Las Vegas is an appropriate venue for the high stakes game that is pack racing. The Core Premier Series was wide open Sunday night as drivers tested mettle for a full hour in the Silver Crowns. Passing below the white line was on the table and combined with the draft made for a very defensive race. Passing was difficult without help and bump drafting was a dangerous proposition in the little karts. For race winner Mason Smith #6 and 2nd place Willy Evernham #19, patience seemed to be the winning bet as they rose all the way from 14th and 18th respectively. Fuel strategy was a topic of discussion between the drivers as they get ready to take the green, but as the race unfolded and cautions came one after another fuel economy would not be a factor in the race. Next week is one of the most fun stops on the Premier schedule, a race where anyone has a shot to win Pro 2s at Bristol Dirt!

Drivers crossed the country from Road America to the similarly shaped Sebring International Raceway this week for round three of the Core GT3 Series. Open qualifying went off without a hitch and would have Carl Handwerk #18 and Nick Nickerson #2 leading the field to the green flag. Chris Hamilton #64 and Nicklaus Devos #39 wasted no time finding trouble in turn one, each spinning on their own and colliding off track. Hamilton commented “The car was very unstable on cold tires and I simply lost it. The damage I got was mainly cosmetic as I was able to make my way up before making a similar mistake later on in the race.” Dane Simpson #96 would make up the most spots during the race capitalizing on faster drivers mistakes moving from 21st to 13th. When the checkers fell on the sprint race Mason Smith #6 would cross the line 1st posting the fastest lap in the sprint of 2:02.064.

A surprisingly sunny afternoon welcomed the field back for the endurance portion of the Core GT3 Series. Mercedes drivers found themselves in top spots Monday night with Mason Smith #6, Christopher Hamilton #64, Nick Nickerson #2 and Adam Jones #46 taking the top four spots. Nick Brown #92 was the lone car who was able to avoid finishing the hour-long race with a 0x and scored the extra 10. The points structure for the Gt3 series top loads points, making every extra point scored more important. Matthew Goering #07 would jump to the lead from his 3rd place starting position to lead the 1st lap of the race, before falling back and finishing in the 12th spot. A nail-biting story would unfold for Paul Butler #77 as the laps would down. Butler detailed the end of his race “I was totally out of gas. With about four laps of fuel left in the car we knew we would be right on the cusp of making it.” Butler would creep across the finish line, coasting to a stop barely beyond the finish line placing 7th.

The boys of D-Series were putting on a show Tuesday night as the field chewed up the rallycross course of Daytona International Speedway. Nicklaus Devos #39 blistered the track putting down a 49.567 in qualifying and landing p1 for the first heat. The drivers got their feet wet and became accustomed to what kind of bumping was acceptable in the pro2 trucks as they moved through the three heat races. Davos, Sean Goodwin #66 and Terry Janssen #78 would each take top spots in their heats to make up the front row of the feature. Marc Gonzales #88 would roll after the turn 6 hairpin before being rolled once again by Abhi Visuvasam #008. Janssen, Davos, Gonzales and Todd Caudle #30 spend a couple laps locked in one of the most entertaining battles of the season so far. Gonzalas would go on to win the event after a mistake by Goodwin on his joker lap cost him his dominating lead.

Wednesday night kicked off with the first race of the season for the Core Late Model Dirt Series. 50 laps on the night from Lernerville saw Thaddeus Marshall #87 bring the field to the green. Trouble would find Marshall early in the race, sending him to the back eventually finishing 12th. A good green flag run through the middle of the race saw fierce battles all over the track, including the battle for 7-10th. Kinser Crissman #110, Wade Patterson #151, Scott Munksgard #41 and Jarrett Taneyhill #81 jockeyed for position throughout the green flag run in some exciting racing. The race would see 6 different leaders, with Travis D Miller #22 bringing home the win, leading a total of 33 laps.