A.J. Ridner gets first ever CRA Win on the High Banks of Winchester Speedway
Salem, IN (September 5, 2017) – Danville, Indiana’s A.J. Ridner can now say he has equaled his father by getting a feature win on the High Banks of the famed Winchester Speedway, with his victory in Monday’s Lawrence Towing CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS event, which was part of the Labor Day Weekend World Stock Car Festival, one of the biggest stock car events held each year in Central Indiana. Ridner’s dad, a long time late mode racer, picked up a late model win at Winchester several years back. Ridner got the win when flagged winner Josh Sage failed post-race tech and was disqualified from the win.
“This is not the way I wanted to get my first CRA win, but will take it,” remarked Ridner in victory lane. “This track has so much history, it’s cool that my dad and myself have both won a feature here. It’s just mainly me and my dad that work on this car, we work hard and it paid off today!”
Thomas Skiles took the early lead from his pole starting position after Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier Colby Lane drew an eight for the event’s inverted start. Skiles lead until lap 19 when Sage grabbed the lead. Ridner battled in the top five throughout the event and was able to stay with Sage but couldn’t make the pass, but his efforts paid off by being in position to get the win.
Series Champion Chase competitor Andrew Teepe finished in second, giving him the Champion Chase Owners and Drivers points lead with one event left prior to the series Championship event at Winchester during Winchester 400 Weekend.
James Kirby III ended a trying weekend with a well-earned third place finish. Kirby III made hard contact with the turn one wall at the end of the series group qualifying session. The team took the motor out of Kirby III’s car and put it in his father’s car, which had lost a motor in practice on Sunday. Kirby III was supposed to start on the pole of the feature on Monday, but had to start at the tail with the change in cars. Kirby III steadily worked his way through the field in the event that had only one caution and one red flag to get his third place finish.
Lane would finish in fourth place, third highest of the Chase drivers. Jake McElfresh would finish in fifth place. Skiles would make a nice save after contact with another car to finish in sixth, fourth highest of the Chase drivers. Championship Chase driver J.J. Schafer finished in seventh, Chase driver Corey Adams finished in ninth.
The Lawrence Towing CRA Street Stocks will compete next at Lucas Oil Raceway in the CRA Fall Brawl on September 23rd and 24th, which will pay the winner $1,000. That event will be the third event of that series Championship Chase and will determine the final four teams and drivers that will compete for the series 2017 Championships. For more information on all the CRA series go to www.cra-racing.com.
