2023 Champions Honored at Caraway Speedway Banquet
2023 Season Recap
2023 was a memorable year for everyone at Caraway Speedway. The 58th season started differently than in years past. Russell Hackett’s Annual Thanksgiving Classic was washed out in November of 2022. It was made up in January and became the first Annual “Winter Heat”.
Fast Qualifier Jason York sat back and watched as Coy Beard and Gary Causey slugged it out on the track and took over the lead with two laps to go in the 75-lapper for the Late Models. The non-points event was a sign of things to come as York chased his third Caraway Speedway title.
York would go on to take the checkered flag five more times in 2023 to take the title over Chase Murphy. Murphy claimed one win and six more top-five finishes to lock down the second spot in the standings and take Rookie of the Year Honors as well. The familiar Thomas Brothers Country Ham returned to Caraway and Cam Thomas rode the famed #00 to the third spot in the standings.
Corey Rose out-dueled Allen Vance in the season opener for the Challengers but at the end of the season, it was Vance standing tall as the Division Champion. It was not all a bed-of-roses for Vance as he struggled through some late-season problems but on the strength of his five wins, Vance prevailed over Matthew Smith and D.J. Dean who edged Brian Melville for third spot and the Rookie of the Year honors.
The 602 Modifieds opened their season on March 25th and while they were a week late getting started, the open-wheel cars did not disappoint. Jeremy Gerstner drove a Lowder Racing Modified to the win over Jaxson Casper and Justice Calabro in the 40 lapper but Calabro edged Casper for the 602 title on the strength of one win, seven second place finishes, 4 thirds, a fifth, and two top tens that topped Casper’s five-win season. Billy Gregg moved to the 602 Modifieds after many seasons at other tracks and claimed a win and a solid third in season standings. Calabro was also the 602 Modified Rookie of the Year.
“The Professor” of the area Mini Stock division, A.J. Sanders, showed why he is always the man-to-beat when the Mini Stocks come to town and 2023’s opening race was just a glimpse of what was to come as he edged Modified driver, Jonathan Brown, to take the season opener. Sanders would only be beaten twice in 2023. Once by Chuck Wall on his way to a runner-up spot in the standings and once by Luke Smith in the final race of the season. Bryson Pickard made the most of his first year in the division, taking third in standings and Rookie of the Year honors on the strength of seven top-five finishes.
Daniel Hughes took the win in the “Winter Heat” but Steven Collons started the points season with a win on March 19th and again on March 25th. It was not until the third race of the season that Hughes found the Caraway Speedway Victory Lane in a point-paying race. It was no easy road to his second consecutive Division Championship as he battled all season long with Collins. They shared the top spot 11 times throughout the season but Hughes prevailed on the strength of his top five finishes. Ron Mock found the Winners Circle twice in 2023 on the way to the third spot in the standings. Tito Clapp earned Rookie of the Year honors.
Jon Morton won every race he started on the way to the season title in the new Bootleggers Division. That was no easy task as he had to start last in the field for each race due to his wins. He had to scramble through the field to beat Robbie Perkins and Bently Black each week. Perkins took the win the lone night Morton had other obligations and Black was always fast earning several Caraway Speedway pole awards, third spot in season standings, and Rookie of the Year honors.
Sprinkled in throughout the season were two events for the “Solid Rock Carriers” CARS Tour for Late Model Stock Cars and Pro Late Models. Jared Fryar and Brenden “Butterbean” Queen split the two Late Model Stock Car wins and Caden Kavpil and Kaden Honeycutt earned wins in the two Pro Late Model events at Caraway.
The SMART Modified tour made two trips to Caraway in 2023. Brandon Ward banged his way past teammate, Joey Coulter, to take the win in the “Warrior 100” presented by Pace-O-Matic on March 25th and Burt Myers held off a determined Tim Brown to take the “Revolutionary 99” in the Rusty Harpe Memorial presented by Daggett Shuler Attorneys, on July 1st.
Matt Hirschman took his 9th John Blewett III Memorial “North-South Shootout” in memory of Charles Kepley. Hirschman held off a fast closing Patrick Emerling and two-time NSS winner Andy Zeuss for the win. Twelve-year-old Paulie Hartwig III took top honors in the 602 Crate Modified feature over Eric Hersey and Justice Calabro.
The season wrapped up with the 38th Annual Russell Hackett’s Thanksgiving Classic. Heath Causey, Austin Harris, Luke Smith, Easton Brower, and Brandon Collins visited the Caraway Victory Lane.
The 2024 season kicks off on Saturday, January 27th with the 2nd Annual “Winter Heat” featuring racing for the Late Model Stock Cars, Pro Late Models, Street Stocks, 602 Modifieds, UCARS, and Bootleggers. Grandstand and Trackside gates open at 11:00 AM and racing begins at 2:00 PM.
For more information, call 336-629-5803 or visit www.carawayspeedway.com or FaceBook @ Caraway Speedway. If you can’t make the show, catch the action at carawayspeedway.tv.
Sources: Randy Myers/Caraway Speedway PR