Campbell Keeps It All in the Family

Marne, MI (June 10, 2009) - A large crowd of people came to Berlin Raceway on June 10th to see NASCAR driver Kyle Busch race in the Rowdy Busch 125 presented by Auto Body Xperts CARSTAR race against Berlin’s finest and the CRA Super Series. They saw a thrilling race that included 3 wide racing and a crowd favorite local racer come from the middle of the pack to the front. Before the Rowdy Busch 125 at Berlin Raceway the CRA Super Series had sanctioned seven events there, four had been won by the Campbell family with Fred Campbell owning three and his son Brian winning in 2008.  Brian kept the Campbell family domination intact with a victory over a very strong field.  Chris Koslek fought through a tough row of cars to take second in a race that saw three different leaders run out to seemly insurmountable leads and second through seventh place change hands several times during the race,  including a couple of three wide passes while racing for fourth, fifth and sixth in the last five laps. Chris Eggleston finished in third, Terry Van Haitsma fourth after a battle with fifth place finisher Kyle Busch and sixth place Scott Hantz.

"This was a tough race.  We sort of hung back, and waited. We had watched the last race (Outlaw Late Models) and saw the track sort of going away and the guys with tires left were the winners."  Campbell stated.  "It's great to race against these guys and win, they are tough. We had a nightmare of a week and getting the win makes it all worth it."

Alec Carll set fast time to win the Earth Services and Supply Fast Qualifier Award. Carll then drew a four for the invert putting Terry Van Haitsma on the pole with Chris Anthony on the outside of the front row. Anthony took the early lead, jumping out front from the first lap. Jockeying behind him was intense and resulted in Carll hitting the wall hard at the end of the front stretch going through the first turn on his side against the wall with the car coming to a stop at the beginning of the second turn with Carll unhurt.

Anthony continued to lead building up a long lead while Eggleston, Hantz and Koslek fought for second. On lap 52 Eggleston slipped under Anthony to take the lead. Eggleston then took charge and built a lead lap after lap while the others fought for second. Johnny VanDoorn worked his way from the 11th starting position to catch the leaders, while Hantz worked patently lap after lap to find a way around Eggleston while holding off Koslek who was tracking Hantz waiting for his own chance to take second with Van Haitsma and Van Doorn fighting for position immediately behind the lead group.

As the laps slipped by Brain Campbell had slipped back into the pack began to make his move, coming through the traffic during the long green flag run (82 straight laps under green) catching the leaders and moving past them to take the lead on the 88th lap. As he raced out away from the leaders Kyle Busch moved back into the mix racing up to the Top 5. With 12 laps to go a spin brought out a caution bunching up the field.

Hantz and Van Haitsma came together a few laps later and spun out setting up a single file restart and a dash to the finish. While Hantz and Busch fought for fourth, Van Haitsma tried to go outside both going into the first turn three wide, with Busch in the middle as the drivers received the five to go signal but was unable to hold. He tried again a lap later this time going low, as he slid up into Hantz, Hantz bounced off Busch but all three drivers exited the second turn still racing with Van Haitsma in fourth, Busch fifth and Hantz in sixth, the same order they finished.

"This is a big part of my career, and of my crew’s. This is not a rent a ride for me, this is my equipment and these guys work for me all the time. It will be raced over 26 times this year." Busch commented to the crowd shortly before the race. "Super Late Models are my favorite kind of cars to drive, and I want to thank you for coming out on a Wed. night, the CRA Super Series for working this out in the middle of the week and for the drivers that are here, we have a good field of cars and great drivers."

Eggleston won the RaceTrailerSales.com Halfway Leader Award. Jordan Dahlke took the Lane Automotive/ISKY Racing Cams Hard Charger Award moving from his 19th place starting position to finish 10th. The Leaf Race Products Hard Luck Award went to Casey Berenbrock.

The next CRA Super Series event is the Redbud 300 presented by Great Deals Magazine on June 16 at Anderson Speedway. The best of the CRA Super Series will be racing in this historic race with Kyle Busch making his first appearance at the famed high banks of Anderson where fans remember the days when top stars were racing through Anderson on a yearly basis, with iconic drivers like Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Dick Trickle, the late Alan Kulwicki, Bob Senneker, Mike Eddy, Ted Musgrave, Johnny Benson, Gary St. Amant and many others. For more information on Anderson Speedway see www.andersonspeedway.com. For more about the CRA Super Series go to www.craracing.net.

Unofficial Results

 

Photo Gallery

 

Alec Carll Fast Qualifier for Rowdy Busch 125

 

Alec Carll turned a lap of the 16.428 seconds to set fast time for the Rowdy Busch 125 presented by Auto Body Xperts CARSTAR.  Kyle Busch was second, Chris Anthony third, Terry Van Haitsma fourth and Chris Koslek fifth.

Qualifying Results

 

Carll then drew a 4 for the invert putting Terry Van Haitsma on the pole with Chris Anthony on the outside of the front row.

 

Rowdy Busch 125 Lineup

 

 

 

VanDoorn Quick in Second Practice

 

Coopersville, MI is only a few miles up the highway from Berlin Raceway and the hometown for Johnny Van Doorn.  VanDoorn has shown his knowledge of the speedway with the fastest time for the second CRA Super Series practice with a lap of 16.652 seconds.  Kyle Busch was second with 16.687.  Chris Anthony third, Terry Van Haitsma fourth and Josh Slade fifth.

 

Practice #2 Results

 

Terry Van Haitsma Fastest in First Practice

Terry Van Haitsma was the fastest in the first CRA Super Series practice with a time of 16.654 seconds.  Kyle Busch was second at 16.708, Coopersville, MI native Johnny Van Doorn is third, Chris Anthony fourth and Chris Koslek fifth. 

Practice Results

 

Qualifying Order

 

 

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