Tag: playoffs

WHAT TO WATCH: PHOENIX

The TCSP Cup Series Championship race is live tonight from Phoenix. Green Flag flies at 8pm EST.
WATCH HERE

CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR

  • Stephen Menke-FMS-FORD- Stephen secured his second win of the season with perfect timing. With a near perfect performance at Miami, in what could be called the race of the year for the TCSP. Stephen locked himself into the final four and has given himself an extra week to prepare for Phoenix. With an average running position of 10.3 all season and an 8.9 ARP on short tracks, Stephen has shown he has the ability to put up a fight to bring the championship trophy back to the FMS workshop.
  • Cory Mott-Palmetto-CHEVY- Our Regular season champion has withstood the beating of the playoffs and has scratched and clawed his way to this final four. The question is, is he and the 1 team burnt out after all this fighting or will they receive their second win and bring Palmetto and Chevy a championship before the team makes their manufacturer switch to Toyota TRD. Cory has an ARP of 7.3 on short tracks (highest out of championship 4), which could lead some of the analyst to believe He has a real shot tonight.
  • Nic Vasquez-FMS-FORD- Factory Motorsports has 2 chances in to bring the trophy home. Nic Vasquez has shown he knows how to win with 3 wins this season and making the playoffs after a very controversial ruling last week. If Nic and the 22 team have stayed focused amidst the media circus surrounding the decision and this championship race, there’s no reason he doesn’t have a shot in lifting the grand prize of a TCSP championship trophy. An ARP of 11.7 on short tracks (lowest out of the championship 4) doesn’t shine too much light on his chances tonight but after talking with representatives from the team, their focus and determination seems to be enough.
  • Thomas Wolfe-BBR-CHEVY- Thomas seemed to be our favorite coming into the championship four but without a win in the round of 8, has he lost his winning ways. Okay, let’s stop rage baiting here. Thomas is a force to be reckoned with. With an ARP of 8.6 on short tracks and 7 wins in the bag, it’s hard not to have Thomas and the 94 team as your favorite for tonight. Can he continue his quest for dominance and secure the final prize of the TCSP Cup Series championship or will we see another favorite fall in a David vs Goliath showdown.

THANK YOU!

To all viewers, sponsors, racers, broadcasters, team owners, and employees, we want to thank you for all of your support through this long season! We have had our highs and lows, controversial moments, and Cinderella stories. We can’t wait to have you all and more back next season!

Team Conit Sim Performance moves sponsorship to Xfinity Series

We want to thank Team Conti Sim Performance for continuing their support of the Crown Jewel Racing league and their sponsorship with us. They will be moving to the Xfinity Series as the TCSP Dash Series. We highly recommend taking advantage of their extensive knowledge in sim racing and to help you with the cost use CROWNJEWEL10 to receive 10% your order. https://teamconti.gg/

Season Winding Down and Playoff Battles Cranking Up In CJR

With three weeks remaining in the 2024 Crown Jewel Racing Season, the season may be winding down, but the playoff battles are heating up. Cory Mott locked himself into a chance to fight for a Championship in Phoenix in the VRS Truck Series while a non-playoff driver, Matt White, captured a win in the TCSP Cup Series. Let us dive in and recap a week of the exciting racing in the CJR League.

ARCA

Stewart Harding Walker has now won back-to-back weeks in the ARCA Series, winning at the Track Too Tough To Tame last week and winning again last night at the Milwaukee Mile. Jim Mott is still holding on to a commanding lead in the ARCA Series Season Standings and Bob Baker is trying his best to capture second place from missing ARCA Driver Thomas Villano.

VRS Truck Series

The VRS Truck Series kicked off the Round of 8 at Auto Club Speedway. Cory Mott was able to avoid the carnage right behind him on the final lap and take the checkered flag for the win. Mott is the first driver to lock himself into the Round of 4 and the opportunity to win the VRS Truck Series Championship in Phoenix. The VRS Truck Series will be back in action tonight at 8:30 EST at Homestead, and you can catch all the action on the Crown Jewel Racing Network.

Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series

The Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series and the TCSP traveled to Fabulous Las Vegas last week. Zack Saunders would take first place in the season standings with his win over Brian Messer last week. Tyler Belanger, Jacob Fifield, and Stewart Harding Walker hope to shake those standings up tomorrow night at Homestead.

Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series

Newcomer on the block Matt White took the checkered flag to stop Stephen Menke from locking himself into the Round of 4. Thomas Wolfe still maintains the top spot with +41 to the good. Menke, Cory Mott, and Nic Vasquez are still within torpedo range of the cutline drivers of Vince Mitchell, Zack Saunders, and Zach Johnson. Cody Leach, who has declared he will not be able to race in Martinsville next week due to Sponsorship obligations that could not be resolved, will almost certainly need to win on Wednesday night to keep his playoff hopes alive.

The only Incident Points assigned last week occured on Lap 163 when Nishil Condoor lost control and came up the track collecting Justin Bell, Garth Griswold, and Playoff Driver Stephen Menke.

Homestead will bring the excitement this week, so make sure everyone tunes into all the exciting action this week in the Crown Jewel Racing League.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: LAS VEGAS

The TSCP Cup Series comes to you live from Las Vegas for the South Point 302. Green flag flies at 8:15pm est. WATCH HERE

HOT DRIVERS

  • Thomas Wolfe-BBR-CHEVY- Thomas is a final four lock. 3 wins in the playoffs so far. To say he’s on fire is an understatement. With potential bracket buster for the championship, Steven Carlile, eliminated at the Roval, seems like smooth sailing for Thomas to walk home with the trophy.
  • Zach Johnson-Palmetto-CHEVY-If survive and advance was a car, it would be the number 8. For the statisticians, they have seen this run coming from a mile away. With 5 start finishes in the top 7, seems as if a win is just over the horizon.

NOT DRIVERS

  • Stephen Menke-FMS-FORD- Stephen and the 6 team have been a force to be reckoned with all season long. consistently a top 5 driver in the finish order and a stage points hog. Unfortunately, the last few races haven’t been too friendly to him. With only one top 10 in his last 4 races and a 19th place finish at the Roval due to a blown engine, the 6 team is grateful for a points reset. Let’s just hope they make the most out it.

DRIVER NEWS

  • We return to Las Vegas for the start of the round of 8 in the TCSP Cup Series playoffs. Zach Johnson is the highest finisher of the remaining playoff drivers from the spring race (7th).
  • 4 of out of the 8 remaining playoff drivers finished outside of the top 20 in the spring. Menke (21st), Leach (24th), Mott (27th), Saunders (38th).
  • Sources are saying there was a shouting match between Cody Leach and Cory Mott in the hallway on the way to drivers meeting. It is unclear on what the issue is but both parties and teammates had to be separated.
  • After an outstanding performance at the Roval, securing a stage win and a 3rd place finish on the day, Steven Carlile was eliminated from the playoffs by only 2 points.
  • Vegas is no longer the gambling capital of the world. Macau has stripped the sin city of its title.
  • There’s one slot machine for every four Las Vegas residents.
  • Las Vegas Speedway was built in 1972.
  • Zack Saunders won the Bob Henrys Xfinity Series Race last night at Las Vegas.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

THE FANS

A weekend filled with racing from Crown Jewel, and everything Vegas has to offer. Yea yea, the winner on the track comes away with a punched ticket to the championship four, but the fans are getting good fun, beautiful hotels and casinos, hot weather and racin’. So, before you head out to the track make sure you stop at your hotels sports book and just bet on your favorite driver. Stats from last race aren’t giving us much to go on. Everyone who finished in top 6 are either out of the playoffs or out of the league. Zach Johnson and Vince Mitchell are the only 2 playoff drivers who finished in the top 10 in the spring. Take a risk, take a chance and follow your heart with your bet for tonight and enjoy yourself in Viva Las Vegas.

