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2023 winchester 400

 

 

Official Statement From the ASA STARS National Tour

 

Macon, IL (October 18, 2023) – Post-race penalties have been issued following the ASA STARS National Tour Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway in Winchester, IN.

Drivers Stephen Nasse and Gio Ruggiero have each been penalized for their involvement in a post-race altercation on the track’s frontstretch following the conclusion of the event. Per the ASA STARS National Tour 2023 General Rules and Procedures, Section 1 Conduct, Rule 1 paraphrased “Unsportsmanlike Conduct and/or actions detrimental to the sport of auto racing,” and Rule 5 “Fighting will not be tolerated.”

Gio Ruggiero, Driver of car No.22 has been issued with the following penalty.

·       Loss of twenty-five (25) finishing position championship owner and driver points.

·       A fine of $3,000 dollars

·       Placed on probation for all ASA events in the remainder of the calendar year.

Stephen Nasse, Driver of car No.51 has been issued with the following penalty.

·       Loss of forty-four (44) finishing position championship owner and driver points.

·       A fine of $4,500 dollars

·       Placed on probation for all ASA events in the remainder of the calendar year.

 

In addition, four individuals connected with the No.51 team have been suspended for the remainder of the ASA STARS National Tour season and have been placed on probation for the first three races of the 2024 season. Suspension includes the pits, garage, racing surface and spotter stand.

 

 

More Storylines From Winchester

Wet Saturday Leads to Busy Sunday

Saturday’s portion of Winchester 400 weekend was rained out, pushing all four of Saturday’s races to Sunday morning at 10:00am. Qualifying for the ASA STARS National Tour was canceled and times were based off of second practice results, which gave Ty Majeski his second Go Fas Racing Pole Award of the season. The CRA Late Model Sportsman and Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds Tour, and Crown Vics all put on a show to open up Winchester 400 race day.

Winchester 400 Weekend Winners

Along with the four divisions that competed on Sunday, the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and Vore’s Compact Touring Series crowned champions on Friday night along with New Stars Races for the CRA Late Model Sportsman and Street Stocks. Here are the winners and champions from each division.

Friday:
JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Winner/Champion: Chase Burda
Vore’s Compact Touring Series Winner/Champion: Tom Gossar
CRA Late Model Sportsman New Stars Winner: Shawn Grace
CRA Street Stock New Stars Winner: Duane Damon

Sunday Morning:
CRA Late Model Sportsman Winner: Jon Beach
     Champion: Caleb Reschar
CRA Street Stock Winner/Champion: Dalton Conner
Midwest Modifieds Tour Winner/Champion: Matt Dimit
Crown Vics Winner: Zach Stacy

Special Guests Join Winchester 400 Broadcast

A pair of special guests were on the broadcast for the Winchester 400 on Sunday. Two-time race winner and ASA National Tour champion Gary St.Amant joined Adam Mackey in the booth in a color commentator role for the second time in three years. Additionally, MRN pit reporter Steve Post patrolled pit road for the race, knocking off a marquee race from his personal bucket list.

Politicians Take Part in Winchester 400 Pre-Race

Wichester, IN Mayor Bob McCoy, Indiana House Representative JD Prescott, and Indiana District 26 State Senator Scott Alexander were all on hand to take part in the Winchester 400 festivities. It was during pre-race that track owner Charlie Shaw was presented with House Resolution 32 honoring him on his life of hard work and passion.

Diverse Field Takes On High Banks

A total of 24 drivers took the green flag for the Winchester 400 on Sunday. 13 states were represented in the field, along with three countries (United States, Canada, and Mexico). Michigan was the most represented with six drivers in the field, followed by Indiana and Florida with three each.

Up Next

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on Sunday, November 5 for the season finale, the All American 400. Advanced tickets are available here.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

News + Notes From The Winchester 400

Gio Ruggiero took his second ASA STARS National Tour win of the season at the Winchester 400 on Sunday at Winchester Speedway in what was a thrilling race.

What else happened during the 52nd Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel? Find out here.

A Historic Winchester 400

The 2023 Winchester 400 was a race of historical importance for many reasons. A record 22 lead changes took place during the race among nine different drivers. Ruggiero, Cole Butcher, Albert Francis, Stephen Nasse, Jake Garcia, Dakota Stroup, Noah Gragson, Chase Burda and Jake Finch all led laps throughout the 400-lap affair. Two drivers (Butcher, Nasse) led more than 100 laps in the race for the first time since 2017.

With his win, Ruggiero became the first driver to win the Winchester 400 in his first try since Ryan Lawler did so in his first and only start in 2007, while also becoming the first driver to win the race and the ASA/CRA Super Series title since Scott Hantz in 2006. At 17 years and nine days, he became the second-youngest driver to win the Winchester 400. His championship allowed Ruggiero to become the first driver to win both the ASA/CRA Super Series title and ASA Southern Super Series title, doing so in the same year.

Third-place finisher Stephen Nasse also made history on Sunday. He has now finished all 400 laps in the race six years in a row, setting a new record that was previously held by Bob Senneker when he won the race five years in a row from 1974-1978. He also extended a streak of podium finishes going back to his first win in 2019; and a streak of top-five finishes going back to 2017, which are both race records. Nasse is now fourth all-time in laps led in the Winchester 400, behind Mike Eddy, Bob Senneker and Butch Miller.

Majeski’s Points Lead Evaporates

After the Gandrud Auto Group 250 at Wisconsin International Raceway, it appeared that Ty Majeski’s lead would be unsurmountable. Two races later, it’s now anything but certain.

Maejski fell out of his first Winchester 400 start after just 26 laps due to engine issues, finishing 21st in the race. Meanwhile, Cole Butcher led the most laps, won the first stage and finished second in the second stage, and finished second for the second-straight race.

Unofficially, the gap is down to just eight points going into the season finale, while Gio Ruggiero has entered the points race as well. With bonus points and stage points up for grabs, anything can happen at Nashville.

Career-Best Finishes For Stroup, Bearden

Dakota Stroup and Logan Bearden finished fifth and sixth in Sunday’s Winchester 400, which were career-best finishes for both drivers.

For Stroup, it was his best-ever finish in a Super Late Model. The 2022 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour champion led seven laps just before the halfway mark and ran in the top-five most of the day before finishing fifth. Meanwhile, Bearden’s sixth-place run was his best finish in three ASA STARS National Tour starts, and a one-position improvement from the 2022 Winchester 400.

Garcia Falters Late

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie Jake Garcia was in contention for most of the Winchester 400, but the Georgia driver fell late in the race. He led 30 laps and was second and fifth in the two stages, but would finish 11th one lap down after a late-race spin. He has led laps in three of his Winchester 400 starts.

Up Next

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on Sunday, November 5 for the season finale, the All American 400. Advanced tickets are available here.

 

 

 

Walk-Off Win – Ruggiero Wins Winchester 400 and ASA/CRA Super Series Title

 

Photo: Daniel Vining

 

Gio Ruggiero claimed his first Winchester 400 win in historic, walk-off fashion on Sunday afternoon at Winchester Speedway.

In a race that featured 18 lead changes, the Massachusetts teenager took the lead from Stephen Nasse on the final restart with ten laps to go and won the Winchester 400, claiming the ASA/CRA Super Series championship in the process.  It was his second win of the ASA STARS National Tour season and third Super Late Model win of the year overall.

