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Starks Scores Skagit Speedway Season-Opening Victory for Third Year in a Row

Inside Line Promotions – ALGER, Wash. (April 28, 2025) – Trey Starks won the 410ci winged sprint car season opener at Skagit Speedway for the third straight year last Saturday.

“It’s good to start off on a good foot like that,” he said. “Sometimes when you start off the year a little shaky it makes the rest of the year difficult. This gives us a good outlook and it’s good to know we have similar speed as we did last year.”

Starks qualified fifth quickest to open the program before he won both a heat race and the feature from the pole position.

“We were definitely not where we wanted to be in qualifying,” he said. “We’re used to qualifying very well there, almost always in the top three. We knew we had some things to work on. We’ll put that in the notebook and make sure we’re better next time. It didn’t hurt us, but their format rewards good qualifying. We made up for it in the heat race, winning that from the pole.

“We took advantage of a good draw of starting up front in the feature. I knew we had to get a good start. We fired off pretty good and I think we had three or four cautions that came in the middle of when we were navigating traffic. That gave me a good chance to practice some restarts. Skagit does the backstretch restarts, which are unique, so it’s good to get practice at those. I felt we were solid all night and going through traffic. I feel pretty good where our car is at and where our speed is at to start the year.”

Starks will return to the high-banked track this Saturday for the 360ci winged sprint car season opener. He’s won that season opener two of the last three years with a second-place finish in 2023 sandwiched between trips to Victory Lane last year and in 2022.

“We always feel pretty good in a 360 at Skagit,” he said. “If you look back through my career I’m sure the 360 at Skagit is what I have my most laps in out of any track or class. I feel pretty comfortable so we feel good going into it. The competition every year is getting tougher so we won’t be able to slack at all, but I’m looking forward to it. I think we have a good shot at winning the opener.”

QUICK RESULTS –

April 26 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 1 (1). 

SEASON STATS –

2 races, 1 win, 2 top fives, 2 top 10s, 2 top 15s, 2 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Saturday at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash.

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.StarksRacing.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Starks55Trey

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreyStarksRacing?fref=ts

Kaleb Johnson Makes Gains During Challenging Night at Knoxville Raceway

Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (April 28, 2025) – Kaleb Johnson is looking to take another step forward next Saturday when he returns to Knoxville Raceway for the third weekend in a row.

Johnson and Team DGRD struggled at the half-mile oval last Saturday.

“I didn’t qualify very great,” he said. “I should have slowed down more on my second lap. I thought there was more there and missed it into turn one. Luckily, I laid down an okay lap on the top. It wasn’t our greatest effort and when you don’t qualify good it puts you in a hole.”

Johnson was 11th quickest in his qualifying group. He then placed second in a heat race. That lined him up on the outside of the 10th row in the main event.

“We felt okay in the heat race, but I really needed to win it,” he said. “We struggled the first 15 laps in the feature. Once the fuel load burned off it was a completely different car, but by that time it was too late.

“I was able to get a pretty decent start and go where cars weren’t. However, we were a little too tight at the beginning and I faded. I couldn’t run the cushion like I needed to. It was the same thing with my entry points. The last few laps I felt a lot better. We’ll use it as a learning experience. We’re still learning a lot each race.”

Johnson was credited with a 16th-place finish, which is his season-best result in five races contested. He currently ranks 12th in the Knoxville Raceway championship standings – only 16 points out of the top 10.

QUICK RESULTS –

April 26 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 11; Heat race: 2 (1); Feature: 16 (20). 

SEASON STATS –

5 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 top 15s, 2 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.kalebjohnsonracing.com/

X: https://twitter.com/Kaleb___Johnson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KalebJohnsonRacing22

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Construction Products & Consultants

Construction Products & Consultants, which has been owned and operated in Sioux Falls, S.D., since 1992, helps builders of all skill levels see their project through to completion. For more information, visit http://www.ConstructionProductsSD.com.

“Construction Products & Consultants specializes in concrete and masonry products,” Johnson said. “I worked there and they have been great supporters of me and my racing. I’m grateful to have their continued support.”

