Author: Garth Griswold

OFFICIAL: CROWN JEWEL RACING POSTPONES SRX INVITATIONAL

CJR Officials announced today that the Thursday Night Thunder SRX Invitational has been postponed until further notice due to “Market Factors.” The Mini Series was set to kick off tonight at Stafford Speedway and run a 4 week long season in the midst of the Summer Olympic break. CJR CEO Cory Mott made the executive decision to postpone the series and hopefully reschedule it for the off-season.

“It is with deep disappointment that we announce the postponement of the Thursday Night Thunder SRX Invitational Series. We had high anticipation and great excitement for this series and the drivers that we invited to race in it. Our expectations, however, have been tempered by market factors that have proven to be to much to overcome.”

Cory Mott, CJR CEO

The CJR ARCA Series will be back in action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday night with racing beginning at 8 P.M. EST.

INDIANAPOLIS: Avila Dominates Opening Night of the VRS Truck Series, Wins Three in a Row

VRS Truck Series at Indianapolis Recap
The Crown Jewel Racing League kicked off its inaugural season with the Virtual Racing School (VRS) at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The 200-lap race was action-packed and featured more cautions than there are potholes on an interstate. But in a night filled with fresh faces, one driver looked familiar in victory lane. Johnny Avila captured his third consecutive VRS Truck Series win, reminding everyone that he’s still the man to beat.

During the qualifying session, as the sun set in the West, the new Sheriff in town Johnny Avila and his Deputy Cody Porter took control of the front row. They led for most of the race, covering 179 out of 205 laps. Porter took the lead early on and led 57 of the 58 laps to win Stage 1, with Avila coming in 2nd, and Nishil Condoor taking 3rd in the caution-filled stage. The fans were enjoying the race, but were eager for some green flag racing as 28 of the 58 stage laps were completed under the yellow flag.

On Lap 22, #25 Jim Mott loses control as #88 Connor Wold tries to squeeze by making contact with the #4 of Tyler Krawczyk.

“I tried to dodge Jim Mott and got spun around and luckily I got spun straight and didn’t get any head damage from the incident.”

Connor Wold #88 Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet

During the stage caution, William Ransone chose not to pit and instead took the lead to lead the field at the start of Stage 2. As the stage commenced, Ransone engaged in a heated battle for the lead with Porter. Unfortunately, their intense competition led to contact in Turn 3, causing Porter’s car to spin out.

Ransone and Porter made contact here on Lap 64 causing Porter to get loose and spin around.
Porter would make his way back into the Top 10 by lap 100.

Stage 2 would get the early cautions out of the way and go green for the 2nd half to finally appease the fans for some green flag racing. Avila would take the Stage 2 win on Lap 120, with #82 Nathan Campbell in 2nd, and Condoor bringing home another 3rd place stage finish.

“Cory must have got the track workers to spray some caution be gone on the track cause this is some GREEN FLAG RACING.”

Cody Leach Season Ticket Holder

The green flag runs would continue into Stage 3 and would have some great green flag racing until Lap 167. Corey Schramm making his first start in the VRS Truck Series, was making his way to the front a little to fast and punted myself into the outside wall. Campbell was also involved in the incident sending all three to pit road to get repairs.

#00 Garth Griswold gets sent around after a bump from #84 Corey Schramm into Turn 1.

“It was an accident and those happen on short tracks. The same thing happened to me with 3 to go when I just clipped the outside corner of Kallhoff and sent him around. Hopefully we all understand these accidents happen on the short tracks.”

Garth Griswold #00 Lane Frost Chevrolet

It would be a caution filled final 20 laps with 3 different cautions. The final caution would come on lap 198 when Henry Kallhoff would get a push from Griswold and send Kallhoff around. The caution would send the race into overtime for a Green-White-Checkered Finish.

Avila would take green flag and run away with the lead on the green flag fighting off Porter, he would come around and take the white flag just before wrecks would start behind him. The race would stay green and Avila would come around to take the checkered flag and secure his third straight win.

