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CRA Super Series officials announced on Thursday the return of the $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown for the 2017 season.

The three premier events for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS will once again take center stage in the Triple Crown. The events will include the Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway (IN), the Battle at Berlin 251 at Berlin Raceway (MI), and the 46th Annual Winchester 400 at the famed Winchester Speedway (IN).

Any eligible driver who can win all three Triple Crown events will receive a $100,000 bonus.  Any eligible driver who wins two Triple Crown events will receive a $10,000 bonus.  If no driver wins two of the Triple Crown events, the driver who accumulates the most points during those three events will receive a $5,000 bonus and the title of Champion of the JEGS/CRA $100,00 Super Late Model Triple Crown.

There were some eligibility changes in the program that started last season in order to continue to make the Triple Crown a real benefit to grassroots racers. The only drivers who would NOT be eligible for the season’s end bonus awards are the drivers who have competed in more than half the races in any one season in NASCAR’s top three levels in any previous year, or will have by the end of 2017.  As before, a driver must also be present and attempt to make the field in all three of the Triple Crown events to be eligible for any of the bonuses.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie competitor Erik Jones became the first driver to ever claim the JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown during the 2015 season. The inaugural JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Champion walked away with the $100,000 bonus after victories in the Battle at Berlin 251, Redbud 300 and the Winchester 400.

“The JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown has created a lot of excitement and interest the last four seasons and especially with Erik winning the $100,000 in 2015,” noted CRA Managing Partner Glenn Luckett, “Nobody’s had the opportunity to win that kind of money at our level in a long time. It gives a racer a shot at a huge payday. A special thanks to JEGS and the three tracks involved for giving someone that opportunity again this season.”

Johnny VanDoorn came close to claiming the inaugural JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown during the 2013 season. VanDoorn won the Battle at Berlin 251, his first ever feature win at his former home track, then got the big win at the Redbud 300, guaranteeing him the minimum $10,000 bonus. At the Winchester 400, mechanical issues regulated VanDoorn to an eighth place finish, ending his dream of capturing the big dollar bonus. In 2014 the events had three different winners, Travis Braden was the Triple Crown Points Champion.

In 2016 the event also had three different winners, Dalton Armstrong was the overall Triple Crown points champion.

The first Triple Crown event for the 2017 season will be the Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway on Saturday, June 24th. The second leg of the Triple Crown will be the Battle at Berlin 251 at Berlin Raceway on Saturday, August 26th. The third and final leg, where the Triple Crown Champion will be crowned, will be the Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway on October 8th.

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