CROWN JEWEL RACING WEEK IN REVIEW

By: Garth Griswold, CJR Media Team

Drivers in the TCSP Cup Series and VRS Truck Series Playoffs showcased their unwavering determination this week. Despite early mistakes, Cory Mott’s victory in the Truck Series and the triumphant performances of Thomas Wolfe and Jacob Fifield in the Cup and Xfinity Series proved that perseverance can overcome any odds.

VRS Truck Series

The VRS Truck Series race at the Auto Club Speedway was thrilling. The expansive two-mile track, illuminated by the stars and lights, set the stage for a fast-paced battle. The leaders, pushing hard to stay at the front, created an intense race that took several front runners out on Lap 14.

Connor Wold would get to the front and win Stages 1 and 2 before Playoff driver Cory Mott would get to the front in the final stage. Mott would survive the multiple green-white-checkered finishes to win at Auto Club Speedway and has locked himself into the Round of 4.

Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series

The Xfinity Series traveled to Charlotte Motor Speedway to take on the Roval road course. Jacob Fifield’s early mistake at the start allowed Stewart Harding Walker to win Stage 1 by .347 of a gap to Fifield. Saunders would take the lead for 9 Laps during Stage 2 from Walker before Fifield would return to the front and win Stage 2. Saunders and Fifield battled early in the final stage before Fifield ran away with it to win by a 38-second margin for back-to-back wins in Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series.

Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series

Wednesday night at the Roval tested resilience in the TCSP Cup Series Playoffs. Despite being outside looking in, Caleb Tipton, Ben Lawson, Steven Carlile, and Cory Mott refused to give up. The race, which went green through the first stage, saw all 12 playoff drivers finishing 1-12th when the green and white checkered flag waved on Lap 20. Thomas Wolfe’s win in the first stage further intensified the competition, with Ben Lawson and Steven Carlile’s Top 5 finishes in Stage 1 adding to the drama.

After the carnage was cleaned, the field returned to green, but cars started dropping like flies. Within a span of 2 laps, six cars would get black-flagged for damage. Stephen Menke’s engine would blow on Lap 29, but lucky for him, he had accumulated a significant gap in playoff points that would remain above the cutline. This threshold determines which drivers advance to the next Round of the playoffs. Vince Mitchell and Nathaniel Campbell would get involved in an incident on lap 30, which would put them laps down, something neither of them needed as they tried to stay above the cutline.

Steven Carlile refused to give up after losing power for a moment during Hurricane Milton while racing at Talladega would put his playoff dreams on the chopping block. Carlile would start the race -18 points under the cutline, but a Stage 2 win would give him life and the chance to keep his playoff dreams alive.

Carlile would lead the first few laps of the final stage before Thomas Wolfe would make his way back to the front. Wolfe would run away with it to win the race with a 28-second margin to extend his lead even further heading into the Round of 8. Carlile would finish in 3rd and get a total of 51 points for the race, but it wasn’t enough to keep the playoff hopes alive, and he would be eliminated, finishing 2 points under the cutline. Nathaniel Campbell’s playoff dreams would end by finishing 3 points back after the incident with Vince Mitchell on Lap 30.

Vince Mitchell would advance to the Round of 8, keeping his playoff dreams alive and securing the final spot. Palmetto Motorsports team owner and driver Cory Mott would take Campbell’s playoff spot to advance. Carlile, Campbell, Lawson, and Tipton’s playoff run would end at the Roval.

Next Week in the CJR

Next week in CJR League, the ARCA Series takes on the Monster Mile at Darlington Raceway on Sunday Night. The VRS Truck Series is off Monday night before resuming Round of 8 playoff action on October 28 at Homestead Speedway. The Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series and Team Conti Sim Performance Series will travel to Fabulous Las Vegas to tackle the mile-and-a-half oval. Tune into the Crown Jewel Racing Network next week to see who can beat the odds and win in Sin City.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: CHARLOTTE ROVAL

The TCSP Cup Series comes to you live from the Charlotte Roval. Green Flag flies at 8:15pm est.
WATCH HERE

