Tons of Talent Already Entered for the 44th Annual Winchester 400
Event Information – Entry List
Erik Jones Goes for $100,000 Triple Crown Bonus
Salem, Indiana (Friday, September 25, 2015): Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS has released the entry list to date for the upcoming 44th Annual Winchester 400, that will be contested on the famous High Banks of Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 11th. This event, sanctioned by the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS, is one of the premier super late model events in the country and the 33 entries received to date reflect that, with a very talented field already set to compete in that event.
Two time defending Winchester 400 winner Erik Jones tops the list and he has 100,000 reasons to go for his third straight event win. The inaugural JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion from the 2011 season, who now races full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, has a chance to claim the JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown bonus if he can win the 44th Annual Winchester 400. Jones won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, which included the Battle at Berlin 251 at Berlin Raceway on June 16th and the Stoops Freightliner Redbud 300 at Anderson Speedway on July 18th, guarantying him a minimum $10,000 bonus, but now he has a chance at a historic payday.
Jones will have plenty of stiff competition to battle for the win led by Kyle Busch Motorsports Development Driver Christopher Bell, who won the Winchester 100 on Labor Day, his first win with the ARCA/CRA Super Series. Bell has several big late model wins in 2015, but is best known for winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Eldora Speedway.
2013 and 2014 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion Travis Braden is entered to try and get his first Winchester 400 victory. Braden gave Jones a run for his money in last year’s event, trading the lead several times with Jones in the closing laps before settling for a second place finish. Other top CRA drivers entered include former Winchester CRA event winners Cody Coughlin, who finished fourth in last year’s Winchester 400 and veteran series driver Rick Turner. Also entered are series 2015 points leader and series event winner Grant Quinlan, second in points and 2015 series event winner Eddie Van Meter, third in points and a two time 2015 series winner Hunter Baize, current JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour 2015 driver points leader Dalton Armstrong and 2014 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion Dan Leeck.
Many of the top Super Late Model drivers from around the country have also entered including 2012 Winchester 400 winner Ross Kenseth, son of NASCAR great Matt Kenseth, who now calls North Carolina home. Georgia Hot Shoe Bubba Pollard is also entered, Pollard has won a bunch of Super Late Model events all over the country the past several years, including two big wins on the west coast in 2015. Oklahoma’s Donnie Wilson is entered, he got a third place finish in last year’s 400. North Carolina’s Jeff Fultz is also entered, Fultz is a two-time winner of the series Labor Day Weekend event at Winchester. 14 year old Harrison Burton, son of former NASCAR great Jeff Burton, is entered and is a winner with the Southern Super Series in 2015.
Other top drivers from around the country who have filed an entry includes NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Mason Mingus, NASCAR K & N Pro Series standouts William Byron and J.J. Haley, a winner in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour last season, also top Florida competitor Stephen Nasse, Georgia racers Anderson Bowen, winner of the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Mercy Master of the Pro’s 144 in 2014 and Spencer Davis, former JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Lucas Oil Raceway winner Dominique Van Wieringen, who now competes for NEMCO Motorsports out of North Carolina and fellow North Carolina native Garrett Jones.
Several talented CRA competitors round out the 33 cars entered to date including former full-time series competitor Jim Crabtree Jr., who will climb back behind the wheel after several seasons of assisting his sons racing, also entered are Wes Griffith Jr., Mark Lambert, Matt Hall, Paul Shafer Jr., Nick Gullatta, Brandon Oakley, Cole Rouse, Jordan Miller and Fred Hopkins.
The Winchester 400 is 400 laps counting cautions with live pit stops with a possible starting field of up to 38 cars. It is a 12 tire maximum race. The event will pay $15,000 to win plus bonuses, which includes $10,000 in lap leader money, which is $25 per lap lead, plus bonuses of $1000, $600 and $400 to the top three finishing traveling non-regular CRA teams and a $1000 bonus to the highest finishing Crate Engine car. EDCO Welding will pay a $400 bonus to the events Fast Qualifier.
Things begin for the Winchester 400 Weekend with an optional load in, hauler parking and pit pass purchases on Thursday, October 8th from 3 to 7pm. Pits open on Friday, October 9th at 9am with rotating practice for all divisions beginning at 1pm. Second round practice and Group Qualifying for the Vore’s Touring Compacts and the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks New Star events will start at 4:10pm, the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour qualifying will start at 6:15pm. Racing action will begin at 7pm with 8 lap heat races for the Vores Touring Compacts. The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Season Championship Winchester 100 Presented by JEGS.com will be up next. The CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and CRA Street Stocks 25 lap New Star features will follow. The Vores Touring Compacts 25 lap feature will cap off the nights racing action.
Pits open on Saturday, October 10th at 8:30am, rotating practice for all divisions will begin at 11am. Second round practice and Group Qualifying CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and CRA Street Stocks will begin at 2pm. Qualifying for the Broaster Chicken Top Speed Modifieds Run for the Gun will start at 3:30pm, EDCO Welding Pole Qualifying for the 44th Annual Winchester 400 for the ARCA/CRA Super Series will begin at 4:15pm. The race program will begin at 5pm with Top Speed Modifieds Last Chance races. The 50 lap CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Season Championship event will be up next, followed by the 25 lap Winchester 400 Last Chance race if needed. The Top Speed Modifieds 50 lap Run for the Gun will follow. The 50 lap CRA Street Stocks Season Championship event will cap off this huge night of racing. The Annual Winchester 400 Party in the Pavilion will start in immediately following the races with live music.
On Sunday, October 11th pits will open at 9am. There will be an on track autograph session with all the 44th Annual Winchester 400 drivers starting at 12:30. Opening ceremonies will begin at 1:30 pm with the 44th Annual Winchester 400 taking the green flag at 2pm.
Additional track and event information can be found at www.winchesterspeedway.com. More information on the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS is available at www.cra-racing.com.
