Crandon International Raceway put on a show in Race 5 of the Crandon Championship, and it ended with one of those moments you feel in your stomach. Connor Barry capped off a massive night by snatching the win in the final corners, turning what looked like a wire-to-wire run into a last-second steal. Eight laps went by in a blur, and the points picture took another sharp turn as the season continues to tighten at the top.

For most of the race, it was Sean Winkler setting the pace and controlling the tempo. Winkler paced the field for seven of the eight laps, keeping the truck clean and stretching the window just enough to make everyone else feel rushed. Behind him, the fight for second stayed alive race long, with Barry and Anthony Jaynes never letting Winkler fully relax, especially as the laps wound down and the track started demanding precision.

Then came the finish. Winkler carried the lead into the final lap, but heading into the Cowboy Hairpin, Barry threw a massive slider and parked his truck right on the nose of Winkler’s entry—taking over the top spot at the moment it mattered most. Winkler regrouped and took one more shot in the final turns, but the last attempt ended with Winkler going around right in front of the finish line, dropping him from the lead to 4th as Barry completed the stunner for the win. Brandon Dittmer stayed composed through the chaos to secure 3rd, while Jaynes made it count with a 2nd-place finish and the qualifying fast time bonus point to maximize his points haul.

Even beyond the headline finish, there were big movers and meaningful point days. Justin Bennetts, Banks Hovey, and Andrew Ries each gained four positions from where they started—Bennetts (13th to 9th) and Hovey (14th to 10th) worked forward into the top ten, while Ries powered from 20th up to 16th. On the other side of the coin, Josh Franklin2 had one of the toughest nights by position change, slipping from 11th on the grid to 14th at the line. And for Drake Mittag, it was a memorable debut—first career ICL start and a solid 5th-place run in the middle of a stacked field.

In the standings, the front looks different than it did even one race ago. Brandon Dittmer continues to lead the championship with 42 points, and Branden Staccone has become a real threat in second with 35. Dusty Fincher sits third at 31, while Josh Franklin2 (28) and Justin Bennetts (26) are still within striking distance as the math stays tight under the 12-to-1 points format. The biggest headline from Race 5 might be that Connor Barry and Anthony Jaynes have launched themselves right into the conversation—both now sit at 25 points, putting serious pressure on the group ahead and making every position matter from here on out.

RESULTS (RACE 5)

  1. Connor Barry

  2. Anthony Jaynes

  3. Brandon Dittmer

  4. Sean Winkler

  5. Drake Mittag

  6. Branden Staccone

  7. Dusty Fincher

  8. David Holdren

  9. Justin Bennetts

  10. Banks Hovey

  11. Doug Welch

  12. Gray Leadbetter

  13. Dennis Holley

  14. Josh Franklin2

  15. Trent Rucker

  16. Andrew Ries

  17. Richard Hardman

  18. Darren Shanley

TOP 10 STANDINGS

  1. Brandon Dittmer – 42

  2. Branden Staccone – 35

  3. Dusty Fincher – 31

  4. Josh Franklin2 – 28

  5. Justin Bennetts – 26

  6. Connor Barry – 25

  7. Anthony Jaynes – 25

  8. David Holdren – 23

  9. Sean Winkler – 20

  10. Dylan Schriner – 15

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