HOT DRIVERS

  • Zack Saunders-BBR-CHEVY- After Zacks win at Talladega, He has clinched the number 1 spot in the season standings. With 4 top five finishes, including 2 wins in his last 5 races, it seems like Zach won’t be slowing down any time soon.
  • Nic Vasquez-FMS-FORD- Nic has put his points penalty behind him in these first 2 rounds. With only 1 finish outside of the top 10 all playoffs long(11th), Nic seems to be eyeing down phoenix as a real possibility.
  • Vince Mitchell-Uber MS-FORD- Miracles do happen. Vince has had a rough go at the playoffs but squeaked into the round of 12. Now with an amazing showing at Talladega, Vince sits somewhat comfortably in +4 points to the cut line going into the Roval, with a chance to move on further than most thought was possible.

NOT DRIVERS

  • Cory Mott-Palmetto MS-CHEVY- Cory has had a great run and many may say he’s pretty hot. Unfortunately, a wreck ending his night early at Talladega has put our regular season champion under the cut line. Sources from the team have told us the number 1 team has been putting in alot of extra practice going into tonight race to minimize any potential mistakes. Now we all wait and see if this is the end of a great season or the turnaround for Cory’s championship hopes.
  • Steven Carlile-Ethix MS-CHEVY- The 7-team seemed like a for sure pick to be in the championship 4 at phoenix in a few weeks’ time barring no mistakes. Unfortunately, those mistakes did happen. With electrical issues plaguing him at Talladega and a 18th place finish in the Kansas race, Steven finds himself 18 under the cut line and looking for a miracle tonight. Luckily for him if anyone can pull that off, he is the one who can do it.

DRIVER NEWS

  • Zack Saunders has locked himself into the next round with a photo finish win at Talladega.
  • Joe Wright tied his best finish of the season with a 2nd place finish at Talladega.
  • Regular season champion Cory Mott sits below the cut line going into tonight’s cut off race.
  • The Bank of America ROVAL was first run in 2018 with Ryan Blaney winning the inaugural race.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

Zack Saunders-BBR-FORD
When you think about road courses in the TCSP Cup Series, the first name that always comes to mind is Saunders. If you don’t have him winning, then you are delusional. Zack has won 2 out of the 4 road courses we have ran this season, with only 1 race finishing outside of the top 5(Street Course 15th). Sitting currently at +450 for a win, he has this all but sealed up before the green flag has even flown. Some other picks that seem promising are, Cody Leach +560 for a top 10, and Steven Carlile at +1200 for a win. We can make this short and sweet for future reference. If the TCSP Cup Series has a road course coming up on the schedule, Saunders will dominate.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: TALLADEGA

The TCSP Cup Series are live tonight from Talladega Superspeedway. Green Flag flies at 8:15pm est. WATCH HERE

HOT DRIVERS

  • Thomas Wolfe-BBR-CHEVY- Thomas seems like a freight train with no brakes at this point. If you don’t have him in your final four picks for the Championship, I want what you’re smoking.
  • Ben Lawson-FMS-FORD- If his top 10 finish was any other week than last week, Ben would be finding himself high above the cutline. Unfortunately, for the 3 team, 9 out of 10 cars finishing in the top 10 were all his playoff competition. Lucky for Ben the Fords have had the superspeedways in a chokehold all year. Look out for him to pull himself back above the cut.
  • ALL PLAYOFF DRIVERS– Last week at Kansas showed the fans why the current playoff drivers are the best of the best. All playoff drivers but one (Vince Mitchell) Finish in the top 11 with only Tyler Belanger separating the field. Talladega is always a crapshoot, but these drivers left fighting for a championship won’t be living on a hope and a prayer.

NOT DRIVERS

  • Vince Mitchell-Uber MS-FORD- If not for the amazing performance by all playoff drivers last week, Vince would have been able to pull a few points back instead of looking at the mountain which is getting into the next round that’s in front of him. With a 17th place finish last week and now sitting -11 to the line, Vince is looking for a miracle in the last 2 rounds left.
  • Stewart Harding Walker-Uber MS-FORD- A late addition but what seemed to be a good one in the TCSP Cup Series, Stewart has seemed to fall off a cliff after his wreck at Watkins Glen. Since The Glen, Stewart hasn’t been able to sneak into the top 20, but hopefully Talladega can turn the tide for him and the team to improve morale going into next season.

