Seventeen-year old from WACO, Texas wins 25-lap Sprint Invaders feature

MIDDLETOWN — Chase Randall.

Sprint car fans might want to remember that name.

After the performance the 17-year-old driver from Waco, Texas, put on in the Sprint Invaders season opener Sunday at 34 Raceway, Randall showed all the signs of a great career ahead.

What Randall accomplished Sunday night at the 3/8-mile oval dirt track was nothing short of astonishing.

Randall’s car was involved in an incident on the start of the fourth heat race. His car flipped and rolled down the frontstretch and had to be towed to the pits

It appeared Randall’s night was over before it even started.

Randall’s crew worked furiously to rebuild the car for the B-Main. Randall started the B-Main outside the fifth row and worked his way to the front to win the 10-lap race. That gave Randall a starting spot in the A-Main in row eight, 16 spots out of the lead.

It didn’t matter. Randall would not be denied. He worked through lapped traffic, passing Chris Martin for the lead on Lap 22, then held off Paul Nienhiser for the win.

Yeah, sprint car fans might just want to remember the name Chase Randall.

“It was a good finish. I kind of let them get the lead on the restart and go into one the way they wanted. They made a mistake and I was their to fill in the gaps,” said Randall, who started racing when he was five. “(Martin) was really fast. I was just waiting for him to make a mistake. Lapped traffic was crucial. Luckily I didn’t have any problem with it. I was really luck, but we got it done.”

Randall, who just finished his junior year of high school, is making his home in Knoxville this summer. He currently is fourth in the points standings in the 360 class at Knoxville Raceway.

Randall made quick work in the feature, taking advantage of lapped cars to get to the front. His car got stronger as the race wore on.

“It got a little bit stronger and I figured out where I needed to be in three and four so I could get a good run off of four into one down that super-slick straightaway,” said Randall, who also is a diehard Baylor Bears fan. “I had a few cars to pass to get up front, so luckily I was able to figure out my angles to get it right and make that move on (Martin).”