Miles Jr. Wins Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks Season Opener at Anderson Speedway
Salem, IN (April 14, 2019) – Muncie, Indiana native Bret Miles Jr. held off the hard charges of Brett Hudson on several late restarts to get the win in Saturday night’s Talecris Plasma Resources 75 at Anderson Speedway. The event was the season opener for the Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS and was the first event in the “Road to Bristol” for the series.
“This was a special night,” Miles said in the Star Financial Bank victory lane. “I wanted to win tonight because my boys were here. People don’t know how hard we worked to get this car ready. You win races in the garage and the crew worked hard all week. At the end the car was getting loose, I knew Brett (Hudson) was right there at the finish.”
Tyler Marsh took the early lead from the pole position and through five restarts was able to hold off Andrew Teepe. Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier and defending series Champion James Kirby III’s night ended in a puff of smoke bringing out the fifth caution while running just outside the top ten. On the ensuing lap 21 restart Miles Jr. got inside of Teepe in turn one to claim the second spot and four laps later got underneath Marsh exiting the fourth corner to take the point.
Brett Hudson, who lost several positions at the start of the event when the outside lane had trouble getting going, passed Teepe on lap 48 and set his sights on tracking down Miles Jr.
The seventh caution flag waved on lap 53 for a spin by Jacob McElfresh after contact with Jason Atkinson while the veteran drivers were battling for the fifth position. The final yellow waved on lap 68 when Jordan Hahn looped it on the back straight following contact with Danny Adams.
Despite the caution flags and restarts Miles went on to win by less than three-tenths of a second over second place Hudson. With his winning pass, Miles Jr. picked up the KRJ Race Products Sweet Move of the Race Award. With his win, Miles Jr. and second place Hudson will have a guaranteed start at the Short Track U. S. Nationals presented by Vore’s Welding at Bristol Motor Speedway on June 1st in the CRA Street Stock A Feature if they race in the three other CRA Street Stocks “Road to Bristol” events, which will take place on April 27th at Shadybowl Speedway, Salem Speedway on May 11th and Mt. Lawn Speedway on May 19th. Miles Jr. is also the first driver locked into the Chase for the Championship if he competes in 70% of the series points races leading up to the Chase for the Championship events.
Teepe would hold on to get third place and picked up the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award for his great save after hard contact from Hudson. Marsh would finish in fourth place with Josh Poore in fifth place. In all there were 25 cars who signed in for the event with 23 qualifying and taking the green flag.
The Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks next event will be the first 200 lap Four Crown event at Shadybowl Speedway on Saturday, April 27th. More information on all the CRA Series is available at www.cra-racing.com.