DRIVER NEWS

  • Sam Bennet will be our new permanent race control for the remainder of the playoffs.
  • All playoff drivers besides one (Vince Mitchell) finished in the top 11 last week.
  • Thomas Wolfe is locked into the round of 8 after his win at Kansas last week.
  • Keep an eye out tonight for manufacturers working together as a team to push to the front of the field.
  • Both superspeedway races in the spring were won by a Ford. With Oskar Jensen snagging the last win at Daytona in the summer for the Toyota Team.
  • Talladega is the world’s greatest, biggest (2.66 miles), steepest (33 degrees), and fastest track in NASCAR.
  • Nic Vasquez still holds the crown this season for most Superspeedway wins with 2. (Daytona and Talladega Spring races)

PLAYOFF PICTURE

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

Nic Vasquez-FMS-FORD
It’s hard to believe that Nic hasn’t won all the TCSP Cup Series superspeedway races this year. Domination is what critics would call his performances. No matter if the races were two, three, or four wide, he seems to have control of the field at all times. If it wasn’t for an unfortunate accident at the summer Daytona race, we could very well be talking about a potential superspeedway sweep this season. Nic is currently sitting at +350 with the remainder of the favorites after him all being under the Ford Motor Company umbrella. Their teamwork has shown that if you put the racing to the side and can last until the white flag flies, one of your teammates will come away with the checkered flag. Right now, Vegas is offering up a special bet with a ford podium sweep at +900, easy money folks.

What to watch for: Kansas

The TCSP Crown Jewel Cup Series are live from Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 300. Green flag flies at 8:15pm est. WATCH HERE

HOT DRIVERS

  • Cory Mott-Palmetto MS-CHEVY- Cory has fought off a possible first round exit with a huge 3rd place finish at Bristol last week. What looked like what could have been a win to add to his playoff point tally didn’t quite happen, but he is securely sitting in 3rd place, 18+ above the cut line.
  • Natheniel Campbell-Hollywood MS-CHEVY- He was on the outside looking in last week but a 2nd place finish for Natheniel has secured him a spot in the round of 12. Hopefully he can keep the good times rolling currently sitting in 12th, -6 to the cut line.
  • Stephen Menke-FMS-FORD- When you been having a season like Menke you can afford a 29th place finish in the last race of the round. Prior to that, in both playoff races Menke finished in the top 10. He has kept good form all season and with him getting his bad race out of the way at Bristol, Menke could turn this playoff field upside down here in the round of 12.

NOT DRIVERS

  • Vince Mitchell-Uber MS-FORD- After his win at Michigan, and the announcement of his move to Palmetto MS for the 2025 season, it seemed like Vince may start his rise to the top. Unfortunately, outside of a 6th place finish at Darlington, Vince hasn’t been able to sniff a top 10 finish. Thankfully for the 96 team they have reset in points back to 6th in the standings after almost seeing a first-round exit. Hopefully they can improve their form and hold on to continue through to the round of 8.
  • Cody Leach-WRL-FORD- One good race last round was enough to save him from a could be first round exit. Cody is currently sitting +2 to the cut line and 1 top 10 finish in the last 4 races won’t cut it for the 15 team. The rollercoaster ride they have been on all season has gone from possible round of 4 contenders, to cut line riders. Leach and the 15 team will need to have a consistent and flawless round of 12 to advance or we may be saying bye to their championship hopes.

DRIVER NEWS

  • Drivers who exited the first round of the plays: Zander Short, Tommy Carroll Jr, Garth Griswold, Allen Phillips.
  • No penalties will be served at the beginning of the race tonight at Kansas.
  • Kansas Motor Speedway was opened in 2001 during the Nascar Golden era.
  • John Connor won the VRS Truck Series race on Monday night.
  • Thomas Villano got the win in the Bob Henry’s Xfinity Series last night.
  • Both Winners from the Truck and Xfinity races will be racing tonight in the TCSP cup series.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

5 drivers find themselves less the 10 points to good on the cut line. Carlile+7, Menke+4, Mitchell+3, Leach+2, Vasquez+0. The round of 12 is shaping up to be the best battle we could see all playoffs.

