Jesse Love took his first ASA STARS National Tour win at Toledo Speedway on Saturday night, his fourth-career Super Late Model win.
What else happened during the Hearn Industrial Glass City 200 Presented by DTS Drive Train Specialists and Courtyard by Marriott? Find out here.
Butcher Closes Points Gap After Majeski DNF
Cole Butcher‘s runner-up finish to teammate Jesse Love in the Glass City 200 allowed him to make up substantial ground in the ASA STARS National Tour points battle. Butcher set fast time, led the most laps and earned valuable stage points, closing in on Ty Majeski in the championship chase. Majeski, who entered the Glass City 200 with a 93 point cushion, placed 13th with his first DNF of the season in ASA STARS National Tour events.
With just two races left in the inaugural ASA STARS National Tour season, Butcher is firmly back in the championship hunt. Official results and point standings will be released mid-week.
Podium Finish For PLM Champion in Second Series Start
Recently-crowned JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour champion Chase Burda made his second ASA STARS National Tour and finished third as the highest-finish non-Wilson Motorsports car. This comes just two weeks after his best-career finish in a Super Late Model, when he finished second to Donnie Wilson at Winchester Speedway.
Burda has three wins with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour this season at three different tracks. He clinched the series title a race early at Birch Run Speedway on September 9.
Ruggiero Closes in On ASA/CRA Super Series Title
Gio Ruggiero struggled throughout the Glass City 200, finishing a lap down in ninth on Saturday. It wasn’t all bad for the Massachusetts teenager however, as he closes in on the ASA/CRA Super Series title.
Ruggiero has led the series points standings from the jump after his win at Salem Speedway in June to open the season. He will have a chance to do what nobody has ever done before – win a CRA and an ASA Southern Super Series title. He has a chance to clinch the Southern Super Series championship this weekend at the season finale at Five Flags Speedway, and the CRA crown at the Winchester 400.
Out of Gas?
Stage Racing in the ASA STARS National Tour has added both excitement and strategy to the long distance super-late model events. Tire limits and track position have been the biggest factors in teams’ strategies, but Saturday at Toledo was different.
Towards the end of the second stage break on lap 150, cars began dropping off the pace and coming to a stop. The reason soon became apparent – drivers were running out of fuel.
Three drivers – Ty Majeski, Cole Butcher and Gio Ruggiero – all ran out of fuel in the final ten laps of the second stage. All three had pitted earlier during the lap 75 break at the end of the first stage and had changed tires, but did not add fuel.
Majeski and Butcher were 1-2 when they ran out of gas on lap 140, but both recovered to finish top-five in said stage. Ruggiero would bring out the event’s eighth caution just six laps later on lap 146, as his Toyota Camry came to a stop on the track. Ruggiero would finish ninth.
Up Next
The ASA STARS National Tour heads to Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 15 for the Winchester 400. The race will also serve as the season finale for the ASA/CRA Super Series. Tickets will be available at the gate.
For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website atstarsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook:STARS National Series| Twitter:@racewithstars| IG:@starsnational).
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