Defending CRA Street Stock Series Champion, Jason Atkinson Retakes Points Lead With 2015 CRA Fall Brawl Triumph
(R&S Racing Photos)
Qualifying Results – OFFICIAL Race Results
Winchester 400 Weekend next to close out chase for 2015 Championship
Brownsburg, Indiana (Sunday, September 27, 2015): The fourth of five appearances at the immaculate Lucas Oil Raceway, located west of Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Indiana was next for the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stock Series Powered by JEGS. The 2015 McGunegill Engine Performance CRA Fall Brawl was on Saturday-Sunday, September 26-27th at the 0.686 mile semi-banked paved oval within the Circle City. Their counterparts within the ARCA/CRA Super Series, JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series were also on the grounds during the race weekend.
The CRA Street Stock Series had visited LOR on three occasions already in 2015 as part of the tracks LOR Stock Car Series Presented by Visit Hendricks County. 2004 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Chuck Barnes Jr., won the last event at LOR back on July 31st while 2012 Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby and Colby Lane had also scored victories this year. 2011 Series Champion and 2005 ARCA/CRA Super Series titlist, Jeff Lane was the defending race winner of the CRA Fall Brawl for the CRA Street Stock Series. As for the PBM / Erson Cams 40, it would be Jason Atkinson retaking the points lead with one CRA points race to go by scoring the victory in the series’ 14th overall appearance in the Circle City.
“This has been a pretty damn good day for us. We had a good run in the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series race and this one was real good for us. We hit on something with this car at Winchester and got that monkey back. Now we’ve got the points lead again,” The happy 38-year-old from New Castle, Indiana stated in victory lane after getting out of his #73 Oak Motors / Accelerator Racecars / Chevrolet. “Winchester in a couple of weeks is going to be the biggest weekend of my career. We’re going after two championships and that’s pretty big. In the meantime, we’ve got a few pairs of these boxing gloves now. Maybe the kids can all go out and have a little fun together with them.” He laughed.
After Colby Lane won his fifth Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier award of the year the day before, he drew a four for an invert which places 2012 Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby and Atkinson, the Defending Series Champion on the front row for the 40-lap main. Atkinson darted out into the lead right from the drop of Chief Starter, Scott Menlen’s green flag and would set a torrid early pace while the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him. Lane quickly worked his way up to second and tried in vain to chase down Atkinson who had already checked out.
As hard as Lane ran, he wasn’t able to catch up to Atkinson who never let up the entire 40-lap main which went caution free for only the second time in CRA Street Stock Series history. For Atkinson, it was his fourth victory of the season and he retakes the points lead by a slim three-point advantage over Josh Poore heading into the Winchester 400 Race Weekend. It was also his milestone 10th CRA Street Stock Series triumph to move him to within one of the all-time lead of 11 held by 2011 Series Champion, Jeff Lane.
Lane’s son, Colby Lane finished in second in his #44 Second Amendment Supply / Chevrolet. The Knightstown, Indiana driver also picked up the T.C.I. Automotive Hard-Charger award and moved up to third in the season long point’s chase. The 26-year-old enjoyed plenty of real estate between himself and Atkinson as well as him and Kirby who finished third in his #11 U.S.A. Tires / Chevrolet. The 42-year-old from Indianapolis, Indiana claimed the final podium position in the running order and despite making limited appearances in 2015 has climbed back into the top 10 in the season long points chase with one CRA points race to go. Kirby also leads the LOR Stock Car Series Presented by Hendrick County Points Standings by a slim eight-point margin over C. Lane heading into the final LOR event on October 18th.
Making his CRA Street Stock Series debut, 15-year-old Austin Coe, the 2015 Baer Field Speedway Street Stock Track Champion, made the most of his first CRA sanctioned race by posting an impressive fourth place showing in his #28 Coe Heating & Air Conditioning / Chevrolet. The Fort Wayne, Indiana teenager earned the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race award with his late race pass of Brandon Mefford who finished in fifth in his #83 Sunnyside Motors / Chevrolet. The Knightstown, Indiana driver has made limited appearances in 2015 after competing full-time the year before. He started seventh before advancing into the top five and as high as fourth at one point.
A.J. Ridner finished in sixth position ahead of Josh Poore, who was the point’s leader going into the weekend, but will now head to Winchester behind Atkinson by just three points. 15-year-old James Kirby III was the second driver of that age within the top 10 as he was eighth while T.J. Flynn and Jeff Johnson were the final top 10. The previous day in Allstar Performance Qualifying, Lane’s time was a 26.396. The CRA Street Stock Series Track Record in the Circle City remains with Dave Bice who went a 25.837 back on October 1st, 2011.
The 2015 CRA Street Stock Series Championship will be decided during the prestigious 44th Running of the Winchester 400 Weekend on Friday-Saturday, October 9-10th with the running of the Winchester 50. The famed 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway (IN), located east of Muncie and west of the Indiana / Ohio state line in Winchester, Indiana serves as hosts. In addition, the traditional New Stars 25 will be held on Friday, October 10th to kick off the Winchester 400 Weekend.
The CRA Street Stock Series has competed at Winchester 41 other times, the most of any track in the series’ 11-year history. Beau Mitchell leads the way with six career victories while 2011 Series Champion, Jeff Lane has five triumphs on the famed high-banks. Jason Thompson has picked up four checkered flags in Eastern Indiana while Calvin Parham is the Two-Time Defending Winchester 400 Weekend winner and has three overall trips to victory lane to his credit. So does Bret Miles and Carl Muffley who also have three wins each. Three-Time Series Champion (2009, 2007 & 2006), Joe Beaver and 2008 Series Champion, Bret Miles Jr., as well as Rich Boyer and Josh Burton all have two wins each as well.
Finally, 10 different drivers all have single wins on the famed 1/2 mile; Defending Series Champion, Jason Atkinson is the most recent winner having taken the checkered flag during the World Stock Car Festival on Labor Day Monday, September 7th In addition. 2010 Series Champion, Steve Christman, as well as Craig Cookingham, Brian Hopkins, Frank Kimmel II, Larry Matillo, Josh Myers, Jacob Owens, Jeff Perry and Bubba Trinkle all have one triumph apiece.
There is also still one more race at LOR after Winchester 400 Weekend which is scheduled for Sunday, October 18th and will serve as the LOR Stock Car Series Championship events for both the CRA Street Stock Series and the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series. In 14 overall races in the Circle City, 2012 Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby has three total wins while Atkinson, Lane and Dave Bice have two victories apiece. In addition to Chuck Barnes Jr., and Lane, Frank Kimmel II, Rick Erwin and Beau Mitchell all have single trips to the winners circle.
For more information about the rest of the 2015 racing season for all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, go to the series website at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow along with all of CRA’s touring series’ on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ChampionRacingAssociation and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally for more information about Winchester Speedway, the host track for the 12th race of the 2015 racing season, go to the track website at: www.winchesterspeedway.com.