FAN PICK OF THE WEEK

Factory Motorsports
All drivers from the FMS shop are going into this round of 12 above the cut line. Thankfully for them this round starts off at a track where almost all of these drivers have had success at. Menke recorded a top 5 finish in the spring, and Ben ran hard for an amazing 11th place finish when he was still getting comfortable in the seat of the 3 car. Nic did score a 24th place finish in the spring but the historians of CJR will remind you that in past seasons he has won, and consistently shined at the mile and a half long track in Kansas. Currently Menke is +700, Vasquez is +1300, and Lawson is +2200. If you like money, sprinkling a few bucks on each of these guys to win is a no brainer. It FMS can get linked up late and this race stays as green as we believe it can, the force field should take them all the way to the front.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: BRISTOL

The TCSP Cup series is live from Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bob Henry’s 500! Green flag flies at 8pm est. WATCH HERE

HOT DRIVERS

  • Zack Saunders-BBR-Chevy- Zack has put his 4th win of the season on the board, tying his teammate Thomas Wolfe as the co-win’s leader. Zack rang off a 2nd place finish in the spring Bristol race and with the winner of that race nowhere to be found, tonight may be a walk in the park for the 91 team.
  • Nic Vasquez-FMS-Ford- Some may argue that the driver of the 22 Ducks unlimited Ford Mustang is more lukewarm than hot. We on the other hand haven’t forgot about the points penalty he faced coming into the playoffs and with two top ten finishes here in the first round of the playoffs, Nic has all but erased what could have been a detrimental mistake.
  • Steven Carlile-Ethix RT-Chevy- Week in and week out we talk about how no one is yelling from the mountain tope that Carlile is a threat and seems like a shoe in for the final four. If you haven’t gotten the message by now, you must be living under a rock. Three top 5 in his last three races and he is one of 3 that we can say are safe on points to advance to the round of 12.

NOT DRIVERS

  • Caleb “The Uberman” Tipton-Uber MS-Ford- Caleb didn’t sneak his way into the playoffs by any means but his performance in the first two playoff races would make you seem like he was a sure first round exit. We have seen what he is capable of all seasons long if he can keep the car clean, but now he really has to show us.
  • Garth Griswold-Hollywood MS-CHEVY- Garth is the Cinderella story that Ben Lawson has become. But who’s to say there can’t be two princesses at the ball. Luckily for Garth the clock hasn’t struck 12, even after 2 finishes outside of the top ten here in the playoffs. Currently sitting six points under the cut line, He knows it’s time to strap in and make something happen tonight. Hope those glass slippers are on tight.

DRIVER NEWS

  • Zach Johnson won last night’s Bob Henry’s Xfinity series race at Bristol. He and his team hope to translate what they learned last night into a solid finish.
  • Cody Porter has exited the TCSP Cup Series. A serious threat for next season’s championship has stated they will not be returning.
  • Mathematically only 3 drivers are safe for tonight’s race at Bristol depending on attendance.
    Zack Saunders (1 win), Thomas Wolfe (1 win), Steven Carlile (points).
  • Bristol was formerly known as Sapling Grove
  • Bristol is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia.
  • Bristol Motor Speedway is the third largest sports venue in America and the seventh largest in the world, housing up to 162,000 people.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

5 drivers at the cut line are separated by less than 10 points. Griswold (-6), Campbell (-1), Tipton (+1), Mitchell (+6), Johnson (+8).

