CORDELE, GA :: Proving that there is no such thing as an off-season in short track racing, many of the best Super Late Model teams in the country have pegged CRA Speedfest at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia as their first attempt to reach Victory Lane in 2015.

The still growing entry list features an all-star cast, including Sprint Cup veteran David Ragan, Snowball Derby winner John Hunter Nemechek and defending XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott.

Set for January 24-25, Speedfest will consist of a 200-lap ARCA\CRA Super Series exhibition race alongside a 125-lapper for the JEGS Pro Late Model Tour. The Super Late Model portion will count yellow flag laps up to lap 175, will be a four-tire race, and features a half-time break.

In addition to the $7,000 prize awarded to the winner, Speedfest has also earned a fast reputation as a popular off-season destination for many of the top names in NASCAR. Previous winners include Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott while Johnny Sauter is the defending pole-sitter. For Ragan, a native of nearby Unadilla, Speedfest is a home game.

As a result, the former Cup Series race winner has spent much of his off-season rebuilding his Super Late Model from the ground up, even missing the Snowball Derby in order to be prepared for Speedfest. It would mean a great deal for Ragan to win in front of his fans and family and he looks more than capable given his previous finishes of third, seventh and fourth in the event.

“We saved some money by not going to the Derby,” Ragan told Race22.com on Sunday night. “We didn’t have to spend on car preparation and repairs, not to mention we had some engine problems to diagnose since our last race at Flat Rock. We stripped the car down, cleaned it up, and took the time needed to do everything the right way.

“We don’t have a new car by any means but I feel like we can go anywhere and compete right now.”

As for the CRA, Series Director Glenn Luckett believes it is important for the Indiana-based league to promote an event in the Deep South to touch base with teams from the region while also introducing its stars to a different market each January.

“I think promoting Speedfest has been huge for us,” Luckett said. “We’ve been doing it for awhile and it’s been good for us to show southern drivers our procedures and how we do things. We feel like it makes them feel more confident in coming to race at Winchester or Anderson and our other events later in the summer.”

Read More –> Glenn Luckett Outlines Goals for CRA in 2015

Speed 51 will broadcast the event on its 51TV Pay-Per-View streaming service for $19.99, adding prestige and notoriety to the event, according to Ragan.

“Bob Dillner and Speed 51 do a great job for short track racing,” Ragan said. “I think we’re really going to see that technology expand in the next five years to the point where we could see all the major short track events on some form of broadcast television. It’s been great to see short track fans rise up and support the product and it’s great having you guys covering these races too.”

Nemechek says he circles Speedfest on his calendar each year and is the defending winner of the JEGS Tour Pro Late Model race.

“It is one of my favorite race tracks. Watermelon Capital Speedway is a driver’s track. Both ends are different and you have to know how to get around the place. I feel that we are going to have some good cars when we go down there.”

Other entrants include former PASS South champion Kyle Grissom, Todd Gilliland, Chad Finley, Paul Shafer Jr., Brandon Oakley, Cole Timm and Austin Wayne Self. Elliott is the defending winner of Speedfest and has expressed interest in returning but doesn’t know if he will enter after crashing his Super Late Model in the Snowball Derby.

The current entry list can be found below.

  • David Ragan
  • Chase Elliott
  • John Hunter Nemechek
  • Bubba Pollard
  • Chad Finley
  • Harrison Burton
  • Anderson Bowen
  • Kyle Grissom
  • Paul Shafer Jr.
  • Brandon Oakley
  • Dalton Armstrong
  • Jordan Pruitt
  • Dominique Van Wieringen
  • Scotty Ellis
  • Cole Timm
  • Austin Wayne Self
  • Todd Gilliland
  • Russell Fleeman
  • Kyle Plott
  • Kyle McCallum
  • Ron Young
  • Jimmy Doyle
  • Kyle Bryant
  • Kody Evans
  • Joe Ross
  • Derek Scott
  • Brandon Brilliant
  • Dalton Grindle
  • Riley Thornton
  • Chandler Smith
  • Justin Ashburn
  • Steve Renner
  • Goodson Racing TBA