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Carteret County Speedway 10/15/23
Race Results
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2023 was a season of heartbreak, excitement, redemption, and glory for the Grand National Super Series presented by Engineered Components Company. This season's incredible points battle between Kevin Kromer and A.J. Henriksen was a continuous storyline throughout year. There was no better stage for the final act than Carteret County Speedway. A weekend of drama would not be complete without a schedule change due to weather. While some would miss the final show due to their schedules others had career high finishes.
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The night of champions was scheduled to take place on Saturday. Once it was known that weather would be a factor the schedule was moved to Sunday. Qualifying would be scrapped and GNSS would receive two practice sessions. The field would be set by pill draw. Kevin Kromer won in the season finale at Carteret County Speedway in 2022. Kevin unloaded with a wicked fast piece right from the get-go. He was in good company as Jeremy Mayfield went to the top of the charts in practice one. Henriksen was at the top of the board in practice two.
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With qualifying scratched the field would be by pill draw. Kevin Kromer ended up on the front row alongside Jerremy Mayfield. Mayfield would lead lap one in his 21 J2 Motorsports hot rod. He couldn't hold off Kromer though. Kromer quickly regained the lead. The caution would fly on lap 20 for the regularly scheduled competition caution. The man on the move was Joe Wilder. The Dallas Metal Products, Mopar Mafia driver precisely worked his way around NASCAR Cup series driver Mayfield and Donnie Doster on his march to the front. The caution would come out again for a slow car on the track bunching the field up again. Kromer would get a matchless restart propelling him to the front. Kromer would hold on until the end with his B.A.C.K. (Bikers Against Cop Killers) Toyota Camry. This was the second win for Kromer of the season and his second at Carteret County Speedway. Joe Wilder would take the Mopar Mafia to a podium finish in second and Jeremy Mayfield would finish third. Donnie Doster in the Blair Realty 57 car managed to finish the race with a flat tire. Doster "I started to feel it go down with about 20 to go but I was determined to hold on to it until the end." Doster said afterwards. Cody Dennison would get a career high finish of fifth. Henriksen finished fourth but Kromer was able to close the gap on Henriksen. It would come down to the final race.
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Race two would be determined by a random draw. Henriksen would be the lucky recipient of the pole position with Joe Wilder to the outside. "If it had been any other place, I wouldn't have mind starting on the outside, but I just couldn't make it work here. " Joe Wilder would say after the race. Kromer would start fourth with Jeremy Mayfield on his inside. The field was set, the lights were out, it was go time. A.J Henriksen took no time to get out front. Wilder would battle with Mayfield coming from third with the preferred groove but managed to hold him off and maintain the second position. The competition would come out at lap twenty. Henriksen would once again get a stellar restart keeping Joe Wilder in second. Kromer and Mayfield would battle for the third position on the final restart. Larry Wilcox battled with rookie Hayden Brothers for fifth position. While the battled ensued Henriksen and Wilder took off from the pack single file with Henriksen pulling away. Henriksen would go on to lead fifty out of fifty laps and take home the checkered. Henriksen would also clinch his second consecutive GNSS champion. Henriksen would also clinch the Anchor Bolt Triple Crown Challenge over Kromer and rookie of the year Doster taking home an extra check. Joe Wilder would finish second followed by Kevin Kromer, Jeremy Mayfield, and Larry Wilcox with a GNSS career high finish of fifth. Wilcox would also be the recipient of the Howe Enterprises Hard Charger Award for race two. Dusty Silvers won his first Howe Enterprises Hard Charger Award in race one. Rookie Hayden Brothers also had a GNSS career high finish of sixth. ShoTime Motorsports teammates Mike Kurk and Cody Dennison brought home top ten finishes in their cars with Dennison ending up seventh, and Kurk tenth.
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GNSS would like to thank Engineered Components Company, Chalew Performance, Howe Enterprises, Dave Jensen Enterprises, Circle Track Warehouse, and Versalift East for their support during the 2023 season. GNSS would also like to thank all of the tracks who hosted us, the competitors of the series for taking a chance on a new series, and mostly the fans who have followed along on our journey.
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Race One
1. Kevin Kromer
2.Joe Wilder
3. Jeremy Mayfield
4. A.J. Henriksen
5. Cody Dennison
6. Hayden Brothers
7. Dusty Silvers
8. Donnie Doster
9. Mike Kurk
10. Larry Wilcox
11. Brian Sosebee
12. Nightmare Baxter
13. Landon Brothers
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Race Two
1. A.J. Henriksen
2. Joe Wilder
3. Kevin Kromer
4. Jeremy Mayfield
5. Larry Wilcox
6. Hayden Brothers
7. Cody Dennison
8. Donnie Doster
9. Dusty Silvers
10. Mike Kurk
11. Brian Sosebee
12. Landon Brothers
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​Thank you to everyone who made the 2023 season awesome! Engineered Components Company, Howe Racing Enterprises, Dave Jensen Enterprises, Circle Track Warehouse, ChaLew Performance, LLC, Versalift East, the competitors, the tracks, and mostly the fans who have followed our traveling circus. We will see you in 2024!
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Written by JD Bowsher
