It was a matter of survival for Mishawaka, Indiana’s JR Roahrig on his way to the win in Saturday’s Spray Power 125 presented by Professional Driver’s Institute. Roahrig, a favorite with the local fans, started from the pole position but had problems on the start, dropping him back to third early, behind outside polesitter Chris Gabehart and Tommy St. John. He would survive a battle of attrition and go on to score the victory in the inaugural event at the New Paris Speedway.

Gabehart would hold on to the lead through a series of cautions in the first half of the event but would never distance himself from St. John or the rest of the top 5, as they ran nose-to-tail under green, putting on a great show for the New Paris fans.

It looked like it was going to be a matter of holding off Tommy St. John for Gabehart to score the victory until lap 80, when he collided with, of all people, his Hendricks County Motorsports teammate Sondi Eden. Eden, who had already sustained damage from an earlier incident, was off the pace and about to be put another lap down by the leaders when she decided to head pit side. The entrance to the pits at the New Paris Speedway is located on the high side of the entry into turn three, meaning Eden was forced to stay very close to the racing line as she slowed to exit the track. This left Gabehart, with Tommy St. John and the rest of the top 5 breathing down his neck, in a situation where he was forced to decide which way he would get around Eden while losing as little time as possible.

Unfortunately, Gabehart drove hard into the rear of Eden’s machine, doing major damage to both HCM machines and ending their nights, and Gabehart’s shot at his second victory of the season.

Bad news for one is good news for another, as Tommy St. John took over the lead from Gabehart after the incident, and looked to be in good position to score his first career victory. With some damage to the nose of his machine from the Gabehart incident, St. John had only to hold off Roahrig on this track where passing is difficult. Unfortunately for St. John, Roahrig was simply too fast and had too much experience at the track to be held off, as he made the move under St. John coming through turn two on the 99^th lap to take over the top spot.

From then on, it was all Roahrig, who only had to survive late restarts to take the victory by 1.466 seconds over Eddie Van Meter, St. John, Jason Dietsch and CD-2 Rookie of the Year competitor Danny Jackson.

The event was marred by a total of ten caution flags, most of which were single car spins, and only thirteen of the twenty-three starters took the checkered flag at the end of 125 laps.

For his strong top five finish, Danny Jackson took home the Sweet Manufacturing "Sweet Move of the Race" Award. The Appleton Rack & Pinion Fast Qualifier and Fatheadz.com Fast Qualifier Awards went to Bobby Parsley. Jason Dietsch and John Long earned the Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Awards. Dietsch was also the ISKY Racing Cams/Lane Automotive Hard Charger Award winner.

Danny Jackson earned the CD-2 Rookie of the Race Award and Cometic Gasket Top Rookie Award as the highest finishing rookie. Alec Carll was the Leaf Race Products Tough Luck Award winner after a spinning into the turn one wall.

Chris Gabehart took home the RaceTrailerSales.com Halfway Leader Award. JR Roahrig won the Fatheadz.com Race Winner Award and his Crew Chief Tyler Roahrig was the Marvel Mystery Oil Mechanic of the Race.

The CRA Super Series returns to action on Friday, August 11^th at the Toledo Speedway in Toledo, Ohio for the rescheduled AP Racing Engines 100. More information is available at www.craracing.net.