Lapeer, MI (Thursday, March 25, 2021) - When Chase Burda made the decision to enter the Bristol Dirt Nationals, most likely goals were set that would define the trip as successful. Getting early-season seat time, be competitive, possibly a win, enjoy the trip with family, and bring himself and his race car home in one piece. Burda was able to check the first three items off the list, but then came the final race of the weekend.
After repairing his #18 Modified folloing an on-track incident, then replacing the power plant after a miss was found, you would think Burda’s trouble for the week would be behind him. He would line up 18th in a Last Chance Qualifier, which would require a top three finish to advance to the feature event. That is when everything went wrong.
Following hard contact in the LCQ, Burda did not immediately exit his machine. He was taken to the infield care center, where it was determined he would require x-rays for a possible broken leg, and then taken to a local hospital. “Fortunately” for Chase, he was diagnosed with a severe leg bruise rather than a broken leg. It was a scary moment, but there was more bad news. His race car was damaged so badly, it is unrepairable. With a season where the plan was to once again spend time on the dirt and on pavement, the focus now turns to Burda recovering and focusing on his pavement Pro Late Model.
“That was definitely the worst crash I’ve ever been in,” commented Burda in a Facebook post. “We’ve been putting most of our resources into asphalt and it’s going to be difficult to come up with funding for a new chassis.”
More importantly, Burda released a positive update on his condition this week. With the bruising subsiding, he is now able to walk. As Chase continues to heal, the plan is to target the Midwest 250 at Salem Speedway on April 25th, the Points Season opener for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour. That event features a 100 lap event for the JEGS Tour.
Burda, who is a former Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Model Champion, and
2020 JEGS Tour Rookie of the Year, comes into 2021 looking for another run at the JEGS Tour Championship. In his first year trying, Burda made the Chase for the Championship, but was knocked out after a crash at - you guessed it, Bristol.
For the time being, Burda’s dirt racing plans remain ”up in the air”.
For more information on Chase Burda, follow his racing social media at Chase Burda Motorsports.
Learn more about the Midwest 250 by following Champion Racing Association on Facebook and on Twitter @CRAracing.
For more stories from around the region, be sure to log ontowww.horsepowerhappenings.com. Listen to on-demand episodes of the Horsepower Happenings Podcast, with new episodes every Monday night at 9:00 pm.
Story - Horsepower Happenings Media
Photo - Chase Burda Motorsports