Jonathan Shafer to Battle for Virginia Late Model Triple Crown with Hettinger Racing

Jonathan Shafer, a 20-year-old driver for Hettinger Racing, will carry some big aspirations over the next few months as he looks to capture a victory in the heralded Virginia Late Model Triple Crown series, or better yet, take the championship over the three-race series.

Hettinger Racing's team owner, Chris Hettinger, feels confident in Shafer's ability behind the wheel and his team's ability to bring fast race cars to the track. The team owner feels they can truly contend for the title in the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown.

“Jonathan’s a talented racer who can compete at a high level,” said Hettinger in a team press release. “We’ve known each other for a long time, so there’s a natural trust and familiarity there. The Triple Crown is a tough stretch of races, but I believe we’ve got the team and the driver to make a serious run at it.”

Shafer's bid will kick off this weekend at South Boston Speedway, as he'll pilot the No. 5 Hettinger Racing entry in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 on Saturday, June 28.

The next stop in the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown will come on July 19 in the Hampton Heat at Larry King Law's Langley Speedway and will conclude on September 27 with the ever-prestigious Valley Star Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway.

While sweeping victories at all three of these massive races would be incredible, Shafer knows just one win over the highly anticipated three-race stretch would significantly raise his profile in the sport.

“Running up front and winning any one of these races would go a long way toward advancing my racing career,” Shafer said. “The Triple Crown carries a lot of prestige, and NASCAR and FloSports put a lot of promotion behind it. You want to win no matter where you’re racing, but the Triple Crown brings out the best. Any success is hard earned, and it resonates when you’re out there talking to companies trying to secure future partnerships.”

As if there wasn't already enough motivation to get up on the wheel for Shafer and the rest of the talented late model racers that will compete in the series, FloRacing -- who will stream all three legs of the series -- and NASCAR teamed together to raise the overall purse for the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown to $50,000, of which $20,000 will go to the overall champion of the three-race series.

Shafer carries optimism into the Triple Crown as he has competed at all three tracks numerous times. He feels his past experience could yield solid results in all three events, which would give him a fighting chance of capturing the Triple Crown championship.

“At all three of these tracks in the Triple Crown, I’ve had quite a few starts,” Shafer said. “At Martinsville, in particular, we ran second until a mechanical failure in 2021, and in 2023, we went from 40th to 10th. And at South Boston in 2022, we were running up in the top-five, and that’s a place where I feel like I’ve always been strong and competitive. Being paired with Hettinger Racing for this year’s run, I know we can put some good finishes together.”

While he's just 20 years old, Shafer has been mixed it up frequently in the zMAX CARS Tour, where he has 35 career starts, including a win in August 2022 at Ace Speedway. Shafer feels his experience in the CARS Tour has helped prepare him for this series.

“In my mind, the CARS Tour is the most competitive short-track series there is right now, just because of how close the field is and how tight the equipment is. The team has to be good, the driver can’t make a mistake, and everybody’s got to work together,” Shafer said.

“In the Triple Crown, you’ll have the series regulars and the same big hitters, but with a lot more cars. I think the experience from the CARS Tour sets you up really well for the Triple Crown because it seems like all the CARS Tour drivers run up front in the Triple Crown.”

Shafer and Hettinger Racing will head onto the track at South Boston Speedway for the first time on Friday, as there are two practice sessions scheduled to kick off the race weekend. There will be three more practice sessions on Saturday for Shafer and Hettinger Racing to dial in their car, which will be followed by qualifying at 4:15 PM ET, and the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200, which will go green at approximately 7:00 PM ET.

Photo Credit: Hettinger Racing