16-Year-Old Grant Quinlan Heads To Winchester Speedway As ARCA/CRA Super Series Overall & Rookie Points Leader
Famed high-banks to host the Labor Day Holiday Weekend World Stock Car Festival
Harrison, Michigan (Wednesday, September 2, 2015): The 2015 racing season for 16-year-old Grant Quinlan has been a year of coming of age for the Harrison, Michigan teenager. Since the second race of the year in the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS, he has led both the overall and rookie of the year title chases. Despite leading both points’ chases, a win had eluded the driver of the #28 International Tool & Mold / Chevrolet.
He started breaking through with two consecutive Fast Qualifier awards and opened a lot of eyes after a spirited battle with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series star, John Hunter Nemechek at Kalamazoo Speedway on August 12th during Kalamazoo Klash XXIII. But the pivotal win in CRA’s premier tour was still just out of reach. That was, until August 22nd at Baer Field Speedway in the Summit City 100 Presented by Trucking Fort Wayne. After starting on the outside of the front row, the Great Lakes State teenager would lead all 100 laps to score that breakthrough first checkered flag in the series.
“This has truly been a long time coming. We’ve been so close so many times. We’ve been consistent all year long with holding the point’s leads, but hadn’t been able to get the checkered flag, until now,” Quinlan smiled after climbing out of the car. “This win is so big, for a bunch of reasons. I hated to see Hunter (Baize) drop out, but that gave us a nice cushion in both points. It’s been a lot of hard work coming and achieving what we have here today. So much goes on behind the scenes and this really opens the door for us, getting this win feels really good.” He added.
With the win, combined with Baize dropping out due to a punctured oil pan, Quinlan’s lead in both the overall and freshman points battles climbed to 53 markers with four point’s races remaining on the 2015 schedule. Quinlan is attempting to become just the third driver in ARCA/CRA Super Series history to win both the Overall Championship and Rookie of the Year titles in the same season. He would join 2011 titlist, Derrick Griffin and 2000 Champion, Scott Hantz, the all-time career leader in most statistical categories in ARCA/CRA history, who accomplished the dual feats.
“To even be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys is really something to be proud of,” Added the appreciative driver who is also closing in on several of Hantz’s all-time freshman records that have stood for 15 years. “We’ve been fortunate this season that even though we hadn’t won, we were still getting top fives and top 10s and finishing close to Hunter even when he won his two races. We’ve both been able to keep Eddie (Van Meter, who is currently third in points) behind us and it would be really neat to have it come down to Hunter and I for both titles.” Quinlan stated.
The next race on the schedule is at the famed 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana on Sunday-Monday, September 6-7th. The Winchester 100 serves as the lone tune-up for one of the most prestigious short track races in the country; the 44th running of the Winchester 400 on Friday-Sunday, October 9-11th. In between the two Winchester races, events at Columbus Motor Speedway on September 13th and Lucas Oil Raceway on September 26-27th.
In addition to his ARCA/CRA Super Series schedule, Quinlan has also made two appearances in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and has been impressive in both outings. In his K&N debut, he was very impressive in scoring a runner-up showing after a thrilling battle with Rico Abreu at Columbus Motor Speedway on July 4th. That was followed by a 15th place effort at the biggest track he has raced on to date; New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17th. Quinlan has two more K&N races scheduled yet in 2015 with those races happening at Richmond International Raceway (VA) on September 10th and a K&N Pro Series West date at Phoenix International Raceway (AZ) on November 12th.
In the 10 ARCA/CRA Super Series races conducted so far in 2015, Quinlan has one victory which came at Baer Field in the last event for the series. In addition, he also has four top five finishes, nine top 10 showings and two Fast Qualifier awards. He is also fourth in the Lap Leaders category behind Erik Jones, Baize and Nemechek as he has been out in front for 155 circuits.
During the 2014 season, his first behind the wheel of a full-bodied stock car, Quinlan was awarded the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year title in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour. He rewrote the record books in a number of ways during his freshman campaign in JEGS/CRA. In addition to finishing third in points, just two markers behind 2014 Runner-Up, Josh Nelms, he also collected two victories, the most of any rookie driver in JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour history. Those wins came at Salem Speedway (IN) on June 21st and at Springport Motor Speedway (MI) on September 20th.
He also registered six top five finishes and seven top 10 showings as well as two Boyne Machine Company Fast Qualifier Awards, also the most by a freshman in series history. Those top qualifier awards came at Angola Motorsport Speedway (IN) on July 5th and at Springport on September 20th. In the rookie battle, Quinlan beat fellow freshman, Dalton Armstrong by 37 points in the overall standings, the closest margin in the tours’ four-year history.
For the rest of the 2015 racing season, Quinlan’s #28 Downey Racing / Chevrolet will have sponsorship decals and support from International Tool and Mold, as well as Superior Tool & Mold, Quinlan Incorporated, Five Star Racecar Bodies, McGunegill Engine Performance, M.P.H. Promotions and Grant Quinlan Motorsports. For more information about Grant Quinlan and Grant Quinlan Motorsports, please email Car Owner and Father, Todd Quinlan at: tquinlan@kelcom.igs.net You can also go to the team Facebook Fan Page located at: www.facebook.com/GrantQuinlanMotorsport and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/QuinlanGrant
