and Saturday at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz., for the Copper Classic with the ASCS Southwest Region

Hagar Produces Nine Feature Victories During Short Season

Inside Line Promotions - MARION, Ark. (Nov. 25, 2020) - Derek Hagar capitalized on his limited opportunity to race in 2020, winning nine races for the third time in the last four years.

In fact, Hagar has posted at least nine triumphs during seven of the last eight seasons and this year's nine victories came in only 25 starts - a winning percentage of a staggering 36 percent.

"For us from COVID-19 and then not having an engine after racing got started it was a very slow start to the season," he said. "To get nine wins in a short amount of time is nice for our team. It makes you wonder if we had our normal season how many wins could we have achieved. We made the best of it."

Hagar captured seven 360ci winged sprint car wins and a pair of midget races. He won with the USCS Series, ASCS Mid-South Region, ASCS Warrior Region and ASCS National Tour - his first since September 2014.

"You have to work for it every time you hit the track," he said. "To be able to top the drivers locally really says something. You can't go out there and dominate every weekend. You have to go out and capitalize every time you're on the track to put yourself in the right position.

"It builds our confidence tremendously. I'm looking forward to 2021. We've had some good years and preparation. The last couple of years we didn't have the best equipment we could have. After this year with a new engine program and everything going on I feel very confident for 2021. I really think we can go back into the double-digit number as far as wins."

Hagar's first win of the year came when his No. 9jr was sidelined. Long-time friend Marshall Skinner offered his car to race a national USCS Series event at Lexington 104 Speedway in Lexington, Tenn. Hagar hustled from eighth to third place in a heat race before he won the A Main.

"The win in Marshall's car is the one that would stand out the most because of the friendship and the history of Marshall and my family," he said. "Marshall's first-ever car that he drove was my dad's car, which Marshall's dad bought from my dad. To be able to jump in his car and win, that's something to look back on and really reflect on."

Hagar's second-to-last victory of the season came during the preliminary night of the famed Short Track Nationals at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. He bested a field of 75-plus competitors for the second straight year before capping the marquee event with a career-best runner-up result.

"After we got our motor program going we had a lot of good runs," he said. "We had our best year as far as winnings. Coming up short and running out of fuel during the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial was a disappointment, but it was a good weekend for the team. We had our best Short Track Nationals ever with a second-place run and we backed up our prelim night win from the previous year. We showed a lot of speed and a lot of up-front finishes."

Hagar ended the year with 17 top fives and 22 top 10s, including 11 in a row to cap the season.

SEASON STATS -

25 races, 9 wins, 17 top fives, 22 top 10s, 22 top 15s, 25 top 20s