Gateway 131

MADISON, Ill. — Race 2 of AARN O’Reilly Series Season 2 had a little bit of everything at World Wide Technology Raceway: long green-flag runs, changing strategy, 10 lead changes and a newcomer organization that wasted absolutely no time making its presence felt. When the 105-lap race was complete, Chris Chavez Essary had delivered a commanding victory in his first AARN start, leading 74 laps and holding off Red Snapper Racing teammate Michael Kurdziolek by just 0.205 seconds. The result gave Red Snapper Racing a 1-2 finish in its first AARN event, with Brian Burchett adding a fifth-place finish and Phillip Chavez coming home seventh after a late mistake cost him an opportunity to make the team’s debut even more impressive.

For much of the closing portion of the race, it looked as though the Chavez brothers might be headed toward a 1-2 finish of their own. Chris had established himself as the dominant car, while Phillip worked his way into position behind him after leading 17 laps. But late in the race, Phillip got loose and spun, dropping him down the running order and ending the possibility of the brothers occupying the top two spots at the checkered flag. Phillip recovered to finish seventh, 3.120 seconds behind the winner, but the mistake opened the door for Kurdziolek to complete the Red Snapper Racing sweep of the first two positions.

Chris Chavez Essary’s night was about as complete as a debut can get. Starting from the pole, the No. 21 controlled nearly three-quarters of the race distance and earned every major bonus available. He led a lap, led the most laps, won the race and completed all 105 laps with zero incidents, finishing the evening with an event-high 44 points. Kurdziolek started fifth and quietly stayed within reach as the race developed.

He never officially led a lap, but he was there when the late-race order shuffled and brought the No. 91 home second, only two-tenths behind his teammate. Aaron Gerwitz continued his strong start to Season 2 with a third-place finish. Gerwitz started second, led 12 laps and recorded the fastest lap of the race at 33.386 seconds. His three bonus points produced 37 points for the evening and moved him into the overall championship lead after two races.

Gerwitz now has 74 points, five ahead of Alan Warneke. Warneke finished fourth at Gateway after starting fourth and once again completed the race without an incident. Through the opening two events, Warneke has two top-five finishes, two top-10s and sits second in the standings with 69 points. Burchett gave Red Snapper Racing a third car inside the top five, charging from 21st on the grid to fifth.

Joseph Essenberg finished sixth, followed by Phillip Chavez, Gary May, Tyler Wagner and Zach Monday completing the top 10. One of the more impressive aspects of the race was how clean the majority of the field kept things. Gateway produced only three cautions for nine laps over the 105-lap distance. There were 10 lead changes among five different leaders, allowing strategy and long-run speed to play a much larger role than repeated restarts.

The top four cars all completed the race with zero incidents, and several others throughout the field kept their incident totals remarkably low. That made Phillip Chavez’s late spin stand out even more. The No. 27 had been one of the strongest cars of the night and was positioned to give the Chavez family a memorable first AARN result before the rear of the car stepped out. Even with the mistake, he still finished seventh and collected a bonus point for leading.

Across the board, Red Snapper Racing’s first appearance in AARN competition was difficult to ignore. Chavez Essary won. Kurdziolek finished second. Burchett finished fifth after starting 21st.

Phillip Chavez led 17 laps and finished seventh. Even with David Harrah experiencing a difficult night in 23rd, the organization accumulated 112 team points in its debut and immediately moved into fourth in the team standings. Wagner Brothers Racing continues to lead the team championship with 186 points, followed by Lucky Dog Racing at 157 and Ideal Racing at 148. Red Snapper Racing sits fourth after only one race together, ahead of Great Lakes Racing and Major Motorsports.

The driver championship also took an early turn. Gerwitz now leads with 74 points, followed by Warneke with 69. Gary May and Tyler Wagner are tied at 60, while Daniel Dunaway sits fifth with 54. Charles Allen Jr. has 52, Shane Morris 51, and Dylan Chuckry and Jason Thomas are tied at 50.

Joseph Essenberg rounds out the early top 10 with 48. Race 1 winner Jamel Love did not compete at Gateway, immediately demonstrating how quickly the standings can move in an 18-race season. Gateway covered 105 laps in just over an hour, with only three cautions slowing the field. The race was decided by 0.205 seconds, and the top four finished within just over one second of the winner.

The second race of Season 2 ultimately belonged to Chris Chavez Essary, but the bigger headline may be what happened around him. Red Snapper Racing arrived in AARN competition and immediately put two cars on the top two steps of the podium, three inside the top five and four inside the top seven. The Chavez brothers nearly made it an even bigger story before Phillip’s late spin. Instead, Chavez Essary and Kurdziolek carried the banner to the finish.

Two races into the season, AARN O’Reilly competition has already produced two very different winners—and another organization that looks capable of shaking up the championship picture. The AARN O’Reilly Series is supported by Tier One Setup Shops. Use code AARN for 10% off setup purchases.