The VRS Truck Series will be taking a break next week and will resume on August 5th at Rockingham Speedway. There are five races left in the regular season, and it looks like both Porter and Avila will have secured playoff spots, which will make the lead-up to the playoffs quite interesting. It will also be intriguing to see if Mike Burnett, who has been absent for the last few weeks, will make a comeback for the playoffs and attempt to regain his early season dominance.

For all of your sim-racing needs be sure to go checkout our sponsor Virtual Racing School for your sim-racing setups, coaching, and sim racing equipment. Don’t miss out on the Circuit Cup Series Crown Jewel race at the Brickyard 400. Racing action will begin at 8 P.M. EST and will be streamed by Mr. Christian Delgado and recasted to the Crown Jewel Racing Network.

The VRS® platform is a comprehensive online learning platform specifically built for sim racers. It includes a modern cloud-based app service which automatically uploads your telemetry into cloud storage and performs additional processing of your telemetry to make analysis easier and more powerful. Our tools track useful statistics and trends and have a number of collaboration features such as teams, data packs, and 1:1 coaching. We partner with some of the world’s best sim racers to give you weekly driving and setup tutorials, setups, ghost files, and driving comparisons.

PENALTY REPORT UPDATE: VILLANO APPEAL GRANTED-PENALTY DISMISSED

BREAKING NEWS: Crown Jewel Officials announced that penalties issued to the #34 Thomas Villano have been rescinded after a lengthy appeal hearing this afternoon. Villano will be allowed to race next week at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.

The jury made up of Ray Gill, Kristopher Burnham, and Cody Porter voted in a 2-1 favor that the incident involving Villano and Nathaniel Campbell under caution wasn’t intentional or reckless. CJR Official Gordon Fraley was stunned by the decision.

“I’m highly disappointed in the appeals panel ruling, the integrity of the sport is at an all time low.”

Gordon Fraley, Race Control Director

Villano who was a visibly different person in the courtroom had this to say.

“For the sake of everyone, I will try and clean it up in all honesty. I’ll be more rational, and will try not to yell at the members of the league anymore.”

Thomas Villano #34 Independant Driver

Villano was issued the black flag during the Pocono race for a stop and hold penalty and finished the race in 23rd. The Circuit Cup Series will resume next Wednesday night in Indianapolis for the Crown Jewel Race Brickyard 400. Let’s hope the drivers accept the jury’s decision and don’t attempt to take justice into their own hands.

OFFICIAL: FMS GRANTS PARDON-VASQUEZ STAYS PUT FOR NOW

During a brief press conference held this morning in the Pocono Raceway Media room, Factory Motorsport Team Owner Stephen Menke delivered a concise statement regarding his driver Nic Vasquez, who is presently serving a suspension. Vasquez will not participate in this week’s Tickle Me Triangle 225 due to his involvement in an incident with race victor Thomas Wolfe during the Chicago Street Course Race.

Speculation within the garage last week suggested that Vasquez’s career might be over, with Menke growing weary of the negative attention drawn by Vasquez and the underwhelming involvement of #38 Zander Short. Known for his concise communication, Menke had the following to say.

“Nic Vasquez’s actions during the Grant Park 150 in Chicago do not represent the values and integrity of our team. We are hopeful Nic will learn and grow from this and become a better driver, teammate, and ambassador moving forward. The driver of the #22 FMS ford will be back next week at the Brickyard. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go find Zander and drag him back here to the track, and hopefully we make it back in time for the race.”

Stephen Menke, Owner Factory Motorsports

The Tickle Me Triangle 225 kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. EST and will be broadcasted live on the Crown Jewel Racing Network.

OFFICIAL: RAINOUT AT CHARLOTTE

Unfortunately, the Crown Jewel race has been rained out. The race officials tried to get it in, but it started to pour during the practice session. Race officials had to make a difficult decision, as they were up against a network scheduling deadline. Crown Jewel CEO Cory Mott ultimately decided to postpone the race until next Tuesday, July 23rd. Anyone who brings their ticket stub from tonight will get free admission.

