ONA, WV-Track promoter Thomas Mays introduced the Crazy Compact division in 2019 as the most economical way to get into racing at Ona Speedway. The class grew tremendously in 2020 and looks to grow even more in 2021. This class produces close, side by side racing and looks for a big season this year. Here are the storylines heading into the 2021 season for the Crazy Compacts.
Will Thomas Bailey defend his title?
Thomas Bailey was perfect last season, winning every single Crazy Compact feature he entered en route to the track championship. However, Bailey bought a Legends Car last fall and is entered to compete in it for a full season this year. Bailey is registered in the Crazy Compact division but has not indicated if he will run a full season doing double duty in both classes. If Bailey chooses to run a full season, he will come into the year as one of the favorites for the track championship. If he chooses to run a partial schedule, the battle for the track championship could be blown wide open.
Last years top points contenders look for a big season
While Bailey won every race he competed in and all but one of the Crazy Compact features last season, none of those wins came easy as he faced stout competition each race. The Higginbotham brothers of Dustin and Dillon both ran strong and nearly reached victory lane with Dustin finishing third in points. Donna Bush was the only driver besides Bailey to win a race last season and ran in the top 3 almost every race. 14 year old Preston Hysell showed lots of speed and led laps in some races last season with several strong finishes. Rookie driver Evan Proctor was fast all year and looks to run double duty full time in the Crazy Compact and Legends Car this year. All of these drivers who finished in the top 5 in points last season will be looking for big seasons in 2021 and a run at the track championship.
Will we have a female track champion?
The Ona Speedway Crazy Compact division has as much diversity as any class at any track in the United States. There are 5 female competitors who are registered to compete in the Crazy Compacts this season, making up over a quarter of the drivers pre-registered. These drivers include Donna Bush, Kassidee Bush, Stacie Watson, Stephanie Smith, and Cassie Saylor. All of these drivers are fast and can win on any given night.
Growth continues in 2021
The Crazy Compact division has grown once again in 2021 with 19 drivers pre-registered. Some of the new drivers entered include Stoutsville, OH’s Tony Fletcher, the aforementioned Cassie Saylor from Barboursville, WV, Marion OH’s David Hartis, Huntington, WV’s Rex Burton, Huntington, WV’s Tommy Ross, Hurricane, WV’s D. J. Racer, Salt Rock WV’s Bryce Keyser, Chesapeake, OH’s Tyler Arthur and Billy Arthur, and Ashland, KY’s Michael Baldridge.
If you are looking at getting into racing, look no further than the Crazy Compact division. This is a class that you can enter and have a lot of fun and not spend a lot of money.
2021 Ona Speedway Registered Crazy Compacts
- Preston Hysell
- Tony Fletcher
- James Saylor
- Stacie Watson
- Dustin Higginbotham
- Cassie Saylor
- Dillon Higginbotham
- David Hartis
- Rex Burton
- Tommy Ross
- Evan Proctor
- D. J. Racer
- Tyler Bailey
- Bryce Keyser
- Thomas Bailey
- Stephanie Smith
- Michael Baldridge
- Donna Bush
- Kassidee Bush
- Tyler Arthur/Billy Arthur
*This is a list only of drivers who have pre-registered. More cars that are not pre-registered could compete in 2021.
