Nashville, TN - Ahead of the 2024 campaign for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance, over a dozen drivers have committed their intentions to contest the entire 11 race points-paying calendar. The diverse schedule of events features the $15,000 to win Masters of the Pros 185 at Owosso Speedway, the $10,000 Big O Classic 100 at the same facility; plus the $5,000 season opener at Berlin Raceway, $5,000 to win in the inaugural visit to Corrigan Oil Speedway, and increase purse for trips to Anderson Speedway, Whittemore Speedway, Toledo Speedway and others.
The 2024 Class of Drivers features a wide variety of talent ranging from current and former Outlaw Super Late Model drivers, Modified aces, dirt track dobbers, Template Late Model Champions, and overall racing rookies. Fans will surely get their money’s worth at every JEGS Tour event this season.
Here’s the list of full-time drivers on the JEGS Tour in 2024:
#5 Will Sahutske, Jr | WD Racing | Midland, MI
Sahutske, Jr’s first official “start” with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour was in 2020 at Jennerstown Speedway. Sahutske was forced to retire from the event 30 laps shy of the scheduled distance due to handling. In 2021, Sahutske again made select starts with the JEGS Tour at Kil-Kare Raceway, Birch Run Speedway, and Berlin Raceway - posting finishes of 13th, 14th, and 12th respectively. Two additional races were added to Suhtske’s JEGS Tour resume in 2023 during the Masters of the Pros 184 at Owosso Speedway and The Big One 100 at Birch Run Speedway.
The team began building their program at Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways with an Outlaw Super Late Model in 2016. Over the past several seasons, the Outlaw body was tucked away, and the Template body was put on for various starts in the JEGS Tour and other Late Model Sportsman style events.
#9 Guy Fire | Fire Motorsports | Chesapeake, VA
In five starts last season, Fire had mixed results in his first ever starts with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, finishing 14th out of the gate after a mechanical failure at Birch Run Speedway. His first career top 10 came during the Big O Classic 100 at Owosso Speedway and he finished 10th again in the return to Birch Run Speedway. A return to Owosso for the Masters of the Pros 184 net Fire an 11th place finish, and he finished the season with another 11th in the Birch Run Speedway finale.
The father/son team from Belleville, Michigan stepped into racing Street Stocks at Flat Rock Speedway over a decade ago. The progression of racing at Flat Rock Speedway led him into an Outlaw Super Late Model where he posted a top 10 during the Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway. Fire has also raced around Michigan in a Legend with stops at Corrigan Oil, Birch Run, and Owosso Speedways.
#14 Chase Pinsonneault | Carson Hocevar Racing | Windsor, ON, CA
In three starts in the Qwick Wick Super Stock Series, he racked up three top tens including two top fives. Four starts in 2023 with the APC Late Models resulted in a top-five finish at Sauble Speedway; plus he earned his first feature win in only his 6th start at Delaware Speedway. He would go on to earn Rookie of the Year honors and finish 2nd in the final championship points.
Pinsonneault and the Carson Hocevar Racing team plan to pursue not only the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Championship, but also the Berlin Raceway Championship, and 5 Flags Speedway Allen Turner Pro Late Model Championship.
#15 Brian Demland | One Five Motorsports | Hicksville, OH
In four seasons with the JEGS Tour, Demland has credit for 16 starts in 19 attempts posting four top 10s and a top-five finish along the way. His best career finish of fifth came during the second race of the season at Salem Speedway in 2023. Demland says up until this season, he’d been content with where his program finished and how they conducted themselves at the track.
Pair Demland’s increased effort in the shop and VanDoorn’s guidance behind the scenes with the exposure and anticipation surrounding the JEGS Tour in 2024, and Demland says they can’t afford to be the team that “lucks” their way into top 10 finishes. They need to do everything on track intentionally.
#16 Evan Varney | Varney Brothers Motorsports | Richmond, MI
Last season, Evan Varney showed just how good of a race car driver he truly is. In fact, he bested Brandon on the track in multiple ways. He out-qualified his older brother during the Big O Classic 100 at Owosso Speedway in June of last year. Evan also posted good finishes last season in his No.61E including an 8th place finish at Birch Run Speedway in July, finishing 12th and on the lead lap at the Masters of the Pros 184, a pair of top fives starting with the World Stock Car Festival at Winchester Speedway and then back at Birch Run Speedway before ending the year with another 8th place finish at Winchester Speedway.
Evan Varney’s development as a driver will be the focus for 2024, which could lead to his first podium of his career, if not his first win. Evan’s driving style has typically been described as “be there at the end”, focusing on not being aggressive, laying back early in the race, and seeing how the cards are dealt at the end of the day. Father and car owner, Bob Varney says one of their goals this season is to have Evan be in contention for the entire race.
