The fourth race of the Superstar Racing Experience was at Berlin Raceway last Thursday, and Kyle Busch got his second win in his second SRX start. Here is everything you need to know about SRX Round 4.
The Berlin Raceway in Grand Rapids, Michigan played host to the SRX Racing Series last Thursday night and it was a packed house to see some of the greatest racecar drivers in the country race around a 7/16 mile oval.
Berlin is an actual oval. There are no straight sections of the track, the front and back stretches of the track are curved. Another noticeable feature is no wall on the backstretch, so drivers will have to tame it down in order to stay on the race track.
Joining the Superstars this race was Johnny Benson Jr. Benson, a champion of the Trucks and Xfinity Series (then the Busch Series) is a local driver and fan favorite. He was replacing Paul Tracy, who was suspended from competition following the race at Motor Mile.
Kasey Kahne joined the superstars, and the 2004 Cup Series rookie and 18-time winner also revealed that this was his first time back in a stock car since 2018. Kahne owns a World Of Outlaw’s Sprint Car team and has been competing in Sprint Car races this year.
SRX Racing Heat 1
Due to fan requests, the SRX officials announced that the Heat races would be increased to thirty laps from twenty-five. Starting on the pole due to a random draw was the round three winner, Kyle Busch alongside Johnny Benson. Brad Keselowski, a native Michigander with family ties to the racetrack, started third.
The green flag waved and no surprise, Busch drove to an almost one-second lead on the field. Benson and Keselowski would battle for second, with Keselowski getting the pass complete on lap eight. Once around, Benson, Keselowski began to cut down Busch’s lead, slowly making time up on the red SRX race car.
Lightning in the Area
By lap seventeen, Keselowski had cut Kyle Busch’s one-second lead down to 0.325 seconds. By lap nineteen, the battle for the first position was down to a tenth of a second. The first caution would wave with 11 to go, and it would be due to a lightning strike close to the racetrack, but the officials checked to make sure that the strike was far enough away before continuing with racing.
The restart would put Busch and Keselowski side by side again, with Benson and Marco Andretti making up the second row. Busch came off of turn four and ran wide, leaving room for Keselowski to get to the inside of the #51 race car.
With ten to go, on the backstretch, Keselowski would gently use the right fender to make the pass on Busch. Busch would cross over Keselowski, and the two would trade paint on the backstretch. The two would stay almost side by side until lap 23 when Keselowski finally took the lead.
Back in the field, Ryan Newman would pass Andretti for fourth, and Helio Castroneves would battle side by side with Andretti for fifth. With two laps to go, Joey Logano, who was in the booth as a driver analyst, pointed out that rain was falling on the race track.
Racing continued and Brad Keselowski would win the heat race at a track where his father and brother had won races.
Heat 1 Results were:
- Brad Keselowski
- Kyle Busch
- Johnny Benson
- Ryan Newman
- Helio Castroneves
- Kevin Harvick
- Marco Andretti
- Hailie Deegan
- Bobby Labonte
- Ken Schrader
- Kasey Kahne
- Tony Stewart
SRX Heat 2
By the time cars were pulled into the pits and drivers climbed out, the rain had stopped falling. With the invert, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne would start on the front row, with Schrader and Labonte behind them. As soon as the cars were lined up on the track, the rain returned.
After a parade of safety vehicles was sent out to dry the track, the SRX cars returned to the track.
Due to the rain delay and restrictions with ESPN, the heat was cut to 25 laps or 12 minutes, to keep the broadcast within their window. With arguably the two fastest cars in the rear, the race up front was more intense.
Stewart got a short lead, but the four cars behind were right on his rear bumper. Andretti, who had gotten around Kahne, was taking a tire-saving strategy and would fall back. This would allow Labonte and Deegan to move up to the fourth and fifth positions.
Lap nine would see Stewart and Schrader battle for the lead, with Schrader making the pass as Stewart ran too high and could not get his car to turn. Deegan would pass Labonte at the start-finish line at lap 13, showing how those who saved tires for the second heat were able to make passes. Kevin Harvick would also pass Labonte.
Caution with three to go
Caution would fly on lap 22 and restack the field. Schrader would lead the field followed by Deegan, Harvick, and Labonte. Newman, who started fifth, was able to use the inside lane to make up for positions and challenge Hailie Deegan for second.
Continuing his charge on the outside, Newman passed Schrader with four laps remaining. Schrader would hang tight on the bumper of the #39 Car, but Newman was much quicker and scored the heat victory.
Heat two results were:
- Ryan Newman
- Ken Schrader
- Hailie Deegan
- Kevin Harvick
- Bobby Labonte
- Brad Keselowski
- Helio Castroneves
- Kyle Busch
- Marco Andretti
- Johnny Benson
- Kasey Kahne
- Tony Stewart
SRX Feature Race
Due to the rain, plans had to be shifted. Originally, the feature would be 100 laps, and caution laps would not be counted. However, due to the rain, those laps would be counted. The front two rows for the feature sounded like a late 2000’s series cup front rows; Newman, Keselowski, Busch, and Harvick.
