User blog:Ajaxcupseries/2024 11th Annual Ajax 200 Preview

The Fallon Corner - February 2024

With exactly two weeks until the 10th Modern Era Ajax Cup campaign officially kicks off at Ajax Superspeedway, its that time of year again where we get to break down and dissect one of the biggest races on the calendar with storylines galore to discuss.

With a record 26 cars rumored to be making the season opening trip to Speedway, Indiana, this year’s Ajax 200 has the potential to be something special.

Household names, new teams, a new rules package, and plenty of hungry drivers fighting for one of the most prestigious trophies the ADRA has to offer means that everyone will be laying it all out on the line in hopes of starting their 2024 campaign off right.

Without further ado, lets get into the biggest storylines to follow come February 27th at noon EST:

Plate Package Tweaks
For years, the ASCA has had issues waffling back and forth between which plate package provides the best cost benefit to team owners, while also giving the fans the entertainment they want. After all, a plate race is only as good as the package allows it to be.

This dichotomy began in 2019, when the sanctioning body unveiled a shiny new conglomeration that featured high downforce, a wicker bill on the roof, and a bonanza of entertainment for the fans. However, the team owners weren’t too thrilled with this new approach after a record low seven cars finished that year’s Fastenal 200, pressuring the sport to make a change.

That led to the highly unpopular rules combination implemented at the start of this decade, designed to take downforce away and neuter the runs drivers could get on one another.

This made side by side racing nearly impossible until it had to be done during the final third of an event, which was good for team owners as it greatly cut down on accidents but not for the fans or even the drivers, who were becoming increasingly frustrated at this new style of plate action.

Thus, the ASCA consulted with the NDRL, who has been known for their incredible shows put on twice a year at Sevierville, to concoct a new plate package for the 2022 campaign, and the current rules combo was born.

While the fans have certainly been satisfied with the three and four wide racing constantly seen throughout the past two years, team owners most certainly are not with the millions in damages they have to pay at the end of every race, and the drivers are beginning to become fed up as well as more often than not half the field is wiped out before halfway.

The sport knew they had to make a change prior to this upcoming Speedweeks, and that’s what they’ve done by eliminating the aero ducts and reducing the throttle body size in the hope of making the cars harder to control, thus leading to less bold moves and less accidents.

It remains to be seen whether or not this strategy will work, but we’ll likely get our answer following the 10th Annual Intel Shootout on the 23rd.

Part Time Drivers Chasing a 200 Trophy
This race may not be the Windows 300 in terms of prestige, but it didn’t stop a former Panhead Cup champion, a reigning Craftsman champ, and the most successful team in NDRL history entering this race with a legit shot to win it all.

Its been nearly two years since Brett Will last stepped foot in a race car, but the inaugural Panhead champ will be shaking off the rust in a second Flores Motorsports ride to further strengthen the Toyota fleet. Rookie Colin Ward and Adam Petty Jr. will also be entered to add to the advantage Chevrolet already had in numbers.

While a part time entrant has never won an Ajax Cup event in the Modern Era, that could certainly change this time around as Petty, Ward, and Will should at least be big factors throughout Speedweeks.

How Much Will Larger Fuel Cells Affect Strategy?
Over the course of the offseason, the ASCA made some slight changes to the overall rules and specifications designed to further equalize the playing field in 2024.

While the plate package changes plus the softer tire compound got the majority of attention, something that many overlooked was the expansion of the fuel cells which is rumored to give teams an extra 30-35 miles of fuel mileage per race.

The Ajax 200 has traditionally been a two stop race with trips to pit road coming between lap 30-35 and lap 65-70 regardless of where the cautions fall, but this adjustment to the fuel cells should allow teams to stretch out their windows long enough to make it a one stop race if they can get good enough mileage.

Traditionally the season opener has never been a fuel mileage duel to the finish, but that might change this time around depending on where the cautions fall late.

Big Names Without a 200 Victory
Nick Orkedi, Greg Healey, Cameron Atwood, Todd Kidd.

Those four big names I just mentioned are all either past champions of the sport, have eight or more career wins, or both.

What do they all have in common though?

NONE of them have an Ajax 200 trophy to their credit.

Last year, we saw Randle Woods prevail in his 10th try at the season opener to further pad their resume, which is certainly what drivers in their primes like Atwood, Healey and Kidd aim to do.

Nick Orkedi on the other hand, just wants to conquer a track that seems to have it out to get him each time he visits.

The 2016 champion has not finished a season opening 200 since - ironically enough, that championship winning season of his. Orkedi also broke his leg in this very race a couple years later.

While modern era greats such as Diego Orkedi and Randle Woods have tamed this event before, it took enough attempts and luck finally being on their side to get the job done.

For Orkedi, it was just being right place, right time to take advantage of a rookie’s bad block. For Woods, it took 10 attempts and a dominant car after third and runner up finishes the year prior to seal the deal.

Don’t be surprised if yet again, a big name driver does NOT reach victory lane come the 27th.

And the Winner of the 11th Annual Ajax 200 will be……
Out of all the crown jewel races to preview, this might just be the hardest one to predict.

When it comes to the Windows 300, the driver that dominates the All-Star Race generally is looked at as the car to beat for the biggest race of the season and goes on to win - see: Cameron Atwood a year ago.

However, a driver can finish 2nd in the Intel Shootout, win their Duel, win the Craftsman opener, lead the most laps in the Ajax 200, and STILL go on to lose the race - see: Jared Ayers in 2022.

Speaking of Jared Ayers, he right there is my pick to break though and finally capture the season opener.

Ayers is well overdue for a plate race victory, as he’s clearly one of the best in the sport at it thanks to his tutelage from the former pied pier himself, Dan Rodgers. The problem is, that aggressiveness that gets him to the front and keeps him up there the majority of the day is what does him in late.

The 25 year old had a long chat with team owner Michael White about toning things down in the offseason, and an Ayers that uses much more finesse but can still carve his way though the pack is a scary thought for the competition.

Give me the Daytona Beach native to score the win, but more than anything I just hope we see a clean, entertaining, but safe race in two weeks!