Johnson would like to thank Hefty Seed Company, Oddson Underground, Inc., Blondie Motorsports, Innovative Design/Sletten Properties, Construction Products & Consultants, GRP Motorsports, Folkens Brothers Trucking, DKW Transport, Merle Johnson Farm Toys, Epoxy Co., State Bank of Fairmont, Specialized Caulking Sealants, AB Custom Construction, the Ron Weber Team, Mike Brudigan Home Loans, Heartland Properties, Clarks Custom Coatings, New Era Plumbing, ICE Contractors, Speedquip Motorsports, Norwalk Small Engine Repair, Janssen Fabrication, MPD, Ti22, Smith Ti, Hellraizer Jacks, DMI, 8740 Suspension, Maxim, HRP Wings, Hepfner Racing Products, Keizer Wheels, Hoosier Racing Tire, Howe Motorsports, FID Media and Parker Engines for their continued support.

INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –

Mercedes-AMG GT3 Teams Regulator Racing and JMF Motorsports Sweep Sunday Victories in GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS Race at Circuit of The Americas

 

 

AUSTIN, Texas – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams Regulator Racing, JMF Motorsports and CRP Racing combined to sweep the Pro and Pro-Am class race wins and secure three of the overall top four finishing positions in Sunday’s GT World Challenge America powered by AWS feature race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Jeff Burton and Philip Ellis scored the overall and Pro-Am class win in the No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 while Mikael Grenier and Michai Stephens took Pro-class honors and an overall second-place finish in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.


 Sunday’s victories were the second of the season for both Regulator and JMF after each scored a GT World Challenge America race win in last month’s season-opening race weekend at Sonoma Raceway.
 

The double winners were joined on the podium at COTA by the first-year driver pairing of Isaac Sherman and Jason Daskalos, who co-drove the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to second in Pro-Am and fourth place overall.
 

All three podium teams overcame a mix of on-track incidents and in-race procedural penalties during the weekend to achieve Sunday’s outstanding results. The overall race-winning No. 91 team handled a pair of penalties in each of the weekend’s 90-minute races and – for the second-straight race – benefitted from a yellow-flag safety car period.

 

 

After he and starting driver Burton drove from the back of the field, Ellis was fourth overall when the race was restarted or the final time with 29 minutes to go. He passed Daskalos for the Pro-Am lead and third overall in the uphill run into Turn 1 as the green flag flew and two laps later moved to second.
 

Meanwhile, the No. 34 was upfront and leading the Pro class and overall late in the race for the second straight day, with Stephens at the wheel on Sunday.

 

With both the No. 34 and No. 91 Mercedes-AMG GT3s running comfortably one-two overall and leading their respective classes, the drivers raced competitively but with care as Ellis pulled off the overall winning pass with 15 minutes remaining. The No. 91 took the checkered flag 1.948 seconds ahead of the No. 34 as both Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams celebrated their second in-class race wins of the season.
 

The JMF No. 34 came close to pulling off a pair of race wins on the weekend, and Grenier actually took the checkered flag first overall and in Pro in Saturday’s opening race. Unfortunately, the No. 34 was assessed a less than two-second penalty for just missing the minimum pit stop time and the Pro-class competitor taking the checkered just behind the No. 34 was close enough to be awarded the victory.

 


 

First and second place finishes for JMF, however, were solid results considering the team missed Friday’s second practice session and worked late into the evening repairing the front end on the No. 34 after a non-contact issue emerged during opening practice on the notoriously tough COTA race circuit.
 

The No. 27 required some repairs as well after getting caught up in a multi-car accident at the start of Saturday’s first race. The team finished the race, but the diligent CRP Racing team gave the car a proper repair job before Sunday that certainly played a role in the second-place Pro-Am finish.
 

In Saturday’s Pirelli GT4 America three-hour Lone Star Enduro, Texas-based Lone Star Racing battled for the Am-class lead for the majority of the race and crossed the finish line in fourth place.
 

