at
Rockford Speedway on Sunday afternoon. "Everybody on this race team,
my family, they know where we started. We used to hook up race cars to
pine trees to straighten them out because we were just a low dollar
deal. To get this deal with Jerry (Gunderman) is a dream comes true.
You don’t find a better car owner; he gives you everything you need to
win."
Lepak had to overcome a rough weekend to win his
second CRA Super Series presented by Spray Power race. Just as the
cars were pulling out to qualify his fuel pump went out forcing him to
miss his scheduled qualifying spot and allowing him to have only 1 lap
to qualify. He made the most of that lap setting a new track
record. But also because of missing his spot he was not eligible
to start in the Top 10, so he started in eleventh position. From
there he steadily worked his way through the field to take the lead on
the 136th lap on route to his victory.
The Wax Shop Clean Sweep Award went to Lepak as both
fast qualifier and race winner. He also won the Tesar Engineering
Racing Engines/Appleton Rack & Pinion Fast Qualifier Award, the
Fathedz.com fast qualifier and winner Awards.
Kenny Tweedy started on the pole due to the invert;
Tweedy was able to hold the lead until the 40th lap when
Nathan Haseleu slipped under him to take the lead. Haseleu held the
lead until the 131st lap. Scott Hantz had started seventh
and patiently passed the other cars, carefully picking through the
field to take the lead from Haseleu.
Lepak was right on Hantz’s rear bumper, and made a
move to the inside of Hantz on the 135th lap, but Hantz was
able to hold him off. Lepak made another run on the137th lap this time
he was able to drive under Hantz to take the lead. Hantz made several
attempts to retake the lead, even running side by side with Lepak a
couple of times, but was unable to get past. For his effort driving
through the field Hantz was awarded the Sweet Manufacturing "Sweet
Move of the Race Award".
Larry Schuler finished third, Eddie Van Meter
fourth. Van Meter had to work his way up from 25th, getting
in the field with a points provisional. "We just missed qualifying a
little bit, but Bill Rievley and the guys gave me a good car and we
had dug a hole to start, I just wish we had had a better qualifying
run and started up front the then we could have seen what we could
have done." Van Meter earned the ISKY Racing Cams/Lane Automotive Hard
Charger and Racing Electronics Most Improved Awards. He also received
a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award.
Poplar Grove, Wisconsin native Dan Lensing finished
in fifth, coming from his 15th place starting position.
Lansing was the highest finishing crate engine car. West Bend,
Wisconsin’s Tony Strupp also received a Hoosier Racing Tire Award. He
raced his way into his NSTC starting position by winning the 15 lap
Last Chance Race earlier in the day. Starting 27th Strupp
finished sixth.
Ricky Bilderback, who just won his 6th
consecutive track championship at Rockford Speedway came back from a
flat tire just after halfway to finish seventh. Brian Johnson Jr. came
back from the tail after an early on track incident to finish in
eighth. Tommy St. John finished in ninth, losing valuable points to
series point leader Scott Hantz, St. John is still second in points,
but trails Hantz by 54 points with only one points event remaining in
the 2006 season. Frank Kreyer rounded out the top ten finishers. Jeff
Way finished 11th and was the winner of Saturday nights 20
lap qualifying event.
Nathan Haseleu won the Lisa Thomas Salon Halfway
Leader Award. The Leaf Race Products Tough Luck Award went to Michael
Bachaus as the last car not to make the field. Danny Jackson was the
CD 2 Rookie Of The Race Award Winner and the Cometic Gasket Top Rookie
Award winner finishing 12th. JR Roahrig was awarded the EMF
Corp That’s Racing Award after a crash ended his day on lap 149 after
running in the top 10 through out the event.
The Marvel Mystery Oil Mechanic of the Race Award
went to Lepak’s crew chief Tony Schloer. Lepak also earned the Looking
Good Award for his win.
The next CRA Super Series presented by Spray Power
event is the revival of the 35th Annual Ed Martin Auto
Group Winchester 400, at historic Winchester Speedway on Sunday,
October 15th, the season championship event for the CRA
Super Series. The racing weekend starts on Friday, October 13 with
practice, CRA Sportsman racing and the Modifieds All Star Challenge
and the first round of qualifying for the 400. Saturday includes the 2nd
round of qualifying for the 400, CRA Outlaw Super Late Models,
Modifieds "Run for the Gun", and the CRA Street Stocks season finale.
Following the racing Saturday night there will be a party at the track
featuring the MGB Band. The 35th Annual Ed Martin Auto
Group Winchester 400 will take the green flag at 1pm on Sunday. For
more information see
www.craracing.net.
Tony Strupp wins the Last Chance Race
Tony Strupp pushed his way around Matt Merrell to win the Last Chance
Race and start The Chicago International Trucks 200 in the 27th
position. Following Merrell for several laps Strupp bumped him
in successive corners before nearly spinning both cars. After a
warning for rough driving Strupp successfully completed a softer bump
and run on the the 13th lap to take the win.
Merrell was the "Lucky Dog Draw" winner and takes the green flag in
the 28th position.
Last Chance Race
Results
Last Chance Race
Lineup
Lineup for Chicago International Trucks 200
With one last chance race and the "Lucky Dog Draw" to go the field is
set for the first 26 competitors in the Chicago International Trucks
200. With the draw Kenny Tweedy is on the pole, and Frank Kreyer
on the outside of the front row. Saturday's rain is gone with a
bright sunny day in store for the racers at the Rockford Speedway.
The first twenty drivers were locked in from qualifying, the next four
from the qualifying race Saturday night, the next 2 are the CRA Super
Series provisionals, with the final two determined Sunday.
Lineup for Chicago
International Trucks 200
Jeff Way Leads Flag to Flag
Jeff Way started on the outside pole and led from flag to flag to win
the Qualifying Race. Robert Maynor second, Jeremy Spoonmore
third and Eddie Hoffman fourth for the final transfer spot to the 41st
Annual National Short Track Championships.
Complete
Qualifying Race Results
Lepak Shatters Track Record
Jeremy Lepak was scheduled to qualify fourth but was forced to drop to
the tail of qualifying due to his fuel pump going bad just as the cars
were pulling on to the track. But he saved the best for last as
the second car to break the track record of 13.105 seconds set by
Brian Johnson, Jr. in 2005. Lepak had only one lap as a penalty
for missing his spot in line, that lap was 12.961 seconds. Scott
Hantz was second with a time of 13.030 seconds Ricky Bilderback third,
Steve Rubeck fourth, and Brian Johnson, Jr. fifth.
Qualifying Results
Qualifying Race
Lineup
Bilderback Fastest in Practice
Ricky Bilderback was the fastest in practice running at 13.000
seconds, Steve Rubeck was second at 13.043, Jeremy Lepak third, Danny
Jackson fourth and Kenny Tweedy fifth. The CRA Super Series cars
had two practice sessions before the rain came again, delaying
qualifying for a couple of hours.
Practice Session
#1
Practice Session
#2
30 Cars Ready for Qualifying at Rockford Speedway
As the light rain is subsiding 30 teams are preparing to practice and
qualify for the 41st Annual National Short Track Championships.
A light but persistent rain delayed the cars being on the track until
almost 2:00 local time.
Qualifying Order
