Rudeen Racing & Zeb Wise Close Out ’23 All Star Championship With 4-Crown Nats Win At Eldora

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / ALL STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS – ROSSBURG, OH – The 2023 Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 championship chase came down to the wire, literally, but when the dust settled Saturday night at the “World’s Greatest Dirt Track,” Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, it was Rudeen Racing’s Zeb Wise who came out on top, not only earning a 4-Crown Nationals title, but ultimately, an All Star team championship for Rudeen Racing.

In addition, the Eldora Speedway win was a first-ever for the Angola, Indiana, native, chased to the line by championship rival and fellow Hoosier, Tyler Courtney.

The final championship margin of victory was just eight markers over Clauson Marshall Racing and Tyler Courtney; the closest battle in All Star history.

“Eldora Speedway is awesome…I love coming here,” Zeb Wise, ace of the Rudeen Racing/Sundollar Restoration/Rayce Rudeen Foundation/No. 26 sprint car, said. “I really, really can’t say enough about the four guys standing behind me. I’m just so proud of this team. Kevin and Monika Rudeen have wanted an All Star championship for the last few years. I’m glad we were able to earn it for them. They pour their heart and soul into this race team.”

Although he was there at the end, it was not until lap six when Wise first battled into a podium spot, working by Kokomo, Indiana’s Parker Price-Miller and Apollo, Pennsylvania’s Sye Lynch to drive ahead from fifth in the running order. Early race leader, “Sunshine” Tyler Courtney, was next on Wise’s hit list, battling side-by-side with the Clauson Marshall Racing entry on laps 15 and 16 before solidifying the runner-up spot the following circuit.

A dramatic finish, at that, Wise led only the last four laps at Eldora Speedway, inheriting command after mid-race leader, Rico Abreu, made contact with the turn four retaining wall. The St. Helena, California, native and Befour the Crowns Showdown champion suffered too much damage and was unable to continue.

Once the lone restart finally commenced, the final four circuits were a breeze for Wise, racing off to a $10,000 4-Crown Nationals payday, and an $80,000 team championship for Rudeen Racing.

“I’ve had to work really hard to get better at this place,” Wise continued. “I’m now really comfortable with racing up near the top..right up against the wall. I’ve watched a lot of videos of Tyler [Courtney] and Rico [Abreu]. Just trying to do whatever it took to get better. Thank you so much, Ford Performance for making such an incredible engine. I’m not sure I’d be standing here without it.”

The Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 will continue, and conclude, their 2023 campaign with the rescheduled Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, October 5. The one-night showstopper will award a $60,000 top prize; the richest payday on the All Star trail.

Contingency Awards/Results: Eldora Speedway | September 23, 2023:
4-Crown Nationals | $10,000-to-win
Kistler Racing Products Pill Draw | Entries: 42
Macri Concrete/Nunzi’s Advertising Hot Laps: Zeb Wise | 13.343
Hercules Tires Fast Qualifier: Chase Randall | 12.967
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #1 Winner: Tyler Courtney
Competition Suspension Inc Heat #2 Winner: Cory Eliason
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #3 Winner: Cale Thomas
Kistler Racing Products Heat #4 Winner: Zeb Wise
Mobil 1 Heat #5 Winner: Rico Abreu
Classic Ink USA B-Main Winner: Aaron Reutzel
Rayce Rudeen Foundation Contingency Award: Kerry Madsen
Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts Dash Winner: Parker Price-Miller
Tezos A-Main Winner: Zeb Wise
Tezos A-Main Hard Charger: Greg Wilson (+11)
Carquest Perseverance Award: Greg Wilson

Tezos A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 26-Zeb Wise[5]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 3. 42-Sye Lynch[9]; 4. 9P-Parker Price Miller[1]; 5. 23-Cale Thomas[3]; 6. 13-Justin Peck[10]; 7. 88-Austin McCarl[11]; 8. 11-Cory Eliason[7]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson[20]; 10. 5T-Ryan Timms[6]; 11. 21-Brian Brown[12]; 12. 9R-Chase Randall[8]; 13. 8-Aaron Reutzel[21]; 14. 9-Kasey Kahne[14]; 15. 45-Kyle Reinhardt[23]; 16. 50YR-JJ Hickle[13]; 17. 70-Kraig Kinser[19]; 18. 4-Chris Windom[15]; 19. 16THH-Kevin Thomas Jr[18]; 20. 19-Ayrton Gennetten[24]; 21. 6G-Garet Williamson[16]; 22. (DNF) 29-Carl Bowser; 23. (DNF) 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 24. (DNF) 21H-Brady Bacon[17] LAP LEADERS: Tyler Courtney (1-8), Rico Abreu (9-26), Zeb Wise (27-30)

