User blog:Ajaxcupseries/2020 Ajax 200 Preview

By: Charles Fallon - The Fallon Corner

Its hard to believe that yet another season of ASCA racing is already upon us, but that is indeed the case after another brisk offseason! Like the ASCA has the past four seasons, Season 6 will kick off at Ajax Superspeedway, which, barring Denver being a complete disaster, is the most chaotic racetrack on the ASCA circuit by far. Trying to preview a race here will be hard, but with this new package things may be a little easier to predict than normal. Here’s some of the things to watch out for on Sunday:

Michael White Racing Domination
Over the past two seasons, Michael White Racing drivers Michael White, Randle Woods, and Dan Rodgers have combined to lead 89 of the 200 laps held in the 100 lap Ajax 200 races, along with of course winning the last two Ajax 200’s as well with Michael White and Dan Rodgers.

A common theme also that MWR showed was exceptional strength in the Arris Duels, winning Duel #1 in Season 4 with Michael White and Duel #2 in Season 5 with Randle Woods.

However, this season we haven’t necessarily seen that same speed out of the Michael White Racing camp that leads you to believe they’ll have the fastest cars in the race. The highest any of them finished in a duel was Jared Ayers coming home 4th in Duel #1, really not being anywhere close to mounting a serious challenge on Jimmy Hood and Nick Orkedi.

Dan Rodgers finished 5th in Duel #2, but that wasn’t without controversy as he got into Chris Barrymore and sent him to a backup car to do it. He also didn’t have the speed to keep up with the lead pack in his Duel.

So what gives? Does Michael White Racing have race winning speed this season or not?

Well, in a package this season that seems to favor having a fast car moreso over who can maneuver thru traffic the best, I’d have to say no. BUT, this isn’t the Windows 300. This is AJAX Superspeedway, and it doesn’t matter if you have the fastest car if you can’t make it all 100 laps.

In the past two seasons, Michael White and Dan Rodgers have proven they can indeed survive the big one, and if the MWR cars can do it again on Sunday they’ll definitely have a shot at the win.

The New Package
Last season when the ASCA raised the spoiler height and put a wicker bill on top of the cars, it created some of the closest and most dicey plate racing the sport has ever seen.

In last season’s Ajax 200 specifically we saw tons of lead changes and shuffling throughout the pack. All 22 cars were within 3 seconds of each other for the first 76 laps before the big one struck. That wreck along with Grant Von Duvedel’s flip combined to take out 12 race cars in a matter of a few seconds, one of the largest wrecks in Ajax Cup history.

This, along with the safety disaster that was the Fastenal 200, prompted the ASCA to make sweeping changes that resulted in this current package.

As we’ve already seen throughout Speedweeks, it’s been very easy for cars to spread out quite a bit, and very hard to make passes for the lead. Team owners specifically requested with this package to make having a good car “matter”, rather than just being able to survive the chaos.

Will this provide a good show for the fans? That remains to be seen. But early returns from the Duels show that maybe we won’t be in for as good of a show as we thought.

PATIENCE
As we’ve seen in the shootout and the Duels, it is VERY easy to lose touch with the leaders if the leaders are single file and you get side by side in the main pack.

This is not something that was seen in previous plate races, so it’ll certainly become something the drivers will have to get used to. Don’t be surprised to see the field riding around in a train from lap 10 to lap 90 just to try and keep up with the leaders. It’s not because drivers are scared to make a move, it’s what they HAVE to do just to ensure they aren’t left in the dust.

Pit Strategy
With all this in mind, for the first time ever possibly the Ajax 200 may just be won in the pits.

Because of how hard it is to pass and the sheer risk of losing the draft running side by side, teams are going to have to think of other ways to make up spots in a hurry. Guys that are starting in the back like Randle Woods, Ryan Dixon, and Chris Barrymore are going to have to take extreme risks in the pits most likely to get that all important track position.

Sure there’s the chance that riding around in the back all day could pay off when the big one happens. But what if the big one doesn’t happen? What if the race goes caution free?

Normally everytime a pit stop happens at Ajax Superspeedway the formula is simple. Everyone takes four tires and fuel to get the maximum handling ability out of their car and proceeds to attempt to make up the difference in track position on the track.

This season, again with how hard it is to pass, someone is going to take two tires guaranteed. Now whether this results in them blowing a tire or something else along those lines like it has in previous races remains to be seen. But someone in the back is going to take this risk.

And the question will then become how many people will take that risk?

Prediction
For my Windows 300 Preview articles, this section is normally pretty straightforward. You look at who won the pole, and it’s pretty easy to identify that they’ll probably have the dominant car and to pick them.

But this isn’t Computer Motor Speedway. This is Ajax Superspeedway.

Things here can change in a hurry. The dominant car all day can get shuffled to the back in two laps and then subsequently taken out in a wreck not of their own doing. Who knows with this place.

The safest pick for me personally is betting on one of the best plate racers in the sport with a great car under him. And that’s not Dan Rodgers this season surprisingly, it’s Jimmy Hood.

I just hope for a safe race and a good show for the fans.