DRIVER PICK OF THE WEEK

WINNER- THE FANS
Us fans tonight get 500 rock em, sock em laps at Bristol Motor Speedway under the lights to see who will survive to see another 3 races and a chance to life the trophy in Phoenix, and who will end up crushing their car into the inside wall along with their hopes of a championship. For the analytical fans here, the obvious pick is Zack Saunders. He finished 2nd in the spring race and is red hot right now (+375). For the hopeful underdog fan, you have Tommy Carrol Jr who is staring down a first-round exit (-35) but finished 4th in the spring race (+3750). Whoever you decide to pick it won’t matter because someone who we thought would make it to the next round won’t, and someone who we never thought might have a chance will. And that my friends, is the beauty of racing.

ATLANTA: WOLFE WINS, LOCKING HIM INTO THE ROUND OF 12

The Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway last Wednesday night to open the first Round of the Playoffs. The Jr. Superspeedway track brought excitement in the first Round, with wild moments lasting all 163 laps; the final lap would come down to a photo finish at the line.

Quick Race Stats

  • Atlanta Motor Speedway
  • Weather: 77 Degrees, Mostly Cloudy Skies, Wind SW @ 2 mph
  • Race Length: 250 Miles, Stages: 40-80-163
  • Race Time: 1hr 39mins
  • Cautions: 6-16 Laps
  • Lead Changes: 16
    • Thomas Wolfe: 74 Laps
    • Ben Lawson: 52 Laps
    • Zack Saunders: 10 Laps
    • Caleb Tipton: 10 Laps
    • Stephen Menke: 6 Laps
    • Zach Johnson: 4 Laps
    • Steven Carlile: 3 Laps
    • Cody Leach: 3 Laps
    • Nic Vasquez: 1 Lap

The #3 Ben Lawson claimed the pole position in a fiercely competitive qualifying round, narrowly edging out Uber Motorsports driver the #96 Vince Mitchell. The closeness of the qualifying times, with the pole position to the fifteenth position staying within a tenth of a second of each other, set the Stage for a race where every second would count.

Lawson led the field to a green flag, but the race took an unexpected turn when Mitchell, in his eagerness, jumped the gun and beat the green flag. This premature start led to a series of unfortunate events for Mitchell, including a drive-through penalty and a speeding violation, turning his hopeful start into a challenging race.

Lawson would lead all 40 laps, and the Stage would run green the entire Stage even though a controversial accident occurred on Lap 25 with playoff points leader Cory Mott getting turned after Joe Wright would get loose coming out of Turn 2. Mott wasn’t the only one heated about the incident; fans were booing CJR Officials for not throwing the caution for the incident.

“By the time we noticed the incident had occurred, Mott was already off the racing surface, and the damage he had sustained was race-ending. It’s an unfortunate incident so early in the race, but we stand by our decision to let the drivers keep racing.” Said an anonymous CJR Official who did not have the authority to speak on the matter.

STAGE 1 Results

STAGE 2


Cody Leach would take the lead off pit road and lead the field back to green for Stage 2. Stage 2 would also run green from start to finish, with multiple lead changes occurring down the stretch as fans were thrilled to see some green flag racing in the first Round of the playoffs. Thomas Wolfe would start to show that he was a contender to lock himself into the Round of 12 by leading the most laps in Stage 2, working with his teammate Zack Saunders. Saunders would lead the final lap of the Stage to capture the stage win at Lap 80.


STAGE 2 Results

Racing Heats Up in Final Stage


The final Stage would show that the drivers were done being patient and didn’t want the packs to split again like they had in the previous stages. Steven Carlile would have the lead to start Stage 3 and would lead three laps before Thomas Wolfe would recapture the lead on Lap 86. The race’s first caution would come out on Lap 90 when the outside line would get checked up. That check-up would be felt back to the midpack, where the #00 Garth Griswold would clip the outside wall, enter the trioval, and get bumped from behind by the #66 Ray Gill. Griswold would spin to the infield grass, and the rest of the field avoided the disaster. Griswold and Gill would get an EOL and moved to the back for the incident.

The following incident occurred on Lap 101 when Cody Leach and Nishil Condoor battled through the tri-oval. Leach made contact with Condoor, causing Leach to get loose and make contact with Stephen Menke. Menke and Leach went sliding through the infield grass. Neither sustained any severe damage, but the caution flag flew, and Leach and Menke were sent to the back for the incident.

