Salem, IN (October 26, 2020) – The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance concluded its 10th season of competition on Friday, October 9th in the running of the Winchester 100 as part of the 49th Annual Winchester 400 Presented by JEGS Weekend on the famous High Banks of Winchester Speedway. In that event, 15 year old Columbiaville, Michigan native Chase Burda concluded his 2020 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour points season with another good performance, which helped him earn the 2020 Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year Award and a fifth-place finish in the 2020 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Chase for the Championship.
Burda was the inaugural Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Model Champion in 2019, winning six of the series eight events, including the series season Championship event at Anderson Speedway in September to conclude a dominant season!
Deciding to make the move to the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour for the 2020 season, Chase’s Dad, Rob Burda, his car owner, knew they needed help to be successful. The team brought in veteran JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour competitor Josh Nelms to coach Burda and to help as the teams Crew Chief. The pair hit is off right from the beginning and could not wait to get the 2020 season started.
Unfortunately, the COVID 19 pandemic delayed the start of the 2020 racing season for most everyone in the country including the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour. The season finally kicked off on May 30th with an event not on the original schedule at Lebanon I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, Missouri were Burda would make his series debut. Unfortunately Burda’s day would end after only 39 laps with a bad ignition, but Burda and his team were still encouraged after qualifying in fifth quick against a tough field of competitors including Bubba Pollard who would go on to win the event.
From there the team would venture to Anderson Speedway, a track Burda won on twice in the Junior Late Models in 2019. The team would finish all 100 laps and come away with a 13th place finish.
Things begin to click for Burda and the team at the series next event at Jennerstown Speedway, were he would finish in fifth, again, against a tough group of competitors.
Good things would continue in the Masters of the Pros at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in July, an event that attracted 42 cars. Burda would come from his 22nd starting position to finish in 10th place.
A return visit to Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Labor Day Weekend would result in another fifth-place finish. Then Burda got another fifth-place finish at the Fall Brawl event at Lucas Oil Raceway.
Bad luck struck at the Short Track Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway, when a flat tire would result in a hard crash and his second DNF of the season. The team would rebound with the fifth-place finish in the Season Championship event at Winchester Speedway.
Burda would end the points season with 519 points in the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year points. Zachary Tinkle would finish in second with 492 points. Charlie Keeven would finish in third place with 489 points. Each driver got to drop their worse two finishes of the season in the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year points.
“Yeah, it was a good year for us,” remarked Burda. “We came into the year to just try to get experience and win the Rookie of the Year. We started off bad at Lebanon but started picking it up at Jennerstown and I felt more confident as the season went on. We have had a few rough races and good ones, but overall, we achieved our goal and won the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year Award. We cannot wait to see what we can do in 2021 in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour after the amazing season we just had.”
Burda won the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Race Award a series leading four times during the 2020 season.
For winning the 2020 Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year Award, Burda will receive a $500 cash bonus and a $500 Product Certificate from Senneker Performance. Burda will also receive a race ready carburetor from VDL Fuel Systems as well as contingency product awards from BrakeOMeter, Day Racing Products, Eibach Springs, Fluidyne, Holley, Howe Racing and PFC Brakes.
As runner-up in the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year standings, Tinkle will receive a $200 Product Certificate from Senneker Performance, third place Keeven will receive a $100 Product Certificate from Senneker Performance.
More information on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Presented by Chevrolet Performance is available at www.cra-racing.com.
