CRA Street Stocks
Entries Cut Off, Waitlist Created for Short Track U.S. Nationals: The Last Lap
Jan 24, 2024
Officials with Champion Racing Association and Birch Run Speedway & Event Center are pleased to announce the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance will return to Birch Run on Friday, August 23rd for a $3,000 to win 100 lap contest. When the original JEGS Tour schedule was released at the 2023 Awards Ceremony, fans and teams alike couldn’t help but notice the absence of Birch Run from the schedule, however, both parties have come together to ensure another standout template late model contest will grace Birch Run in 2024.
Birch Run Speedway’s (formerly known as Dixie Motor Speedway) history with the JEGS Tour goes back to the original season of Pro Late Model racing for CRA. In June of 2011, the first contest was held; Erik Jones set fast time for the day but Eddie Hoffman got the win over Chad Finley and Josh Nelms. Since then, Birch Run has been a staple on the schedule for many years, returning in 2012 with a win for Daniel Hemric, a Cody Coughlin win in 2013, Dan Leeck in 2015, and Johnny Vandoorn in 2017.
In 2018, Birch Run appeared not once, but twice on the calendar in both April and June - the June race being the first (and only) time the Speedway hosted the JEGS Tour for the Masters of the Pros. That day, Bubba Pollard got the best of Johnny VanDoorn and Jack Dossey III. In 2019 the Speedway returned to a single appearance in May with VanDoorn again finding victory lane. Another single show in 2021 was enough for Coughlin to grab another victory before the tone changed again in 2022.
A three race inner season series was created in 2022 that encouraged drivers to take chances and win races. No driver was able to complete the clean sweep while taking the challenge of starting at the tail of the field. Kyle Crump won the first Birch Run event of 2022 before giving up the final two races to now NASCAR Cup driver, Carson Hocevar. This past season, eventual JEGS Tour Champion, Chase Burda collected the season opener but Ethan Stadniczuk and Crump would tackle the other two Birch Run opportunities.
A blockbuster 2024 schedule for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance in conjunction with changing management at Birch Run Speedway proved a slight challenge in getting Birch Run on the schedule for the upcoming season. However, the clear importance of a JEGS Tour event and the historically dramatic and exciting events at the Speedway gave both the track and the Tour reason to find a way to get Birch Run on the schedule once again.
Nestled between the Masters of the Pros 185 at Owosso Speedway and The Owosso Nationals, Birch Run Speedway’s date serves as the penultimate event in Michigan for 2024 before the Tour moves to Winchester Speedway for Season Championship night on Friday, October 11th. Driver’s who are hoping to make moves in the championship points standings outside of other marquee events, may see Birch Run as a perfect chance to strike and regain, or expand, their championship lead.
For more information on 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 X.
-Champion Racing Association Release