It was a race of firsts for Ruggiero Sunday afternoon.  He became the first CRA regular to the Winchester 400 and first to win the race and championship at the same time since Scott Hantz, while also becoming the first driver to win both the Southern Super Series and ASA/CRA Super Series championships in the same year since Scott Hantz in 2006.  Additionally, Ruggiero is the first driver to win the Winchester 400 in his first try since Ryan Lawler did so in his first and only start in 2007.

It was a highly competitive Winchester 400, which saw a record 18 lead changes over the course of the 400-lap race among eight drivers.  Cole Butcher and Nasse took stage wins, while Butcher led the most laps. 

Ty Majeski’s points lead has shrunk even more.  The Wisconsin driver fell out after just 26 laps due to an engine failure and finished 21, while Butcher finished second after leading the most laps and winning a stage.  Unofficially, Majeski’s lead over Butcher will be down to just 20 points going into the season finale.

The ASA STARS National Tour now heads to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway for the All American 400 on Friday-Sunday, November 3-5.  It will be the season finale for the series.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

Jim Denhamer PHOTOS


 

FIN NO DRIVER LAPS DIFF
1 22 Gio Ruggiero 400 ---
2 28 Cole Butcher 400 0.921
3 51N Stephen Nasse 400 1.170
4 2 William Sawalich 400 1.707
5 47 Dakota Stroup 400 2.634
6 66 Logan Bearden 400 4.328
7 18 Chase Burda 400 4.936
8 14 Austin Nason 400 5.202
9 51F Jake Finch 400 5.937
10 40 Jordan Miller 399 1 Lap
11 35 Jake Garcia 399 1 Lap
12 42 Jaden Cretacci 382 18 Laps
13 5D Andrik Dimyauga 379 21 Laps
14 77 Brandon Varney 376 24 Laps
15 30 Noah Gragson 346 54 Laps
16 33F Albert Francis 310 90 Laps
17 23 Billy VanMeter 294 106 Laps
18 131 Blake Rowe 291 109 Laps
19 5A Dalton Armstrong 173 227 Laps
20 69 Michael Hinde 58 342 Laps
21 91 Ty Majeski 26 374 Laps
22 3 Chris Munson 15 385 Laps
23 1 Jon Beach 13 387 Laps
24 61 Evan Varney 8 392 Laps
25 42C J.P. Crabtree DNS

 

Majeski Claims Go Fas Racing Pole Award After Rain Washes Out Qualifying

Go Fas Racing Pole Qualifying for the 52nd Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel was canceled due to rain on Saturday.  By the ASA STARS National Tour rulebook, qualifying results will be based off times from the second practice session.

By virtue of the rainout, current ASA STARS National Tour points leader Ty Majeski claimed the Go Fas Racing Pole Award for the second time this year.  His lap of 15.440 was good enough for fast time in the final practice session ahead of Cole Butcher.  He will start seventh on Sunday after the redraw.

“Chris Cater prepared us a really good racecar for us to come up here and run.  We honestly haven’t changed too much to the car, it’s mostly been just me getting acclimated to the racetrack.  It’s different than any other track I’ve been to with a Super Late Model.  I never thought we would ever be at Winchester, but here we are chasing points, it’s been fun.”

Cole Butcher and Gio Ruggiero will start on the front row for the Winchester 400.  Click here for the full starting lineup.

Saturday night’s racing with the CRA Late Model Sportsman and Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds Tour and Crown Vics has been moved to Sunday morning at 10:00am.  Here is the full revised schedule.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 WINCHESTER 400
WINCHESTER SPEEDWAY ▪ WINCHESTER, IN
ENTRY LIST
OCTOBER 15, 2023

CAR DRIVER HOMETOWN SPONSOR MAKE


1 Jon Beach Muskegon, MI Stearns M15 Garage/Extreme Indoor Kart Racing/Finish Line Seamless Gutters Toyota

2 William Sawalich Eden Prairie, MN SoundGear/Starkey Hearing/Audible/TRD Toyota

3 Chris Munson Chelsea, MI Stearns M15 Garage/Extreme Indoor Kart Racing/Finish Line Seamless Gutters Chevrolet

5 Andrik Dimayuga Mexico City, MX Comercializadora Virdi/Fivestar Racecar Bodies Toyota
 

5 Dalton Armstrong New Castle, IN TBA Toyota

14 Austin Nason Roscoe, IL Petry/Kar Korner/Hasse Builder Ford

15 Jordon Riddick Sellersburg, IN A&A Express/Jackson Technologies/Luxe Realty Group Chevrolet

18 Chase Burda Lapeer, MI Lapeer Pool & Spa/Jim Riehl Friendly Chrysler Jeep Dodge/Finish Line Auto Sales Chevrolet

22 Gio Ruggiero Seekonk, MA First Auto Group/RaceChoice.com/TRD Toyota

23 Billy VanMeter Indianapolis, IN Mastin & Cain Warehousing Chevrolet

28 Cole Butcher Mooresville, NC Atlantic Tiltload/9D Creative Toyota

30 Noah Gragson Las Vegas, NV Kasey Jones Racing/Ap Race Engines Chevrolet

33 Albert Francis Painesville, OH Habco Tool & Development/Legan Trucking/Roberts Roofing Chevrolet

33 Dustin Smith Mobile, AL Smith Scrap Metal/River Dan/Johnnys RV Chevrolet

35 Jake Garcia Monroe, GA Fr8 Auction/Wilwood Disc Brakes/RaceChoice.com Chevrolet

40 Jordan Miller Mocksville, NC Drop Tine Archery/Millers Auto Body/Amsoil Toyota

42 Jaden Cretacci Walkerton, IN Preferred Warranties/Community Wide Federal Credit Union/R&B Car Company Chevrolet

42 JP Crabtree Muncie, IN JJC Excavating/Jim's Automotive Chevrolet

47 Dakota Stroup Owensboro, KY Time DC Toyota

51 Jake Finch Lynn Haven, FL Phoenix Construction/PFC Brakes Chevrolet

51 Stephen Nasse Pinellas Park, FL Mitch Smith Auto/All American Concrete/Cook Electric Chevrolet

66 Logan Bearden Leander, TX Parker Electric/Bearden Automotive/All in Designs Ford

77 Brandon Varney Richmond, MI Bulldog Racing/VanDoorn Racing Development/Bassett Chevrolet

69 Michael Hinde Hernando, FL Mike Scott Plumbing/Brembo Brakes/Hamke Racecars Toyota

91 Ty Majeski Neenah, WI IncredibleBank/Hub Luxury Coach Insurance/I-Racing Chevrolet

131 Blake Rowe Ortonville, MI R&D Racing Ford
 

26 Cars Entered as of Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 4:30pm

 

 

 

Grace and Damon Become 'New Stars' with CRA Friday Night Wins at Winchester

 


 Koty Geyer

Winchester, IN - Helping kick off the 52nd Winchester 400 weekend on Friday night the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Powered by JEGS and the CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS hosted the 20-lap New Star races for drivers who have not finished in the top five at Winchester Speedway in 2023 or posted a podium finish going back to 2008. A nearly full field of Late Model Sportsman and nearly a dozen competitive Street Stocks signed up for the New Star events to cap off the Friday night racing.


 

The Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman New Star race was the first to the race track with 13 cars taking the green flag. Early, it appeared as though 2022 Series champion, Keegan Sobilo would be the driver to beat opening up an early and healthy advantage. That all changed when the fast qualifier from earlier in the day, Isaac Ross reeled in the leader inside of five to go. An apparent lose racecar was keeping Ross from getting the best of Sobilo. However, with two to go, Ross’ car settled in and he was ready to battle for the lead with the white flag in the air. 