POCONO: AVILA CONQUERS TRICKY TRIANGLE

The Sportsman Truck Series traveled to Long Pond, Pennsylvania, to tackle 175 miles at the “Tricky Triangle” of Pocono Raceway. In the end, 175 miles wasn’t enough as some late cautions brought an exciting green-white-checkered finish. Johnny Avila emerged victorious and secured his second win in a row.

Pete Morales had the fastest time during the practice session but couldn’t manage a clean lap in qualifying, forcing him to start from the back in 25th place. Cody Porter secured the pole position with a time of 54.339, while Johnny Avila joined him on the front row with a time of 54.357. Both Porter and Avila, racing out of the Outlier Speed Company Shop, had their trucks perfectly tuned for the start of the race.

Porter took the green flag, but Avila captured the first of five lead changes on lap one and maintained the lead throughout the first stage. The first stage ended on lap 13 due to a caution issued for a collision between #66 Bill Martin and #28 Jonathan Leger out of Turn 3. Martin slid and made a frightening contact with the pit road entry wall. Fortunately, Martin was cleared from the Infield Care Center with no injuries.

“I feel like I just got hit by Mike Tyson. Leger and I were just fighting over real estate and that set off the fireworks. Looking forward to getting back in the #66 Eddie Van Halen Truck next week at Indianapolis.”

Bill Martin #66 Chevrolet

Porter regained the lead off pit road and maintained it throughout Stage 2, which ended on lap 29 due to a caution caused by the #55 Cameron Romano colliding with the Turn 3 wall. This corner proved treacherous for many drivers, as several crashed into the wall while trying to accelerate too early. Romano’s truck was taken to the garage, and he finished in 25th place.

Stage 3 went green for just one lap before a major wreck on lap 34 brought out the caution. The crash involved Matthew Owens, Thomas Villano, Henry Kallhoff, Ray Gill, and Michael Deitch, all of whom had to head to pit road for repairs. This incident triggered a wave of pit stops, with several drivers pitting for fuel in hopes of making it to the end if the race continued under green.

Oskar Jensen took the lead from Porter following a green flag restart after a caution on lap 40 caused by Nishil Condoor spinning into the inside wall out of Turn 1. Porter regained control on lap 64, just before Nishil spun again out of Turn 2, leading to the fifth caution of the night and setting the stage for an exciting finish.

CAUTIONS BREED CAUTIONS

Most of the field pitted for tires and fuel, aiming for a natural green-white-checkered finish. However, some drivers who had pitted earlier around the Lap 34 caution stayed out. Tyler Krawczyk led the field on 36-lap-old tires, with Haden Higginbotham, Ryan Taft, and Jonathan Leger behind him on 25-30 lap-old tires. Garth Griswold restarted 5th on 9-lap-old tires, trying to fend off the pack of fresh tires behind him.

Krawczyk got a big jump on the green flag with Higginbotham trailing. They led the pack around the track out of Turn 3 when chaos broke out behind them before they could cross the line for the white flag. Leger took a push from Connor Wold coming out of the turn, causing Leger to go headfirst into the outside wall before going airborne. As everyone took evasive maneuvers, Pete Morales’s Space X Ford commenced takeoff after hitting the pit road wall entrance, ruining what he had hoped to be a successful day after having the fastest car in practice.

Krawczyk once again led the field to green on the first restart of overtime. Higginbotham took the outside, while Avila and Jensen stacked up behind them after navigating through the field and avoiding the chaos out of Turn 3. Avila and Krawczyk went side by side until Avila took the lead coming out of Turn 3 and grabbed the white flag. Krawczyk fell back to 6th before making contact with Zack Saunders, causing him to lose control and spin out coming out of Turn 2. Avila took the checkered flag to remain unbeaten in the Sportsman Series, with his teammate Oskar Jensen finishing second and Nishil Condoor securing third.

Rumors around the garage were that a big change is coming soon to the Sportsman Truck Series and should be announced before next week’s green flag drop at Indianapolis Raceway Park!

