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Hantz, Muffley
and Charles Get CRA Wins At Winchester Speedway
Winchester, IN (April 28, 2008)
– Scott Hantz, Carl Muffley and Bill Charles all came away with CRA
victories on Sunday afternoon on the High Banks of Winchester Speedway
in the rescheduled season opener for all three series that was
originally scheduled for last Sunday, but was postponed by a week
because of rain. A large crowd came back out to see the event, which
included the USAC Sprint Car Series in the Rich Vogler Classic. The
CRA Super Series finally got their season opening event in after
weather had postponed their first three scheduled events of 2008.
Two time CRA Super Series Champion
Scott Hantz got the victory in Sunday’s Manning Service 100, a hard
earned
 victory
for the driver of the Dick Poe owned team out of Angola, Indiana.
Appleton Rack & Pinion Fast Qualifier Rick Turner drew a four for the
event’s invert putting Hantz on the pole, but it was veteran Jeff Lane
getting the lead at the drop of the green from his outside starting
position. Lane would lead the first 47 laps before slowing slightly
anticipating a possible caution when A.J. Ganino spun off the track in
turn two, but Ganino never stopped so no caution was thrown, but the
hesitation by Lane allowed Hantz to power by after the two had raced
side by side for several laps. Lane dropped out of the event on lap 96
with a bad vibration.
Hantz would go on and get the victory
while a battle ensued behind him for the other top five finishing
positions. Boris Jurkovic looked to be the car that would possibly be
able to challenge Hantz for the lead as he worked his way from his
ninth starting position to second making several passes using the
lower groove in the closing laps. A late caution put Jurkovic on
Hantz’s bumper on a restart with only four laps to go, but fate dealt
Jurkovic a bad blow as a broken transmission left him lagging behind
as the other lead laps cars passed him all battling for position until
the checkered flag fell.
"This is the best car I have ever had
here," Hantz remarked. "I was just biding my time trying to past
Jeff on the inside, but Jeff has the experience here so I had to
wait. I just didn't want to make a mistake."
1997 series Champion Kenny
Tweedy finished in second in his first event for new car owner Ken
Muller. Jason Dietsch survived a tough mid race battle with Jurkovic
and JR Roahrig to get third, which earned him the ARP Bodies Cool Move
Of The Race Award. Roahrig would hold on
to get fourth with series rookie Zach Taylor finishing in fifth.
Muncie, Indiana native Aaron Pierce finished in sixth after finishing
14th in the Rich Vogler Classic. Jurkovic held on to finish
seventh, Terry Fisher Jr. finished eighth, the last car on the lead
lap. Sean Matthuis finished in ninth and Jason Shively tenth.
Hantz ‘s victory was his 19th
with the CRA Super Series, which now puts him in second place on the
series all time victory list, Brian Ross is the all time leader in
series victories with 22 wins. Hantz had been tied for second with
Canadian legend Junior Hanley. It was Hantz’s second victory at
Winchester, his first came in the 2006 Winchester 400.
Zach Taylor was the K & N Filters
Rookie Of The Race Award winner with his fifth place finish, he also
earned a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award. Fellow rookie
competitor Aaron Pierce was the ISKY Racing Cams/Lane Automotive
Hardcharger Award winner for advancing eight positions during the
Manning Service 100, he also earned a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance
Award.
Hantz was won the Holley Performance
Award, the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway Leader Bonus, as well as
the VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap Of The Race Award winner. Rick Turner was
awarded the EMF Corp That’s Racing Award after his car suffered
extensive damage after hitting the front stretch wall after contact
with another car on lap 13. Donald Karr Jr. was the Leaf Racewear Hard
Luck Award winner after his day ended after a crash also on lap 13.