 

On the exit of turn two, Ross got a run to Sobilo’s inside. Going into turn three, Sobilo tried to defend the inside line causing he and Ross to tangle through turn three and four. Sobilo’s car spun and backed into the outside wall while Ross spun to the bottom of the track. The mix up handed the lead over to Chris Munson’s No.3 car.


 

Munson jumped the gun on the first attempt at a green-white-checkered restart, reracking the field once again. A more even restart gave Shawn Grace the edge going into turn one and he took the lead on the outside down the backstretch. Munson’s best effort wasn’t enough to get back to Grace who held on for the win. Munson settled for second while Steve Stacy completed the podium.


 

For the CRA Street Stocks, Duane Damon and Bobby Komer led the field to the green flag with fast qualifier Ricky LaDuke closely in tow. Damon, however, could not be touched in the 20-lap showdown. With no slowdowns in the race, Komer simply couldn’t get close enough to mount a pass on Damon. 


 

The CRA Late Model Sportsman and CRA Street Stocks return to competition today (Saturday) for the conclusion of their regular season. Caleb Reschar, Logan Huckeba, and Greg Stilwell, Jr are in a tight points battle for the Vore’s Late Model Sportsman Championship, while Dalton Conner will try to fend off Andrew Teepe for the CRA Street Stock title. Then, the 52nd Running of the Winchester 400 will be Sunday at 2:00 PM ET.


 

For more information on Champion Racing Association or the Winchester 400 weekend, log onto www.CRA-Racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on Twitter.

 

Burda Finishes Championship Season With Another Winchester Win in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour


 

Winchester, IN - As the checkered flag fell on Friday night at Winchester Speedway for the Chevrolet Performance 100 for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance, the curtain also closed on the 2023 campaign for the JEGS Tour; a season largely controlled by Lapeer, Michigan’s Chase Burda. The former CRA Junior Late Model Champion went from collecting his first career Pro Late Model win to his first career Pro Late Model Championship all in the same season. Plus, two wins at Winchester to help seal the deal.


 

After setting fast time in group qualifying, Burda rolled from the grid in the fourth spot behind Dylan Stovall and Kevin Cremonesi. Cremonesi jumped out the early lead, pacing the field for the first six rotations before Burda put his No.18 car to the point. Following Burda to the front of the field was the fifth place starting Michael Hinde, the very driver who battled with Burda during the World Stock Car Festival in September. 


 

The pair spent the rest of the race at the front of the field with the real battle going on for third between Cremonesi and Barrett Polhemus. They led the forward charge to be in the top five with James Krueger and Stovall in tow as well. The first and only caution of the Chevrolet Performance 100 came as a competition caution after the first 50 consecutive green flag laps. Very few drivers elected to come down pit road to make adjustments which left Hinde and Burda to battle it out once again for another Winchester win.


 

Burda settled back into a roughly one-second advantage over Hinde, a time stamp that rarely changed throughout the course of the race. Burda held on to go back-to-back this season at Winchester Speedway. Burda’s win is the fourth of the season, tying him with Brian Campbell for second on the Most Wins in a Single Season list. Daniel Hemrick won an unprecedented 8 of 14 in 2012.


 

Burda was also officially crowned the 2023 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Champion. He’ll be recognized and awarded during the Champion Racing Association Awards Banquet in January 2024.


 

The 52nd Winchester 400 weekend continues today (Saturday) with the conclusion of the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Powered by JEGS and CRA Street Stock Powered by JEGS season. Plus, ASA STARS National Tour Practice and Qualifying, Midwest Modifieds Tour Run for the Gun 50, and Crown Vics. Then, the 52nd Running of the Winchester 400 is Sunday at 2:00 PM ET.


 

For more information on Champion Racing Association or the Winchester 400 weekend, log onto www.CRA-Racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on Twitter.

 

 

 

What You Need To Know Before You Go to the Winchester 400

Winchester, IN (October 12) – Time for some things you need to know before you attend the ASA STARS National Tour Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel at Winchester Speedway.

What: 52nd Winchester 400

When: Friday-Sunday, October 13-15

Where: Winchester Speedway
2656 IN-32, Winchester, IN 47394
(765)584-9701
www.winchesterinspeedway.com

Who: ASA STARS National Tour and ASA/CRA Super Series (Combo Event)
plus JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, CRA Late Model Sportsman, CRA Street Stocks, Midwest Modified Tour, Vore’s Compact Touring Series, and Crown Vics.

Winchester Speedway will host the penultimate race of the inaugural ASA STARS National Tour season on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400.

The Super Late Models will practice and have GoFas Pole Qualifying on Saturday, with Sunday being reserved for the race itself.  A $1,000 bonus will be up for grabs for the fast qualifier and championship points to the top five qualifiers.

Champions will be crowned in all divisions except for the Crown Vics over the course of the weekend.  The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and Vore’s Compact Touring Series will have their championship races Friday, while the CRA Late Model Sportsman and CRA Street Stocks will have their New Stars features.  Saturday night will see the CRA Late Model Sportsman, CRA Street Stocks, Midwest Modified Tour and Crown Vics have their races.

 

Click here for the full weekend schedule.

 

Tickets: Tickets are available at the track or by calling the track office at (765)584-9701.

General Admission Friday: $25 (Adults), $15 (Kids 12-15), kids under 12 are free.
Reserved Friday: $35
General Admission Saturday: $25 (Adults), $15 (Kids 12-15), kids under 12 are free.
Reserved Saturday: $30
General Admission Sunday: $30 (Adults), $20 (Kids 12-15), kids under 12 are free.
Reserved Sunday: $35
General Admission Three-day: $65 (Adults), $40 (Kids 12-15), kids under 12 are free.
Reserved Three-day: $80

Parking: Parking is FREE on track grounds for the weekend.  Additional parking will be available at the Kritch Family Farms all weekend for a $5 donation each day, with all proceeds going to local non-profit groups.

Camping: Limited camping spots are still available.  No hookups.  Call the track office at (765)584-9701 to reserve a spot.

Coolers: Not permitted.

How to Watch:

Can’t make it in person? The event will be broadcasted on three platforms: TrackTV.com; Midwesttour.tv and Racing America. Subscribers to any of these streaming services can purchase an annual package to catch all the ASA STARS National Tour events at a discount. Subscribers can also get a race-by race discount. For more info, please visit starsnationaltour.com/watch

Friday and Saturday night’s racing action will be live on Racing America for subscribers.

The Winchester 400 will also be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on MAVTV on Monday, October 26 at 8:00pm ET.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

Winchester 400 History Part No.3 – The Champion Racing Association

The Winchester 400 is one of the most prestigious races in all of short track racing, going back to 1970 when the event was first run at Winchester Speedway.
Today, we look at the second of a three-part series on the history of the Winchester 400.

Part No.3 – Champion Racing Association History at the Winchester 400

After being contested as a NASCAR All Pro Series event from 1992-1998, the Champion Racing Association (CRA) took over sanctioning in 1999 for what was at the time a one-off.  What’s now called the ASA/CRA Super Series started in 1997 with eight races at Anderson, Salem, Winchester and Indianapolis Raceway Park.  By 1999, the series schedule had more than doubled and expanded to other tracks in the state of Indiana.

The first CRA-sanctioned Winchester 400 took place on September 26, 1999.  Defending series champion Brian Rievley dominated the race, leading 188 laps before an accident took him out of the race with 21 laps to go.  The lead then went to Brian Ross, who went on to win the race over younger brother Scott Ross, who was driving the winner’s backup car after a last-second decision to run the event.  It was the second time a pair of brothers finished 1-2 in the Winchester 400.

