Nashville, TN – The JEGS/ CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance will hold their final race of the 2023 season on Friday, October 13th at Winchester Speedway. The Chevrolet Performance 100 will help kick off the 52nd Winchester 400 weekend and draw an end to an exciting Championship Season for the JEGS Tour.
While the championship points battle has already been decided and Chase Burda has been crowned the 2023 JEGS Tour Champion, bagging rights are still on the line on Friday night. A win at Winchester Speedway is something that doesn’t come easy; that fact is well known to many drivers within the field, either because they have won before or have struggled to find Victory Lane.
In the Tour’s last visit to Winchester Speedway on Labor Day weekend fans saw a great race not only for the win but also throughout the field. At the front, Chase Burda and Michael Hinde went toe-to-toe throughout the course of the 100 lap event and also included battles with Branden Varney. Unfortunately, Varney’s time at the front came to an end sooner than he would have liked. The result was a last lap pass for Burda to get around Hinde to collect his first Winchester win.
Others showed optimistic speed that they’re looking to bring into the Winchester 400 weekend, including James Krueger, who finished a career tying best third. Behind Kruger Dylan Stovall and J.P Crabtree put on a show for the fans, racing hard to stay within the top five. This weekend, though, the contingent list of potential winners includes drivers who continue to make a name for themselves within the JEGS Tour.
Entered for Friday’s race along with the drivers who have already been mentioned, Kevin Cremonesi will look to improve on his career-best finish this season. The Rochester Hills driver finished on the podium for the first time in his career at Owosso Speedway earlier this year. Another driver will be making his first career Winchester Speedway start on Friday; Barrett Polhemus. The Wimberley, Texas native made his JEGS Tour debut in June and will unload Friday with the support of Jimmy Tucker.
Other drivers fans should keep an eye on include ARCA Menards Series competitor Scott Melton. The veteran driver from Rockford, MI has just two JEGS/ CRA All-Stars Tour starts, but both resulted in top fives at Salem Speedway. Also keep watch for the No.33 of Wes Griffith. Mechanical woes took Griffith out of the September race prematurely, however, the Skoal Bandit look alike car always shows good speed around the big race tracks.
But that’s not all, the field will also see former Winchester winner Jon Beach, who won at Winchester most recently in the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman but also has a JEGS win to his credit. Hamilton, OH driver Brian Gray, New York’s Rick Giannino, Hicksville, OH’s Brian Dempand and others will also look for wins on Friday night.
The kickoff to the 52nd Winchester weekend on Friday night also includes the Vore’s Compact Touring Series and the New Star 25s for the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman and the CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS. Then, the Midwest Modifieds Tour, Late Model Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Crown Vics race on Saturday leading up to the ASA STARS National Tour Winchester 400 on Sunday afternoon.
For more information, log onto www.cra-racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on Twitter.
