The championship complexion of the ASA STARS National Super Late Model Tour could very well be shaped by what happens on Saturday at Dominion Raceway.
On one hand, the third race of the season feels early yet but on the other, Saturday night will mark the one-fourths mark too.
Wilson Motorsports drivers Gavan Boschele and Cole Butcher have won the first two races of the season at New Smyrna and Five Flags Speedway respectfully and lead the championship standings as a result.
Boschele leads Butcher by a single point.
“This season has gone better so far than I expected,” Boschele said. “We’re still in the points lead so hopefully we can maximize our points this weekend, qualifying, stage points and maybe go out there and lead the whole race.
“That’s the goal so I’m excited and I think we’ll be good.”
Stephen Nasse is third in the early running and is 27 points behind Boschele. He finds himself doing something suddenly that he didn’t entirely anticipate.
“I guess I’m points racing now,” Nasse said. “Just really hungry for that win.I’ve had some close calls last year with the Derby and Winchester … but we’ve got Cody Glick crew chiefing for us.
“That’s going to be helpful for us staying on top of some of the changes. Hopefully we can get us close enough and have a good weekend.”
ASA STARS has done a really good job incentivizing drivers to chase the full schedule this season in the form of a Platinum Agreement that provides tow money and contingency bonuses to each of the teams to contest the full schedule.
At the same time, it’s not unlike Nasse or a Bubba Pollard to fall off a championship if they feel like they are out of the running, moving onto a pick-and-choose campaign instead.
Similarly, Matt Craig is fifth in points and 32 points behind Boschele and did not sign a Platinum Agreement. Maybe a third consecutive good result encourages them to go to Hickory next month, since it’s in their backyards anyway.
From there, it’s not like Newport Speedway in Tennessee that same weekend is that much further from home.
Pollard is 54 points out of the lead but he can also go on a hot stretch like no one in the discipline as long as he can just get through his worst races unscathed. So from that standpoint, a lot of the ASA STARS championship battle will shaped by what happens on Saturday night at Dominion.
Updated Standings
- Gavan Boschele
- Cole Butcher -1
- Stephen Nasse -27
- Colby Howard -28
- Matthew Craig -32
- George Phillips -50
- Bubba Pollard -54
- Carson Brown -57
- Dawson Sutton -67
- Kyle Steckly -69
- Jake Finch -70
- Austin Nason -72
- Derek Thorn -72
- Conner Jones -75
- Spencer Davis -77
- William Sawalich -78
- Derek Kraus -79
- Chase Pinsconneault -83
- Gabe Sommers -83
- Jake Garcia -83
