Pure Stock (2012)

It is opening night at Grundy County Speedway. Pure Stock car racing is explained and the stakes are discussed. DJ Werkmeister is introduced. DJ Werkmeister shows up the competition and wins the first race of the season. A visit to DJ at his family’s race shop sees them prepare for the next race. Back out for the second night of racing, a rumor flies through the pits that a target has been placed on DJ Werkmeister’s head. Officials warn, that if the drivers crash into each on purpose, they will be thrown out. At the end of the episode, a major accident involving DJ Werkmeister is foreshadowed.

It is the second week of the racing season. DJ Werkmeister has a major crash and does not finish the race. More main characters are introduced including Kris Koppers and Ryan Hoffman. Ryan has a large lead on DJ Werkmeister since DJ crashed and received no points for the race. Kris Koppers wins his first race and a visit to his race garage shows off his car. The history behind Grundy County Speedway is explained and officials are introduced. Onto the next week of racing and DJ Werkmeister shows up with a new car and tries to get away with putting the new car and his old race car in the lineup for the races.

The drivers pull into the pits to find the rules have changed about how they are to line up. A few drivers complain to officials that they have not received any points or very little points even though they raced every night of the season. After the first bumpy races of the night including multi car pile-ups and a roll over crash, the Pure Stock drivers are called into a mandatory emergency meeting with officials. During a heated discussion, the drivers are scolded for not following signals and flags. A fight breaks out between Eric Boudreau father and another driver. The drivers go back out on the track for the feature race of the night and Eric Boudreau wins the race.

In this episode the drivers attend NASCAR fan fest in downtown Joilet, IL, home of Chicagoland Speedway. The drivers arrive at the racetrack later and discover that the rules have changed AGAIN. Officials have added a second feature race to the night. Ryan Hoffman is first in points, DJ Werkmeister is second, and the pair is worried that they will not be racing again each other, they don’t want to gain the same amount of points. The drivers are warned about modifications their cars, which is considered cheating. If they are caught they will be disqualified from racing for the night. The drivers are also upset that several new cars and drivers have shown up. During the first heat race, a new driver hits the wall, making it a bumpy ride for Ryan Hoffman. He manages to win the race. Newbie blond blue eyed Shelby Elpin. Shelby drives a car for the time on the track, but has a little trouble with the steering wheel. Jimmy Ellison the division clown, freaks out over coming in second place during the first feature race-he loses to another new driver. And the fears of the top contenders are not realized, DJ and Ryan are in the same race.

In this episode the racing officials have switched one of the two feature races to a semi-feature. The top 20 in points automatically race in the feature and the lower rung drivers have to battle for a spot in the feature during a semi or last chance race. The drivers are upset that some of them still have not received the right amount of points. Per the officials warning in the previous episode, cars are now going through a tech inspection to find cheater parts. As the drivers battle for spot in the feature race-a crash sends low rung driver Joe Kilpatrick into the wall. He rages during a fight in the pits with the driver who nailed him.

It’s Midseason championship night and double points will handed out to the racers. It is make or break time for DJ Werkmeister, he must be perfect if he wants to take over Ryan Hoffman in points. A driver accuses the officials of breaking the rules by allowing DJ, a 14 year old, to race even though he is not of the legal age to drive a car out on the street. The officials defend DJ stating that his parents signed a waiver that allows him to race on the track. Tension builds between DJ Werkmeister and Ryan Hoffman before the races. After the first heat race of the night, officials tech inspect Ryan Hoffman’s car and discover he has modified the springs. He is disqualified from the races that night and has no opportunity for points. Dejected, Ryan packs up and goes home. Cyle Lindemuth sees this as his chance to become a serious contender for the championship. DJ wins the feature race and is 1st in points and Cyle moves into second, Ryan Hoffman moves to third.

A recap of Ryan Hoffman’s disqualification from the previous night. Seeking redemption, Ryan Hoffman searches for the correct springs for his car. He and his pit crew Dave Jacobs, work through the night in Ryan’s race garage to install the springs. During installation they realize that the new springs don’t fit, so they try to find a friend who can help. In the 23rd hour, they car is finished and Ryan Hoffman shows up back at the track. DJ Werkmeister tests out driving a late model, in his dad’s race car. He is running double duty between the late model races and 4 cylinders. Rhonda Werkmeister, DJ’s mom, is worried that he is driving in the most dangerous kind of race car that has killed legends like Dale Earnhart. Ryan Hoffman wins hit heat race, erasing the sting of his disqualification from the week before. Ryan goes out for the feature race of the night and something is wrong with his race car and he finishes in the back of the pack. DJ Werkmeister wins the race and dashes any chances that Ryan can catch back up and win the championship.