10/22/2023
Redwood Acres Raceway
Krupa Becomes A Legend And A Champ In 2023
Tyler Krupa has proved that he is a talented driver. He won the 2021 bomber division championship at Redwood Acres Raceway and has several main event wins in that class to his credit. He has been a fast and consistent front-runner in the Legends division but while he had many great finishes, he did not have a feature win to his credit.
That changed in 2023.
Krupa was finally able to claim his first-ever main event victory in the Legends during the August 12 event. While it was his only feature win in 2023, it proved pivotal to his championship winning effort. Every point mattered as Krupa’s margin of victory over Landen Green was a mere two points. The win was a major step for Krupa but his consistency was the real key to his championship. Of the nine races this season, Krupa placed in the top five seven times.
Green has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. The young rookie was outstanding in his first full year behind the wheel of a Legend car. Green showed superb pace all season long and managed to win two main events in 2023. He also managed to place in the top five in six races.
Two races are what prevented Green from taking this year’s Legends title and they were the two races with the biggest starting fields of the season. Green was the victim of bad fortune in both NorCal Legends Series races this season as he had finishes of 14th and 19th. Had he been able to finish at or around where he was running in those events, Green would have taken the 2023 championship. Unfortunately for him, that did not happen.
Green has already proved that he has is already one of the top drivers in the Legends division at RAR. In 2024, he will be hoping to prove that he is one of the top drivers at Redwood Acres Raceway period.
2022 Legends champion Tyler Avelar was right in the thick of the title fight all the way through the mid-point of the season. A wreck in the July 29 Legends Of The Redwoods event forced him from starting that night’s feature as well as the next two races during the month of August. Avelar still placed third in the standings.
Canby, Oregon’s long drives to the Acres Andy Thornton paid off with a fourth-place finish in the points standings. The key to his top five effort in the standings was starting and finishing races.
The same could be said for Acres veteran Mac Collado. The former mini stock regular kept his car clean and on-track and was one of only three drivers who raced all nine races in 2023. The result was a very respectable fifth place points finish.
Cole Brown was the highest of the 2023 race winners outside of the top five in points as he placed seventh. Brown won during the Fall Spectacular on September 23.
Northern California hot shoe Jeremy Doss was a two-time winner this year with his victories coming in the season opening race on April 29 and during the NorCal Legends’ first visit to the Acres during the Fair on June 23. His father Mike Doss was victorious in the second NorCal Legends race, the Legends Of The Redwoods on July 29.
Brandon White only raced three times in the Legends division at RAR in 2023 but he scored a win during the July 8 race. Santa Rosa’s Cameron Austin was the final victor in 2023 with his win coming on May 13.
Submitted By: Matthew Sullivan