With one weekend of racing remaining to score NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series points, veteran Jacob Goede holds a two-point advantage over young Chase Johnson in the Division I national standings.
Goede, who won the Weekly Series national title in 2019, has enjoyed a stellar season of Super Late Model racing between Dells Raceway Park, LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway and Elko Speedway. Across those three tracks, Goede has amassed nine victories and 25 top five performances.
How Goede performs in Elko’s first of two Late Model feature on Saturday will be crucial towards whether he earns a second national title, as it is the only one that counts towards the standings. Goede believes this year could be one of his final opportunities to earn a national title, which is why he is determined to find Victory Lane at Elko.
RELATED: Full NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series standings“If I could somehow pull this off, it’d mean the world,” Goede said. “I’m getting to the end of my career I feel like. My kids are getting busier with sports and we’re racing quarter midgets too. My racing stuff is getting tougher to keep up with. I’ve got a small team and work a full-time, so racing is still just a hobby.
“With the level of competition we’re competing with, [another national title] would mean a lot to me and my family in general.”
[caption id="attachment_488247" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Over in the Southeast, Johnson has put together a stellar campaign during his first full season in Division I. Fifteen victories across 25 starts this year not only have Johnson within range of national title, but also atop the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I Rookie of the Year standings and Dominion Raceway’s American Racer Late Model points.
Should Johnson usurp Goede this weekend, he will become the youngest Weekly Series national champion at 17 years old, surpassing Layne Riggs, who won in 2022 at the age of 20. With Saturday’s race at Dominion scheduled for 118 laps, Johnson intends to be smart and methodical so he can secure the most prestigious accomplishment of his young career so far.
“[A national championship] is something you can keep with you for the rest of your life,” Johnson said. “You really don’t know [what to feel] until you win. If we can pull it off, it’d be amazing. We’ve got to close out the deal and we’re all working hard to try and give it the best shot we've got.
“It’s pretty cool to be in this situation and I’m thankful to have a chance this late in the year.”
On-track action at Dominion Raceway begins at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday evening, while Elko’s festivities commence at 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET. The 2025 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I national champion will be officially announced next week. Tickets are available at elkospeedway.com or dominionraceway.com, respectively.