Zachary Tinkle Gets Great Finish Saturday Night at Anderson Speedway
Zachary Tinkle’s 2020 race season continued this past Saturday with the running of the AERCO Heating and Cooling 100 Presented by JEGS.com on Military Appreciation Night at Anderson Speedway with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance. Zachary had looked forward to this event since the 2020 schedule came out after winning the Anderson Speedway MEP Late Model Championship in 2019 at what he considers his home track, but what made the night even more special was it would be the first night race fans in the state of Indiana would be able to attend a racing event live in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crew Chief Danny Trent had Zachary’s VanDoorn Chassis race car prepared and ready to attend the open practice on Friday night. Zachary felt comfortable in the car and new he would have to bring his A game on Saturday against a stout field of competitors entered for the second JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour event of the season.
The team had some issues as the day started on Saturday with the car not starting. Trent and the team quickly diagnosed the issue and got it fixed. There was a one-hour practice session for the series on Saturday were Zachary was 16th fastest of the 25 cars that took practice laps.
Zachary qualified 16th and would start 16th in the AERCO Heating and Cooling 100 Presented by JEGS.com, the last event of the night. The team felt they had a good long run car that would make progress during the race.
The 100 lap feature was one of the most intense races fans could remember in recent history at Anderson Speedway. Cars battled through out the field the entire 100 laps for each position. Zachary steadily worked his way through the field, avoided disaster in the 10 cautions that occurred during the event to bring his car home in seventh position, gaining nine positions from his starting spot.
Zachary earned several awards for his great run including the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Race for being the top finishing series registered rookie. For gaining nine positions Zachary earned a Hoosier Race Tire Performance Award and the Racing Electronics Hardcharger Award.
“Our race day began with a car that wouldn’t start,” remarked Zachary. “The team figured it out and we had a great night – finishing 7th in a stacked field of racers. I cannot thank my team enough. Thank you to all the fans that came out to Anderson Speedway. It was good to be at our home track!”
Next Event: Jennerstown Speedway Complex with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour on Saturday, July 4th.
About Zachary Tinkle:
Zachary Tinkle is the 2019 Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Champion and 2019 Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engines Late Model Series Champion and Rookie of the Year. He also won the 2019 Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Triple Crown Championship. In his 2018 rookie season in the same series, Tinkle was named PGG Sportsman of the Year and voted Most Popular Driver; finishing 5th in the championship. In 2020, Tinkle is competing full-time in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance.
About the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance:
2020 will be the 10th season of competition for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance that crowned its first Champion in 2011. Past Champions include NASCAR competitors Eric Jones and Daniel Hemric, also Cody Coughlin, Jack Dossey III, Dan Leeck and Dalton Armstrong. The tour is the top crate engine asphalt template late model touring series in the country.