Salem, IN (October 4, 2022) – Three former Winchester 400 winners top the list of entries to date for the 51st Winchester 400 Presented by Vore’s Welding & Steel, which will take place on the famous High Banks of Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana on Sunday, October 16th. A total of 28 teams have already entered the prestigious event, with more entries expected to be added in the days prior to the event.
2019 winner Stephen Nasse, 2020 winner Carson Hocevar and 2021’s winner Sammy Smith are all entered to try and pick up their second famed Winchester Rifle Trophy, which traditionally is awarded to the winners of the Winchester 400.
Nasse, a highly accomplished late model racer, who has wins all over the county and is a former Champion with the Southern Super Series, looks to keep the momentum going at Winchester after picking up the win in the Southern Super Series Season Championship event at Five Flags Speedway on September 24th.
Hocevar, who is a full-time competitor with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, looks to get back to victory lane in a Super Late Model after two ARCA/CRA Super Series victories in 2021 and five series wins in 2020. Hocevar is coming off his second JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour win of the season at Birch Run Speedway on September 10th.
Sammy Smith has already been to victory lane at several events in 2022 in a Super Late Model and in an ARCA Series car. Smith picked up the win in the ARCA Menards Series event at Salem Speedway this past Saturday, his fifth win with that series this season, along with three ARCA Menards East Series wins and that series 2022 Championship. Smith got the win in the ARCA/CRA Super Series Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway on July 16th.
The talent does not stop there, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series three-time 2022 winner and the current series points leader and 2021 Snowball Derby winner Chandler Smith is entered, seeking to get his first Winchester Rifle Trophy. Corey Heim, who has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins and two ARCA Menards Series wins in 2022, is entered. ARCA Menards Series competitor Jesse Love, who won first ARCA Menards Tour Series event of 2022 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on August 21st and was the ARCA Menards Tour West Series Champion in 2020 and 2021 is entered. Part-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor, Super Late Model and Pro Late Model racer Jake Garcia is entered to improve upon his fourth-place finish in last years 400.
15-year-old William Sawalich, winner of the last two series events at Winchester Speedway on September 4th and at Toledo Speedway on September 17th for Donnie Wilson Motorsports, is entered. Michael Hinde, who battled Sawalich for numerous laps for the lead at Winchester on Labor Day Weekend is entered. Canadian multi-time Late Model feature winner Cole Butcher is entered for his first ever race at Winchester. Texas racer Logan Bearden is entered to compete in his first Winchester 400.
Lots of CRA talent is also represented on the early entry list, including the three Chase for the Championship drivers who will be competing for the series 2022 Championship in the Winchester 400, Regular Season Champion and Anderson Speedway April 10th event winner Eddie Van Meter, 2022 Cometic Gasket Rookie of the Year Billy Van Meter and Ohio racer Albert Francis, who has the best Chase for the Championship drivers finishes in the last two series Chase events.
Other top CRA drivers entered to date include former Redbud 400 winner and 2020 Winchester 400 runner-up Kyle Crump, 2022 series Salem Speedway event winner and former All American 400 winner Casey Roderick, former Winchester series event winner Tommy St. John, two-time JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion Dan Leeck, 2021 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Winchester winner Jon Beach, former CRA Junior Late Model Champion Chase Burda, multi-time CRA Late Model Sportsman event winner Brandon Varney, Jordon Miller, Brian Brewer, Jess Drook, Evan Varney, Neil McClelland, Chris Munson and Jaden Cretacci.
The winner’s share for the Winchester 400 could be as high as $31,000 including purse and bonuses that are available. The Winchester 400 will pay $20,000 to win. There are several bonuses available including $6,000 in lap money, or $15 per lap led. A $2,000 bonus to the highest finishing Race Rookie and $1,000 to the second highest finishing Race Rookie. $1,500 to the highest finishing crate engine car and $500 to the second highest finishing crate engine car. $1,500, $1,000, and $500 to the top three traveling non-regular series teams who do not win the race. There is a $500 bonus to the highest finisher who has never had a top three finish in the Winchester 400. Francis Engineering will award the Winchester 400 Fast Qualifier with a $500 bonus.
The Winchester 400 is 400 laps counting cautions and is a 12-tire race. The event will once again feature Controlled Cautions in an effort to save teams the cost of bringing in professional pit crews. When a yellow comes out teams will have two laps to service their race car without losing laps or positions on pit road. Those cars will then line up behind the cars that did not pit at that yellow. Teams not getting out of the pits in the two laps will have to fall to the tail of the field and will risk losing laps. As in the past, teams will only be allowed to change a max of two tires per yellow.
The schedule of events for the Winchester 400 Weekend has been released with three straight days of on track action on the High Banks, including the Season Championship events for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance, the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman and the Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks that weekend. Also racing that weekend will be the Midwest Modifieds in the Run for the Gun, the Vores Compact Touring Series and Thunder Roadsters.
For more information regarding the event or to purchase advance tickets, please visit the track’s website at www.winchesterinspeedway.com or the Winchester Speedway Facebook page or by contacting the track office at 765-584-9701.
More information on the ARCA/CRA Super Series, including the Winchester 400 entry form and schedule of events, can be found at www.cra-racing.com.
Winchester 400 Entries
Updated October 11, 2022
1$ - Jon Beach
3 - Chris Munson
5 - Jake Finch
7 - Neal McClelland
11 - Jaden Cretacci
14 - Carson Hocevar
18 - Chase Burda
18C - Chandler Smith
21 - Jesse Love
22 - Sammy Smith
22T - Jimmy Tucker
23 - Eddie Van Meter
23B - Billy Van Meter
24 - William Sawalich
26 - Casey Roderick
29 - Tommy St. John
33 - Albert Francis
33D - Jess Drook
35 - Jake Garcia
40 - Jordon Miller
51 - Stephen Nasse
53 - Cole Butcher
60 - Brian Brewer
61 - Evan Varney
66 - Logan Bearden
69 - Michael Hinde
77 - Brandon Varney
78 - Corey Heim
131 - Kyle Crump
-CRA Racing Press Release