While the series made appearances at the half-mile every year from then until 2003, CRA wouldn’t sanction the Winchester 400 again until 2003.  For the first time since 1980, the race wasn’t called the Winchester 400, instead being named the Car Brite 400.  In one of the most competitive Winchester 400’s in history, Bobby Parsley walked off a series championship by beating Scott Hantz and winning the race.  Eleven drivers led laps that afternoon, with no driver leading more than 68.

After a two-year hiatus, the Winchester 400 returned in 2006 with CRA’s sanctioning, which has continued to this day.  After finishing runner-up in both the race and series championship in 2003, Hantz came back three years later and won the biggest race of his career and his second series championship in the process.  Augie Grill was second, followed by that year’s points runner-up Tommy St.John.  That was the last Winchester 400 that saw only the winner on the lead lap.

The 2007 race saw a southern invader in Ryan Lawler make the trek north and win the Winchester 400 in his first and only attempt in the race over Johnny VanDoorn, another driver that was making his debut in the event.  Former NASCAR driver Brian Scott led 225 laps that afternoon, but his day would end with 66 to go after an accident.

Two NASCAR Cup Series drivers entered the Winchester 400 in 2008 and proceeded to steal the show.  Both David Stremme and Kyle Busch missed qualifying due to their race at Charlotte Motor Speedway the previous night – Stremme started at the tail of the 36-car field while Kyle Busch started 20th after Ryan Lawler qualified his car.  The two found themselves up front late, as Stremme stole the lead from Busch on pit road late and held off the future two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion over the final 75 laps to win the race.

The 2009 Winchester 400 was kicked off with Denny Hamlin’s crew chief Chris Gabehart ripping a lap of 14.935 in qualifying, a track record that stands to this day and will probably never be touched.  Busch was back for retribution and found it, leading 246 laps and winning the race.  However, he had to work for it late – he passed local favorite Terry Fisher Jr with 23 to go and held off him and Brian Rievley in the final laps.

History would be made in 2010 as another future NASCAR Cup Series champion picked up his first Winchester rifle.  A then 16-year-old Chase Elliott took the lead with 43 laps to go to become the youngest winner in Winchester 400 history.  That year’s series champion Johnny VanDoorn was runner-up for the second time, followed by Chuck Barnes Jr.

2011 series champion Derrick Griffin was on his way to his first-career Super Late Model win in that year’s Winchester 400 after leading 262 laps on the day, but a late caution changed plans with five laps to go.  In the ultimate heist, Boris Jurkovic took the lead from Griffin on the final restart and ran with the rifle back to Illinois a Winchester 400 winner.

Perhaps the greatest finish in the history of the Winchester 400 took place in 2012, except that it didn’t count.  14-year-old Kyle Benjamin passed Ross Kenseth in the final corner and won the race in a photo finish.  However, it would be taken away from him in post-race tech after he was disqualified for an improper rev limiter.  The win would go to Kenseth is what was the only race to be decided in post-race tech.

The 2013 Winchester 400 featured 14 lead changes between seven drivers.  Ten months following his breakthrough win at the Snowball Derby, Erik Jones piloted the Kyle Busch Motorsports No.51 to his first Winchester 400 win.  It didn’t come without a furious challenge from 2010 winner Chase Elliott, as the two battled through lapped traffic in the final laps.

The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver became the first driver to win the Winchester 400 three years in a row since Mike Cope from 1993-1995.  Jones had to hold off another challenge in final laps of the 2014 race, this time from that year’s series champion Travis Braden.  The 2015 race didn’t feature nearly as exciting of a finish, beating Cody Coughlin to the line by 1.67 seconds for a third-straight triumph in the event.

With zero former winners in the 2016 race, a first-time Winchester 400 was guaranteed.  Travis Braden led just one lap – the final one.  The West Virginia driver took the lead from Eddie VanMeter in turns one and two of the final lap and went on to win the race.  VanMeter let his displeasure with Braden over how he was raced known with a love tap while the winner was doing victory burnouts.

The 2017 race saw future NASCAR stars aplenty competing on the high banks.  It was two of said stars – Noah Gragson and Chandler Smith – battling it out late before a third future star - Harrison Burton – stole the lead from both of them on a restart with 24 to go.  However, the wheel studs broke on Burton’s machine with seven to go, allowing Gragson to go by and take the win for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Smith found himself on the short end of a late battle again in 2018.  This time, it was to Florida driver Jeff Choquette, who was making just his second Winchester 400 start and first since 2012.  The two battled it out side-by-side over the final 30-plus laps, with Choquette getting the edge at the line by just over a tenth.

The most dominating run in Winchester 400 history took place in 2019.  Stephen Nasse took the lead from Travis Braden on lap eight and proceeded to lead the rest of the race.  His 392 laps led is a single-race record for the Winchester 400, and second-most in a single Super Late Model race all-time.

From one dominating performance in 2019 to another one in 2020; this time it was Carson Hocevar winning the Winchester 400 in just his second try at 17 years old.  The Michigan native led 342 laps for the win ahead of fellow Wolverine State driver Kyle Crump and 2019 winner Nasse.

The final laps of the 2021 race was filled with late-race drama.  Ohio veteran Jack Smith held the lead late on pit strategy when the field was bunched up for a late restart.  Smith and Wilson Motorsports driver Sammy Smith were racing for the win on the final lap when contact between the two sent Jack Smith into the wall in three and four.  Sammy Smith was forced to the tail of the lead lap (which had him in fourth), but he took the lead on the ensuing green-white-checkered after Jake Garcia hit the wall in one and the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver went on to win anyway after leading 154 laps.

Stephen Nasse won his second Winchester 400 last year, with this one coming under vastly different circumstances than his first in 2019.  Despite leading the most laps with 133, Nasse recovered from two flat tires and spin, made up a lap, and passed Garcia with 35 to go for his second win.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

“The Postman” Added to Winchester 400 Broadcast Sunday

The Motor Racing Network (MRN)’s Steve Post will join the broadcast for the 52nd Running of the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel on Sunday, October 15, patrolling the pits for ASA’s return to the half-mile.

The Pennsylvania native started his announcing career at Penn Can Speedway before making the move to North Carolina to carve out a full-time career in motorsports.  He joined MRN in 2003 and has been a pit reporter for MRN’s NASCAR coverage for 20 years.  Along with his MRN duties, he is also the PA announcer for the Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the host of Winged Nation, covering Sprint Car racing on MAVTV.

With an annual schedule that takes him to racetracks all around the country for various disciplines, the Winchester 400 has always been a race on Post’s bucket list.  When the opportunity to be a part of the broadcast for the crown jewel came to be, it became an easy decision to attend his first Winchester 400.

“I go to a lot of races with my MRN stuff and with Winged Nation.  Last year, I went to 160 races, which is a personal high.  I got to the end of last year and said I don’t want to go to 160 races, but I want to go to some big events,” said Post.  “When the MRN NASCAR schedule came out I started plugging in big events I could attend.  For the Winchester 400, which was on that list, worked for this weekend.  I went all summer long thinking okay, I’m going to get a marquee bucket list race in this fall with the Winchester 400.  It’s been on the calendar in pencil since the beginning of the year.

“When the opportunity to be on the broadcast came, then it became a no-brainer because not only to be a part of such a historical event, but to be able to share the excitement of this special event and the history of this race and the winners of this race.  To be able to be a part of telling the story of this race and ultimately at the end of the day stand there in victory lane with a driver whose life has been changed by winning the races makes this a fantastic weekend.” 

