Birch Run, MI – Coming into the night, just three points-paying races remained on the 2024 schedule for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance. Within the Tour, one of the hottest points battles in the country remained, with four drivers separated by less than 50 points and three of the four only having one win this year, while the other has been held out of Victory Lane. At Friday’s Dixie 100, Blake Rowe opened up his championship lead and became the first hopeful to put to notches in the win column.
Austin Hull and Brandon Varney had the honor of leading the field to green after the redraw; the afternoon’s fast qualifier, Justin Schroeder rolled from fifth. Hull was able to fend off Varney to lead the opening 8 laps before Rowe, who came from inside of row two, took the lead with a power move to the inside of turns three and four. Chase Burda was quickly in tow after he displaced Varney by using the outside before following Rowe to the inside of Hull.
The opening fifty laps were caution free with Rowe pacing the field from lap nine on. After the competition caution at lap 51, Rowe elected to restart on the outside, putting Burda to the inside of the front row. Burda wasn’t able to capitalize on the restart and fell into line again in second.
The caution flew again when Dylan Stovall and Keegan Sobilo got together off turn four door slapping down the front stretch, David Liaeff spun on the front stretch behind the pair and drew the caution. The restart looked the same with Burda on the bottom and Rowe on the outside and Rowe pulling the lead in his No.71.
A stack-up in turn one later in the race caused Liaeff to spin into the turn one wall and another restart between the leaders. Despite Burda’s efforts, Rowe was again too strong and looked to be well on his way to a win but the caution flew once again with 10 laps to go when Katie Hettinger spun in turn one. Another restart attempt and this time, trouble struck. The pair came together at the finish line and again going into turn one. Then, as Burda attempted to hold Rowe up the track at the exit of turn two, the pair appeared to make slight contact right as the cars straightened out for the backstretch and Burda’s car suddenly spun to the infield. The moment was determined to be a racing incident and Burda was sent to the tail as the caution car.
That brought Chase Pinsonneault into the conversation for the first time during the race, but Rowe continued to be too strong and held on the final nine laps for his second win of the 2024 season. Pinsonneault held on for second, two-time JEGS Tour Champion Dan Leeck third, Barrett Polhemus fourth, and Brandon Varney fifth.
“It feels really good and I’m not so sure – I’m a little bit superstitious, this is the same racecar I won at Berlin with, this is the second time I’ve ever been in it and we’re two for two with (chassis) 192,” Rowe said in Victory Lane. “As long as John (VanDoorn) is cool with it, I hope we take this racecar to Owosso and Winchester to finish the year out, this is a heck of a piece.”
The next event for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour is the Prestigious Owosso Nationals at Owosso Speedway on Saturday, September 21st and Sunday, September 22nd for another shot at $15K to win. For more information log onto CRA-Racing.com, find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on X.
| DIXIE 100 | ||||||||
| BIRCH RUN SPEEDWAY | ||||||||
| RACE RESULTS | ||||||||
| August 23, 2024 | ||||||||
| FIN | STA | CAR | DRIVER | HOMETOWN | SPONSOR | MAKE | LAPS | STATUS |
| 1 | 3 | 71 | Blake Rowe | Ortonville, MI | Precision Fleet Image/LisaThomas Salon/TK Racing/VRD | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 2 | 9 | 14 | Chase Pinsonneault* | Belle River, ONT | US 131 Motorsports Park/Apex Auto Group/FCF Fab | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 3 | 12 | 12 | Dan Leeck | Birch Run, MI | Mr. Asphalt | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 4 | 10 | 79 | Barrett Polhemus* | Wimberley, TX | VanDoorn Racing Development/Turtle Cove Apparel | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 5 | 2 | 61 | Brandon Varney | Richmond, MI | VanDoorn Racing Development/DTS/Bassett Wheels | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 6 | 17 | 24 | Dylan Stovall* | Wayland, MI | Hutcherson Racing/Hutcherson Equipment/Southwest Roofing | Toyota | 100 | Running |
| 7 | 5 | 71 | Katie Hettinger | Dryden, MI | Chevrolet/Wheeler Trucking/Victory Custom Trailers | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 8 | 6 | 18 | Chase Burda | Lapeer, MI | The Country Market/Lapeer Pool & Spa/Adam & Eve | Ford | 100 | Running |
| 9 | 1 | 20 | Austin Hull* | Belmont, MI | Town & Country Market/Quick Time Auto/Law Office of B. Striegle | Toyota | 100 | Running |
| 10 | 7 | 77 | Keegan Sobilo* | New Baltimore, MI | Michigan CAT/Operating Engineers Local 324/Team NEGU | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 11 | 8 | 16 | Evan Varney | Richmond, MI | VanDoorn Racing Development/DTS/Bassett Wheels | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 12 | 4 | 4 | Justin Schroeder | New Boston, MI | JMS Transport | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 13 | 11 | 7 | David Liaeff | Holland, OH | TBA | Chevrolet | 100 | Running |
| 14 | 13 | 5 | Will Sahutske* | Midland, MI | Billy’s Ultimate Racing Products/WDRacing | Ford | 99 | Running |
| 15 | 15 | 88 | Carson Lucas* | Proctorville, OH | Lucas Oil/Lincoln Electric/Race Ramps/Mac’s Tie Downs | Chevrolet | 87 | Mechanical |
| 16 | 16 | 15 | Brian Demland | Hickville, OH | Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales/JDCC/Allied Moulded Products | Ford | 52 | Handling |
| 17 | 14 | 20 | Jeff Vrsek | Carleton, MI | CNV Enterprises/McGunegill Engine Performance/VRD | Chevrolet | 40 | Mechanical |
| Time of Race: 00:51:22; Lead Changes: 1; Lap Leaders: 20 A. Hull 1-8, 71 B. Rowe 9-100; Margin of Victory: 1.358; Cautions: 5; Reds: 0; Entries: 20; Did Not Start: 3 Chris Munson, 33 W. Griffith | ||||||||