On pace and frequently in the top three, team co-drivers Marc Austin and Jason Golan were in the hunt for the victory if not a podium showing only to lose valuable track position during a late caution period when competitors in front of the No. 22 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 didn’t circulate fast enough to catch the front of the field during a “wave around.”

 

 

Austin was in fourth for the restart but had a line of other competitors in front of him and the Am top three and was more than 20 seconds removed from the class podium fight after the pedestrian wave around.

 

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams on the SRO America schedule is another full weekend of SRO America competition at Sebring International Raceway, May 16 – 18.

 

Jeff Burton, Driver – No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It's all about seat time in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 for me. We're spending a lot of time in the seat, that's what's happening, and every time I get a little time behind the wheel, I can actually find that I'm doing things a little bit better. A little bit better and a little bit easier. Of course, Philip is just amazing to watch and have him as my teacher. It's really good, and COTA is on my top-five list of tracks. It's really tough on cars, and that was one thing our recent test here was really good for, because we could figure out how hard the track is on the car. I mean, it's bumpy as can be, there are curbs all over, and every turn has something that if you hit it you are going to ruin the car. It teaches you to be quick but careful.”

 


 

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It is great to now have two wins this early in the season, but to be honest, Sunday was more luck than anything. Obviously, it is working out with our driver strategy, but the team reacted quickly after we had a miscue in the race. The safety car coming out was very lucky for us, and we had a late safety car at Sonoma that helped too, but either way, I think Jeff had another great race. Probably another one of his best weekends to date as we have seen him do this year. He was very consistent today and kept the car in position for a podium or even a win under green conditions. Another good result, and now we just have to repeat it.”

 

Mikael Grenier, Driver – No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Wins are very important, and that is what is needed. This championship is not going to be easy. There are only four cars running in the Pro class, and the other teams are also very good. It’s difficult to score strong points and just rely on consistency, so we will try to win as many races as possible. That’s where we get the biggest gap for points, because between second, third and fourth that is a big margin. We have to keep scoring points and that will get us to the end of the season.”

 

 

Michai Stephens, Driver – No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I am just exceptionally grateful for this incredible opportunity. It's all a testament and a credit to the JMF Motorsports team. It's wonderful that this weekend each element of this organization had an opportunity to shine and show their incredible commitment and ability. Mikael and I are the very fortunate ones that get to drive this Mercedes-AMG GT3 around and stand on top of the box on the podium, but we wouldn't be there at all if it wasn't for the men and women that stand behind us. This victory is certainly for them.”

 

Isaac Sherman, Driver – No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “You just need to have a never give up mentality. You never know what's going to happen on the race track, so I just stay focused and give it my all. I am just super excited and happy that we came out with the result we did. This is my first year in a GT3 car and just my second race weekend. My first time ever in a GT3 car was two weeks before the season-opening Sonoma race, so I was a little nervous and had no idea where I was going to be. When we tested, I started getting comfortable, clicking some faster laps, and I was like ‘okay, we might do pretty well,’ and then I just needed to get comfortable with the team and the car. I think by the end of this year we're going to be really, really competitive.”

 


 

Jason Daskalos, Driver – No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “For a new team stepping up to GT World Challenge, we are learning a lot. Honestly, I felt even on Saturday we were performing at a podium level, but unfortunately, we got hit at the start. It was nice to get that podium on Sunday, and Isaac is doing an amazing job for his first time being in a GT3 car. The guy's driving phenomenal so we'll take this podium and move on to Sebring.”

 

Marc Austin, Driver – No. 22 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “In the end, we didn’t get the finish we could have, but for our first outing together in the Mercedes-AMG GT4, both Jason and I feel good about the result. The Lone Star Racing team and Mercedes-AMG gave us a strong car that got better as the event went on. We were able to produce the fastest Am-class lap of the race near the end, which says a lot about how strong of a GT4 platform Mercedes-AMG provides. Missing our shot at the podium due to some unfortunate on-track race circumstances doesn’t take away from the amazing effort Lone Star Racing and Mad Joker Racing put into this weekend. I am extremely proud."

 
       

 

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