It'll be Post’s first time at Winchester Speedway, adding the Indiana half-mile to his list while also attending races in North Carolina and West Virginia on his way out to the Midwest.  Winchester will be his 238th track visited, and he’s looking forward to his first Winchester 400 experience.

“I cannot wait to get up there.  I’ve never been to the track before.  I can’t wait to see the place, I can’t wait to feel the vibe, feel the excitement, feel the energy, and I can’t wait to see who manages this grueling race best and change their career by winning one of the crown jewels of Super Late Model racing.”  

The Winchester 400 will be broadcasted live on Sunday, October 15 on RacingAmerica.TV, MidwestTour.TV and TrackTV.com; with a tape-delayed broadcast set for Monday, October 23 at 8:00pm ET on MAVTV.  Friday and Saturday’s racing action will be live on Racing America for subscribers.  Go to https://starsnationaltour.com/watch/ for more information.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

 

Butcher Set For Second Winchester 400 Start

Current ASA STARS National Tour points runner-up Cole Butcher will be making his second appearance at the Winchester 400 this weekend.

The Canadian sits second in the series standings with two races left, 63 points behind Ty Majeski.  Butcher has a win in the Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway along with five top-fives and just one finish outside the top-ten.  Additionally, his 126 stage points are the second-most in the series behind Majeski.

Away from the ASA STARS National Tour, he won his second-straight Oxford 250 in Maine back in August.  He’s also won a CARS Tour Pro Late Model race at Hickory and two PASS National races at Hickory on the same day.

Butcher made his debut in the Winchester 400 last year, leading 79 laps and spending a majority of the race in the top-five before a freak occurrence knocked him out of the race.  The left rear snout broke and sent the tire flying off the car in turn four before he hit the wall on lap 311.  Still, he finished the race in ninth.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

 

Cretacci Honoring Crew Chief, Former Winchester 400 Winner With Throwback Scheme

 

Jaden Cretacci has had 1999 Winchester 400 winner and former USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series champion Brian Ross as a crew chief ever since he started racing as a kid.  So it’s only fitting that the Walkerton, IN native makes his ASA STARS National Tour debut at the Winchester 400 donning a throwback scheme from his crew chief’s Pro Cup days.

Cretacci and Ross a fixture in the Outlaw Super Late Model ranks in Northern Indiana, where he’s a former South Bend Motor Speedway track champion.  He also finished second in the Summer Sizzler at New Paris Speedway back in August.

He is looking forward to getting the chance to run a Brian Ross scheme at a race where he’s a former winner at.

“He’s helped us out a lot on the cars setup-wise and helping put cars back together when we have unfortunate incidents.  He’s been super great to work with, super helpful,” said Cretacci.  “He teaches me and helps me on setups to make the car work better.”

“He’s been with us since I started, so like 12 years.  I’m excited to get to do a little tribute to him.”

With most tracks in the area Cretacci calls home being quarter-miles and 3/8ths miles and relatively flat, the half-mile Winchester Speedway presents a completely different challenge with its 37 degrees of banking.

That doesn’t even mention how different a Late Model drives with an Outlaw body compared to a Template body.  He has Template Late Model experience as a past JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Rookie of the Year and in the Sportsman ranks around his home, and the difference with how the two drive is something that still has him surprised.

“With an Outlaw you can sail it super deep into the corners since there’s so much downforce, but the Template cars you have to back up the corners a little bit.  At Plymouth (Motor Speedway) I run a Sportsman template there and it’s a huge difference with how you drive the cars.  It’s insane how different you have to drive the cars and handle them to get them through the corner.”

The Winchester 400 was the only Template-bodied Super Late Model race Cretacci contested last year, and it will be the same for him in 2023.  He explains why he makes the Winchester 400 an annual event.

“It’s how prestigious it is.  We haven’t done the best with our (Template) Super Late Model yet but I think we’ve found some more speed in it.  Winchester’s probably my all-time favorite track, I love the high banks and how close you can get to the wall and how fast it is up there.  The load through the corners make that place a blast to run at.”

Cretacci will get a chance to make laps around Winchester in a test session before the weekend starts.  He believes he and Ross are starting to find speed they’ve been missing with the car, and if the session goes well his hopes will be high for next Sunday’s race.

“We have testing on Wednesday or Thursday and we’re hoping to find speed in the car.  That’s been our biggest struggle, we can’t find speed anywhere.  We took it down to New Smyrna and the whole rear clip ripped out of the car from the load over there.  That’s our big goal, and if we do hopefully we can finish the race and get a top-five with it.”

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 


 

 

The expected entry list for the 52nd Running of the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel has been released.

Leading off the list of entries is none other than defending Winchester 400 champion Stephen Nasse. Fresh off his first Super Late Model win of the year at Five Flags Speedway in September, the Florida driver heads to Winchester with Anthony Campi Racing for their second race together as Nasse searches for his third Winchester rifle.
The only other former winner entered is NASCAR national series driver Noah Gragson. He joins Rette Jones Racing for his third start of the year with the series and his first Winchester 400 appearance since his win in 2017.

ASA STARS National Tour points leader Ty Majeski is making his long-awaited debut in the Winchester 400 as he looks to close out on the inaugural series title. He is joined by championship competitors Cole Butcher and Gio Ruggiero, and past Winchester Speedway Super Late Model winners William Sawalich and Dalton Armstrong.

The full entry list can be found here.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

Winchester 400 History Part No.2 – The NASCAR All Pro Series

The Winchester 400 is one of the most prestigious races in all of short track racing, going back to 1970 when the event was first run at Winchester Speedway.

Today, we look at the second of a three-part series on the history of the Winchester 400.

 

Part No.2 – All-Pro History at the Winchester 400

The NASCAR All Pro Series took over sanctioning of the Winchester 400 in 1992, its second year of existence.  The tour mainly raced in the Southeast, but trekked north for races at tracks like Winchester, Salem, and Milwaukee.  The first All Pro-sanctioned Winchester 400 also brought Featherlite Trailers on as a title sponsor.

While the 1992 race was the first under All Pro sanctioning, it was two ASA stars stealing the show.  Former winner Butch Miller missed the driver’s meeting after winning the ARTGO race at Toledo Speedway the night before and had to start at the tail of the field.  He worked his way to the lead and led 111 laps on the day, but came up just three car-lengths short at the checkered. 

It would be future three-time ARCA Menards Series champion Tim Steele taking the win.  He dominated the race, leading 216 laps from a front row starting position, but he had to hold off a late charge from Miller in the final laps.  The race also featured up-and-coming open-wheel star Jeff Gordon in his only Super Late Model start.  He was a NASCAR Busch Grand National Series regular at the time and would contest his rookie NASCAR Cup Series season a year later, and the rest is history.

Mike Cope would take over the Winchester 400, winning three straight races from 1993-1995.  The Florida driver’s first win in 1993 came after leading 219 laps and beating eventual series champion Jody Ridley to the checkered flag.  He led the most laps once again in 1994 from the second starting spot, but it took him passing polesitter Toby Porter with five laps to go and holding off Scot Walters in a green-white-checkered finish on his way to the series championship. 

It was the same story all over again in 1995 for Cope, leading 164 laps and winning his third-straight Winchester 400 over Hal Goodson and Dillon Motor Speedway promoter Ron Barfield Jr, becoming the first driver since Mark Martin in 1984-1985 to win consecutive Winchester 400’s and the first since Bob Senneker in 1974-1978 to win three straight races.

