STARS National Tour Brings New Faces to Redbud Field

This year marks the 57th Annual Greg Hubler Automotive Group Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway, one of the historic events in pavement Late Model racing. With the event’s inclusion in the inaugural ASA STARS National Tour schedule, however, some new faces will be coming to the Redbud 400 for the very first time.

The most notable of these is none other than the STARS National Tour points leader, Ty Majeski. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor has successfully balanced those full-time responsibilities with a busy Late Model schedule so far in 2023, most recently winning in the Slinger Nationals on Tuesday.

The next stop for Majeski on his STARS National Tour title hunt is a different quarter-mile, Anderson Speedway. It will be Majeski’s first trip to Anderson, where he hopes to add to one of the most decorated resumes in short track racing.

Gio Ruggiero, who is currently fifth in the ASA STARS National Tour points, will also be making his Redbud debut. Going to new venues has very much been part of the journey for the 16-year-old racer out of Massachusetts this season, and Anderson is just another stop on that tour. Ruggiero already has a STARS win this season, taking the checkered flag in the Tar Heel 250 at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Last year, Sammy Smith took the Wilson Motorsports No. 22 to victory lane in the Redbud 400, leading 241 of the race’s 400 laps. Ruggiero will be looking for similar success when he arrives in Anderson this weekend with Wilson Motorsports.

Another driver checking off a lot of firsts this year is Florida’s Michael Hinde. The former SpeedFest Pro Late Model winner heads to Anderson Speedway as part of this year’s Redbud field.

One of the Redbud 400 rookie drivers has been to victory lane in the event, in another capacity. When Kyle Crump won the event in 2021 driving for Stan and Judi Rosen in the R & D Racing No. 131, Blake Rowe stood on the spotter’s stand for the team. This year, Rowe will be piloting the No. 131 machine and making his Redbud 400 driving debut.

A more familiar name to CRA fans in the Midwest, Chase Burda has won at Anderson Speedway before. He won twice at Anderson during the 2019 season competing in the CRA Junior Late Model Series. This weekend, Burda makes his Redbud debut at the track and hopes to add to that winning record.

-Photo credit: Will Bellamy/Racing America