NASCAR’s Erik Jones Tops Talented List of Early SpeedFest 2022 Super Late Model Entries
Salem, Indiana (December 22, 2021) – NASCAR Cup Series competitor Erik Jones tops the talented list of early entries to date for the upcoming Super Late Model event at SpeedFest 2022 Presented by Racing America, that will take place at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia Friday, January 28th and Saturday January 29th.
As was announced this past Monday, the SpeedFest 2022 Super Late Model event, which is a co-sanctioned special non-points event for the ARCA/CRA Super Series and the Southern Super Series, will now be 150 laps and will pay the winner $12,000. The entire Super Late Model purse was raised after making it a 150 green flag lap event and an anonymous sponsor added a $5,000 bonus to the winner making the winners payoff $12,000 for the event.
Jones was the inaugural JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion in 2011. Shortly after that he started his climb in NASCAR, going from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series where he was the 2015 Champion, to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series where he started racing full-time in 2017. Jones has two NASCAR Cup Series wins to date, one at Daytona in 2018 and one at Darlington in 2019. He was a nine-time winner in the Xfinity Series and a seven time winner in the NASCAR Trucks.
Jones has always loved Super Late Model racing, winning the Winchester 400 three times, including the JEGS Triple Crown in 2015 when he won the Battle at Berlin 251, the Redbud 400 and the Winchester 400 to collect the $100,000 Triple Crown bonus. Jones is also a former Snowball Derby and Governor’s Cup winner. After seven years of not racing in a Super Late Model, Jones returned to make selected starts at the end of the 2021 season and will make selected starts again in 2022, starting with SpeedFest 2022.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to SpeedFest at Watermelon Capital Speedway,” remarked Jones. “We’ve had some good runs there and I really enjoy all the people down there as well. We’ve only got a few races in this new super late model and are just coming off a good run at the Derby, so I’m hoping to go to SpeedFest and knock out our first win at the beginning of the season. There is always a great group of drivers there, so it’s definitely another trophy that I want!”
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Carson Hocevar is entered for SpeedFest 2022. Hocevar was in the Chase for the Truck Series Championship in 2021 and is signed to compete full-time in that series again in 2022. Hocevar won the Redbud 400 and Winchester 400 during the 2020 season, two of five ARCA/CRA Super Series victories he had that season.
One of the top Super Late Model drivers in the country, Stephen Nasse, is also entered for SpeedFest 2022. The former two-time Southern Super Series Champion, Bristol Short Track Nationals and Winchester 400 winner looks to start off the 2022 season with his first ever win in the Super Late Model portion of SpeedFest. Nasse won the 2020 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Pro Late Model event at SpeedFest.
16-year-old Georgia hot shoe Jake Garcia has already entered for SpeedFest 2022. Garcia was the 2021 Southern Super Series Champion as well as the Blizzard Series Champion at Five Flags Speedway. Garcia was the Allen Turner Pro Late Model Series Champion at Five Flags Speedway in 2019. Garcia picked up his first Super late Model victory this past season in the Southern Super Series event on August 14th at Watermelon Capital Speedway.
2016 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion Cody Coughlin has filed an entry for SpeedFest 2022. Coughlin, who was the 2021 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion, his series leading fourth Championship, will do double duty entering both the 150 lap Super Late Model event and the 100 lap JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Pro Late Model event.
Former Redbud 400 winner Steve Dorer has also filed an entry for both the SpeedFest 2022 Super Late Model and the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Pro Late Model event. Dorer has two ARCA/CRA Super Series victories and two JEGS/CRA-Stars Tour victories on his resume along with several big wins in his native Florida.
The format for the SpeedFest 2022 150 Super Late Model event will be 150 green flag laps, teams will have six tires total for the event and there will be Controlled Cautions. SpeedFest 2022 will also include the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance special non-points 100 lap Pro Late Model event, the Midwest Modifieds and Modifieds of Mayhem Tour will have a special 50 lap non-points Challenge event, the Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks will have a special 75 lap non-points event and Legend Cars will also be featured in a 25 lap feature.
There will be an optional open test for all SpeedFest divisions on Thursday, January 27th, pits will open at 9am with rotating practice sessions going from 12noon until 5pm. Cost for the test is $100 per car, that will include up to six pit passes for Thursday.
Friday, January 28 will feature practice and pole day for all five classes with on track activity beginning at 11:30 AM. Saturday, January 29 will be feature day with all five of the main events. Saturday will begin with an autograph session at 11:30 AM with racing at 1:00 PM.
Advance sale discount tickets are available for $25 and includes Friday’s practice/pole day as well as feature day Saturday. Tickets will be $5 more at the track on race day.
To purchase tickets or to view more detailed info, visit www.trackenterprises.com and www.crispmotorsportspark.com.
Teams are reminded that January 15th is the advanced entry deadline for SpeedFest 2022, teams entering after that date will have to pay an additional $50 for a late entry fee. SpeedFest 2022 Schedule of Events and Entry Forms, along with any additional information on all the CRA Series, can be found at www.cra-racing.com. More information on the Southern Super Series is available at www.southernsuperseries.com.
