2017 PASS RACE

NOVEMBER 18, 2017

PASS South Super Late Models Champion
Matt Craig - #54

PASS Natl. Super Late Models Champion
Ben Rowe - #4n

11-18-17 "300" Lap Board

Late-Race Contact Propels
Brandon Setzer To $15,000
PASS Win At Hickory

HICKORY, NC (November 18) - Hometown favorite Brandon Setzer took the lead after contact with Garrett Hall coming to the white flag to go on and win the Mason-Dixon MegMeltdown 300 for the Pro All Star Series (PASS) Super Late Models Saturday afternoon at Hickory Motor Speedway. Setzer's third PASS Super Late Model win was the biggest of his career as he took home the $15,000 winner's prize.

"He [Hall] had the best car, I hate it ended like that, but the lapped car just screwed him up," said Setzer, driver of the Romeo Guest Construction/The Jewelry Exchange Ford #6. "As soon as he [Hall] went to the outside I saw the lapped car waving to the inside and I said, 'Oh, I've got a hole,' I filled the hole, he tried to come back down, but at that point I couldn't back out. Man, this means the world to me. I could've won the Daytona 500 and not be this happy."

In qualifying, Kodie Conner beat two-time PASS North champion Travis Benjamin by 0.001 seconds to claim his second career pole. After the top 10 qualifiers redraw, former PASS champions DJ Shaw and Tate Fogleman would move to the front row, while Conner moved back to the fifth starting position.

The 300 lapper got off to a slow start with five cautions in the first 21 laps, including one on a lap 17 restart that knocked 2017 PASS South Super Late Model champion, Matt Craig, and Garrett Evans from contention. Shaw and Fogleman would trade the lad back and forth before Shaw would eventually settle for the lead on lap 38. By this time, Cassius Clark, whose team had struggled to cross the American/Canadian border for four days before arriving just in time for the race, had charged from the rear of the field into the top 10.

Shaw would pit on lap 99 after a caution for the stalled car of Jeff Batten, handing the lead over to Benjamin. After making it as high as fourth, Clark would have to pit under green on lap 125 with a flat left rear tire, losing three laps in the process. Another group of leaders pitted on lap 130 after Roy Hayes made contact with the turn four wall, but Benjamin again stayed out and continued to lead.

While Cole Butcher and Spencer Davis would take turns up front, Benjamin would make his way back to the front each time. But, Benjamin would pull to a stop while leading on lap 183 after his car ran out of fuel. On the restart, Garrett Hall would take the lead from Davis for the first time in the race. On lap 225, Derek Ramstrom spun from third allowing Setzer, Shaw and others to pit for four tires, while Hall stayed out to maintain the lead. The final caution of the night would wave when Dennis Spencer, Jr. spun entering turn three, collecting Clark and Gracie Trotter. With the free pass, Benjamin would be able to take the pass around to get back on the lead lap.

Hall continued to lead with Setzer in his tire tracks over the final laps. Shaw moved into third, until Benjamin came charging through the field to take the spot with 19 laps to go. Hall and Setzer continued to weave their way through lapped traffic until they encountered the car of David Calabrese. With two laps to go, as they entered turn three, Hall looked to pass Calabrese on the outside. Calabrese instead moved up, causing Hall to check up. Setzer took advantage of the opening, turning inside Hall and making contact. Hall spun up the track causing Benjamin to check up while Setzer would go on to take the win over Shaw, Conner, Davis and Ben Rowe, who claimed his fifth PASS National Championship. Rounding out the top 10 were Hall, Travis Stearns, Nicholas Naugle, Benjamin, and Spencer.

The Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown 300 from Hickory will air on MAV TV in mid-January, 2018 so please check local listings. Look for more on the newly crowned champions, Ben Rowe and Matt Craig, later this week.

The 2017 PASS Super Late Model is complete, but continue to monitor ProAllStarsSeries.com over the coming weeks for more on the upcoming season. Be sure to "Like" the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @PASSSLM14.

