Author: Garth Griswold

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.

PENALTY REPORT UPDATE: VASQUEZ APPEAL DENIED

Following the issuance of the Penalty Report earlier today, Nic Vasquez lodged an appeal with Crown Jewel Racing, arguing that the penalty given (a one-race suspension, a deduction of 10 playoff points, and a six-race probation) was excessively harsh for the cited infractions. The appeal was entered into the Crown Jewel Racing judicial system, and three drivers from the series were randomly chosen using a number generator to serve as jurors. The selected jurors for this appeal were Caleb “The Uberman” Tipton, Jim “The Papa” Mott, and Joe “Donut Joe” Wright. Henry Kalhoff was initially picked but was excused due to a lack of response.

Both parties presented their arguments and the existing evidence. Vasquez suggested modifying the penalty to a one-race suspension and a 10-week probation. After reviewing the evidence, all jurors deliberated to reach a verdict.

By a vote of 2-1, the jurors upheld the original penalty of a one-race suspension, six-race probation, and the forfeiture of 10 playoff points. Consequently, the appeal was rejected, and the initial penalty remains in effect. This marks Vasquez’s second penalty of the season.

OFFICIAL: Romano Signs Contract Extension with WRL

Cameron Romano has secured his seat for the 2025 Crown Jewel Cup Series season per a recent press release from WRL Racing. Cameron Romano will be retiring the #55 Ford Mustang Darkhorse in favor of the #67 Toyota Camry TRD in 2025 for WRL Racing.

Official Press Release:

Cameron Romano currently sits 27th in the Circuit Cup Series standings with 0 top 5s and 3 top 10s. Earning only a dismal 21 stage points throughout the course of the season and an average running position of 18.6. The veteran Crown Jewel driver will look to have a turn-around season in 2025 with new support from their alliance with TRD and Top Tier.

STATS: Cameron Romano – CCS 2024

CHICAGO: Avila Steals the Win from Porter at Chicagoland

Johnny Avila takes the win from Cody Porter on a G/W/C Finish.

It was a beautiful Monday evening at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois to turn 134 laps to kick off Split #3 of the Sportsman Truck Series. Johnny Avila led 103 out of the 134 laps and won both stages, securing his second victory of the year.

Mike Burnett took the pole and would lead the first lap before Avila would take the reins and lead until a caution would come out on lap 13 due to Jonthan Leger getting into the wall in Turn 2 which caused him to collide with Robert Fraley and unfortunately myself.

A caution for Pete Morales spinning into the infield collecting Haden Higginbotham on the way would wind up being the last caution in the stage on lap 19. Matthew Owens, Sam Bennett, Allen Phillips and Nathaniel Campbell would try to mix things up by pitting in hopes to gain some positions after the stage. The first stage would end on lap 30 with Avila bringing home the stage win.

The early pit strategy from Sam Bennett would put him in the lead to begin stage two, but he quickly fell back in the field as Avila and Cody Porter would make their way back to the front by lap 37. Avila, Porter, and Zach Saunders would battle throughout stage 2 towards the front with some exciting side by side racing. Porter would give Avila a run for his money but was unable to capture the lead for the stage. Avila would take Stage 1 winning the stage by .044 of a second.

“Jim Mott told me to pit early, and if this restart doesn’t work out everyone should blame him.”

Sam Bennett #47 Top Tier Chevrolet

Avila, Porter, and Saunders would lead the pack into the final stage continuing their battle from Stage 2 until a caution flew on lap 71 which would set the trend for the rest of the race. From Lap 71 until the finish, 6 more cautions would keep the field bunched up and racing tight. Mike Burnett the pole sitter was involved in a caution on lap 77 with Oskar Jensen would move Burnett towards the rear of field. Burnett came into the race with the fastest truck, but it wasn’t fast enough to outrun the turmoil that was chasing him. Burnett would be involved in another incident on Lap 96 with Robert Fraley causing Burnett to take the truck to the garage.

Mike Burnett’s night ended after this collision with Robert Fraley. Burnett would finish with a disappointing 26th place finish.

Pete Morales worked his way back towards the front after the early spin in the race and was able to get back to 11th before an atrocious wreck on the front stretch on lap 102 involving Morales, Higginbotham, Aiden Schramm, and Ryan Taft. Morales sustained heavy damage after going airborne. He was cleared from the Infield Care Center, but the #95 Space-X Ford suffered fatal damage and will need a complete tear down and rebuild before next week’s race at Pocono.

This horrifying crash ended Pete Morales night with a 25th place finish.

A late caution with 5 to go involving Nathaniel Campbell would create for a thrilling Green, White, Checkered finish. Porter would lead them to the green flag and hold onto the lead to take the white flag, but Avila took the low line into turn one to take the lead and held off Porter for the win.

“I just like good, clean, close racing for the win.

It makes the racing fun which is why I joined the Crown Jewel Racing League.”

Johnny Avila #63 Xpress Esports Toyota

The Sportsmans Truck Series will travel to “The Tricky Triangle” of Pocono in Long Pond, Pennsylvania next Monday night July 15th.

If you are interested in racing come join us in our discord at https://discord.gg/cjracing

CHICAGO: Truck Series Split #3 – Who Will Come Out on Top?

The Sportsman Truck Series is kicking off Split #3 on Monday night at Chicagoland Speedway, and the excitement is building. With just 8 races to go, this split will decide the last 6 drivers for the playoffs.

Who is Locked-In

Zach Saunders, Mike Burnett, and Nishil Condoor clinched their spots in Split #1, and Cory Mott, Henry Kalhoff, and John Connor locked their spots last week in Nashville to conclude Split #2. Everyone else is racing to fill the last 3 spots in Split #3 and the 3 wildcard spots based on overall standings.

Who is on the Bubble

Drivers like Jim Mott, Thomas Villano, Ryan Taft, and Connor Wold are currently on the outside looking in for a playoff spot. They will need to get off to a hot start on Monday at Chicagoland Speedway.

MORE: Truck Series Playoff Picture

“The next two tracks are a couple of my favorite to run and I feel like I have a decent possibility of making a run for the playoffs”

Ryan Taft, #86 Indy Auto Sport Chevrolet Silverado

Menke Missing in Action


Stephen Menke who finished tied for 3rd in Split #1, but lost the tie breaker and the locked in playoff spot to Mike Burnett. Is looking to rebound in Split #3 after finishing 19th in Split #2. Menke who is currently ranked 6th in points missed several races in Split #2 and that trend could continue in the Truck Series into Split #3.

“It has been a busy couple of months on the farm. I don’t plan on missing any more cup races now that things have calmed down, but I don’t think I will have the time to be able to run both series full time. I will catch a truck race here and there, but my main focus is on the Cup Series.”

Stephen Menke – Factory Motorsports #6 Ford F150

Tune in on Monday night to see who can start off the leg of Split #3 and find their way to Victory Lane at Chicagoland Speedway in Joilet, Illinois. Racing will begin at 8:30 EST and as always streamed on the Crown Jewel Racing Network. Click the link to start watching https://www.twitch.tv/crownjewelrn.

CHICAGO: CCS Racing on the Wet Streets of Chicago

The upcoming Circuit Cup Series (CCS) race at the Chicago Street Course promises 50 laps of thrilling bumper-to-bumper racing on the vibrant streets of Chicago. With the playoffs around the corner, a race win on the Chicago Streets can hold the golden ticket for some drivers, guaranteeing their spot and leading to some exciting racing.

This will be the first time the Crown Jewel Racing League has visited the Chicago Street Course in the Next Gen Stock Car. These street roads are fast and bumpy, and with the narrow walls in some portions, chaos can ensue in a hurry. Drivers will need to maintain pace while keeping their cars out of the walls to come away with a win.

Zack Saunders ran away with the win at the last road course in Sonoma, with Steven Carlile finishing 26 seconds behind him for second place. I expect Zack Saunders to have another dominating performance in Chicago. Newcomer driver Cody Porter has made his presence known in the league with a fourth-place finish at Sonoma and a sweep at Nashville last week, winning in both the Sportsman Truck Series and CCS. Porter will be ready to capitalize on any mistakes made at the front of the pack.

#94 Thomas Wolfe getting motivated by #04 Cody Porter at Nashville

The Playoffs are looming with 7 races to go. Carlile, Cody Leach, Vince Mitchell, Caleb “The Uberman” Tipton, and Allen Phillips are in the playoffs based on points, but would love to have that race win that guarantees their spot. Nathaniel Campbell and Garth Griswold sit outside the cutline 30 points back and are hoping for some quality finishes and a little bit of luck to sneak into the playoffs. Ben Lawson and Joe Wright are behind by 76 and 85 points, and that race win might be the only thing that can save them at this point.

Don’t miss the green flag on July 10th at 8:30 PM EST to find out who can tame the streets in Chicago. As always, the race will be streamed on the Crown Jewel Racing Network at https://www.twitch.tv/crownjewelrn.