(OVID, MICHIGAN) – In only his second ASA STARS National Tour start, Keelan Harvick (Charlotte, NC) became the youngest winner in series history. Harvick started the day by claiming the Hamke Racecars Pole Award and earning the top spot. From there, he swapped the lead several times, but held the point for over 200 laps to claim the win in the Michigan 300 at Owosso Speedway.
At 14 years, 1 month, and 18 days, Harvick shattered the previous record set by Gio Ruggiero. The Seekonk, MA driver was 16 Years, 8 months, and 26 days old when he won his first race at Hickory Motor Speedway (NC) in 2023.
It wasn’t an easy win for Harvick, who battled with Kyle Steckly (Milverton, ON) for the top spot all night. Officially, they swapped the lead three times according to the stat sheet, but on the track they added a pair of switch-back slide jobs to the delight of the Michigan crowd.
Once Harvick got clear in the final 100 laps, he held his line and pulled away for the win. Steckly posted a second-place finish, his fifth top-five run of the season. Jade Avedisian (Clovis, CA) posted a career-best third-place finish after recovering from a mid-race accident.
Behind the front three was ASA STARS National Tour point leader Carson Brown (New London, NC), who overcame a pair of spins and a penalty before making his way back to the top five. Brown was fourth, and Chase Burda rounded out the top five with his second-career top five run.
Attrition was high at Owosso with several drivers getting swept up in some early race accidents. One of the feel-good stories of the night was local driver Michael Simko (Clarkston, MI) running inside the top five until problems late dropped him to sixth. He had engine trouble on Tuesday and wasn’t even sure they would be able to race in the event.
The STARS of the ASA STARS National Series will be back in action on Wednesday, September 9th when the series returns to North Carolina to complete the Tar Heel State double which started in May at Hickory Motor Speedway. The Carolina 250 presented by Appalachian Sucker Punch will be at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, North Carolina. Green flag is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
ASA STARS National Tour
The ASA STARS National Tour is one of the premier Super Late Model touring series in the United States, showcasing elite drivers and teams at some of the most iconic short tracks in the country. Owned and operated by MDM Promotions, the series continues the long-standing tradition of ASA-sanctioned racing while delivering a national platform for top-level competition. The ASA STARS National Tour is committed to competitive excellence, strong partnerships, and preserving the heritage of short track racing while building for the future.
