User blog:Ajaxcupseries/15th Annual Windows 300 Preview

The Fallon Corner - October 2025

Traditions.

Eight weekends of ASCA action are down, and nine more remain in the 2025 campaign; with the ASCA’s most prestigious weekend upon us once again.

With a championship fight between two drivers that aren’t exactly fond of each other at the moment, a red hot driver third in the standings waiting to pounce on their next kerfuffle, a two time NDRL champion giving it one last shot to capture the ADRA’s biggest race, and the absolute BANGER of a race we just saw last Saturday night - this Sunday should deliver something special.

The 15th Annual Windows 300 should be a special one, and with that in mind it’s time to preview the biggest storylines for the sport’s biggest race.

Milestone 15th 300 Edition
The allure of the Windows 300 is so much that it is the longest tenured race date on the calendar having been around since 2010, let alone one of only a select few events to have survived the ASCA’s transition into the modern era back in 2015.

Over the years there’s been 11 different drivers to conquer the sport’s biggest race, but only two have done it multiple times: Diego Orkedi (2010, 2019, 2020) and Caleb Henderson Jr. (2017, 2018).

Speaking of the reigning four time Cup champion, Orkedi has a knack for winning milestone running’s of the sport’s most prestigious event - doing so during the aforementioned inaugural edition and the 10th running exactly one decade later.

The current points leader may enter the night as the favorite, but he’ll have some stiff competition if he wants to take home that record fourth 300 triumph.

Nick Orkedi’s Final 300 Start
It’s safe to say Nick Orkedi’s swan song campaign has been one to forget thus far, and that trend continued last Saturday night.

Currently sitting 15th in points with more DNF’s (4) than top 10 finishes (3) on the year, the 2016 Cup champion came oh so close to finally breaking through in the All Star Race only to be denied by the red hot Shane Park.

There is one positive fans can take away from the No. 2’s most recent performance though - speed.

Orkedi led laps for the first time all year, won the opening segment, and had a chance at the end to finally reach victory lane for the first time in nearly three years; but it just was not meant to be.

Exactly a decade after the 35 year old won the inaugural race of the modern era in domineering fashion leading 161 laps, does the elder Orkedi brother have what it takes to do what the likes of Jimmy Hood, Dan Rodgers, and other greats could not - win in their final 300 start?

Only time will tell.

Can ANYONE Stop the Big Three?
Qualifying 8th, 9th, and 10th for last Saturday night’s Ajax All Star Race, many thought the field finally had some answers for Diego Orkedi, Shane Park, and Todd Kidd who have owned 2025 thus far.

Early on, that seemed to be the case with rising star Braeden Bennett and past champ Nick Orkedi exchanging the lead in the opening stage, but when it mattered most it was Diego and Kidd battling for the million dollars, with Park picking up the pieces in the end.

That now makes it six of eight events this trio has won through the first half of the campaign, and will that trend slow down anytime soon?

Consider the fact that Kidd and Park just finished 1-2 in this very race last season; and that Orkedi looked like he had the field covered the last time out at Computer Motor Speedway, but the four time champ lacked the track position to capitalize on it all night.

If I was you, it’d be wise to put money on the Nos. 9, 22, and 24 duking it out once again this Sunday night.

Will the 15th Try be the Charm for Randle Woods?
14 years of trying. 14 years of frustration.

And STILL, Randle Woods lacks a Windows 300 trophy on his first ballot Hall of Fame ASCA resume.

The 37 year old has won two Cup Series titles, an Ajax 200, Northern 200, is the sport’s all time wins leader with 50+ trips to victory lane, but those past accolades don’t exactly guarantee success in the sport’s biggest race.

However, are things different for Woods this year?

Following the controversial decision from the No. 18 camp to dump championship winning crew chief Steve Wallace for unproven young wunderkind Orkedi Bros Racing engineer David Jaques, the early returns have been much fruitful than expected.

Excluding his opening lap DNF at The Stoneyard, Woods has finished no worse than 6th in his last four starts which included multiple runner ups at Disney and Michigan, vaulting himself from 21st to 5th in points over that span.

The Computerville native also showed good speed in the early stages of the All Star Race, keeping tabs with Diego Orkedi before the invert and the ensuing restart neutered any hopes of victory.

It’s now or never for Randle Woods, and he plus Michael White Racing know this. Father Time is coming for the 16 year Cup veteran, and they want to strike while the iron is still hot.

And the 15th Annual Windows 300 Winner will be…..
Remember in preseason when I picked Chris Barrymore to win this race?

That aged well.

While Barrymore has not been terrible this season currently sitting 10th in points, with only two top 10 finishes on the year along with a goose egg in the laps led category; it’s safe to assume the impending free agent is more focused on contract negotiations with his next team than racing this year.

With that in mind, give me Diego Orkedi to win his record FOURTH 300 on Sunday night.

We saw how fast the four time champion was last Saturday night, and we know how good Orkedi is in these pressure packed situations (see: 2020).

Add in the fact that Diego is obviously still FUMING with the way that All Star Race finished along with that one point gap between himself and Todd Kidd plus the insane run Shane Park has been on as of late - the reigning champ will bring his A game to slow down that Ronnie Woods Motorsports momentum.

All in all, I expect the 34 year old to put on yet another Computerville clinic to further bolster his impressive Drive for Five in 2025.