Salem, IN (May 1, 2007) – Champion Racing Associations CRA Sportsman Series is set to begin its second season this Saturday at Winchester Speedway as part of the big ARCA 200 Weekend. The CRA Sportsman Series will be part of Saturday’s preliminary racing action that will also include the ARCA Lincoln Welder Trucks and a special non-points event for the CRA Street Stocks. In addition the ARCA RE/MAX Series stock cars will be practicing and qualifying for their 200-lap event on Sunday.

The CRA Sportsman Series had a very successful inaugural season in 2006, a season that saw 43 different drivers compete in the series six events. The series had five different winners in the six events led by Al Cook Jr. with two wins. Terry Fisher Jr., Scott Knepley, Rick Rinehart and Steve Blair all picked up single wins. Keith Sterkowitz didn’t win a race but used consist up front finishes to claim the first ever CRA Sportsman Series Season Championship.

The landscape has changed some for the CRA Sportsman 2007 season. Saturday’s race will be the first of 11 scheduled events so far for 2007, the series will also visit a couple of different tracks this season with scheduled events at Shady Bowl Speedway on July 28 and at ORP on September 21 and 22 as part of the inaugural Circle Track Nationals. 2007 Champion Keith Sterkowitz and runner-up Al Cook Jr. have not registered to run the 2007 season. Sterkowitz will be racing an Outlaw Late Model this season while Al Cook Jr. will be racing a crate template late model with the Super Pro Series.

The early favorite to claim the 2007 series championship is Terry Fisher Jr., who finished in third last season with one win, he was in the battle for the Championship through out the season until some bad luck in the season Championship event. Fisher Jr. will driver for car owner Gary Hancock again in 2007 and will have two CRA Sportsman Series cars at his disposal to run for the Championship. Fisher has experience on all the tracks the series will race at in 2007, mostly in events he has raced with the CRA Super Series the past 4 years. Fisher finished 8^th in the CRA Super Series Manning Service 100 on April 22 at Winchester Speedway.

Fisher Jr. will have some strong competition this season including fifth place finisher in 2006 points Scott Runion, sixth place finisher Rick Tackman Jr., and seventh place finisher Billy Hutson. The winner of last seasons Labor Day Weekend event at Winchester Speedway Rick Rinehart is also registered along with former ASA Racing Series competitor Charlie Hanna, driving again for owner Tom Fisel. Several Michigan drivers have registered for the 2007 season including Nick Bonstell, Tim Greene, Zach Dunson, Adam Hudson and David Fretz along with Canadian Randy Casey. Several Northern Indiana drivers will also be competing in 2007 including Jim Spillers, George Banter, Rick Sullivan, David Campbell, Eric Barkus and Gabe Cerny who purchased Al Cook Jr.’s car. Phil Jenkins, John Heck, Bob Dumke, Brad Kendall and Daniel Hall will represent the Indianapolis area.

Pit gates will open at 9:30am on Saturday. CRA Sportsman practice will begin at 12:45pm with qualifying at 3:30pm. Saturday’s race program will begin at 5:30pm with 10 lap Sportsman heats. The CRA Sportsman 40 lap feature will be the final event of the evening. Advanced tickets can be purchased on the Winchester Speedway web site at www.winchesterspeedway.com.