By Marty Czekala
It’s a massive weekend for the A-Verdi Storage Containers CRSA Sprints powered by Super Gen Products.
Not only is it the first doubleheader of the year at Penn Can Speedway to continue the Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series and Woodhull Raceway, but Saturday’s race at Woodhull will crown the first Dandy Triple Play champion.
Thanks to Paul Colagiovanni and many of our great marketing partners, both races will see increased purse money of $1500 to win and $250 to start.
It is the series’ lone trip to the tracks down in the Southern Tier after Mother Nature impacted other planned events earlier this year.
Last year’s “King of the Can” was a memorable win for Kyle Pierce, taking his second win at CRSA’s lone track in Pennsylvania.
As for Woodhull, it was Jordan Hutton holding off en route to one of his 11 career victories.
Here’s a look at the storylines this weekend.
Tune In: Friday’s action at Penn Can Speedway can be seen live on Race Report TV and Dirt Track Digest TV, 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.
Saturday will not be live-streamed but will have updates through the MRP app.
Last Time Out: CRSA made a trip to Brewerton Speedway Aug. 23 for the first time ever.
34 drivers checked in for a night to become the first CRSA winner at Brewerton and one driver joined the all-time club for wins.
Four-time series champion Jeff Trombley led all 25 laps and put the Warren Alexson-owned No. 3a across the line first for his 14th career victory, tying him with Danny Varin, Scott Goodrich, and Josh Pieniazek for first on the all-time wins list.
“It’s been a frustrating year,” said Trombley in victory lane. “The guys have been giving me a great car all year. We’ve been running good, just got to finish.”
Trombley has been in past situations in 2024 where he has had chances to get that first win of the season but has fallen short. At both Afton and Fonda, engine issues plagued him and prevented him from getting a shot at the win while leading. It wasn’t the case this time.
Billy VanInwegen finished second for the third time this season while rookie Zach Sobotka, a Sportsman regular, came home third in his third career CRSA start.
Point Standings: Tomy Moreau increased his points lead on Kyle Pierce to 31 points while still looking for his first win of the season.
With a spin under the white flag last week, Dalton Herrick fell back in the standings, now 55 behind “The Canadian Kid.”
Ron Greek and Blake Warner round out the top five, with them 109 and 137 back, respectively.
The other top 10 are John Cunningham, Cliff Pierce, Adam DePuy, Jordan Hutton and Jerry Sehn Jr.
With two races remaining in the Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series, Billy VanInwegen holds a narrow three-point lead on Kyle Pierce, while Dalton Herrick is third, 10 points back. Blake Warner is fourth, 34 behind, while Jordan Hutton and Tomy Moreau are tied for fifth, 36 back.
Mathematically, the top 14 drivers in the Southern Tier Series points have a chance to win the championship.
In the Dandy Triple Play, only one race was competed with Dan Craun taking the checkered flag at Outlaw Speedway. He is currently up six frames on Kyle Pierce. Dalton Herrick stands third seven back. Tomy Moreau is nine behind, while Tyler Graves rounds out the top five 10 behind.
King of the Can: Penn Can Speedway’s biggest weekend of the year will see one driver be crowned “King of the Can.”
Last year, it was “The Flyin’ School Teacher” Kyle Pierce who took one of the biggest wins of his career. What’s it like to don the cape and sit on “The Golden Throne” in victory lane?
“Winning King of the Can last year was a big win for our team,” said Pierce. “It was big in helping take away the sting from a year that was filled with a lot of bad luck and help end our season on a positive note. The weekend as a whole is a huge race for our Southern Tier area so it was awesome to have a good run with the great fans that support the place week in and week out.
First Champion of Season to be Crowned: With the Dandy Triple Play coming to a close Saturday, all 24 drivers who ran in the Outlaw feature are mathematically eligible.
Should Dan Craun’s six-point lead not change after heat races, a top two finish will clinch the championship. Should he finish third, it could lead to a tie in the end.
Other drivers that could make this interesting include Ethan Gray, Timmy Lotz and Tyler Chartrand, who are in a three-way tie for sixth, 20 points back. John Cunningham and Darryl Ruggles round out the top 10, 22 points behind.
By the Numbers: At Penn Can, the average car count since 2014 is over 19. 72 drivers have finished in the top five all-time and 25 drivers have recorded a checkered flag. Jeff VanSteenburg and Joe Kata lead the way in wins with three.
For Woodhull, Billy VanInwegen, John Cunningham and Jeff Trombley are the only active drivers with multiple top fives at two. In six different races, Woodhull has yet to see any repeat winners. The most recent winners currently racing are Jordan Hutton and Trombley.
From the Frontman: “After a tough season plagued by Mother Nature, we’re excited to give the drivers and fans a treat with an increased purse this weekend and crowning the Dandy Triple Play champion Saturday at Woodhull. Combine that with a massive weekend for racing with NASCAR in the area; spending the night watching CRSA is a perfect nightcap. ” ~ Mike Emhof
From the Track Promoters: “The team here is excited to have the CRSA Sprints back for their lone showing of the 2024 season. Mike and his team always bring a great show and we know our fans will love it.” ~ Keith Beach
“We are very excited to have the 305s back at Woodhull. The high banks are unique at Woodhull and can take some extra TLC to master the setup.” ~ Nikki & Terry Brewer
Up Next: CRSA concludes the Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series at Skyline Raceway Motorsports Park Friday Sept. 20.
Standings
1. 22 Tomy Moreau 1580 pts
2. 9K Kyle Pierce -31
3. 29 Dalton Herrick -55
4. 28 Ron Greek -109
5. 21B Blake Warner -137
6. J27 John Cunningham -187
7. 4 Cliff Pierce -260
8. 99 Adam DePuy -356
9. 66 Jordan Hutton -364
10. 410 Jerry Sehn Jr. -370