#18 Chase Burda | Chase Burda Motorsports | Lapeer, MI
The 2023 season began with Chase Burda Motorsports sitting unsure of their intentions for the year. That changed during the opening event of the Championship Points paying campaign on Saturday, May 13 at Birch Run Speedway & Event Center. Burda not only set fast time by almost a tenth of a second, but went on to collect his first career JEGS Tour win after leading the final 60 laps by over seven-tenths of a second. The then 18-year-old went on to collect the richest win of his career at the Masters of the Pros 184 from Owosso Speedway, and both the World Stock Car Festival and Winchester 100 at Winchester Speedway to close out the season.
Burda also shares his driving responsibilities with starts in the ASA STARS National Tour and racing a DIRTcar UMP dirt Late Model around the tri-state area. The 2024 season for Burda not only includes the goal of repeating as the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Champion but also as a representative in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program.
#20 Austin Hull | Hullster Racing | Belmont, MI
So far, Hull has only seen the JEGS Tour for two events. His inaugural start came at his home track of Berlin Raceway during the 2021 Battle at Berlin; a race co-sanctioned by the ASA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS and the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour. His second start came during last year’s Masters of the Pros 184 at Owosso Speedway - he led three laps after pit strategy put him at the front of the field, but would settle for tenth at the checkered flag.
Hull’s third year of Template Late Model racing comes after seven years of other types of racing, including racing Sportsman at Berlin. In 2019, Hull collected six feature wins and secured the Season Championship at Berlin winning the final race of the year. The team tested template late models in 2020, before going all in for the 2021 season. Hull says this is the year to begin building their program into a staple organization for years to come.
#22 Jimmy Tucker | Jimmy Tucker Motorsports | Mt. Clemens, MI
A mastermind for race craft, Tucker understands the sport well and has been involved for several seasons, from racing street stocks and modifieds, to becoming involved with VanDoorn Racing Development, Tucker’s roots in asphalt racing run deep. However, his stats in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour remain something that, frankly, irritates Tucker when the conversation comes up. In his 18 starts, Tucker has posted a top 10 finish eight times and has cracked the top five twice; but a win continues to evade him and his team. Tucker says it has a lot to do with seat time.
Tucker says in the end, fans who follow the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour in 2024 will be the real winners. Over a dozen drivers have voiced their commitment to race full-time this upcoming season, and Tucker says that’s going to ramp up the competition and drive to win.
#24 Dylan Stovall | Hutcherson Racing | Wayland, MI
Stovall has taken his Hutchinson Construction No.24 to several tracks across the state in his relatively short time in racing. A rookie in 2018, Stovall collected his first career win during Championship night at Kalamazoo Speedway. The following season, Stovall set out to racing on Friday and Saturday nights between Kalamazoo Speedway, Corrigan Oil Speedway, and Galesburg. To go along with his Galesburg Championship, Stovall earned 5th in the final Kalamazoo Speedway Championship standings and was awarded as Most Improved Driver.
In 2020, Stovall earned what he calls one of the most memorable wins of his career, capturing the title of Springport Mid-Michigan Speedway’s Michigan Cup Champion. Stovall had to survive a race filled with stiff competition and plenty of cautions to win the multi-day end-of-the-year special. In 2021, Stovall made his debut on the Champion Racing Association podium at Anderson Speedway with the Vores Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman. The following year, Stovall started his first career JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour event at Winchester Speedway during Winchester 400 weekend; he finished 6th.
#55 Charlie Keeven | Charlie Keeven Racing | Hazelwood, MO
Located in the heart of dirt late model country, Keeven is forced to travel with his Template Late Model Program. After his stint in the CRA Jr. Late Models in 2019, which included a win at Corrigan Oil Speedway, Keeven set out for his first round with the JEGS Tour in 2020. Naturally, the delay in starting put everyone’s programs on the back burner that season. During eight JEGS Tour events in 2020, Keeven posted three top-10s and two top-five finishes, his best coming at Bristol Motor Speedway where he finished second to Josh Brock after leading 17 laps. Since that season, Keeven has bounced around the country trying to find a team that fits perfectly.
Part of Keeven’s travel included racing in North and South Carolina in multiple different disciplines including with the CARS Tour. A total of 10 starts in 2022 and 2023 produced seven top-10s and a top-five finish. The No.55 also returned to the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman in those two seasons with a total of four starts, all of which resulted in top 10s, with three top fives, all coming at Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Indiana. Coming north in 2024 to race with the JEGS Tour is an easy decision according to Keeven.