The 5th caution of the night would come out on Lap 118. This time, the inside row had an extensive check-up, and the midpack would again pay the price for it. Tommy Carroll Jr. would get the short end of the stick when he would get sandwiched between Nic Vasquez’s rear bumper and Mason Hoeffner’s front end. Carroll Jr. would go into the outside wall and collect the #16 Nathaniel Campbell and Griswold when coming off the wall.

Wolfe would take the lead on Lap 123 and would retain that lead until the final caution would come out on Lap 148 when the #86 Ryan Taft would hit the outside wall out of the tri-oval, and the wall wins that battle 100% of the time as Taft would bounce off of it and collect Leach sending him spinning into the wall. Leach would head to the garage, and that playoff drivers night was over.

Wolfe decided to stay out and hold onto the lead during the caution and would lead the field back to green with 12 laps to go. Vasquez would be battling Wolfe for the lead but would lose the battle when he had to yield to Taft coming back onto the racing surface as he would stick to the low line, causing Vasquez to break his line up by moving to the middle line to miss him. Tipton, who was pushing Wolfe, would drift high, allowing Wolfe’s teammate Zack Saunders to slide underneath for position. Saunders would glue his front bumper to Wolfe to keep him out front.

The Race to the Line


The inside line, led by Nic Vasquez, tried their best to get to the front but was unable to get it working. Coming to the line with two to go, it disintegrated, causing the midpack to pay the price once again as Tipton would get sent into the wall in the tri-oval.


Saunders and Wolfe stayed together as the #5 Allen Phillips took his chance coming to the white flag and tried to complete the run off the bottom, but he didn’t have enough help to get around the BBR boys. Phillips was left out to dry and fell back to 7th before the #3 Lawson turned down into Phillips, causing the big wreck on the final lap.

As the rest of the field dealt with the mayhem behind them, Joe Wright would have the run heading into Turn 3 and get outside of Saunders. Wolfe would slide up in front of Wright, but Wright’s run was too good to be slowed down with that as Wright would move to the inside. They would go almost door to door entering the tri-oval, but Wright’s run would lose the pace as Steven Carlile would make contact with Wright’s left quarter panel, making Wright get a bit squirrely at the line. Wolfe’s nose would inch across first with a margin of 0.015.

“I had 70-lap old tires, and I wouldn’t have been able to win that if it wasn’t for Saunders pushing me at the end.”

#94 Thomas Wolfe, BBR, Chevrolet

“This was a statement finish for WRL, giving us more knowledge that we’re on the path to success. A few more results like that will set us up for a great off-season and carry that momentum into 2025.”

#37 Joe Wright, Co-Owner WRL, Ford

Playoff Update


With the win, Wolfe automatically locks himself into the Round of 12 in the Team Conti Sim Performance Cup Series Playoffs. Zack Saunders would follow behind in the point standings in 2nd place. Steven Carlile is in 3rd in front of almost the entire Factory Motorsports Team, with Team Owner Stephen Menke sitting in 4th, Vasquez 5th, and Lawson in 6th. The other member of their team, Zander Short, did not make it to the race and sits below the cutline with two races to go.

“I am not sure what’s going on with Zander. We lost communication with his hauler after Daytona and haven’t heard from him. The only silver lining is that he had accumulated a decent amount of playoff points, and with that, he could still make it above the cutline if he makes the next two races.”

#6 Stephen Menke, Owner of Factory Motorsports, Ford

Ben Lawson was the week’s biggest mover, moving from 15th place to 6th with his stage win and 7th-placed finish. Regular Season Champion Cory Mott would fall back to 8th place with his early race departure after his wreck on Lap 25.

With two races left in the Round of 16, Vince Mitchell, Griswold, Carroll Jr., and Short sit below the cutline. The TCSP Cup Series will go bowling at The Glen on Wednesday night. Please tune in to see who can leave their mark on the road course and bowl the perfect race for a win on the Crown Jewel Racing Network.

Garth Griswold