By Marty Czekala
The A-Verdi Storage Containers CRSA Sprints powered by Super Gen Products are set for their first of two trips to the Utica-Rome Speedway Friday for round three of the I-90 Pit Stop Challenge.
CRSA was supposed to race at “The Home of Heroes” June 7 but was canceled due to rain. The series will also head to Utica-Rome Sept. 27 for the season’s penultimate race.
This is the 20th time “The Future Stars of Sprint Cars” has visited the 1/2-mile facility. The last time CRSA was in Vernon, Jordan Hutton scored a victory over Billy VanInwegen and Cory Sparks.
Here’s a preview for the weekend.
Tune In: Action can be seen live on FloRacing, with Marty Czekala on the call. For $5.99 a month, you can expand your race night experience at the track or online through the MyRacePass app or at www.myracepass.com, which features entries, lineups, fantasy and results.
Last Time Out: CRSA traveled to Fonda Speedway last Saturday for the second round of the I-90 Pit Stop Challenge.
Looking to tie the record for CRSA wins at Fonda with four, Jordan Hutton took the win over Jeff Trombley with a last-lap pass around the outside in turn two.
The win was Hutton’s third of the season, making the driver of the No. 66 a perfect two-for-two in the I-90 Pit Stop Challenge.
“It means a lot to win at Fonda,” said Hutton, whose win rate at Fonda is at 44 percent. “I saw him go low entering one when the white flag came out; I said, ‘I got him now.'”
Trombley was half a mile away from scoring his 14th career CRSA victory, which would’ve tied him with Danny Varin, Josh Pieniazek and Scott Goodrich for all-time victories. The win would’ve also been his first since 2022. However, a cylinder dropped into the corner, causing Trombley’s No. 3a to lose power.
Points Standings: With a fifth-place finish last Saturday, Tomy Moreau increased his points lead in the CRSA standings to 36 after seven races over Kyle Pierce.
Pierce is in a tight battle for second as Dalton Herrick has closed in for the spot with three points separating the two drivers.
After a violent flip that he walked away from last weekend, Blake Warner has lost ground in the championship race. He is now 75 points behind Moreau. Ron Greek rounds out the top five, 86 points behind.
The rest of the top ten is John Cunningham sixth, Hutton seventh, Adam Depuy eighth, Jerry Sehn Jr. ninth and Cliff Pierce 10th.
As for the I-90 Pit Stop Challenge, Hutton and Trombley are the drivers to beat early. With three races remaining, they are separated by 10 points toward the miniseries championship. Herrick, Moreau and Depuy are just a little behind, with Depuy fifth, 43 points back.
Embrace the Grind: August will be a busy month for the CRSA Sprints, as six races, including a pair of two-in-twos, will be contested in the eighth month.
Following Utica-Rome, the series has a two-in-two at Penn Can Speedway and Thunder Mountain Speedway for a pair of Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series races on the weekend of Aug. 9.
The weekend after, CRSA has another two-in-two at Outlaw Speedway and Woodhull Raceway for a pair of Dandy Triple Play events.
Finally, announced by Mike Emhof at the drivers meeting last weekend, the month ends Aug. 23 when CRSA heads to “The D-Shaped Dirt Demon” Brewerton Speedway for the first time in series history. It will be the first time in recent memory a 305 Sprint race will be contested on the 1/3-mile facility.
Who’s the favorite? Jeff Trombley would have to be the man to beat. He is the only active driver in CRSA action to have multiple wins at Utica-Rome Speedway, with two.
But after dropping a cylinder last Saturday and experiencing engine glitches in his last two races, his status remains in question. So, who should we look out for?
Mike Kiser has four top fives at Utica-Rome and a win in 2016. The No. 99k finished second in July 2022.
Dalton Herrick and John Cunningham have never won at Utica-Rome but have three top fives here. With both coming off season-high finishes last weekend at Fonda, it could boost momentum.
Active drivers with wins at “The Home of Heroes” include Darryl Ruggles, Kyle Pierce, Alysha Bay, Jordan Hutton and Chad Miller.
By the Numbers: At Utica, the average car count since 2015 is over 22 cars. 47 different drivers have finished in the top five. Utica has also been known for its parity of winners, with 17 drivers taking a checkered flag. Jeff Trombley and Jeff VanSteenburg each lead the way in top fives with six.
From the Frontman: “We’re coming off a successful event at Brett Deyo’s Fonda Speedway and now we head toward another track he co-promotes Friday. If you enjoyed what you saw last Saturday, especially with our great finish, head to the gates at Utica-Rome!” ~ Mike Emhof
From the Track Promoter: “Utica-Rome has become a hotbed for Sprint Car racing in Central New York. The fans love Sprint Cars and always put on a great show.” ~ Brett Deyo
Up next: CRSA has their first two-in-two of the season Aug. 9 and 10th at Penn Can Speedway and Thunder Mountain Speedway for a pair of Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series races. Can’t make it? Both races will be streamed on Dirt Track Digest TV.
Standings
1. 22 Tomy Moreau 1096 pts
2. 9K Kyle Pierce -36
3. 29 Dalton Herrick -39
4. 21B Blake Warner -75
5. 28 Ron Greek -86
6. J27 John Cunningham -129
7. 66 Jordan Hutton -140
8. 99 Adam Depuy -158
9. 410 Jerry Sehn Jr. -169
10. 4 Cliff Pierce -196
The A-Verdi Storage Containers CRSA Sprints are powered by Super Gen Products. Associate sponsors for 2024 include Pit Stop Convenience Stores, DisBatch Brewing Company, Dandy, Joe’s Garage, Westward Painting Company, the Maguire Family of Dealerships, Powdertech Powdercoating, PJC Sprayfoam, Profab Enterprises, Magsarus Ignitions, Hoosier Racing Tire, Insinger Performance with their Stinger Race Fuel, My Race Pass and is owned and operated by Mike Emhof Motorsports.
For more information on the series, results and points, please visit our website, www.crsa.myracepass.com.
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