This Date in CRA History – April 12, 2014

Score One For The ARCA/CRA Super Series; Brian Campbell Wins Border Wars I – 7-Up 150 At Toledo Speedway

Toledo, Ohio (April 12, 2014) – The 2014 chase for the championship within the premier series of Champion Racing Association (CRA) Powered by JEGS, the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS officially kicked off their 18th season of competition with what has become one of the most highly anticipated races in the Midwestern United States; Border Wars I – 7-Up 150, which was conducted on Saturday, April 12th at the famed 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Toledo Speedway, located just south of the Michigan / Ohio state line in Toledo,  Ohio.

Joining the ARCA/CRA Super Series cars and stars on the Automobile Racing Club of America’s (ARCA) home track were their counterparts from the ARCA Midwest Tour Presented by SCAG Power Equipment as it was also the Wisconsin based series’ 2014 season opener, officially beginning their eighth year of racing. In the third ever combination race between the two series’, the ARCA/CRA Super Series took the lead 2-1 in the overall wins column as 35-year-old Brian Campbell held off a furious late race charge from 16-year-old Anderson Bowen to grab his 13th career ARCA/CRA Super
Series victory.

“That was a lot of fun. Between the traffic there towards the end, then the two restarts. I tell you, Anderson (Bowen) is a talented kid and he’s got a bright future ahead of him,” The Wyoming, Michigan driver remarked surrounded by his LakeShore Motorsports crew after the thrilling win. “We were good all weekend long and I knew the car would be there at the end. Man what a great way to start the season. Especially here.” The 35-year-old driver of his #47 Boyne Machine Company / Port City Racecars / Ford stated.

Defending ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Travis Braden and ARCA Midwest Tour veteran, Donny Reuvers brought the stout 30-car starting field to Chief Starter, Brian Duncan’s green flag to kick of the 2014 season for both tours and it would be Braden who would grab the early lead as the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him. The reigning champion, paced the field for the first 44 laps before suddenly slowing and in turn, giving the lead to Campbell who had clawed his way towards the front from his seventh starting spot.

Just a lap later. 2011 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion and Rookie of the Year, Derrick Griffin skated past Campbell to take over the top spot and try in vain to pull away from Campbell and the rest of the field. It would take some time, but Campbell would then regroup, catch back up to Griffin and on lap 69 made what turned out to be the winning pass back for the lead. A lap later, the hardest hit of the afternoon occurred when Reuvers pounded the turn one wall and collected 2013 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year, James Swan. Both drivers were ok but done for the day.

At that point, ARCA/CRA Super Series Officials decided to take the halfway break which was scheduled for lap 76. On the ensuing restart, Campbell pulled away to a good lead when Anderson Bowen methodically worked his way up to second  from 11th and thanks to lapped traffic and a caution flag with five laps to go, was able to catch up to Campbell. On the first restart, Bowen edged out ahead of Campbell only to see the yellow wave once more. On the final restart, Bowen again edged out ahead, but Campbell fought his way back by Bowen and would pull away to secure the win.

“We have a good team in place here at LakeShore Motorsports,” Campbell continued. “Our goal is definitely the 2014 ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship and this is a great way to start towards that.” He ended. For his efforts, Campbell collected a slew of awards including the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award for his race winning pass of Griffin on lap 69. He also scored the VanDoorn Racing Development Lap Leader Award for leading the most laps, 83 of the 150-lap distance.

Settling for the runner-up spot was Bowen as the Southern Super Series Points Leader in his #29 Copper Creek Hardware / Ford gave Campbell all he could handle on the last restart before posting a career high finish in his brief ARCA/CRA Super Series career. The 16-year-old Suwanee, Georgia teenager started 11th and quickly positioned himself into the top 10 early in the race and steadily worked his way into the top five before getting up to second and challenging Campbell late. He did pick up the FLUIDYNE High Performance Cool Under Pressure Award for his efforts.

Rounding out the podium finishers was the EDCO Welding/Miller Electric Welders Fast Qualifier Award Winner, Chad Finley who drew an eight for an inversion and would steer his #42 AutoParts2020.com / Chevrolet up to the third finishing spot. The DeWitt, Michigan driver was in line for the Team Construction Clean Sweep Award if he was able to pull off the victory. Since he finished third, the Team Construction Clean Sweep Award climbs to $500 for the next event.

Ross Kenseth began a potential run at the 2014 ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship with a solid fourth place finish in his #77 Boyne Machine Company / Ford as the Little Chute, Wisconsin driver battled within the top five for the majority of the race. Completing the top five was veteran Donnie Wilson as the driver of the #2 Wilson Ford Parts / Ford had to win the Last Chance Race to transfer into the show. Then Oklahoma City, Oklahoma driver then earned both the C.V. Products Hard-Charger Award and the first Hoosier Racing Tires Performance Award for his 27th to fifth place run.

2007 ARCA Midwest Tour Champion, Nathan Haseleu finished in sixth position ahead of Senneker Performance Rookie of the Race, 18-year-old Cody Coughlin who also earned the second Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award after starting 17th. Steve Wallace grabbed eighth while Griffin finished in the ninth spot over Three-Time ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Scott Hantz who completed the top 10. 19-year-old Rookie in the ARCA Midwest Tour, Ty Majeski picked up the VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award early in the race, but would finish 20th. 

Earlier in the afternoon in EDCO Welding/Miller Electric Welders Qualifying, Chad Finley out-qualified the 42-car field on the property with a 15.436 which measures out to 116.611mph. The ARCA/CRA Super Series Track Record stands and is held by Johnny VanDoorn who went a blistering 15.197 which equals out to a 118.444mph average speed around the 1/2 mile. The three-time series champion, who was the race winner of this event from last season, turned the lap back on April 20, 2013.

In the 15-Lap Last Chance Race, Donnie Wilson picked up the Win to transfer into the 7-Up 150 as he scored the victory ahead of 2011 ARCA Midwest Tour Champion, Andrew Morrissey who finished second. Pole-Sitter, Alec Carll finished third ahead of Brett Robinson as all four cars transferred into the show. Dennis Strickland, the 2013 Glass City 200 Winner at Toledo in Outlaw Super Late Models competition, was the first car on the outside looking in as he finished fifth.

The second points race of the 2014 racing season for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS will be at the track that has hosted the most events in ARCA/CRA history; the fast 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved oval of Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Indiana on Saturday, April 26th. There is also a practice day scheduled for the day before on Friday, April 25th.

The Anderson 125 will be the series’ 55th all-time appearance at the Central Indiana speed plant as two-time series champion (1999 & 2001) Brian Ross leads the way with nine career victories while inaugural series champion from the 1997 season Kenny Tweedy, Junior Hanley and three-time series champion (2009, 2010 & 2012) Johnny VanDoorn are all tied for second all-time with four triumphs apiece.