Winchester, IN (October 13, 2008) – NASCAR Nationwide Series competitor David Stremme returned to his roots on Sunday afternoon competing in the 37^th Annual Winchester 400 Presented By Ed Martin Auto Group and Renegade on the famous High Banks of Winchester Speedway with the CRA Super Series and came from his 36^th starting position at the tail of the field to get the victory over fellow NASCAR Star Kyle Busch in front of a huge crowd capping off a great Winchester 400 weekend.

"I am tired," remarked Stremme after sitting next to his car in victory lane. "I love this race, I feel like I have finished my short track portion of my career and this was unfinished business. I really want to support short track racing and Winchester Speedway. Charlie Shaw the owner of Winchester is very special to me, he helped me a lot in my career and I really appreciate it!"

The South Bend, Indiana native had been attending the legendary Winchester 400 for most of his life and had developed a deep love affair with the race and a close friendship with Charlie Shaw. Sunday was his 10^th time to compete in the Winchester 400. Stremme had to hold off the hard charging Busch who has closed right on his bumper over the final laps but could not make the pass.

Stremme was forced to start at the tail of the 36-car field because he missed qualifying on Saturday while at the NASCAR events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch had last years Winchester 400 winner Ryan Lawler practice and qualify his car in ninth place for him on Saturday. Series rules permit a car qualified in the top 20 to drop to only 20^th in the starting line-up in the event of a driver change, which happened when Busch got in the car for the race on Sunday.

The pair worked there way through the field with Busch leading the event for 52 laps on two occasions. Stremme got the lead from Busch by getting out of the pits first after all the leader lap cars pitted on lap 326. From there Stremme held on to get the much desired victory, it was his second CRA Super Series victory of his career. Busch was trying for the fourth time to get a win in the Winchester 400.

"I guess I’m going to have to come back and try again to get my name on the Winchester 400 winners T-shirt," remarked Busch after the race. "I like to come out and support the local racing. This is where the new drivers from NASCAR come from, this is great competition, and we need to keep people coming to the local tracks and supporting these races."

2006 Winchester 400 winner Scott Hantz finished in third after also leading the event for 59 laps. With the third place finish the Angola, Indiana native secured his record breaking third CRA Super Series Championship with one point’s event still left on the 2008 schedule. Oklahoma City native Donnie Wilson fought back from being three laps down to finish in fourth place right behind Hantz. K & N Filters Rookie contender Aaron Pierce finished one lap down in fifth place earning the K & N Filters Rookie Of The Race Award.

2007 series Champion Chris Gabehart finished one lap down in sixth after leading the first 133 laps of the event. Gabehart earned the Schoenfeld Headers Lap Leader Award for leading the most laps. Brent Jack was nine laps down in seventh. Justin Alsip was 15 laps down in eighth. Jason Shively came back after repairs from being involved in a lap 207 wreck to finish ninth. Kenny Tweedy finished in tenth place.

Gabehart set a new track record in getting the Appleton Rack & Pinion Fast Qualifier Award on Saturday evening. Stremme and Alsip earned Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Awards. Stremme received the ISKY Racing Cams/Lane Automotive Hard Charger Award after gaining 35 positions to get the win. Stremme also got the ARP Bodies Cool Move Of The Race Award for his pit crew getting him out in front of Busch on the last pit stop. Jeff Fultz got the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway Leader Award bonus money.

Event lap leaders included Gabehart with 133 laps lead, Stremme with 75 laps lead, Hantz with 59 laps lead, Busch with 52 laps lead, Fultz with 49 laps lead, Rick Turner with 27 laps lead and Boris Jurkovic with 5 laps lead. Those seven leaders split $10,000 in lap leader bonus money as each lap was sponsored at $25 a piece.

There were two full days of racing leading up to the Winchester 400. On Friday night the Vore’s Welding & Steel CRA FWD Compacts were in action in their 25 lap Season Championship event which was won by Ft. Wayne veteran racer Steve Christman over Rex Zimmerman.

"A racer is a racer," Christman commented after the win. "The great thing about all the divisions racing out here is all the young kids racing.  People will say they are in the way, but they have just as much a right to be here as anybody, and they are having fun and learning.  I'm older and on my way out eventually, and right now I want to have as much fun as I can."

Zimmerman came into the event second in season points by two to his teammate Bill Charles, Charles hurt his motor in a heat race prior to the feature and could not make the race. Brian Redmond was the only car with a chance at catching Zimmerman, but it made no difference as Zimmerman’s second place finish earned him the 2008 Vore’s Welding & Steel CRA FWD Compacts Championship. Redmond would finish second in series points. Tim Dilg finished in third place in the Friday night feature, Jess Drook was fourth and Randy Clinoan was fifth. Drook, Zimmerman and Richard Isbell were winners in the eight lap heat races for that division.