Click here to check out the Sportsman Truck Series playoff battles and standings here.

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DRIVER NEWS: VASQUEZ BREAKS SILENCE ON SUSPENSION

Suspended driver Nic Vasquez driver of the Factory Motorsport #22 Ford issued the following statement today regarding his actions during the Chicago Street race that led to him being suspended for this week’s race at Pocono.

“I am extremely disappointed in my actions, and I have let down not only my team but my sponsors and crew guys of the #22 FMS Ford. Moving forward I am trying to change my on-track actions and I will NOT give up on this team that I and so many others have worked so hard for. I have an obligation and a duty to go out there and put the #22 FMS Ford in contention to win races and I have that deep fire and drive to win. The road ahead will not be easy but it’s certainly do-able and something I will work very hard at. I am super grateful to have amazing guys at Factory Motorsports who believe in me and push me to be better. With that being said I am here to win and show that I belong.”

Nic Vasquez

Stephen Menke the owner of Factory Motorsports did not respond to questions directly related to Vasquez’s status as a member of the team. Menke stated that FMS will be holding a press conference tomorrow at 11am EST but did not disclose what the press conference is for.

OFFICIAL: MAKING ARCA GREAT AGAIN

Crown Jewel Officials have announced changes to the Crown Jewel ARCA Series. After being sighted at multiple tracks across the country this weekend testing the Generation 6 (GEN 6) Cup Car. Crown Jewel Officials have announced that the ARCA series will move forward with the mid-season change over to the GEN 6 with a 90 KG weight addition and a 5% power reduction. Officials announced this change will take effect immediately causing car owners to scramble with paint scheme changes for next week’s race at Phoenix Raceway on July 21st.

“I have really been communicating with Crown Jewel Officials and pushing for them to make this change happen. I hope these changes will make a positive impact and keep the ARCA Series around for the foreseeable future.”

Thomas Villano #1 Chevrolet ARCA Series Driver

REPORT: HAS THE DRIVER CAROUSEL STARTED TO SPIN?

It’s that time of year when team owners grow tired of excuses, poor performance, and bad behavior. Their patience only lasts so long before they decide enough is enough and make changes to see who will finish out the remaining races of the season.

The rumor mill is in full swing, with grumblings heard across the league, and this week’s penalty report hasn’t helped slow it down. Factory Motorsports is at the top of the list, with their Public Relations team working hard to put out fires. Will Nic Vasquez return as the driver of the #22 Factory Motorsports Ford once his suspension is over, or will team owner Stephen Menke give a lesser-experienced driver the reins for the rest of the year?

The team is also dealing with Zander Short’s absence from the Cup League. Reports suggest he has been seen in numerous clubs in the early hours of the morning. Let’s hope Factory Motorsports isn’t facing a Johnny Manziel situation in the garage. Factory Motorsports said they will not be issuing any comments at this time.

Mike Burnett and Kris Burnham did not make it to Chicago for the street race. The Backroad Bandit’s Racing Teams social media page showcased the #39 Sears Chevrolet paint scheme earlier in the day, ready to go, but the hauler must have gotten stuck in traffic on the backroads of Chicago. A request for comment was not returned at the time this article was published.

Word on the street is that Moonshine Motorsports will be looking to add at least one more driver for next season. Potential drivers for that spot could be Paul Maziere, Jonathan Leger, or Thomas Villano, all of whom sit within the Top 25 of the seasons point standings and remain independent drivers in the league.

Connor Wold, the defending MCRL Cup Series Champion, has been unable to race since Phoenix this year due to scheduling conflicts with his employer. Will Top Tier keep his seat warm, waiting for his return, or will they kick him to the curb before next season to try to improve in the team point standings?

CHICAGO: Wolfe Triumphs Against All Odds to Secure Second Victory

CHICAGO- Thomas Wolfe arrived on the streets of Chicago with determination, following skepticism about his road course skills earlier in the week. As soon as he settled into the cockpit of his #94 RYCO Performance Chevrolet, he was resolute in his aim to dominate.