Track owner Roger Holdeman passed away in February 1996, and the race became known as the Featherlite Trailers/Roger Holdeman Memorial Winchester 400 from 1996-1998.  Mike Cope came just one spot away from winning a fourth-straight Winchester 400 in ’96, finishing second to 1994 runner-up Scot Walters, who scored his first-career win in the marquee event.

The 1997 Winchester 400 was all Hank Parker Jr.  He started fourth and led 268 laps to take the win over Fury Racecars’ Jeff Fultz and NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Mike Harmon.  Parker took the lead from Wayne Anderson with 53 to go and the Florida driver wrecked five laps later, allowing Parker to go unchallenged the rest of the way.

1998 was the final year of the Winchester 400 under All Pro sanctioning.  Five different drivers led over 50 laps, with no driver leading more than 102.  That driver would be 21 year old Derrick Gilchrist, who led the final 102 laps for the biggest win of his career over now-ASA STARS National Tour Competition Director Freddie Query.

Part three of the history of the Winchester 400 will look into the Champion Racing Association (CRA) and their sanctioning of the event, starting in 1999 and going to the present day.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com.  Be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

 

Ruggiero Looking to Make History at Winchester 400

Gio Ruggiero will have a chance to do something that no other driver has done before at the Winchester 400.

The Massachusetts teenager won the ASA Southern Super Series title by just 25 points, and is now closing in on the ASA/CRA Super Series title.  He holds a 109-point lead in the standings going into next weekend’s Winchester 400, the season finale for the Champion Racing Association.  With a total of 110 points up for grabs in every CRA race, Ruggiero is all but certain to be crowned ASA/CRA Super Series champion barring anything catastrophic taking place before the green flag.

He would become the first driver to win CRA and Southern Super Series championships in the same year.  Former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric is the only driver with championships with both sanctioning bodies, winning the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour title in 2012 before becoming the inaugural Southern Super Series champion in 2013.

With the success of his Southern Super Series championship and potential ASA/CRA Super Series title to go along with an ASA STARS National Tour win at Hickory Motor Speedway and a CRA win at Salem Speedway, one might find it surprising to hear that this is Ruggiero’s rookie season in a Super Late Model.  He jumped onto the scene in Pro Late Model competition in 2022, winning the Show Me The Money Series title at Montgomery Motor Speedway with Anthony Campi Racing.  He also made three Super Late Model starts last season, which included a second-place run at the All American 400 and a Snowball Derby appearance in his first race with Wilson Motorsports.

Ruggiero made the jump over to Super Late Model racing full-time, joining Wilson Motorsports for a run at championships with the ASA STARS National Tour, ASA/CRA Super Series and ASA Southern Super Series.  He sits third in the ASA STARS standings with his win at Hickory, having passed NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron in the final corner to take his first Super Late Model win.

He now heads to Winchester Speedway with a second championship looming.  He appeared to be on his way to the win at the half-mile during the ASA/CRA Super Series race on Labor Day weekend, but a flat tire ended his race with just eight laps to go while leading.  He finished third in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race during Winchester 400 weekend last year after setting fast time in qualifying.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com.  Be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

NASCAR Truck Series Driver Returns to Winchester With Unfinished Business

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie Jake Garcia has taken a liking to the Winchester 400 recently, having given himself a chance to win the marquee Super Late Model event each of the last two years. However, he still searches for his first rifle after two near-misses.

Coming to a green-white-checkers finish in 2021, The Georgia driver made contact with the turn one wall while leading. The contact relegated him to a fourth place finish in the 50th Winchester 400. Last year, Garcia led 77 laps but was passed for the lead by Stephen Nasse with 34 to go and would finish fourth yet again.

As he makes his ASA STARS National Tour debut on Sunday, October 15, he hopes the third time will be the charm.

“I feel like we’ve been pretty close to winning that one the past couple years. It takes a lot to have it all come together in that race because it’s so long,” said Garcia. “I’m excited for it; it’s one of my favorite racetracks and I’m looking forward to being back in the Late Model.”

Garcia’s focus has been on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he has a pair of top-five finishes in his rookie year with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. He’s only made three starts in a Super Late Model in 2023, but he’s made the best of each opportunity – finishing third at CRA SpeedFest at Crisp Motorsports Park before winning the North/South Super Late Model Challenge at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and a Southern Super Series race at Crisp.

While he is satisfied with the direction his Super Late Model program is heading, he admits that very little of it can transfer to 400 laps around Winchester Speedway.

“In terms of Late Model racing, the year’s gone very well. We’ve ran three races total and finished third at SpeedFest and two wins. We’ve made a lot of steps in the right direction with our program and hopefully we can continue to improve on it but Winchester’s a lot different than most other tracks we go to. I’m not sure if Nashville or Cordele will be a very good indication of how our car will be at Winchester but it’s given us the confidence to go in and hopefully continue the streak.”

While he hasn’t spent much time behind the wheel of a Late Model, he’s still been very involved with the team and crew chief Ricky Turner when 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott has competed in various Super Late Model events. His family team has also fielded a car for fellow Georgia driver Seth Christensen for Pro Late Model races around the Southeast, winning the Alabama 200 at Montgomery Motor Speedway in just the teenager’s second start in a full-sized car.

“Helping out Seth (Christensen) has been great. He’s been learning every race and has been getting better. I’ve been really happy to work with Seth and help him get his feet wet in Late Models. It’s good to have different drivers in our cars because they all give different feedback and it’s all helpful to Ricky in improving our cars.”

As his attention turns towards the Winchester 400 and the remainder of “big race season” on the Super Late Model side, Garcia looks to keep his winning streak going in a race that has eluded him the past two years.

“It’s one of the crown jewels of Late Model racing so it would definitely be a big win. We’ve been so close and showed so much speed over the past couple years, I’m just excited to have a better shot at it.”

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com.  Be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

Winchester Speedway HoldS Rich History of Racing

 

The Winchester Speedway is one of the oldest continuously-operating racetracks in the world.  For over 100 years, motorsports’ best drivers have taken to the high-banked half-mile, leaving fans in awe while racing wheel-to-wheel.

The track first opened in 1916 as a dirt track under the name of Funk’s Speedway, named after the track’s first owner Frank Funk.  The banking in the corners have been as high as 45 degrees before settling on the current 37 degree banking that exists today.

Winchester was a staple on the AAA Big Car Series in its early days, a precursor to what is now the NTT IndyCar Series.  As open-wheel sanctioning transitioned from AAA to USAC, many of open-wheel racing’s best took to the high-banks to prove themselves.  Past Indianapolis 500 winners Troy Ruttman, Gordon Johncock, and Johnny Rutherford all won at Winchester before finding success at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series made their one and only appearance in 1950, the second year of the series.  Buckie Sager dominated the race, but it was Lloyd Moore beating out Sager and that season’s champion Bill Rexford for his only Cup Series win.

Pete Wales owned the track from 1960-1970; and it was during that time that Winchester was paved for the first time.  Roger Holdeman purchased the facility in 1970 and brought the first 400-lap Late Model race to Winchester.  Over 50 years later, the Winchester 400 is regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious Super Late Model races.

Winchester was under the national spotlight for many years as part of ESPN’s Thursday Night Thunder program, showcasing the various USAC national series’ live to a national audience.  Thursday Night Thunder helped launch the likes of Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon to superstardom.