CONNER - SETZER - SHAW





			Photos by Laura LWpictures.com

PASS NATL/SOUTH SLMs at HICKORY
UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS - 11-18-17

1) 6 - Brandon Setzer - 300 Laps
2) 60 - DJ Shaw - 300
3) 45 - Kodie Conner - 300
4) 55 - Spencer Davis - 300
5) 4 - Ben Rowe - 300
6) 94 - Garrett Hall - 300
7) 16ME - Travis Stearns - 300
8) 08 - Nicholas Naugle - 300
9) 7 - Travis Benjamin - 300
10) 46 - Dennis Spencer Jr. - 300
11) 24 - Mike Rowe - 299
12) 53 - Cole Butcher - 299
13) 7L - Glen Luce - 296
14) 49 - Jeff Batten - 294
15) 43 - David Calabrese - 294
16) 98 - Jody Measamer - 291
17) 24J - JP Josiasse - 291

18) 7F - Dave Farrington Jr. - 281
19) 55T - Gracie Trotter - 245
20) 35 - Derek Ramstrom - 243
21) 13 - Cassius Clark - 243
22) 54 - Matt Craig - 238
23) 12 - Trey Jarrell - 191
24) 8 - Tate Fogleman - 152
25) 15 - Roy Hayes - 125
26) 61 - TJ Brackett - 71
27) 12G - Derek Griffith - 63
28) 9 - Chris Dilbeck - 42
29) 47 - Gabe Brown - 38
30) 4M - Kyle McCallum - 22
31) 09 - Kayla Eshleman - 22
32) 64 - Garrett Evans - 21
33) 99 - John Gustafson - 16
DNS: 41 - Trevor Sanborn

Entries Received - 300 - 11-18

TIME TRIALS

SPEED51 TRACKSIDE NOW

BEN ROWE

DAVE FARRINGTON JR.

PASS MegaMeltdown To Feature
Live Pit Stops And National
Championship Battle

CHARLOTTE, NC (November 16) - With practice now under way for the 12th Annual Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown 300 At Hickory Motor Speedway, Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model racers from all across the continent are ascending on the legendary race track. While the focus for fans may be on who can take home over $15,000 for winning, teams are focusing on how to achieve that goal.

An intriguing factor for this weekend's race will be strategy and live pit stops. With 300 green flag laps before them on Saturday afternoon, teams will have the opportunity to change up to six tires at any point in the MegaMeltdown. Since caution laps will not count, grassroots teams will not be faced with employing "ringers," professional pit crews brought in for race day only. And, teams will also be basing their strategies on what type of power plant they have under the hood. Some teams with "built" motors will utilize the horsepower advantage they have to try and over power their competition. But, teams with less horsepower under the hood will have the opportunity to conserve tires and possibly cut back on the number of stops they make in favor of making up track position.

While everyone has the goal to take the big paycheck and the checkered flag in front of a nationwide audience on MAV TV, two drivers will also be focusing on winning Super Late Model racing's only national championship. Both Ben Rowe and Dave Farrington, Jr. come into Saturday afternoon's action with a shot at the PASS National title. For Rowe, a multi-time winner at Hickory Motor Speedway, a fifth national title would push his overall tally to 10 PASS championships.

"I think it's pretty neat to have a shot at the PASS National title because there is a lot of traveling and work from everybody on the team, that people just don't realize to get to those national races," says Rowe, driver of the Richard Moody & Sons Construction/Hancock Lumber #4 Toyota. "I think capping it all off at Hickory, one of my favorite racetracks, will be pretty cool."

For Farrington, who enters the MegaMeltdown trailing Rowe by just 29 points, it will be his first time ever competing for the national championship. This year, Farrington became the first driver since Rowe in 2009 to compete in every PASS Super Late Model event, north and south.

"It's such a unique opportunity and I can't thank everyone with our family-owned team and Woodman Racing for making this possible," says Farrington, who will pilot the Energy Dynamics/Plant's Seafood Chevrolet #7 this weekend. "We hope to continue a program going in to 2018 and we will be giving it everything we've got to win this national championship. We know we will need some help, but our team will not give up."

All the action gets under way on Thursday, November 16 at Hickory Motor Speedway with PASS hauler parking and optional practice from 1 - 4 PM. On Friday, November 17, practice will begin at 10 AM, followed by Must Racing Sprint Car qualifying. On Saturday, November 18, practice will begin at 9 AM, with PASS Super Late Model qualifying at 11 AM, followed Must See Racing Sprints for 50 laps and the Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown 300.

PASS Super Late Model entry forms and the complete weekend schedule for the Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown 300 at Hickory Motor Speedway can be found at ProAllStarsSeries.com.

For marketing opportunities and in car camera inquiries for MAV TV's coverage of the Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown at Hickory can be made by contacting Alan Dietz 704-231-2039 or alandietzpass@live.com.

The Pro All Stars Series is recognized as North America's premier sanctioning body for asphalt Super Late Models and boasts such marquee events as the legendary Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway and PASS South's Easter Bunny 150 and Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown 300 at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway.

For technical information concerning all PASS divisions please send questions to passracing@roadrunner.com.

For media or marketing questions, please contact Alan Dietz at 704-231-2039 or alandietzpass@live.com.

And, don't forget to "Like" the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens.