Hudson Muscles way to Bowl CRA 150 Victory
DeGraff (OH) – For the third year in a row Owensboro, Kentucky Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stock Series Powered by JEGS driver Brett Hudson wheeled his No. 00 Chevrolet to Shadybowl Speedway (OH) CRA Street Stock Triple Crown Mid-Summer 150 checkers. An event that was originally scheduled to be a part of the Four Crown Series as the opener back in April but was postponed and rescheduled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hudson took control late in the going to secure the victory. The first 75 laps sailed through fairly smoothly, but the money half, the last 75, after a ten minute pit break, became a pushing and gouging match with Hudson and hometown favorite Buck Purtee as they swapped the lead more than once and traded some paint numerous times. Ultimately Purtee would end the race pit side with a flat tire as Hudson muscled on.
“My car really wasn’t that great on those late restarts,” noted Hudson. “Buck got down into me, moved me out of the way, I got back underneath him and he ran me down in the grass. Then I bounced off him and we started beating and banging going down into turn four, all the top four where beating and banging. Nobody was being dirty, but it was rough, it was just hard racing, that’s what I call it.”
30 well prepared Street Stocks signed in pit side as local talent Chad Pendleton set Fast Time and then draw a nine for the starting field inversion. Hudson would end up starting seventh with local talent Jason Mahaffey on the pole and Calvin Parham to his outside. Mahaffey charged through the first ten laps when Hudson caught up and the two race side by side for several laps, until on a lap 11 restart Hudson was able to dive to the bottom when the leader got scooted up the track by another car. Hudson would easily set the pace and have race control the first 75 markers to make the halfway break pit stop. However, both locals Purtee and Josh Smith sailed into contention second and third racing with the leader, but unable to muster up a challenge when the 10-minute halfway point was displayed. The last 75 would quickly turn into a slobber knocker. Hudson actually held a monstrous lead as the race itself went green for 40 laps until finally a yellow dropped and bunched the field back together. On the restart Purtee lined Hudson up and swept by as Hudson would falter to third. Then another yellow and Hudson would line up right behind the leader Purtee for the double file restart. With Jason Atkinson to his outside, Purtee quickly became the meat of the sandwich when Hudson dove down the backstretch three wide in a race for the top spot. A push, and a shove and Hudson came out the new leader. Eventually, Purtee would gather his car up regain momentum and get back by to regain the top spot just to see another yellow flag and restart. Again Hudson got some momentum and carried it up alongside Purtee. This time a lot more serious push and shove as the leaders mixed it up. Hudson would regain the lead, as Purtee started falling off the pace eventually headed pit side, his race done with a flat tire.
“I had the car to beat on the long runs,” said Hudson. “But the car overall was not that great to start with. Those restarts didn’t go so great a couple times. I would lose a spot every time, it is so hard to pass here. I like this place, there really isn’t any straightaway, and you are always having to drive the car. At the halfway break we just cleaned up some things, fixed some damage, and made a couple changes, it helped, the car was a little better. We do pretty good here, this track you have to get up on the wheel and drive. A second and now three wins in a row, I am ready to come back,” finished Hudson.
The Triple Crown events feature three 150 green lap, $3000 minimum to win events. The first Triple Crown event was at the Indianapolis Speedrome on July 11th and was won by Andrew Teepe. The next Triple Crown Series Championship event will be at Anderson Speedway on Saturday, August 15th. There is also a Points Champion from the three events that pays a $1000 bonus. Second in points will receive a $600 bonus, third place a $400 bonus, then there will be two $250 bonuses from a random draw from the cars that attended all four events. Each of the Triple Crown Series events will be 4 tire races, all four will have a break at lap 75 to add fuel and make adjustments.