Stock car racing also has a steep history at the half-mile.  The ASA National Tour has contested 51 races at Winchester, more than any other track.  The ARCA Menards Series, USAR Hooter’s Pro Cup Series, and the Champion Racing Association (CRA) have also made Winchester a staple on their schedules.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

gary St. Amant Named 52nd Winchester 400 Grand Marshal

 

WINCHESTER, IN (Oct. 1) – Veteran Gary St. Amant will be a busy man during this year’s 52nd running of the famed Winchester 400 presented by Vores Welding & Steel. In addition to being crew chief for rising star Albert Francis, St. Amant has been named as this year’s Grand Marshal of the historic event.

With this year’s 400 edition seeing a return of the ASA branding, it is only fitting that St. Amant will give the legendary “drivers, start your engines” command on Sunday, October 15. It was under the American Speed Association banner that the Columbus, Ohio driver gained much success, including two series titles (1998, 2000) and a pair of Winchester 400 wins (2000, 2002).

His colorful driving career, which began around the short tracks of Ohio, included a brief foray into NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Hooters Pro Cup series.

Although no longer actively driving, the popular speedster remains actively involved within the sport. He has served as crew chief and mentor to many rising stars including Landon Cassill, Cody Coughlin, Travis Braden and more. This year he is working with the Riddick team.

Race fans will have the opportunity to hear from Gary during a Saturday afternoon meet and greet session and again on Sunday prior to the race start. To commemorate the day, Gary’s admirers are encouraged to wear vintage St. Amant swag. The Rumble in Fort Wayne will award $50 to one lucky St. Amant fan prior to the start of Sunday’s 400.

The Winchester 400 presented by Vores Welding & Steel is a busy 3-day race fest. It kicks off Friday (Oct. 13) with main events for the Vores Compact Touring Series, JEGS/CRA All Stars Tour, CRA Late Model Sportsman New Stars and CRA Street Stock New Stars. Qualifying for Sunday’s 400 race headlines Saturday along with main events for the Midwest Modified Tour, Crown Vics, CRA Late Model Sportsman and CRA Street Stocks. It all wraps up on Sunday as the ASA/CRA Super Series challenges the revered high banks for 400 laps.

Tickets for the weekend are available by calling the speedway office (765) 584-9701. Additional information may be found on the track’s website www.winchesterinspeedway.com.

 

 

ARCA East Champion Returns to ASA STARS National Tour for Winchester 400

Koty Geyer

Recently crowned ARCA Menards Series East champion William Sawalich returns to the Wilson Motorsports stable for the 52nd Running of the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel.

The Minnesota teenager made the jump to ARCA with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023 and won four of the eight ARCA East races and the series title in his first year in a full-bodied stock car.  He’s also won two ARCA National races at Berlin Raceway and the Milwaukee Mile.  Additionally, has has three top-tens in five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts.

Sawalich has two previous starts with the ASA STARS National Tour, coming at North Wilkesboro and Milwaukee.  His best finish came at the Mile when he finished fifth.  While his Super Late Model starts have been limited in 2023 due to his ARCA duties, he did score two wins during the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway, including in the Orange Blossom 100 at the end of the week when he outdueled Bubba Pollard in the final laps.

Even at the age of just 16, Sawalich already has two wins at Winchester Speedway.  He passed Michael Hinde with eight to go to win the ASA/CRA Super Series race at the World Stock Car Festival on Labor Day weekend in 2022, then backed it up with a JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour win during Winchester 400 weekend after passing newly-crowned series champion Chase Burda with five to go.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

Entry Form Released for Chevrolet Performance 100 at Winchester Speedway
 

Nashville, TN - Officials with Champion Racing Association (CRA) have released the entry form for the Chevrolet Performance 100 for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance. The event is the final points-paying race of the 2023 season for the JEGS Tour, and although the Series’ 2023 Champion has already been crowned, a chance to win at Winchester remains on the table for the gladiators of the CRA Pro Late Model division. 
 

In the Tour’s last visit to Winchester Speedway, fans were treated to an intense contest that saw multiple pockets of side-by-side racing. At the front, Chase Burda, Brandon Varney, and Michael Hinde were engaged in a tussle that lasted nearly the entire 100 lap race. Varney was forced to fall from the fight after heavy contact with the outside wall. That left Burda and Hinde to settle the debate over who would win at Winchester. The final restart inside of 10 to go would decide the fate of each driver, with Burda completing a last-lap pass to retake the lead and earn the win.

 Entry Form

 Elsewhere, drivers like Evan Varney, JP Crabtree, Dylan Stovall and others were left to struggle over who would finish inside of the top five. Crabtree and Stovall event came together at one point in the race bringing out the caution flag. Both were able to continue and picked up right where they left off.

The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour returns to Winchester Speedway on Friday, October 13th as the headlining event to kick off the weekend of the 52nd Winchester 400. A one-day event for JEGS Tour teams, two practice sessions will take place on Friday, totaling one hour and fifteen minutes. Drivers who are also planning to pull double duty with the ASA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS and the ASA STARS National Tour on Sunday will also be able to focus solely on their Pro Late Model program Friday, as Super Late Models will not see the track until Saturday morning.

Along with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Chevrolet Performance 100, the Vore’s Compact Touring Series will also be on hand Friday for a combined 50 laps of racing between their B4 Series and their main event. Also on Friday’s card is the New Star races for the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Powered by JEGS and the CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS. The 20 lap New Star contests will feature drivers or teams that have not had a top-five feature finish in 2023 at Winchester or a top-three feature finish at Winchester in their respective divisions or higher, going back to 2008.

For more information on the 52nd Winchester 400 weekend, the Chevrolet Performance 100 for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, or the other CRA Divisions, log onto www.CRA-Racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on Twitter.

 

 

Winchester 400 History Part No.1 – ASA’s History in the Storied Race

The Winchester 400 is one of the most prestigious races in all of short track racing, going back to 1970 when the event was first run at Winchester Speedway.

Today, we look at the first of a three-part series on the history of the Winchester 400.

 

Part No.1 – ASA History at the Winchester 400

While the ASA National Tour wasn’t officially formed until 1973, founder Rex Robbins was promoting races under the ASA banner going as far back as 1965.  The inaugural Dri-Power 400 was contested in 1970 under that banner.

Dave Sorg led 301 laps to become the first-ever Winchester 400 winner over Irv Janey and John Sommerville.  The race took 3:10 to complete, with Sorg winning the race by five laps.  To compare, the 2022 Winchester 400 took 3:20 to go from green to checkered and five cars finished on the lead lap.

The second Winchester 400 went to Denny Miles by eight laps over Carl Sommers and Les Snow.  The 1971 race saw more parity, with both Miles and Ron North leading over 100 laps.  One year later, Sorg came back and won his second Winchester 400 over Sommerville and Tom Maier, leading 202 laps and winning by a lap.

The 1973 Winchester 400 was the first under the ASA National Tour banner, as the series was crowning their inaugural champion.  The race saw the likes of Tom Reffner and Mike Eddy contest the race, but it would be Vern Shrock taking the win after leading the final 107 laps.  Schrock arrived at Winchester without a ride, but would end up in Dave Wall’s machine after the Missouri driver was a no-show.  Inaugural Winchester 400 winner Dave Sorg would become the inaugural ASA National Tour champion.

The most dominating stretch in Winchester 400 history would then take place as ASA’s winningest driver Bob Senneker would win the race five years in a row – in his first five starts in the race.  He made up five laps in 1974 and took his first ASA win over five-time NASCAR Weekly Racing Series National Champion Larry Phillips, then led 250 laps to win the 1975 race by five laps over Art Sommers and Randy Sweet. 

