Salem, IN. (June 30, 2017) – The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance will return to action in the 5th Annual “Masters of the Pro’s” 144 event that will be held at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, located in Lebanon, Missouri this Monday, July 3rd, after being rescheduled from its original June 3rd date because of a bad weather forecast. The 144 lap event will pay $8000 to win plus bonuses, making it one of the highest paying crate late model events in the country, plus the winner will be awarded a signature green jacket, similar to the one that is known for adorning the champion of golf’s Masters event.
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competitor Chase Elliott won the inaugural “Masters of the Pro’s” 144 in 2013, holding off Chuck Barnes Jr. and Daniel Hemric to get that coveted win. Georgia teenager Anderson Bowen fought off hard charging Dave Gentile Jr. over the last 18 laps to win the 2014 addition. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor John Hunter Nemechek mastered very talented fields of cars to get the win in the last two events, becoming the first multi-time winner of the event.
Sunday’s “Masters of the Pro’s” 144 event will be the third race of the season for the crate late model series sanctioned by Champion Racing Association. Cole Williams won the series season opener on May 21st at Bristol Motor Speedway. Veteran Jack Smith won the series second event of the season on June 17th at Salem Speedway. With their wins, Williams and Smith are the first drivers to be locked into the new Chase Championship format if they compete in at least 75% of the races leading up to the final four Chase events. Williams, a former Track Champion at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, and Smith are both entered for Monday’s “Masters of the Pro’s” 144 event.
With his series best second place finish at Salem Speedway, Jack Dossey III comes into Monday’s event as the new series point’s leader. The 2016 VanDoorn Racing Development Rookie of the Year holds a slim one point lead over Smith and Austin Kunert, who finished fourth at Bristol and third at Salem. Both Dossey III and Kunert are also entered for Monday’s “Masters of the Pros” 144 event.
Howie Lettow Rookie of the Year Award Presented by VanDoorn Racing Development point’s leader Carson Hocevar is fourth in series points after a fourth place finish at Salem. Hocevar is seven points behind Smith and Kunert. Colin Nickolai is fifth in series points with a fifth place finish at Bristol. Nickolai is 13 points behind Hocevar. Hocevar is also entered for Monday’s “Masters of the Pros” 144 event.
Other top CRA drivers entered for the “Masters of the Pro’s” 144 Brian Campbell, who is tied for second in most ARCA/CRA Super Series all-time wins and was a winner with that series at Toledo Speedway in April, Michael Clancy Jr., Thomas Woodin, Trever McCoy and CRA Late Model Sportsman competitor Thomas Hufferd who is entered to make his series debut.
Also entered is NASCAR Legend Sterling Marlin from Columbia, Tennessee. The two time Daytona 500 winner captured 10 wins with 216 top 10’s and 11 pole awards during his NASCAR Cup Series career. The multi time track Champion at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville is still a regular competitor at that track in their Pro Late Model Division and has competed in the last three Master of the Pro’s 144 events at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, getting a third place finish in that event in 2015.
Florida racer Jeff Choquette is entered for his first ever “Masters of the Pro’s”144 event. After sitting out a couple of seasons behind the wheel, Choquette has teamed up with car owner Kurt Jett and have already found victory lane twice in the Southern Super Series this season and won the Pro Late Model Speedweeks Championship at New Smyrna Speedway in February. Choquette won last night’s Clyde Hart Memorial Super Late Model race at New Smyrna.
Fellow Florida racer Stephen Nasse is also entered driving for CRA veteran driver and car owner Rick Turner. Nasse finished 10th in his event debut last season, he looks to improve upon that on Monday.
15 year old Georgia teenager Chandler Smith is entered for his inaugural “Masters of the Pro’s”144 event. Smith won one of the 50 lap Super Late Model Qualifying Features at the Short Track U.S. Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway in May. Smith is also the current Southern Super Series point’s leader.
Former Lebanon I-44 Speedway regular Cole Rouse is also entered. Rouse is coming off his first ever Super Late Model victory for the Kyle Busch Motorsports team last Saturday night with the CARS Tour at Orange County Speedway in North Carolina.
There are several local drivers entered including former Lebanon I-44 Speedway Late Model Champions Mike Sloan and Kaleb Allison along with Brennon Willard and Mandy Chick, the 2016 NASCAR Missouri State Rookie of the Year.
Former ARCA Racing Series veteran Joe Cooksey is entered for Monday’s event along with Tennessee racer Hunter Byrd.
The top 20 in Fury Race Cars qualifying will be locked into the “Masters of the Pro’s” 144 with the Fury Race Cars Fast Qualifier drawing the invert, which could be a five through a possible ten. Positions 21 through 24 will come from the top four teams in 2017 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Owner Points not already locked into the show. Positions 25 through 28 will come from a 15 lap Last Chance race if needed.
Cautions will count in the first 100 laps of the Mercy “Masters of the Pro’s” 144, the last 44 will be all green flag laps. There will be a 10 minute break at lap 100 of the event, were teams can change up to two tires, the cars will be relined up for the final 44 lap shootout by how many tires they change.
There is an open practice scheduled on Sunday, pit gates open at 1:30pm Central time, practice will run from 4pm until 8pm. Pit gates open on Saturday at 11:30am with two 45 minute practice sessions for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour starting at 3pm. Fury Race Cars qualifying for the “Masters of the Pros” 144 will start at 5:45pm. The race program will begin at 7:30 pm, also racing that night will be the Lebanon I-44 Speedway Modifieds, Charger and Street Stock divisions. There will also be a concert with the Dawson Hollow Band and a huge Fireworks Show after the racing ends.
More information on Lebanon I-44 Speedway is available at the facility’s official website at www.i44speedway.net.
More information on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance is available at www.cra-racing.com.