Despite only two of the four Backroad Bandit Racing Team drivers making it to Chicago, they managed to secure the front row for the 110 Mile race sponsored by the Bryan A. Leach Foundation. Wolfe demonstrated his speed and prowess by taking the pole position with a time of 1:28.116, and his teammate Zack Saunders followed closely, qualifying second with a time of 1:29.429.

Wolfe took the green flag and immediately pulled away, leaving the field trailing with a ten-second lead in just the first four laps. Race favorite Zack Saunders encountered trouble on lap four, failing to slow his car sufficiently before entering Turn 6 and colliding with the concrete barrier, resulting in significant damage to the right front. Saunders returned to the pits, falling several laps behind and dashing his hopes for consecutive victories on the road courses.

#91 Zack Saunders nails the concrete barrier on lap 4 essentially ruining his race.

By the 10th lap, Thomas Wolfe had increased his lead to 28 seconds. However, navigating through a field of lapped cars, many with front-end damage, posed a new challenge. On the 12th lap, Wolfe and Nic Vasquez were involved in multiple incidents, beginning in Turn 1 where Vasquez, braking too late, collided with Wolfe, sending him into the Turn 1 wall. Despite the damage, which resulted in a “meatball” black flag for Wolfe, he maintained pace and caught up to Vasquez in the chicane between turns 9 and 10. Attempting a pass, Vasquez made contact with Wolfe, causing Wolfe to spin. Penalties have been issued for this incident and you can view the penalty report here.

Cody Porter seized the lead while Wolfe was receiving repairs, ultimately securing the Stage 1 victory. Starting from the 20th position, Steven Carlile navigated through the chaos to finish 4th in Stage 1. During the stage caution, most of the field pitted, with Menke emerging in the lead off pit road to begin Stage 2. However, Menke’s advantage was brief as he and Oskar Jensen collided into the Turn 1 wall, prompting the first and only full course caution.

Cory Mott took the lead after the caution and maintained it to win Stage 2, marking his third stage victory of the year. However, he would not secure the overall race win, as he spun out after Turn 1 on the restart. Steven Carlile then took the lead, only to be overtaken by Cody Porter. Porter’s lead was brief, as Crown Jewel Officials penalized him with a drive-through for changing lanes on the restart before reaching the start/finish line.

“I am going to battle Steven (Carlile) hard for this win, but at the end of the day if I don’t win this, I am rooting for him to win.”

Cory Mott #1 Top Tier Chevrolet

Carlile has held a strong position in the season’s point standings, yet a victory remains elusive. Securing 2nd place in every road course race this year, Carlile was on the cusp of a win. As lap 40 began, Carlile had a 10-second lead, but Wolfe, now in 2nd place, was closing in fast, targeting Carlile and the lead. On Lap 41, Wolfe clocked his fastest lap at 1:28.181, nearly 4 seconds quicker than Carlile’s. With only five laps remaining, Carlile approached Turn 2 too quickly, hit the wall, and Wolfe seized the opportunity to take the lead, his first since Lap 12.

#94 Thomas Wolfe retakes the lead with 5 to go from #7 Steven Carlile.

Wolfe secured his second victory of the regular season at the Grant Park 110, affirming his status as one of the premier road course racers in the Crown Jewel Racing League. Carlile, once again, finished in second place, falling prey to Wolfe’s prowess. Following the race, Carlile made the following statement.

” I am not to torn up about it since Wolfe was the fastest driver out there and deserved to win but coming up 2nd again on a road course (for the 3rd time) is a bit frustrating. In the end the only thing we can do is to get ourselves in a position to have a chance each week, then avoid the mistakes.”

Steven Carlile #7 +MVT Racing Chevrolet

With 6 races to go, the playoff battle is really heating up for those final playoff spots. Check out the playoff standings to see which drivers are desperate for that first win next week in Long Pond, Pennsylvania for the HighPoint.com 225 at Pocono Raceway.