The drama from Tri-County Speedway has resulted in two handfuls of penalties issued
On Saturday, the CARS Tour raced at Tri-County Speedway. The bullring track brought drama and multiple penalties have followed.
View the CARS Tour penalty report below.
CARS Tour rivals Katie Hettinger and Caden Kvapil are in a battle for the series championship. And they found themselves battling for the win at the front of the field.
With 18 laps to go, Kvapil got loose off turn two. He chased it up the track and into Hettinger. Hettinger ended up spinning across the track collecting multiple cars along the way.
Laps later, on a restart, they two started next to each other in the back of the pack. Hettinger turned left down the front stretch, hooking Kvapil in the right rear.
After the retaliation, Hettinger pulled to the pit lane. She was met by her father.
“Get out of the car Katie! You do not race that way. I did not raise you to drive like that,” her father yelled into the driver’s window.
At the end of the race, Gaven Boschele and Ashton Higgins crashed while racing for the win on the final lap. The contact led to a confrontation on the pit lane between multiple crew members.
A video of both incidents can be seen below.
Kip Childress
“We are extremely disappointed in the actions of a few of our competitors at Tri-County Speedway,” said CARS Tour Executive Director Kip Childress.
“The safety of all of our competitors, staff members and fans is of our utmost concern. We will not tolerate any retaliation on the track or fighting during our events.”
“While we feel the penalties assessed today are both fair and consistent, we want to stress that penalties for these acts moving forward will continue to be more severe to ensure that everyone is fully aware of our stance on these issues.”
CARS Tour
Penalty Report
The following penalties have been issued after the event:
Section 1A: Actions Detrimental to Automobile Racing or to the CARS Tour
– Driver Katie Hettinger (No. 81) of Anthony Campi Racing will receive a one-race suspension, effective at Caraway Speedway (Nov. 4), for retaliating and intentionally wrecking the No. 96 of Caden Kvapil.
– Driver Ashton Higgins (No. 9) of ALH Motorsports will receive probation for the remainder of the season and will be fined $500 for the unauthorized crossing of the racing surface to confront another competitor. The fine must be paid before returning to the series.
– Driver Gavan Boschele (No. 25) of Rackley W. A. R. will receive probation for the remainder of the season for rough driving.
Section 1F: Entering another competitor’s pit area to instigate a physical confrontation
– Shad Higgins will receive a one-race suspension, effective at Caraway Speedway (Nov. 4), and will be fined $500. The fine must be paid before returning to the series.
– Shane Higgins will receive a one-race suspension, effective at Caraway Speedway (Nov. 4), and will be fined $500. The fine must be paid before returning to the series.
– Coleman Higgins will receive a one-race suspension, effective at Caraway Speedway (Nov. 4), and will be fined $500. The fine must be paid before returning to the series.
– Pierson Hensley will receive a one-race suspension, effective at Caraway Speedway (Nov. 4), and will be fined $500. The fine must be paid before returning to the series.
– Steve Deskins will receive a one-race suspension, effective at Caraway Speedway (Nov. 4).
Katie Hettinger: Statement
On Tuesday, Katie Hettinger issued the following statement:
“I accept the CARS Tour penalty and take full responsibility for my actions,” the driver opened.
“I look forward to continuing to grow as a race car driver and I have learned a lot from all this.” She concluded, “I appreciate all my partners, fans and the CARS Tour.”
