Race Recap Elite O'Reilly Series
Phoenix Raceway
Tue, Oct 14, 2025Round 4
Ross7 Dominates Phoenix Raceway: Leads from Pole to Victory
Race at a Glance
🏁Field Size
11
🔄Laps
130
⏱Avg Lap Time
30.473
🟡Cautions
2
⚠️Caution Laps
6
🔀Lead Changes
2
🛡️Clean Runners
7
🏎️Lead Lap Finishers
3
📏Margin
+125.035s
Winner Spotlight
John Ross
P1 Finish
John Ross
Started P1 • Inc 0
Ira Kohlhaas
Started P3 • Inc 4
Tom Ringer
Started P2 • Inc 0
John Ross dominated from wire-to-wire at Phoenix Raceway, leading all 130 laps after starting from the pole position in the #44 machine to claim his first victory of the O'Reilly Series season finale. The veteran driver maintained his composure through two caution periods that consumed just 6 laps, never relinquishing the top spot despite mounting pressure from the championship contenders behind him. Ross crossed the finish line with a perfect driving record, recording zero incidents while collecting the maximum 40 points for his efforts.
Behind Ross, the real drama unfolded in the championship battle as Tom Ringer secured the series title with a steady third-place finish in the #68 car. Starting second, Ringer lost one position but drove a calculated race with zero incidents, earning 34 crucial points to vault from a pre-race tie for the points lead to a 4-point championship margin over Shaun Dionne. Ira Kohlhaas delivered a gritty second-place performance in the #29, advancing one position from his third-place starting spot despite accumulating 4 incidents throughout the 130-lap contest.
The hard charger award belonged to Stephen McComas, who wheeled his #10 machine from sixth to fourth, gaining two positions while managing just 2 incidents in the process. McComas's strong drive helped him secure 33 points and contributed to one of the most competitive top-five battles of the season. Shaun Dionne also moved forward two spots from seventh to fifth in the #3, maintaining his championship hopes with a clean, incident-free performance that netted 32 points.
With this season finale complete, Tom Ringer celebrates his first O'Reilly Series championship with 161 total points, edging Dionne's 157-point campaign by the narrowest of margins. Chuck Burley, who didn't compete at Phoenix, dropped from a pre-race championship tie to third place with 127 points, while Todd Parent's eighth-place finish moved him into fourth in the final standings with 121 points. The title fight couldn't have been closer, with just 4 points separating champion Ringer from runner-up Dionne after this thrilling conclusion to league racing's premier series.
Top Movers
Stephen McComas10
▲ +2Shaun Dionne3
▲ +2Ira Kohlhaas29
▲ +1Finishing Order
| Finish | Start | +/- | Car # | Driver | Inc | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 44 | John Ross | 0x | 40 |
| 2 | 3 | +1 | 29 | Ira Kohlhaas | 4x | 35 |
| 3 | 2 | -1 | 68 | Tom Ringer | 0x | 34 |
| 4 | 6 | +2 | 10 | Stephen McComas | 2x | 33 |
| 5 | 7 | +2 | 3 | Shaun Dionne | 0x | 32 |
| 6 | 5 | -1 | 45 | Brent Thompson | 2x | 31 |
| 7 | 4 | -3 | 27 | Zach Reichel | 4x | 30 |
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 69 | Todd Parent | 0x | 29 |
| 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 | Chris Wagner | 0x | — |
| 10 | 10 | 0 | ![]() | Victor Etheridge | 0x | — |
| 11 | 11 | 0 | 61 | Rob Kempf | 0x | — |
