2025 CRA Pro Series Rookie of the Year, Shannon Returning in 2026; Eying Bigger Prize

LAWTON, MI - In his first season officially on the road with a Touring series, Lawton, Michigan's, Chris Shannon met his expectations. The driver of the Kalamzoo Metal Recyclers No.32 made a trip to Victory Lane and overcame adversity to be named the Series' Rookie of the Year in 2025. Now, the team is looking to build on the success as he prepares for another full season with the Turn One CRA Pro Series amid a loaded schedule that also includes racing at Marne, Michigan's, Berlin Raceway.

Shannon's rookie campaign with the CRA Pro Series was a roller coaster, but it was consistent. His first finish outside of the top 10 didn't come until the fourth week of the season during a wild and rough 125 lapper at Flat Rock Speedway. Prior to that, Shannon posted finishes of 9th at Toledo, 5th at Anderson, and 8th at Owosso. Following the race at Flat Rock, that's when the roller coaster picked up speed for Shannon.

The 4th Up North 104 from Whittemore Speedway was a memorable one for Shannon. After contact early in the race appeared to put them in a tough spot, Shannon took advantage of a fuel issue to run the car as hard as he possibly could, not worrying about tire wear as his competitors had to. This silver lining to a problem allowed Shannon to drive to his first career win with the CRA Pro Series.

A patient drive during the Masters of the Pros 200 at Owosso Speedway gave him a 10th-place finish in arguably the strongest field of the season. An overheating issue took him out of the race early at Kalamazoo Speedway on August 30th, giving him an official finish of 14th. Shannon returned to the podium at Auto City Speedway on September 6th, that after blowing an engine in final practice earlier in the day. A 12th place finish awaited him during the Owosso Nationals, but Shannon finished strong during the final race of the year at Winchester Speedway, where he finished 5th with the CRA Pro Series.

Shannon's finishes were good enough to keep him in the hunt for the Championship at the end of the year. Going into the Winchester 100 in October, Shannon had a mathematical shot at the title. However, Billy VanMeter did what he needed to do in order to secure the Championship, forcing Shannon to settle for a second place award and the Rookie of the Year. In 2026, Shannon feels more prepared to take on the Tour.

"The [CRA Pro Series] schedule looks exciting," Shannon said. "[With] one year under out belt, we feel like we've got the traveling thing down. The team is organized. I feel like we can put forward a better effort than we had last year."

In addition to Shannon's commitment to the CRA Pro Series, the No.32 will spend several weekends at Berlin Raceway this summer. Shannon says he hopes it will help his team stay sharp for his time on the road with CRA.

"More Berlin for sure," Shannon said of his schedule. "That was something we all wanted to do. A fuller schedule keeps everybody moving; [we'll do it] as long as we can post decent results. I don't like sitting around, so if we can race every weekend to keep us fresh - I don't feel like the schedule is too over bearing. Just keep racing and keep learning."

The 2026 season for Chris Shannon begins on Saturday, April 18th at Toledo Speedway with the CRA Pro Series. Shannon's first appearance at Berlin Raceway is Saturday, April 25th.