Kenseth Runs Away at ORP

 

Griffin Takes Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman Race

 

Clermont, IN (September 18, 2010) – There was tight racing throughout the field with several cars crossing the line side by side but Ross Kenseth had no such worries as he out ran the field to win the CRA Super Series, Welch and Wilson Motorsports Rock and Race 100 at O’Reilly Raceway Park Saturday night.  The Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman Welch and Wilson Motorsports Rock and Race 50 also featured close racing throughout the field while the leader took off for the win.

In Super Series action Josh Hamner finished second with a hard charging Evan Jackson moving up and challenging him as the race wound down.  Jackson was fighting off a challenge or challenging someone else all night as he beat back Scott Hantz for the first half of the race, working hard to get by Chuck Barnes, Jr. and then working on fast qualifier Griffin McGrath for many laps before passing him for third place.  McGrath finished fourth and Hantz finished fifth.

 

"This is a fast track, and I love it."  Kenseth exclaimed.  "I really like racing at these fast tracks, and my car was really working well.  I could put in anywhere on the track and it would go."

 

McGrath set fast time with a lap of 21.564 seconds qualifying ninth in a field of 40 cars giving 31 more drivers a number to shoot for. His time seemed safe with no one else coming close until Barnes, who pulled out next to last and turned a lap of 21.565 only .001 seconds behind McGrath. As the EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier McGrath drew a four for the invert putting Hamner on the pole with Kenseth on the outside of the front row.

 

Hamner grabbed the early lead and took off with Kenseth following closely in his tracks. Kenseth took the lead when Hamner got caught up trying to lap cars racing for postion on lap 16 and held the lead until the end as no one could stay with him. For leading the most laps in the race he received the Turn One Lap Leader Award. By leading the 50th lap Kenseth takes home the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway Leader Award.

 

Boris Jurkovic started the race in 19th and quickly made his way up through the field getting into the top ten in the first half of the race and worked on Michael Bilderback for several laps, looking high and low as Bilderback effectively blocked him from getting up beside him. Jurkovic slid past him on the bottom on a strong move after dropping back and building up momentum to pass Bilderback on the front stretch. Jurkovic then moved up to sixth passing current point leader, Johnny VanDoorn in the last couple of laps. These moves earned Jurkovic the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award and one of the Hoosier Racing Tires Performance Awards. Scott Hantz took home the other Hoosier Racing Tires Performance Award.

 

The Lane Automotive/ISKY Racing Cams Hardcharger Award went to Curt Tillman who started 33rd as an additional starter and finished 17th for a gain of 16 positions, edging out Jurkovic who gained 13. The VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award went to Hamner for turning the fastest lap under green flag conditions. Nick Gullata took home his fourth Perfect Circle Racecars Rookie of the Race Award in a row as the highest finishing rookie contender.

 

In the Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman feature the 195 of Derrick Griffin stole the show with a 2.828 margin of victory. Griffin was an obvious contender when he had the fastest practice lap of 24.555 during the first session. And then shattered the track record by .175 of a second by turning a lap of 24.175 seconds to win the AllStar Performance Fast Qualifier Award. He continued his mastery of the track by taking the lead on the 18th lap and never looking back.

 

Griffin said after race, " This deal just came together Thursday night, my dad and Bobby put the motor together, I go to school at IUPUI so I could not help." Griffin continued to say, "I have not always had this kind of success here, but this worked out much better than my last trip here."

 

The last five laps of the fifty lap feature gave the second place finisher, Scott Neal, problems when his  engine started missing but he finished just ahead of Damon Ecoff. Terry Fisher Sr. came out of retirement to finish fourth, and Josh Timmerman finished fifth.

 

The next event for the CRA Super Series will be the All American 400 Weekend at the Fairgrounds Speedway at Nashville on October 1-2. The race will be a 200 lap event with a halfway break. This will be the CRA Super Series 11th race at the historic speedway, including the seventh race as part of the All American 400 Weekend. For more information about the Fairgrounds Speedway at Nashville go to www.fairgroundsspeedwaynashville.com. For more about the CRA Super Series see www.craracing.net.

The Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman will be action at the Toledo Speedway on October 2nd in the R & M Recycling 50 as part of the big Glass City 200 weekend. This will be the first visit to Toledo for the Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman. For more information about the Toledo Speedway visit www.arcaracing.com/news_toledo.php. For more about the Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman go to www.craracing.net.

