Columbus, OH (June 2, 2007)
– After taking the lead on the 33rd lap and staying there
throughout, Columbus native Robbie Pyle was not sure he could hold off
a hard charging Brian Campbell as the laps wound down in Saturday’s
CRA Super Series 5th Annual Buckeye Bash, Sizzle Marine 125 presented
by
EMH&T and Howe Racing. For several laps Campbell pulled up on his tail
and then raced him side by side when disaster struck on the 121st
lap as Campbell slipped high in the third turn in the marbles making
hard contact with the outside wall. Pyle then sailed through the last
four laps to win his first CRA Super Series race over rookie of the
year contender John Van Doorn who finished in second.
"It
was great to win here at my home town. We keep coming back and
finished second to (Scott) Hantz a couple of years ago, and tonight it
all came together and we got our win. I have won a lot of races
here, and this is special I really love this." An elated Pyle stated.
Racing on a green track after a two hour rain delay
washed the track clean, the race was exciting from the beginning to
the end as cars found themselves very loose most of the race and
included a lot of side by side racing. Pole sitter Jeff Lane and fast
qualifier and new track record holder, Chris Gabehart, were involved
in an early race spin that sent both to the tail after contact between
the two. Both came back to finish in the top ten, with Gabehart, the
current series points leader, making the trip from the tail two more
times to finish fifth.
Scott Hantz, 2006 series champion, held on to finish
in third, coming from his 11th place starting position. Bobby Parsley
made a charge through the field in the last part of the race from his
eighteenth starting position to finish fourth giving him both the
Sweet Manufacturing "Sweet Move of the Race"
Award for his many
dramatic passes, both on the outside and the inside and the ISKY
Racing Cams/Lane Automotive Hard Charger Award. Parsley and 10th
place finisher Jack Smith both earned Hoosier Racing Tire Performance
Awards.
The Appleton Rack & Pinion Fast Qualifier and
Fatheadz.com Fast Qualifier Award went to new track record holder
Chris Gabehart, who’s time of 13.674 seconds led a group of three
drivers that broke the old record set by Bobby Parsley in 2006. In all
30 cars were on hand for the event.
Pyle took the Fatheadz.com race winner award, the
Holly Performance Award, the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway leader
Award and VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award for having the
fastest lap during the race.
Van Doorn won the RV Performance Rookie of the Race
Award, his fourth in a row so far this season as well as the Cometic
Gasket and VDL Fuel Systems Top Rookie Awards. He also won three pairs
of Ringer Gloves given to a random finisher. This is his second week
in a row with a Top 5 finish.
"It’s about time we had a little luck." Van Doorn
stated. "We have had a good car several times, and the crew really
gets ready to come to race, but bad luck seems to find us, and this
week I think we really showed what we can do with this second place
finish."
The Leaf Race Products Tough Luck Award went to Jeep
Pflum as the first car not to make the feature. The Speed Media Best
Looking Car Award went to Brian Campbell.
Bret Miles, Jr. won the Racing Electronics Improved
Positions Award moving up 11 positions in only his third CRA Super
Series start. The EMF That’s Racing Award was not awarded and rolls
over to $400 for next week. Donnie Renner won the 15 lap Last Chance
race.
Anderson Speedway is the site of the next CRA Super
Series event on Saturday, June 9th for the Anderson 125 presented by
Great Deals Magazine. The event was originally scheduled for April 14th
but was rescheduled because of weather. More information about this
event can be found
here.