Plymouth, Indiana veteran racer Carl
Muffley held off a hard charging Jake Owens
 to
get his first CRA Street Stock points victory in the MAX 40, the
season opener for the CRA Street Stocks. Muffley charged to the lead
from his seventh place starting position with Owens charging right
behind. Owens followed Muffley for several laps waiting for the right
time to make a move for the lead. Muffley’s car started smoking over
the final five laps, but Muffley was able to hold on and get the win
with Owens in second, Brian Hopkins in third, Joe Beaver in fourth and
Jeff Perry in fifth. Beaver was the day’s fast qualifier while Muffley
and Josh Burton won the heats races. Derrick Layne was the TCI
Automotive Harcharger Of The Race Award winner.
"We were not very good this morning,
but we kept working at and finally found what we needed. My guys
really worked hard, we tried several things and found the right one.
It was great to win." Muffley said from Victory Lane.
Bill Charles
 took
the lead on lap number two and held off several challenges to get the
victory in the Vore’s Welding & Steel 20 for the Vore’s Welding &
Steel CRA FWD Compacts. Richard Isbell finished in second, Justin
Kelly in third, Randy Owen in fourth and Bobby Sanders in fifth.
Jonathon Pitts originally finished second in the event, but he failed
post-race inspection.
Next up for the CRA Super Series will
be the CRA Super Sunday 100 Presented By Dietsch Sales & Service and
Klotz Lubricants on Sunday, May 18th at Baer Field Speedway
in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The CRA Street Stocks will return to action
this Sunday in the MAX Rocks 100 at Winchester Speedway, which will
pay the winner $2500 and $100 to start. The Vore’s Welding & Steel CRA
FWD Compacts and Howe CRA Sportman will also be in action this Sunday
at Winchester Speedway. More information is available at
www.craracing.net.
CRA
Super
Series
Results
CRA
Street
Stocks
Results
CRA
FWD
Compacts
Results
Carl
Muffley
and
Joshua
Burton
Win
CRA
Street
Stock
Heat
Races
CRA
Street
Stock
Heat
Results
CRA
Street
Stock
Heat
Lineups
Joe
Beaver
Fastest
CRA
Street
Stock
Qualifier
Joe
Beaver
starts
this
year
where
he
ended
last
year
out in
front
of the
field.
He set
fast
time
for
the
CRA
Street
Stocks
Max 40
with
time
of
19.121.
Carl
Muffley
second
at
19.153,
Jeff
Perry
third
at
19.173,
Jacob
Owens
at
19.240
was
fourth
and
fifth
with a
time
of
19.315
was
Brian
Hopkins.
Beaver
then
pulled
an 8
for
the
draw
putting
Steve
Blair
on the
pole
with
Larry
Matillo
on the
outside
of the
front
row.
CRA
Street
Stock
Qualifying
Results
Turner
Sets
Fast
Time
Rick
Turner
was
fastest
in
practice
and
set
fast
time
in
qualifying
with a
lap of
15.351
seconds.
Jason
Dietsch
was
second
at 15.
392,
Jeff
Lane
third,
Scott
Hantz
fourth
and
Kenny
Tweedy
fifth.
Turner
then
drew a
four
putting
Hantz
on the
pole,
with
Lane
on the
outside
of the
front
row.
CRA
Super
Series
Lineup
CRA
Super
Series
Qualifying
Jacob
Owens
Sets
Fast
Time
in CRA
Street
Stock
Practice
Jacob
Owens
set
fast
time
for
CRA
Street
Stock
Practice
with a
18.990
second
lap.
Jeff
Perry
was
second
at
19.003,
Bret
Miles,
Jr.
third
at
19.078,
veteran
and
2007
CRA
Street
Stock
driving
champion
Joe
Beaver
fourth
at
19.214
and
Joshua
Burton
was
fifth
at
19.235.
CRA
Street
Stock
Practice
Results
Rick
Turner
Fastest
in
Practice
Rick
Turner
turned
a lap
of
15.512
seconds
to
lead
practice
for
the
Manning
Service
100.
John
Van
Doorn
was
second
at
15.538,
Jason
Dietsch
third
at
15.645,
Jeff
Lane
fourth
at
15.663
and
Kenny
Tweedy
was
fifth
at
15.727.
CRA
Super
Series
Practice
Results
CRA
Super
Series
Qualifying
Lineup
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