In 1976, he beat brother Terry Senneker Sr. for his third-straight Winchester 400 win, the first of two times a pair of brothers finished first and second.  He took the lead from Dave Roahrig with seven to go to win in 1977, the first time more than one driver completed all 400 laps.  The next year, he held off race dominator Mike Eddy for his fifth-straight win in the event.

Senneker was on his way to a potential sixth-straight win in 1979, but an accident with 64 to go knocked him out of the race.  It would open up the door for Don Gregory, who would go on to win the race over Ray Young and Mike Eddy.  Young would finish second again in 1980, as Terry Senneker pulled off the upset and won his only ASA National Tour race in the Winchester 400.

The 1981 race was the first under the Winchester 400 name after 11 races as the Dri-Power 400.  After several close calls, “The Polar Bear” Mike Eddy spanked the field, leading 334 laps and beating defending winner Terry Senneker by a lap.  He dominated again in 1982, leading 274 laps before an accident with 75 to go ended his race.  Future NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace led the final 75 laps and won his only Winchester 400.

Eddy found redemption a year later, leading 287 laps and beating Butch Miller and Jim Sauter for his second win.  Bob Senneker won his sixth race in 1984 over Mark Martin and Dick Trickle, as the three and Miller all finished on the lead lap.  After his runner-up in ’84, Martin returned in 1985 and led 188 laps for his first of two consecutive Winchester 400 wins over Harold Fair.  He won again in 1986 after leading just 63 laps, and was off to NASCAR soon after that.

Butch Miller was on his way to winning the 1987 ASA title when he won the Winchester 400 that year over Bob Senneker and Fair.  He led 276 laps from the pole, one of just three driver to lead laps that day.  Past NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ted Musgrave led 321 laps and won his first-career ASA race in the 1988 Winchester 400.

Miller would come back and win his second Winchester 400 in three years ahead of defending winner Musgrave and Tony Raines.  16 years after his first win, Bob Senneker would win his seventh and final Winchester 400 in 1990 by less than a second over Scott Hansen and Glenn Allen Jr.  One year after his third-place result, Allen came back to Winchester and won the Winchester 400 over Jay Sauter.  Allen started 10th and led 163 laps for his second-career ASA win.

The Winchester 400 would be sanctioned by the NASCAR All-Pro Series and CRA for the next eight years before ASA sanctioning returned for a three-year stint starting in 2000.  No driver led more than 85 laps in a hotly-contested return to the Winchester 400.  Gary St.Amant held off Tim Sauter in the final laps and won his first Winchester 400 and locked up the ASA title in the process.

The 2001 race saw another barnburner in the final laps as Joey Clanton held off three-time race winner Mike Cope by two-tenths of a second to take his only win in the event.  Cope and David Stremme both led over 100 laps, but it was Clanton leading the final 68 laps. 

ASA’s final appearance to date at the Winchester 400 was as much about the race as it was the championship battle between Gary St.Amant and Joey Clanton.  St.Amant won the race while Clanton fell to fourth after a spin with just over 50 laps to go.  However, Clanton would be the recipient of the best of fortune, as Kyle Busch fell out of the race with less than ten laps to go after a loose hood pin damaged the left rear wheel of his machine.  Clanton got by the future NASCAR Cup Series champion for third and beat St.Amant for the ASA title by one point.

Part two of the history of the Winchester 400 will look into the brief history of the NASCAR All-Pro Series and their sanctioning of the event in the 1990’s.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

 

Winchester 400 Weekend Hourly Schedule Released

ASA STARS National Tour/ASA CRA Super Series and Winchester Speedway officials have released the detailed hourly schedule for the 52nd Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel weekend.

While racing will start Friday night with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and Vore’s Compact Touring Series championship features, the ASA STARS National Tour will not see the track until Saturday morning. Super Late Models will get two one-hour sessions at 11:30am ET and 1:00 before Go Fas Pole Qualifying for the Winchester 400 at 4:15. The CRA Late Model Sportsman and Street Stocks, Midwest Modified Tour and Thunder Roadsters will have their championship races on Saturday night.

The ASA STARS National Tour driver’s meeting on Sunday will be at 10:15am, with an autograph session set for 12:30. Pre-race ceremonies will begin at 1:30, with the Winchester 400 set to go green at 2:00. The entire weekend will be broadcasted live on RacingAmerica.TV, while Sunday’s Winchester 400 will also be live on MidwestTour.TV and TrackTV.com

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SCHEDULE

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

Big Payout For Winchester 400! 

The 52nd Running of the Winchester 400 will boast a total cash purse of $104,500, plus series contingency awards.

The Winchester 400 winner is guaranteed a $20,000 payday, with an additional potential of $14,500 in track and series bonus money available. The potential $34,500 payday makes the Winchester 400 one of the richest pavement Late Model events of the year.

A combination of series awards and special awards offered by the track provide the potential for the big payday, including $1,000 bonuses for the GoFas Pole Award and for winning each of the first two stages of the Winchester 400. Track awards include $6,000 in lap leader bonuses, a $2,000 bonus to the highest finishing Winchester 400 rookie, $1,500 awards for highest finishing crate motored car and top traveling non-regular/non-race winner.

Click here for the Winchester 400 entry blank. For more information about the 52nd Winchester 400, please visit www.starsnationaltour.com.

The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding and Steel. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track office at (765)584-9701 during office hours.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

 

 

Winchester 400 Up Next – Entry Blank Posted

The ASA STARS National Tour returns to action on Sunday, October 15 at Winchester Speedway for the 52nd running of the Winchester 400. The entry blank for one of Super Late Model racing’s biggest races is now available.

The series will get just under a month off between Toledo and Winchester, with series championships being decided for the ASA Southern Super Series and ASA Midwest Tour in that time.  The Winchester 400 will once again decide the 2023 ASA/CRA Super Series champion.

The Winchester 400 was first contested in 1970, a race won by Dave Sorg.  Bob Senneker has the most Winchester 400 wins with seven, while other drivers like Mike Eddy, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Butch Miller, Gary St.Amant, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones and Noah Gragson have also claimed wins.  Stephen Nasse is the defending Winchester 400 winner.

More ASA-sanctioned races have been held at Winchester than at any other tracks.  A total of 51 ASA races were held at the half-mile from 1973 to the final ASA-sanctioned Winchester 400 in 2002.

ENTRY BLANK

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Jesse Love is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in Glass City 200 on September 16.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

ASA STARS National Tour
The ASA STARS National Tour debuted in March of 2023 for Super Late Model racing in America. Announced last October, many of the best drivers in America will compete in the ten-race national tour with a minimum $100,000 point fund. The championship team will be guaranteed $25,000.

The ASA STARS National Tour is made up of three races from each of the regional pavement Super Late Model Series under the Track Enterprises banner; the ASA CRA Super Series, the ASA Midwest Tour and the ASA Southern Super Series.

The Team Construction Winner’s Circle program has been announced as a part of the ASA STARS National Tour for licensed drivers/teams with perfect attendance. The program provides additional financial incentives to those teams who support the Series, thanks to Team Construction.

Track Enterprises, a Racing Promotions Company based in Illinois, will operate the ASA STARS National Tour. It announced the acquisition of the CRA sanctioning body in January and followed that up with the purchase of the Midwest Tour in July. In October, Track Enterprises President, Bob Sargent announced a partnership with the Southern Super Series which set the table for the formation of the ASA STARS National Tour.

 
 

 

     

 

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