Theriault Steals Round of 8 Opener as Potter Falls Short

Madison, IL — The quest for the Season 21 championship of the Red Light Racing Scrambler Series reached a fever pitch as the field arrived at Worldwide Technology Raceway for the Round of 8 kickoff. In a race defined by divergent pit strategies and late-race heroics, Maxime Theriault secured his place in the Championship 4, overcoming early struggles to snatch a victory from the dominant car of the evening, Trent Potter.

With the points reset, the eight remaining playoff contenders—James Skelton, Maxime Theriault, Chris Hammett, Zach Mitchell, Trent Potter, Bill Benedict, Ethan Troutman, and Connor Blasco—began their final push toward the championship. The unique, egg-shaped 1.25-mile oval presented a daunting challenge, featuring narrow, sharp turns in one and two compared to the wider, sweeping turns three and four.

The early portion of the 90-lap event belonged entirely to Trent Potter. Starting on the pole, Potter asserted his dominance immediately, opening a staggering five-second lead as the first green-flag run progressed. While Potter checked out, the battle raged behind him. Connor Blasco and Chris Hammett traded positions for second, while veterans like James Skelton and Zach Mitchell navigated the dirty air that made the nose of the Next Gen cars notoriously tight in the corners.

The race took its first dramatic turn during the initial green-flag pit cycle. While most leaders opted for a standard stop around lap 30, Bill Benedict stayed out, hoping for a caution. His gamble paid off when a yellow flag flew for Connor Blasco, who spun coming off turn four. The restart on lap 38 saw Potter regain the lead, but the field was now bunched. Ethan Troutman surged into second, while Maxime Theriault—who had survived an earlier spin—began a steady climb back through the top ten.

As the race entered its final third, strategies split once more. A second caution forced the leaders to choose between staying out on older rubber or pitting for fresh tires. Potter initially stayed out but eventually found himself a sitting duck as Ethan Troutman used fresher tires to blast past for the lead on lap 63. Realizing his predicament, Potter dove into the pits for a late-race charge, while Chris Hammett took the lead after a quick two-tire stop.

In the closing stages, the race became a tactical duel between Hammett and Theriault. Hammett, nursing older left-side tires, used every defensive move to hold off Theriault. The two traded paint coming off turn four, allowing a charging Potter to close within striking distance. However, Theriault’s four-tire advantage was too much to overcome. He cleared Hammett with six laps to go and held off a desperate final-lap surge from Potter.

Maxime Theriault crossed the line first, leading only the final six laps but securing the most important win of his season. Potter finished a heartbreaking second after leading a race-high 55 laps, with Chris Hammett salvaging a third-place finish. Bill Benedict and Zach Mitchell rounded out the top five. For Skelton, Troutman, and Blasco, the night resulted in a points deficit heading into the next round at the Magic Mile, where only three championship spots remain up for grabs.