There is already lots of talent on the list of entries to date for the 50th Annual Redbud 300 Presented by Mitch Smith Auto Service and Perfecto, which will take place at Anderson Speedway on Saturday, July 16th. The ARCA/CRA Super Series is celebrating its 20th season of competition in 2016, Anderson Speedway is where the series had its first ever event on Saturday, April 26, 1997. The Redbud 300 will be the 60th series event that Anderson Speedway has hosted since that Saturday in 1997, the most of any track the series has raced at.
Topping the list of entries to date is current ARCA/CRA Super Series points leader Cody Coughlin, who leads the series with three victories so far this season, one of those victories came at Anderson Speedway on May 7th, the other two were at Toledo Speedway and at Baer Field Speedway. The 2013 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion is also the current point’s leader with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and won their last event on June 18th at Salem Speedway. Coughlin is also racing in selected events in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Second in points Dalton Armstrong is also entered, the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year point’s leader has one victory so far this season, in the series season opener at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, plus second place finishes at Anderson and Baer Field Speedway. Other top CRA drivers entered includes third in points Wes Griffith Jr., fourth in points Tom Woodin, 2015 series Anderson winner Eddie Van Meter, former series Anderson winner Rick Turner, 2014 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion Dan Leeck, 2014 series Kil-Kare Speedway winner Brandon Oakley, current JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Rookie competitor Jack Dossey III, former series regular Brett Robinson, and John Neal who is entered to make his third ever series start and first Redbud 300 start.
Two former event winners are entered, three time ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion Johnny VanDoorn, winner of the 2013 Redbud 300, is entered driving for T.K. Racing. Also entered is Lakeland, Florida native Steve Dorer, who won the 2011 Redbud 300 with a last lap pass of Chase Elliott on the high side of turns three and four in one of the most exciting finishes in Redbud history.
Georgia hot shoe Bubba Pollard is entered, he looks to add the Redbud winner’s trophy to his long list of late model victories the past several seasons, including his victory at CRA’s SpeedFest 2016 in January and he won $35,000 at the Winter Showdown at Kern County Raceway Park in California in February.
Current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader William Byron is entered for his first ever Redbud 300. Byron has won three Truck Series events so far in 2016 for the Kyle Busch Motorsports Team, including back to back wins at Texas Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway.
Florida racer Dalton Sargeant is entered, he is competing in selected late model events this season and also with the ARCA Racing Series, he finished sixth in the May 7th series event at Anderson. California racer Zane Smith is entered, he finished third in the May 7th event. The third Florida racer entered in the event is Stephen Nasse, who will compete in a team car to Rick Turner. Minnesota driver Cole Anderson is entered, he will be driving for the ACR Driver Development, also based in Florida. Anderson won the last Southern Super Series event at Montgomery Motor Speedway on June 18th and won a couple of early season events at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida.
Illinois driver Trent Snyder has filed an entry. Snyder is no stranger to victory lane at Anderson Speedway, he was the winner of three straight JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour events at Anderson Speedway from 2011 through the 2013 seasons. Snyder hopes to use that winning experience to pick up his first ever ARCA/CRA Super Series win, and the biggest victory in his racing career.
The ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS sanctioned Redbud 300 will be 300 laps counting yellows, with a 10 minute break at lap 150 for teams to refuel, take tires and make adjustments. Teams will reline up for the second half of the race by how many tires they take at the break. The event will pay $10,000 to win.
The Redbud 300 is the second event of the JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown, which would have paid a driver $100,000 bonus if the same driver won the Battle at Berlin 251 at Berlin Raceway, the Redbud 300 and the 45th Annual Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway on October 9th. Erik Jones, the 2015 JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown Bonus Award Winner and 2015 Redbud 300 winner, won the Battle at Berlin 251 on June 13th, but he is not eligible for the bonuses this season because he races full-time in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, so there will be no $100,000 bonus paid out in 2016.
There is still a $10,000 bonus if a driver can win two of the Triple Crown events. If no driver wins two of the Triple Crown events, the driver who accumulates the most points during those three events will receive a $5,000 bonus and the title of Champion of the JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown.