Classic Ink USA B Feature (12 Laps): 1. 8-Aaron Reutzel[1]; 2. 35-Zach Hampton[2]; 3. 45-Kyle Reinhardt[6]; 4. 19-Ayrton Gennetten[10]; 5. 55-Kerry Madsen[3]; 6. 29-Carl Bowser[7]; 7. 97-Brandon Spithaler[11]; 8. 99-Skylar Gee[5]; 9. 15K-Creed Kemenah[8]; 10. 85-Dustin Daggett[16]; 11. 4S-Tyler Street[14]; 12. 5E-Bobby Elliott[9]; 13. 56R-Ryan Myers[18]; 14. 55T-McKenna Haase[15]; 15. 24D-Danny Sams III[13]; 16. 11N-Kasey Jedrzejek[4]; 17. 6-Jimmie Ward Jr[17]; 18. (DNS) 16TH-Logan Seavey; 19. (DNS) 19P-Trey Jacobs

Elliotts Custom Trailers and Carts Dash (6 Laps): 1. 9P-Parker Price Miller[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 3. 23-Cale Thomas[3]; 4. 24-Rico Abreu[8]; 5. 26-Zeb Wise[7]; 6. 5T-Ryan Timms[5]; 7. 11-Cory Eliason[6]; 8. 9R-Chase Randall[4]

Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]; 2. 42-Sye Lynch[2]; 3. 9R-Chase Randall[4]; 4. 21H-Brady Bacon[5]; 5. 35-Zach Hampton[1]; 6. 99-Skylar Gee[8]; 7. 19-Ayrton Gennetten[6]; 8. 4S-Tyler Street[7]; 9. 56R-Ryan Myers[9]

CSI Shocks Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 11-Cory Eliason[1]; 2. 13-Justin Peck[3]; 3. 9-Kasey Kahne[5]; 4. 5T-Ryan Timms[2]; 5. 8-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 6. 29-Carl Bowser[7]; 7. 97-Brandon Spithaler[6]; 8. 85-Dustin Daggett[8]; 9. 19P-Trey Jacobs[9]

All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 23-Cale Thomas[1]; 2. 21-Brian Brown[2]; 3. 9P-Parker Price Miller[4]; 4. 70-Kraig Kinser[6]; 5. 55-Kerry Madsen[3]; 6. 45-Kyle Reinhardt[5]; 7. 16TH-Logan Seavey[7]; 8. 6-Jimmie Ward Jr[8]

Kistler Racing Products Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 26-Zeb Wise[4]; 2. 50YR-JJ Hickle[1]; 3. 6G-Garet Williamson[5]; 4. 16THH-Kevin Thomas Jr[2]; 5. 11N-Kasey Jedrzejek[6]; 6. 15K-Creed Kemenah[7]; 7. 24D-Danny Sams III[8]; 8. 55T-McKenna Haase[3]

Mobil 1 Heat 5 (8 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 2. 88-Austin McCarl[1]; 3. 4-Chris Windom[2]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson[5]; 5. 32-Bryce Lucius[3]; 6. 5E-Bobby Elliott[7]; 7. 41-Thomas Schinderle[6]; 8. (DNS) 28M-Conner Morrell

Hercules Tire Qualifying: 1. 9R-Chase Randall, 00:12.967[1]; 2. 8-Aaron Reutzel, 00:13.031[9]; 3. 11-Cory Eliason, 00:13.089[12]; 4. 35-Zach Hampton, 00:13.093[5]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.118[38]; 6. 42-Sye Lynch, 00:13.129[6]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.132[4]; 8. 9P-Parker Price Miller, 00:13.155[18]; 9. 5T-Ryan Timms, 00:13.172[15]; 10. 13-Justin Peck, 00:13.173[11]; 11. 23-Cale Thomas, 00:13.193[21]; 12. 21H-Brady Bacon, 00:13.198[2]; 13. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:13.238[27]; 14. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:13.257[37]; 15. 19-Ayrton Gennetten, 00:13.299[7]; 16. 4S-Tyler Street, 00:13.313[3]; 17. 99-Skylar Gee, 00:13.334[8]; 18. 21-Brian Brown, 00:13.334[24]; 19. 55-Kerry Madsen, 00:13.355[22]; 20. 45-Kyle Reinhardt, 00:13.357[25]; 21. 50YR-JJ Hickle, 00:13.363[30]; 22. 16THH-Kevin Thomas Jr, 00:13.377[26]; 23. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:13.378[13]; 24. 55T-McKenna Haase, 00:13.396[31]; 25. 70-Kraig Kinser, 00:13.405[19]; 26. 4-Chris Windom, 00:13.419[39]; 27. 97-Brandon Spithaler, 00:13.467[14]; 28. 6G-Garet Williamson, 00:13.492[29]; 29. 32-Bryce Lucius, 00:13.494[34]; 30. 11N-Kasey Jedrzejek, 00:13.586[32]; 31. 16TH-Logan Seavey, 00:13.597[23]; 32. 29-Carl Bowser, 00:13.599[10]; 33. W20-Greg Wilson, 00:13.647[41]; 34. 28M-Conner Morrell, 00:13.663[40]; 35. 85-Dustin Daggett, 00:13.707[16]; 36. 41-Thomas Schinderle, 00:13.750[35]; 37. 19P-Trey Jacobs, 00:13.773[17]; 38. 15K-Creed Kemenah, 00:13.782[33]; 39. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:13.823[28]; 40. 5E-Bobby Elliott, 00:13.848[36]; 41. 6-Jimmie Ward Jr, 00:59.999[20]