JEGS Tour Favors the First Time in 2023
Ovid, MI – The next event for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance is Saturday for the 11th Annual Masters of the Pros 184 at Owosso Speedway. Nearly two dozen of the area’s best Pro Late Model drivers are set to do battle at the newly repaved Owosso Speedway for a shot at $10K at the end of 184 laps, honoring the speedway’s 84th anniversary.
The first five events were held at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, MO. Chase Elliott, Anderson Bowen, John Hunter Nemechek (2), and Cole Williams won the Green Jackets and $10,000. In the sixth year, Birch Run Speedway & Event Center played host to the coveted jacket and big money. Bubba Pollard dominated the 2018 contest before following the event to Memphis International Raceway and winning again in 2019. The three most recent events were held at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway with eventual All-American 400 winner Matt Craig grabbing the 2020 win and Willie Allen of Rackley WAR taking the checkers in 2021 and 2022.
This season with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance has favored the driver with something to prove. The 2023 Championship Points season opened at Birch Run Speedway. Current Points Leader, Chase Burda had a near-perfect weekend en route to his first career win with the JEGS Tour. Since then, the 18-year-old has only finished outside the top five once at Salem Speedway, the second event of the season.
The Salem event was won by Corey Deuser, who hadn’t seen CRA Victory Lane since the 2018 season at Winchester Speedway. Along with him on the podium was Brandon Varney. The Richmond, MI driver landed on the podium for the first time in his career behind Brett Robinson and Deuser. The trend continued in the Series’ return to Owosso Speedway in June when Kyle Crump punched his ticket back to CRA Victory Lane; an emotional homecoming win for the 2021 Redbud 400 Champion. Behind Crump and two-time JEGS Champion, Dan Leeck, Kevin Cremonesi battled with Steve Dorer to capture the first podium of Cremonesi’s career. The No.28 was the event’s Hard Charger coming from 11th to finish third.
In the return trip to Birch Run Speedway on Saturday, July 1st, another first-time outright JEGS Tour winner was crowned. Ethan Stadniczuk, who was the first Pro Late Model driver across the line in a combo ASA/CRA Super Series and JEGS Tour event at Flat Rock Speedway in 2022, finished second in the event overall to Kyle Crump. On July 1st, Stadniczuk was in the catbird seat after Crump and Carson Hocevar tangled on the backstretch, handing Stadniczuk the lead after a brief battle with Katie Hettinger.
A trip to Nashville separated the field when Nashville regulars dominated the show. Dylan Fetcho grabbed his second career JEGS Tour sanctioned win over Jackson Boone and Hunter Wright. Now, the Tour heads back to Owosso Speedway with just four regular season events remaining.
The Masters of the Pros 184 boasts a $10K payday along with a coveted green jacket as if the driver had just mastered the course at Augusta, Georgia. Owosso Speedway becomes the fifth different track to host the event and comes with a history of JEGS Tour racing. Drivers like Erik Jones, Brian Campbell, Travis Eddie, and Chad Finley join Crump as a JEGS Tour Winner at Owosso Speedway.
The Masters of the Pros 184 is Saturday, August 19th. Racing begins at 7:00 PM ET and tickets are available at the gate. Fans who can’t attend the event live can catch all the action LIVE on RacingAmerica.TV.
For more information on the Masters of the Pros 184, the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, or Champion Racing Association log onto www.CRA-Racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on Twitter.
