Veteran Jack Smith Earns Emotional First Ever Trip To Victory Lane At Winchester Speedway
Qualifying Results – OFFICIAL Race Results
JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour kicks off prestigious Labor Day Holiday Weekend World Stock Car Festival
Winchester, Indiana (Sunday, September 6, 2015): The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance returned to action after a four-week vacation to began a hectic stretch of events that will see the teams embark on a four races in six weekends stretch to end the 2015 racing season. It all began on Sunday, September 6th at the legendary 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway (IN) in Winchester, Indiana. The JEGS/CRA contingent kicked off the first night of the prestigious Labor Day Weekend World Stock Car Festival with the running of the Winchester 100 Presented by JEGS.com.
The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour has visited the famed high-banks the most of any other track in the series’ five-year history with eight total appearances. In the ninth all-time event in Eastern Indiana, former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver and recently transplanted Hoosier State veteran, Jack Smith took the lead on lap 19 form early race leader, Bret Holmes and the 42-year-old who now calls New Haven, Indiana home would fight off the Alabama teenager the rest of the way to score his first career JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour victory in his 22nd career start.
“I’ve wanted to win here for so long. I’ve been so close so many times; This is like a dream come true.” The emotional driver of the #28 Urbine Machine / The Brake Man / Ford stated in victory lane after the race. “This is a new car we built this season and we’ve had some good runs with it. Especially during Redbud 300 Weekend at Anderson (Speedway) in July. We’ve been close so many times and tonight, the car was just a rocket ship. I can’t thank Greg Urbine enough for everything. We’ve been through so much together and this win is for him.” Smith added.
After Boyne Machine Company Fast Qualifier, 17-year-old Tristan Van Wieringen drew the maximum of a 10 for an inversion, JEGS/CRA Drivers Points Leader, Dalton Armstrong and Trevor Berry brought the 22-car field down to Chief Starter, Brian Duncan’s green flag. Armstrong darted out into the lead and soon would be trailed by 18-year-old Bret Holmes. The Southern Super Series regular would grab the lead away from Armstrong on the third lap and would be trailed by Smith who quickly worked his way towards the front from his sixth starting spot.
After trailing Holmes for a brief period, Smith made his move for the lead and completed the pass on a restart on lap 19, which earned Smith the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race award. From there, Smith would be relentless in keeping Holmes a safe distance behind him throughout the remainder of the race. He also scored the D.T.S. Drive Train Specialists Halfway Leader award en route to the long sought coveted victory. This was Smith’s first win of any kind since a victory at Baer Field Speedway (IN) in 2008 in the old Super Pro Late Model Series
Holmes, in his third career JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour start, brought home a career high second place showing in his #2 Holmes II Construction / Ford. The Munford, Alabama native would also score the FLUIDYNE High Performance Cool Under Pressure Award for his efforts. Two-Time Reigning ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Travis Braden grabbed a third place finish to keep Bill Burba Motorsports on top of the 2015 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Owners Points Standings. The 25-year-old from Wheeling, West Virginia started seventh and suffered a flat tire early in the event before rallying for the final podium position, which earned him the Hedman Hedders Husler award.
17-year-old Kody Evans, in his first start for Brandon Oakley Racing, tied a career high finish with a fourth place showing in his #4 Adesa Auto Auction / Toyota. The Camden, Ohio teenager started 13th and would survive a thrilling late battle with ARCA/CRA Super Series all-time career starts leader, Rick Turner to finish fourth. Turner, who was ironically making his JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour debut in his #5 McGunegill Engine Performance / Ford, completed the top five. The 57-year-old Yorktown, Indiana veteran started 15th and would also score the first Great Lakes Tire / Hoosier Racing Tire Performance award after advancing 10 positions.
VanDoorn Racing Development Rookie of the Race, 15-year-old Austin Kunert picked up a career high sixth place finish as Phil Bozell was seventh after starting 16th. 19-year-old Jordan Miller, in his first appearance of the season, finished eighth after starting 20th while Phil Bozell’s Father, Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame driver, Andy Bozell grabbed the Five Star Racecar Bodies Hard-Charger award as well as the second Great Lakes Tire / Hoosier Racing Tire Performance award by finishing ninth. He started 21st. Jon Beach completed the top 10.
Earlier in the evening in Boyne Machine Company Qualifying, 17-year-old Tristan Van Wieringen won his first career Fast Qualifier award as the Canadian teenager turned a 15.987. His lap measured out to 112.591mph. The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Track Record in Winchester, Indiana still belongs to Anderson Bowen who went a 15.731 back on October 12th, 2012.
A return trip to the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved oval of Springport Motor Speedway, located north of Jackson and south of Lansing in Springport, Michigan is next for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour competitors. On Saturday, September 19th the Michigan Cup 100 Presented by JEGS.com will highlight the door closing event for the 2015 racing season at the Jeff & Pam Parish promoted facility. Several support divisions are also on the card for the big season ending weekend at the track. There is a Practice Day slated for Friday, September 18th with the Pits opening at 2:00p.m., and Rotating Practice going from 3:00-8:00p.m.
The tour has visited the southern Michigan speed plant once already in 2015 and five times overall as Dalton Armstrong went to victory lane in the Cabin Fever 100 Presented by JEGS.com back on May 3rd. In four previous appearances, there have been four different winners with Grant Quinlan, now the current ARCA/CRA Super Series overall and rookie points leader, winning the 2014 Michigan Cup 100. NASCAR K&N Pro Series East star, J.J. Haley has a victory and so does Chad Finley and 2012 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion and now a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie contender, Daniel Hemric also winning at the facility.
For more information about the rest of the 2015 racing season within all four touring series’ of Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, go to the series website at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow along all season long on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ChampionRacingAssociation and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally for more information about Springport Motor Speedway, the host track for the ninth race of the 2015 racing season within the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, go to the track website at: www.springportmotorpeedway.com.