Keselowski would lead lap one, and would nearly be spun out on lap two. Busch would tag the bumper of the blue #6 car, but Keselowski would save it and maintain the lead.
A caution would fly on lap 27, with Keselowski still leading. On the lap 32 restart, Castroneves made a pass on Hailie Deegan for third, while Busch was still battling Keselowski for first. Andretti would fall back, again saving tires for the later laps.
This week’s driver interview during the race would be Kyle Busch, coming on lap 40. Logano and Busch have had their on-track incidents, with the two even getting into a fight in Las Vegas in 2017.
Busch said hearing Logano on his radio was lighting a fire, with other choice words being used. While the interview was happening, Castroneves got to Kyle Busch’s left side, almost spinning him as he did earlier with Keselowski.
Castroneves would take the second position over Busch with that move on lap 42.
Helio Castroneves makes a charge
Castroneves was on a charge. Helio had cut down Keselowski’s lead and by lap 49, he was ready to make the pass. Racing side by side for a lap, Brad gave Helio the position on lap 51. The top three would run within half a second of each other, waiting for the right moment to make the pass.
A caution to group the field together would fly on lap 62. Helio would lead the field, followed by Keselowski, Busch, and Harvick. Castroneves would get ahead, leaving Keselowski and Busch to fight door-to-door for second.
Busch would win the battle, eyes now set on passing Helio. Lap 74 is when Busch would make his move on the outside of Castroneves. Busch would extend his lead when Helio and Brad would make contact off-turn four and again in turn one.
Checking in with Marco Andretti, who at one point was running last, is now running in the seventh position with 17 to go.
Late Race Cautions
Caution would fly on lap 84. Busch, Keselowski, Castroneves, and Newman were the top four. Busch would get out ahead of Keselowski, while the battle was between third through sixth. Castroneves had used up his tires and Newman, Deegan, and Andretti were battling for that position.
Lap93 would be the climax of this battle. Newman would push Castroneves up the track in turns three and four, and Andretti with Deegan.
The final caution, on lap 94, would restack the field for a quick dash to the finish. On the restart, Newman would pass Helio for third, leaving him to the much quicker Andretti and Deegan.
Both drivers and Ken Schrader would pass the four-time Indy 500 leader with three to go, moving him to the sixth position. Kyle Busch had run away from the field and scored his second SRX race victory in two races.
𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬: Berlin.#CampingWorldSRX | @BerlinRaceway pic.twitter.com/byOCNglxQO
— Superstar Racing Experience (@SRXracing) August 4, 2023
SRX Racing Round 4: Eldora Speedway
The SRX Racing Series will pack up the show and head to Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio for the first SRX race on dirt this season. During the broadcast, it was announced that two Cup Series drivers, Chase Briscoe and Austin Dillion would be joining the superstar lineup.
Also joining the field, are three-time NHRA Funny Car Champion, Ron Capps, 2003 Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth, and returning after a break, Tony Kanaan. Lots of champions in the field for this race will be an exciting one to watch
NEWS: @ChaseBriscoe_14 will join the #CampingWorldSRX Series at @EldoraSpeedway on August 10th with backing from @HighPoint . pic.twitter.com/ZF6i3fc9uJ
— Superstar Racing Experience (@SRXracing) August 4, 2023
Reflections
What a race by Brad Keselowski
What an exciting race, hands down the best race of the four that have been run. I was pulling for Keselowski to get this win with his family history at the track.
During the broadcast, it was mentioned that his dad, Bob Keselowski, and brother, Brian Keselowski, have won races at Berlin. Brad, however, never got to run at Berlin and it would have been great to see him get a win at Berlin with those family ties.
With his finish in this race, Brad has scored 113 points towards the SRX championship, one above Marco Andretti and thirty-three behind Ryan Newman.
Show Hailie Deegan some respect
Hailie Deegan had come under some fire on social media about her results in the Craftsman Truck Series. All three of her teammates have made the playoffs and she is not having equal finishes to her teammates.
Well, the haters have been silenced with this race in Berlin. She battled Kevin Harvick for third in heat two, finishing ahead of him. She ran a clean race, using the bumper when it was given to her, and got a deserving finish of fifth.
With this race, I believe it can be said that her struggles are not with racing, as she is a great racecar driver. I believe it is all because of the nature of the Truck Series. Whether that be the aerodynamics of the trucks or the cutthroat nature of driving in the series, it is not her fault.
I think her racing in this series is the best thing for her; she’s learning and racing with legends of motorsport, and showing her talents in an incredibly competitive field, building her brand.