#61 Brandon Varney | Varney Brothers Motorsports | Richmond, MI
The 2023 season treated Brandon fairly well; he collected his first career JEGS Tour podium in the second race of the season at Salem Speedway and was a serious contender for the win. That performance after opening the season at Birch Run Speedway with a 7th place finish. From there, Brandon Varney went on to collect four more top-ten finishes, a career-best in a single season for Varney.
The finishes, however, didn’t always reflect the speed that Brandon had at the race track. In the JEGS Tour’s first race at Owosso Speedway, Brandon Varney was fastest in final practice and qualified fifth. Then, at Birch Run Speedway in July, a fifth-place qualifying effort allowed him to roll off on the outside pole. Speed returned for Varney at the Owosso Speedway Masters of the Pros 184 where he qualified 3rd fastest but lost an engine during the race. At Winchester Speedway during Labor Day Weekend, Brandon and Chase Burda engaged in a fierce battle along with Michael Hinde for the top spot. That race after Varney qualified fourth fastest on the day. Unfortunately, an accident took Brandon out of contention for the win. In the return to Birch Run Speedway, Brandon played the invert qualifying fifth and starting on the pole of the race. After leading the first 50 laps, Varney couldn’t hold off Kyle Crump who went on to win.
#71/131/57 Blake Rowe | TK Racing/ Stan & Judy Rosen/Blake Rowe Racing | Ortonville, MI
In August, Blake Rowe captured his third Hot Shoe 100 win at a third different track. Winning one of the country's most prestigious open-wheel Modified races for the third time solidified Rowe as a dominating threat to any Modified race in the country. Even with that in mind, quietly throughout the off-season, Rowe and his family sold everything related to Modified racing and focused all their assets on Template Late Model Racing. Not only investing in their family-owned operation, but Rowe has built a 20+ race schedule for the 2024 season that includes a run toward the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Championship with the help of two car owners; TK Racing and Stan + Judy Rosen.
Rowe says his focus on Template Late Model racing in 2024 is to become a household name in Late Model competition. While being known as a Modified and Hot Shoe 100 ace is nice, Rowe says he wants the same recognition for the Winchester 400, Glass City 200, and others. Rowe says the dedication to the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour this season helps him prepare for a campaign on the ASA STARS National Tour in 2025.
#77 Keegan Sobilo | Keegan Sobilo Racing | New Baltimore, MI
After his 2022 championship, Sobilo took a break from the Touring series in 2023 to race in a more local scene in and around his home state of Michigan. Sobilo took his talents to facilities like Corrigan Oil Speedway, Springport Mid-Michigan Speedway, Kalamazoo Speedway, and even finished the season by returning to Winchester Speedway in October. Sabilo says, while racing locally is important and fun, he is ready to get back on a traveling tour.
Despite having a CRA Late Model Sportsman Championship behind him, Sabilo says he has a lot to learn as he ventures out on the JEGS Tour in 2024; his biggest concern is learning how to manage tires throughout the course of the 100+ lap races. Sobilo has yet to make an official start in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and has never been on many of the tracks on the Tour. He says despite that, his goals remain high for the year because he knows what he and his team are capable of.
#79 Barrett Polhemus | VanDoorn Racing Development | Wimberly, TX
Polhemus has competed in multiple platforms in Super Late Model racing in the past several seasons, including his aforementioned run in the ASA Midwest Tour where he collected six top 10 finishes in 11 races and a top five - his best finish of the season during the Gundrad Auto Group 250 at Wisconsin International Raceway (co-sanctioned with the ASA STARS National Tour). Polhemus ended the season fifth in the Midwest Tour Championship Standings.
When Polhemus raced with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour in 2023, he found nearly instant success. In his first start during the Big O Classic 100 at Owosso Speedway, the No.79 rolled off the grid 7th before coming home fourth for his first career top five in the JEGS Tour. The then-18-year-old backed that performance up with an 8th-place finish at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway before finishing 9th at Birch Run Speedway. Polhemus closed out his “testing the waters” season with the JEGS Tour by finishing 4th at Winchester Speedway in October. Polhemus says despite already putting in a full season of Super Late Model racing, the JEGS Tour is important to his driver development.
The 2024 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance season begins Saturday, April 27th at Berlin Raceway in Marne, MI. Advanced tickets are available online at BerlinRaceway.com or at the gate on race day. Fans who can't attend in person can watch the action live on RacingAmerica.Tv, TrackTv.com, or FloRacing.
For more information on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance log onto CRA-Racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on X.
Story - Zach Hiser
Photo - Koty Geyer