Lucas Oil Raceway hosts ARCA/CRA Super Series in the first of two appearances of 2015
Brownsburg, Indiana (Friday, July 24, 2015): Just six days after competing in the prestigious Redbud 300 at Anderson Speedway (IN), the cars and stars of the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS didn’t have much time to reflect on the previous race. The Circle City 100 Presented Greg Hubler Chevrolet would see the ARCA/CRA contingent race at the immaculate 0.686 mile progressively banked paved oval of Lucas Oil Raceway (IN). The seventh event of the 2015 racing season also marked the series first of two races at LOR in 2015 and 24th all-time appearance at the speed plant located west of Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Last year’s thrilling finish in this event would see NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star, Kyle Busch win after a thrilling dual with John Hunter Nemechek that saw Busch beat Nemechek at the line by just 0.024 seconds, the closest finish in ARCA/CRA history. This time around Nemechek wasn’t to be denied as after sweeping both Practice Sessions and then winning his firstcareer EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier award, the 18-year-old NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor took the lead from Overall and Rookie of the Year points leader, 16-year-old Grant Quinlan on lap 55 and then held off a late charge from Jake Crum to finally score that elusive first career victory in the ARCA/CRA Super Series.
“We didn’t have this car ready until just a couple of days ago. I owe it all to this entire NEMCO Motorsports Team and especially my Dad (NASCAR veteran, Joe Nemechek) enough for everything they do for me and for the chance to do so well,” The happy driver of the #8 Rocky Ridge Custom Trucks / DAB Constructors / Chevrolet stated on the victory lane stage in front of the crowd on hand. “We came out here to win, especially after coming so close in this race last year, and that’s what we did. I owe it all to everyone on this team. They’re the reason I’m standing here.” He added.
After winning the EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier award over a stellar 29-car field, Nemechek then drew the maximum 10 for an inversion which placed Quinlan and nine-time event winner in the ARCA Midwest Tour, Travis Sauter on the front row of the 100-lap main. Quinlan would beat Sauter to the first corner to grab the early lead as the rest of the field would jockey for position behind him. Quinlan would extend his lead only to fall back to the rest of the field who would then take turns at dethroning the Great Lakes State teenager from the top of the leader board.
Nemechek, who started in 10th would work his way up to second by lap 30 and begin stalking the fellow teenager when after a restart on lap 53, Nemechek would make his move and skated past Quinlan to take over the lead. Soon Jake Crum, a standout competitor in years past in the Late Model Stock Car division in the southeastern corner of the United States, was looking to make the most of his first career ARCA/CRA Super Series appearance and began to challenge Nemechek. Quinlan stayed with the leaders and Jeff Cannon made his presence felt as well.
With four laps to go, Quinlan slammed the turn one wall after contact which ended his night. This set up a four lap shootout to decide things. As soon as the green flag came back out though, Nemechek wasn’t to be denied as he was a year ago and the Mooresville, North Carolina driver would get away from Crum and the rest of the field to pick up the victory. In addition to $3,000 payday, the trophy and the EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier award, Nemechek would also snag the Team Construction Clean Sweep award as well as the VanDoorn Racing Development Fastest Practice Lap award.
Crum in his #01 MyFreedomSmokes.com / Chevrolet came home with a second place showing in his maiden ARCA/CRA Super Series start. The Statesville, North Carolina driver, who has made appearances in years past in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was also the recipient of the FLUIDYNE High Performance Cool Under Pressure award after starting in ninth. The 23-year-old is a 2008 Series Champion in the now defunct UASA STARS Late Model Series which is similar to the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series.
After spending the majority of the season racing in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, 19-year-old Cody Coughlin battled hard from his seventh place starting position for his podium finish. The Delaware, Ohio driver, the 2013 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion, was forced to pit under a caution for a flat tire and would then proceed to steer his #1 JEGS.com / Toyota from the rear of the field to an impressive third place finish. Earning him the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race award.
Cannon recovered from a late race incident to record a fourth place showing in his #33 Govert Auto Body / Chevrolet. The Kouts, Indiana driver, who earlier in the season won his first Fast Qualifier award at his home track of Illiana Motor Speedway (IN) back on May 25th, bagged his season high finish in his traditional appearance at LOR, which are primarily the races that the 36-year-old has entered within the ARCA/CRA Super Series the past several seasons.
Dominique Van Wieringen earned her career high fifth place effort after starting 20th in her #5 DuroByte Incorporated / Ford. The 20-year-old teammate of race winner Nemechek within the NEMCO Motorsports stable collected the Hedman Hedders Husler award for her efforts. In addition, the Amherstburg, Ontario native who now calls Charlotte, North Carolina home also scored the first Hoosier Racing Tire Performance award for her run.
17-year-old Quin Houff, a regular within the CARS Super Late Model Tour and has one victory in the southeast United States based series, finished sixth in his ARCA/CRA Super Series debut. Eddie Van Meter was seventh over Brett Robinson as 19-year-old Quinnton Bear, the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year point’s leader in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, finished ninth in his second career ARCA/CRA start. D.J. Weltmeyer, in his ARCA/CRA debut, completed the top 10 and picked up the second Hoosier Racing Tire Performance award after starting in 18th.
Senneker Performance Rookie of the Race, Matt Hall also scored the C.V. Racing Products Hard-Charger award after starting scratch on the field in 29th and coming home in 12th. Earlier in the afternoon in EDCO Welding Qualifying, Nemechek out-timed the 29-car field on hand with a 22.132 which measures out to an impressive 111.585mph. The ARCA/CRA Track Record at LOR still belongs to Evan Jackson who turned in a 21.284 back on September 22nd, 2007.
The premier tour within Champion Racing Association (CRA) Powered by JEGS will take a little vacation before coming back with two races in a four day span up in the State of Michigan. Starting on a special Wednesday, August 12th the ARCA/CRA Super Series will once again be a part of Kalamazoo Klash XXIII at the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved oval of Kalamazoo Speedway (MI) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The ARCA/CRA Template Super Late Models will share the stage with their Outlaw Bodied counterparts and race in the Kalamazoo Klash 125.
This event will be the fifth all-time appearance at the Southwest Michigan facility and will pay the winner $5,000. One year ago, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, Kyle Busch held off three-time series champion, Johnny VanDoorn in a thrilling dual. Three other drivers have gone to victory lane at Kalamazoo as the Brian Campbell and his Father, Fred Campbell have both won there and so has Andy Ponstein.
Then three days later, the ARCA/CRA teams will travel east across the Great Lakes State for their yearly visit to the fast 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved oval of Flat Rock Speedway, located south of Detroit in Flat Rock, Michigan for the 7-Up 125. Two-Time Reigning ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Travis Braden won in the last appearance at the southeastern Michigan speed plant in 2014 while three-time series champion, Scott Hantz scored the victory in the first two appearances by CRA at the facility in 2013 and 2012.
For more information about the remainder of the 2015 racing season within all four touring series’ of Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, go to the series website located at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow along with all of CRA’s touring series’ on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ChampionRacingAssociation and on Twitter at:www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally, for more information about Kalamazoo Speedway and Flat Rock Speedway, the host tracks for the eighth and ninth races of the season for the ARCA/CRA Super Series, go to each track website at:www.lucasoilraceway.com and www.flatrockspeedway.com
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.