 

 

Audio From Top 5

Ross Kenseth

Josh Hamner

Evan Jackson

Griffin McGrath

Scott Hantz

 

Sensiba Wins Last Chance Race

 

Damon Ecoff took the early lead in the Last Chance Race to make the Welch and Wilson Motorsports Rock and Race 100, but  Dave Sensiba got by him on the third lap as they came out of the fourth turn and he never gave it up to win the right to start the feature. Tyler Nuckles took second for the other transfer spot.  Jason Dietsch and Colin Nickolai made it as points provisionals, with Jay Niewiek and Jim Crabtree, Jr as promoter's option. The promoter then added more cars as additional starters at the tail of the race.

Last Chance Race Results

Lineup

 

Listen to your favorite Drivers

Chuck Barnes, Jr

Ross Kenseth

Griffin McGrath

McGrath Earns First CRA Super Series Fast Time

 

In only his second start with the CRA Super Series Griffin McGrath earned his first fast time with a lap of 21.564 just edging out Chuck Barnes, Jr. making his first start this year with CRA Super Series who turned a lap of 21.565 seconds. Ross Kenseth was third, Josh Hamner fourth and Evan Jackson fifth. 

Qualifying Results

McGrath then drew a four for the invert putting Hamner on the pole of the race and Kenseth on the outside of the front row.

 

Kenseth Quickest in Second Practice

 

Ross Kenseth was fastest in the second practice with a time of 22.219 seconds, Johnny VanDoorn second at 22.245 seconds.  Tommy St. John was third, Chuck Barnes, Jr. fourth and Griffin McGrath fifth. 

Practice #2 Results

 

Welch & Wilson Rock N Race 100 Pre-Race Notes

 

Indianapolis native Tommy St. John topped the first practice session in his No. 14 Welch & Wilson Motorsports Chevrolet. In the most recent event at O’Reilly Raceway Park, St. John finished in the ninth position. St. John ranks third in the point standings and has put together two consecutive top-five finishes at Columbus and Winchester. Click Here.

 

St John Fastest in First Practice

 

Tommy St. John led the other 39 cars in the first practice for the Welch & Wilson Motorosports Rock N Race 100 with a time of 22.335 seconds.  Ross Kenseth, the young son of NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth was second fast at 22.424 seconds.  Johnny VanDoorn was third, Tim Schendel fourth and Michael Bilderback fifth.

Practice Results

Niewiek to  Lead Off Qualifying

 

Rookie contender, Jay Niewiek will lead off qualifying for the CRA Super Series' Welch and Wilson Motorsports Rock and Race 100 Saturday afternoon.  A strong field of 41 cars will be contending for the 26 starting spots.  Racers at the track include Ross Kenseth, Scott Hantz, Johnny VanDoorn, Brian Campbell and many others.  Former winners at ORP here include Jeff Lane and Chuck Barnes, Jr. 

Qualifying Order

 

 

New Track Record

 

Shattering the old track record of 24.325 owned by Tony Dager, Derrick Griffin turned a lap of 23.858 seconds to set fast time for the Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman, Welch & Wilson Motorsports Rock N Race 50.  Bob Sibila was second at 24.150.  Scott Neal was third, Terry Fisher, Sr coming out of retirement to qualify fourth and Damon Ecoff was fifth.  The top four qualifiers all broke the old mark set in 2008.

Qualifying Results

 

Griffin drew an eight for the invert putting Tommy O'Leary IV on the pole with Jason Atkinson on the outside of the front row.

Lineup

 

Sibila Fastest in Practice #2 

 

Bob Sibila set fast time for the second practice for the Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman with a time of 24.679 seconds. Derrick Griffin was second at 24.707 seconds, John Heck third, Jason Atkinson fourth, and Kevin Claborn fifth.

Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman Practice #2 Results

 

Griffith Leads Practice #1

 

The three fastest cars in the first practice for the Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman, Welch & Wilson Motorsports Rock N Race 50 are very familiar with both fast qualifier and victory lane.  Derrick Griffin was fastest with a time of 24.555 seconds, Mason was second at 24.704 seconds and Neal who set a new track record at Winchester Speedway on Labor Day was third 24.952 seconds.  Tony Dager, current ORP track record holder was fourth and Mark Lambert, the latest winner here for this class was fifth.

Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman Practice #1 Results

 

 

 

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