Rusty Ballenger pits
Unless a disastrous season finale double header weekend engulfs the reigning / defending and current points leader in Crossville, Tn., Rusty Ballenger of Seymour will become the first ever multiple series champion of the United Crate Racing Alliance and win back to back series championships Saturday night as the racing season concludes at the 1/3 mile clay banked dirt track.
Ballenger will pilot his white # 29 East Tennessee Electric, Diversified. Tennessee Metal Fabricators, Service Plus Garage Doors, Rick’s Handyman, Warrior Shock Service. Mighty Muffler” sponsored T&N powered Warrior racecar this weekend seeking the lions share of the points fund.
“This year has definitely been more difficult, we have a new chassis and I like working with them and feel like we have just as much speed as last year, it’s just things haven't went our way is all as far as wins are concerned,” stated Ballenger this week from his home. “Hopefully we can turn the winless season around this weekend. It's still feels good to win the championship, struggling like we have in races against tougher competition. Jesse, Kyle and Jason definitely made me earn it.”
A pair of events awaits Crate Late Model competitors at the ultra fast high banks of Crossville Speedway this Friday and Saturday as Round 13 & 14 wrap up the 2017 Championship season for the alliance in its third season of existence. Ballenger and fellow UCRA competitors will via for almost $20,000 in posted prize monies this weekend as a pair of 40-lap feature races highlight the track season finale event as well as the alliances.
Runner up to the points leader home town favorite Jesse Lowe has an obscure championship mathematical possibility despite leading the 2017 Rookie of the Year challenge, while Knoxville’s Kyle Courtney chases Lowe for the Rookie title currently third in the points. Georgia’s Chip Brindle and Alabama’s Rod Carroll are also chasing the Top 5 honors of the UCRA points, with “The Chipper” being a previous UCRA/Crossville winner earlier this season. Kasey Hall, Jimmy Elliott, last season's championship runner up Robert Gant and Jordon Horton are all jockeying for Top 10 positions in the standings. Brandon Overton won the previous UCRA race at Crossville back in September driving former and inaugural UCRA Champion Jake Teague's machine.
The aforementioned Lowe has won most of his twenty plus 2017 races at his home track, but has never been to victory in UCRA competition, despite his six runner up finishes in eight top fives of 10 starts this season. Brindle, Hall and Anthony White are the only racers this season with multiple wins on the alliance tour this season. Hall of Alabama has been very tough on multiple occasions at his home track in Fort Payne, Ala., and at the Crossville Speedway, setting fast time and leading multiple feature laps.
“Kidd-Quik” Kyle Courtney of Knoxville a 17-year-old high school senior recently visited Crossville Speedway’s Victory Lane and comes into this weekend on a hot streak of sorts. So far this season UCRA has hosted 91 competitors this season with 5 Rookies following the tour. For details of this weekend's Double Header UCRA/Crossville Speedway 2017 season finale visit www.CrossvilleSpeedway.com or visit the alliances website at www.UCRAracing.com