Jason Atkinson Wins World Stock Car Festival For CRA Street Stock Series At Winchester Speedway
Qualifying Results – Heat Race Results – OFFICIAL Race Results
Labor Day Holiday Weekend begins stretch run for CRA Street Stock Series
Winchester, Indiana (Monday, September 7, 2015): The prestigious Labor Day Holiday Weekend World Stock Car Festival was on Sunday-Monday, September 6-7th at the legendary 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway. The Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stock Series Powered by JEGS closed out the holiday weekend with the running of the Winchester 40. This event also marked the series’ 42nd all-time appearance at the famed high-banks in Eastern Indiana, the most visited facility of any track in the series’ 10-year history.
The CRA Street Stock Series 40-lap Feature was the final event of the weekend in Winchester, Indiana and when all was said and done, Jason Atkinson, who earlier in the day finished second in the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series race to retake the points lead in that division, moved considerably closer to the points lead in the CRA Street Stock Series with his third victory of the year. The 38-year-old driver of the #73 Oak Motors / Accelerator Racecars / Chevrolet grabbed the lead away from 15-year-old Mason Keller after a thrilling side by side dual with nine laps to go to secure the win.
“Man I can’t believe we finally got one of these here at Winchester! I’ve never won here before in anything. Not the Late Model Sportsman, this car, nothing. We’ve always seemed to have had a run of bad luck here. But today, this is one of the best days of my racing career.” The jubilant New Castle, Indiana native stated in victory lane after his milestone victory. “I can’t thank the guys on both teams enough for all of the hard work they’ve put in all year long. We’re going for two titles and today was a great step towards getting both. We’ve got a couple of races left in each, so we just have to keep this good momentum going for a couple of more weeks.” The defending CRA Street Stock Series Champion added.
After Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier, Jeff Lane drew an eight for an inversion, that would place Keller and Jake McElfresh on the front row of the 22-car field that would come down to Brian Duncan’s green flag. Keller would slip past McElfresh on the start to take the top spot with the rest of the field in tow. Atkinson, who started seventh, methodically began working his way towards the front of the pack as he sized up each driver and made his move to pass each throughout the first half of the race. Soon he found himself on Keller’s back bumper and the battle was on for the lead.
With 10 laps to go, Atkinson made his move for the lead and pulled up along-side the 15-year-old teenager in an effort to take the lead. After a little bumping and rubbing, Atkinson would slip past for the lead with nine laps to go, earning the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race award with the winning pass. From there, it was all Atkinson as he would go on to score his third win of the season and ninth of his CRA Street Stock Series career to move into sole possession of second all-time in series history, just two victories back of Jeff Lane who has 11 career checkered flags. In addition to the win, Atkinson is now just 11 markers back of point’s leader, Josh Poore with two CRA points’ races remaining.
Keller would settle for second in his #29 Steve Keller Tri-Axle Trucking / Chevrolet, but the day wasn’t a total loss for the Plainfield, Indiana teenager who moved up from fifth to third in the season long points chase and still has an outside shot at the championship. 2012 Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby brought home a third place finish in his #11 U.S.A. Tires / Chevrolet as the 42-year-old driver from Indianapolis, Indiana made a late charge at the top two drivers, but settled for the final podium position in third.
Current Points Leader, Josh Poore would grab a fourth place showing in his #27 Midwest Guttering / Chevrolet as the Anderson, Indiana native will still carry a slim 11-point advantage over Atkinson going into the 2015 McGunegill Engine Performance CRA Fall Brawl at Lucas Oil Raceway (IN) on Saturday-Sunday, September 26-27th. The 25-year-old valiantly held off the hard-charging Lane family led by two-time event winner in 2015, Colby Lane and his #44 Second Amendment Supply / Chevrolet. The Knightstown, Indiana driver completed the top five and more importantly the 24-year-old also gave himself an outside shot at the Series Championship as well.
Lane’s Father, 2011 Series Champion and Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier, Jeff Lane finished sixth just behind his son as 2012 Rookie of the Year, Tyler Marsh would bring home a seventh place finish. A second 15-year-old, 2014 Rookie of the Year James Kirby III was eighth over Three-Time Series Champion (2009, 2007, & 2006), Joe Beaver, who was making his first start in the series since the 2010 season and came away ninth. 2008 Series Champion, Bret Miles Jr., completed the final top 10.
The day before in Allstar Performance Qualifying, J. Lane extended his all-time career led in Fast Qualifier awards with 24 with his first of the season at 18.703. The CRA Street Stock Series Track Record remains in the hands of J. Lane who toured the 1/2 mile at an 18.101 back on October 13th, 2012. The day before in preliminary Heat Races, Keller and Robert Amos Sr., scored those victories.
The CRA Street Stock Series head into the twilight of the 2015 season on Saturday-Sunday, September 26-27th with the fourth race of the year at the immaculate 0.686 mile semi-banked paved oval of Lucas Oil Raceway. The 2015 McGunegill Engine Performance CRA Fall Brawl will see the CRA SSS cars and stars go 40 laps at the famed Brownsburg, Indiana speed plant located west of Indianapolis. Their counterparts within the ARCA/CRA Super Series, JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series are also on the grounds during the weekend.
The CRA Street Stock Series has 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 have also scored victories this year. 2011 Series Champion and 2005 ARCA/CRA Super Series titlist, Jeff Lane is the defending race winner of the CRA Fall Brawl for the CRA Street Stock Series.
In 13 overall races in the Circle City, Kirby has three total wins while Lane and Dave Bice have two victories apiece. In addition to Barnes Jr., and Lane, 2014 Series Champion, Jason Atkinson as well as Frank Kimmel II, Rick Erwin and Beau Mitchell all have single trips to the winners circle. There is also 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 event for both the CRA Street Stock Series and the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series.
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 Lucas Oil Raceway, the host track for the 11th race of the 2015 racing season, go to the track website at: www.lucasoilraceway.com.
