HUDSON, North Carolina: With two top-10 finishes in their last three races, including the most recent ASA STARS National Tour event at Owosso (Mich.) Speedway last month, Rette Jones Racing returns to action this week for another midweek showdown in the rescheduled event at Tri-County (N.C.) Speedway.
The Ebb Logistics 250 Presented by SAVE22.VET, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 23, was postponed because of inclement weather and rescheduled for this week, giving Rette Jones Racing and driver Casey Roderick another opportunity to battle for 250 laps around one of Western North Carolina’s fastest and most historic short tracks.
Nestled in the foothills of Western North Carolina, the fast 4/10-mile paved oval has long carried the slogan “Where the Action is the Attraction,” and Wednesday night’s event is expected to live up to that billing.
A stout field of competitors from across the country is expected for the eighth race of the ASA STARS National Tour season, putting the historic short track in the national spotlight for a rare midweek showdown.
For Roderick and Rette Jones Racing, the objective is to turn up the heat another notch and continue the recent trend of improved results following a busy summer of racing, testing and development.
Testing, in particular, has played a crucial role in the Mooresville, N.C.-based organization’s efforts to turn its season around.
The additional track time between races has allowed Roderick and the Mark Rette-led team to evaluate different setups, analyze valuable data and continue refining the balance and overall performance of the No. 30 machine.
With limited opportunities to make wholesale changes during an ASA STARS National Tour race weekend, those testing sessions have provided the team with valuable time to methodically work through different ideas and better understand what Roderick needs behind the wheel.
That commitment is beginning to show in the results.
“Testing has been extremely important for us, especially considering where we were earlier in the season,” said Roderick. “We’ve been able to try some things that you really don’t have the time or opportunity to work through during a race weekend, and I think we’re starting to see that effort translate when we get to the track.
“Everyone at Rette Jones Racing has continued to dig deep and put in the work. We haven’t been afraid to try different things, learn from them and keep pushing forward. It’s taken some time, but I feel like we’re getting our No. 30 car closer to where it needs to be, and that’s encouraging.
“The last few races have definitely been a step in the right direction. Two top-10s in three races is progress, but we’re not satisfied with that. We want to keep taking steps forward, start putting ourselves consistently inside the top five and ultimately get this team back into contention for wins.”
Two top-10 finishes in the last three ASA STARS National Tour races have provided tangible signs that the team’s persistence is beginning to pay dividends, but neither Roderick nor Rette Jones Racing is interested in settling for incremental improvement.
Instead, Wednesday night’s 250-lap battle at Tri-County presents another opportunity to raise the bar, with the goal of transforming its recent consistency into a performance that puts the No. 30 among the contenders from start to finish.
“Tri-County gives us another opportunity to show that we’re heading in the right direction,” Roderick continued. “It’s a fast place, the competition is going to be strong, and we’ll need to execute from the time we unload.
“Hopefully, we can take everything we’ve learned over the summer, put together a complete race and leave Tri-County knowing we’ve taken another significant step forward.”
Adding to the challenge awaiting Roderick and Rette Jones Racing will be a stout field of competitors expected to converge on Tri-County Speedway, including NASCAR Cup Series championship contender Christopher Bell, who arrives fresh off his Cook Out Southern 500 victory at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Bell and several other anticipated entries add another layer of national attention to the midweek showdown while further strengthening an already competitive ASA STARS National Tour field.
For Roderick, the caliber of competition provides another opportunity for Rette Jones Racing to measure its recent progress, but he insists the team’s attention must remain firmly on its own program and the continued development of the No. 30.
“There’s no question the competition is going to be tough,” said Roderick. “When you have someone like Christopher Bell coming in fresh off winning the Southern 500, along with all of the talented drivers who compete in the ASA STARS National Tour every race, you know you’re going to have to be at your best.
“But we can’t get caught up in who else is there or what they’re doing. We have our own path and our own goals. We’ve worked extremely hard over the last several months to make our program better, and our focus needs to remain on executing our race, continuing the progress we’ve made and getting the most out of our No. 30 car.
“If we do that and put together a complete race, I believe we can compete with anybody. That’s the mentality we need to bring to Tri-County.”
With five races remaining, Roderick sits eighth in the ASA STARS National Tour championship standings, but there is still plenty to fight for.
Over the final two months of the season, Roderick and Rette Jones Racing are determined to maximize every opportunity, climb the standings and put themselves inside the top five by the time the checkered flag falls on the 2026 campaign at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in mid-November.
“We’ve said before that we can’t get caught up in watching the points every week, and that hasn’t changed,” said Roderick. “Our job is to go out there and perform. If we continue running well, finishing races and putting ourselves closer to the front, the points are going to take care of themselves.
“Obviously, we’d like to be higher than eighth, but considering some of the challenges we faced earlier in the year, we’ve continued to fight and we’re starting to make some progress. There are five races left, and that’s five opportunities for us to keep moving forward.
“I’d love to see this team inside the top five when we get to New Smyrna. I think that would say a lot about the determination of everyone at Rette Jones Racing and how hard nobody gave up when things weren’t going our way. But we have to get there one race at a time, and right now all of our attention is on Tri-County.”
For co-car owner and crew chief Mark Rette, the recent stretch of improved performances has provided encouraging evidence that the team’s persistence and extensive behind-the-scenes work are beginning to pay dividends.
With two top-10 finishes in the last three races and five events remaining on the 2026 ASA STARS National Tour schedule, Rette believes the No. 30 team is gaining momentum at an important time but knows there is still another level the organization needs to reach.
“We’ve definitely made progress, and I think the last few races have shown that,” said Rette. “Owosso was another step forward for us, but we’re still not where we want to be. The expectations within this organization are much higher than simply being satisfied with top-10 finishes.
“What I’m most proud of is that nobody stopped working when we were struggling earlier in the season. We kept testing, kept looking at the data and kept challenging ourselves to find ways to make our program better. Casey has remained committed to the process, and everyone at Rette Jones Racing has continued to put in the effort necessary to move us forward.
“Now, we need to take the next step. We want to turn these top-10 finishes into top-fives and give ourselves opportunities to contend for wins. Tri-County is another chance for us to do that, but with the field that’s expected, we’re going to have to execute at a very high level from the time we unload.
“We respect everyone we’re racing against this week, but our focus remains on ourselves and continuing down the path we’ve been on.
“If we execute, minimize mistakes and give Casey a car he can contend with for all 250 laps, I believe we’ll have an opportunity to put together another strong night and hopefully take another significant step forward.”
Port City Racecars, a premier manufacturer of championship-winning chassis and race parts specializing in asphalt short-track racing, will support Roderick’s championship effort in 2026.
The green flag for the Ebb Logistics 250 Presented by SAVE22.VET at Tri-County Speedway on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Fans unable to attend in person can watch the 250-lap event live on Track TV.
For more on Casey Roderick, like him on Facebook (Casey Roderick Motorsports), follow him on Instagram (@casey__roderick) and X | Twitter (@CaseyRoderick26).
For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and X | Twitter (@RetteJones30).
About Rette Jones Racing:
Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the vision of building a competitive racing organization grounded in hard work, preparation and a relentless, never-give-up attitude.
Owned by veteran racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR continues to expand its footprint across multiple platforms.
In 2026, the team plans to field a full-time entry in the ASA STARS National Tour, while also competing in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR Euro Series and other motorsports disciplines as part of its continued growth and competitive expansion.
Beyond its on-track efforts, Rette Jones Racing provides technical and setup expertise through its technical alliance partnership program, supplying teams with engineering support, chassis consultation, and race-day insight designed to elevate performance and foster long-term success.