Also on Friday night the CRA Street Stocks had a non-points 25 lap New Stars event for any driver without a top five finish at Winchester Speedway in 2008 or a win in 2007. Shawn Bonar received the checker flag as the winner, but that win was later taken away after he failed post-race tech giving the win to Jason Atkins. Jon Conklin was second, Jason Drummond third, Frank Kapfhammer fourth and Donald Parsons fifth. Jason Thompson led most of the event and was on his way to victory lane but ignition problems surfaced just after getting the white flag causing him to slow down. Steve Blair was the winner of the 15 lap CRA Street Stock All Star Dash Friday night.

Friday night’s action also included a New Stars event for the Howe CRA Sportsman Series that was won by Steve Stacy after contact between Jesse Opliger and Damon Ecoff in the backstretch caused both of them to spin after taking the green flag. The third place running Stacy inherited the lead and took the win.

"I have dreamed of winning at this track since I was 14 years old.  I have come to every Winchester 400 in the 17 years, and dreamed of winning.  I have run here twice before but the cars were not good enough to be competitive, but this year we got to the front.  This is like a dream, it is phenomenal."  Stacy stated.  "This race is dedicated to the memory of my father, Cliff who passed in November last year and Pete Jimerson, the car owners brother who just passed a few weeks ago."

Terry Cater finished in second in his first series event of the season, Keith Sterkowitz third, Ric Pfiefer in fourth and Chad Richardson in fifth place. Charlie Hanna got a popular victory in the 15 lap All Star Dash for the Sportsman Series Friday night over Tony Dager, Rick Rinehart, Justin Alsip and John Heck.

Saturday’s preliminary events included the 50 lap season Championship event for the Howe CRA Sportsman Series. For the second race in a row a first time series competitor came away with the victory as West Liberty, Ohio driver Mark Parker took full advantage of his outside pole starting position to lead all 50 laps to get the victory. Justin Alsip was putting the pressure on Parker for the lead on lap 35 when he lost control coming out of turn four and spun to the middle of the track were Rick Rinehart could not avoid him. The two made hard contact ending the night for both drivers, but they were both able to walk away. It was the first DNF of the season for Rinehart.

"This is my first time racing at this track, and the car handled amazingly," remarked Parker.  "This is amazing, it took until the end of last nights 25 lap race before I figured out the track and today was great."

Charlie Hanna finished in second, CRA Super Series competitor Kenny Tweedy came in third in a car normally driven by Zach Hulvey. Steve Minich Jr. finished in fourth with Terry Cater in fifth place. Justin Alsip was the events fast qualifier. Rookie competitor Tony Dager finished in eighth place which was plenty to give him the 2008 CRA Sportsman Series points Championship over Rinehart who chased Dager all season.

In the CRA Street Stock 50 lap season Championship it took two restarts to get it going as front row starters Winston Wood and Larry Matillo made contact causing a yellow and a total restart on the first green flag. On the next green to start Matillo bolted out to the lead while Wood fell back with some damage from the first yellow. Matillo would lead all 50 laps in getting his second win of the season with the series. Steve Blair would come from sixth to get second place, David Bayens made his first start with the series this season a good one coming home in third. Bret Miles Jr. finished in fourth and Rich Boyer in fifth place. Jeff Perry was the Fast Qualifier of the 30 cars that took times.

With his fourth place finish Bret Miles Jr. was able to claim his first ever CRA Street Stock Championship after Joe Beaver, the series points leader coming into the weekend, suffered a flat tire which put him several laps down, then had mechanical issues that ended his night on lap 31 giving the points lead and 2008 CRA Street Stocks Season Championship to Miles Jr.

In Saturday nights Run For The Gun 50 lap event for the O’Reilly USA Modifieds Ross Klingelhofer took full advantage of his front row starting position to bolt into the lead at the drop of the green flag and hold off all challengers to get the victory. Jeff Fultz drover Mike Stacy’s car to a second place finish, it was Fultz’s first outing in a modified in several years.

Scott Tomasik made a couple of late race passes to get a third place finish. Tomasik was the events Fast Qualifier of the 32 cars that took times. Joe Axom won the 15 lap Last Chance Race.

The Winchester 400 Weekend was the last event of the 2008 season for Winchester Speedway. Owner Charlie Shaw and Promoters Glenn Luckett, R.J. Scott and Greg Wood with Champion Racing Association would like to thank all the loyal fans, the racers, the great sponsors, advertisers and everyone who helped at the track for a great 2008 season. Look for updates and announcements in the near future on the 2009 season. Information will be available on the track web site at www.winchesterspeedway.com.