Owosso, MI – The next event for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance brings the Tour back to Owosso Speedway for the second time in 2024 with $15,000 on the line at the end of 185 green flag laps on Saturday night. The 12th Annual Masters of the Pros is the most prestigious event on the JEGS Tour featuring the biggest payday and the coveted green jacket for mastering the Pro Late Model field.
Nearly 30 cars are on the entry list set to take on the ever-updated Owosso Speedway in the second season of hosting the Masters. Last year, the Masters of the Pros 184 saw eventual JEGS Tour Champion, Chase Burda rebound from an early race incident to pick up the win by over two seconds on Dan Leeck and steve Dorer. This year, the defending champion has some work to do in his bid for a second championship and his competition is hungry for a big win as well.
Blake Rowe has retaken the JEGS Tour Championship Points lead after a podium finish at Toledo Speedway last Friday night. Rowe is familiar with Owosso Speedway having grown up racing at the Mid-Michigan facility. The Ortonville, MI native also has a Hot Shoe 100 Asphalt Modified win to his credit in 2023 at Owosso. Earlier this year during the Big O Classic, Rower was running well within the top ten before a late race spin forced him to fight hard for an 8th place finish.
Chase Pinsonneault was the eventual winner of the Big O Classic in May which helped set the rookie from Canada up to take the Championship lead after the next race. A 7th place run at Toledo Speedway, however, allowed Rowe to regain the Championship Lead for the first time in three races and open up a 10 point lead.
Burda sits in fourth 39 points back from the top spot with a wildcard in third in the likes of Barrett Polhemus. The rookie driver from Texas has kept his name in the conversation all season long finishing outside the top five just three times with his worst finish (12th) coming at Whittemore Speedway. In the Tour’s first appearance at Owosso in May, Polhemus finished 6th.
The history of the Masters of the Pros is storied, with some of racing’s biggest names finding victory lane. NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Chase Elliott won the inaugural JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Masters of the Pros at I-44 in 2013. Anderson Bowen won in 2014 before NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series regular, John Hunter Nemechek scored back-to-back wins in 2015 and ’16. Cole Williams claimed the green jacket at the final Masters at I-44 in 2017. Senoia Georgia’s Bubba Pollard won the Masters of the Pros at Birch Run Speedway in 2018 and again in 2019 at Memphis International. Matt Craig earned a guitar and a green jacket in the Music City in 2020. Willie Allen has laid claim to the two most recent Nashville Masters victories before Burda’s triumph in 2023.
The Masters of the Pros weekend begins on Friday with 90 minutes of scheduled practice beginning at 5:00 PM. One 30 minute opening practice will be followed by a one hour practice session to finish the evening. On Saturday, two additional 30 minute sessions will be conducted throughout the afternoon. JEGS Tour qualifying begins at 5:00 PM with the JEGS Tour redraw taking place on the front stretch at 5:45 PM. Racing on Saturday begins at 6:00 PM.
Advanced tickets to the Masters of the Pros 185 are available at OwossoSpeedway.com. Subscribers who can’t attend the race in person can catch every lap live on RacingAmerica.Tv or TrackTv.com.
For more information on the Masters of the Pros 185, the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance, or Champion Racing Association log onto CRA-Racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on X.
