"The car was
great in practice, we all worked together and it got done like we
wanted it to." Hoffman stated. "I like the outside on the
restarts here, you can get the momentum and as long as you trust the
guy on the inside the outside lane is better."
After having
the fastest time in the practice sessions earlier in the day, Brent
Downey took the Keyser
Manufacturing Fast Qualifier Award with a time of 19.595 seconds.
Blake Brown was second at 19.647 seconds. Brandon Watson was
third, Eddie Hoffman fourth and Josh Nelms fifth. Downey then
drew a four for the invert putting Hoffman on the pole with Watson on
the outside to start the race.
The first
few laps featured Watson and Hoffman racing side by side, when on the
fourth lap AJ Henriksen spun when something broke in the rearend
tagging the wall in the first turn. Matt Puskarich was gathered up
into the accident that ended the night for Henriksen giving him the DJ
Safety Hard Luck Award.
Again
Hoffman and Watson had raced along side each other for the few laps
before the next caution on lap six. On that restart, Brown moved past
Hoffman to second and started to stalk Watson. While the leaders were
racing in a pair, the next several positions were also racing in pairs
with the entire group hanging together for several laps.
When Brown
was able to clear Watson, he pulled Downey and Hoffman with him. That
allowed those three cars to breakout, with Brown pulling ahead of the
others. In the meantime Watson dropped back into the other tight
traffic. While he and Chad Finley raced side by side, several cars
were bottlenecked up behind them looking as if they could go if they
could get past.
On the
restart on lap 33 following a spin, Erik Jones took advantage of a
very small opening to move through the middle of several cars as the
cars came down the front stretch, making it three wide. He restarted
in seventh and came out of the second turn in third. For this he was
awarded the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race. Unfortunately for Jones
while running third he would have his alternator quit working later in
the race causing his electorics to not work properly forcing him from
the race on the 80th lap.
Hoffman made
his move following a restart on the 66th lap to lead the
next lap. Brown was not giving up however and drove on his outside for
the next several laps thrilling the crowd as these drivers ran side by
side inches from each other.
Hoffman
would never give up the lead again.
For leading
the most laps during the event, Brown took home the Turn One Lap
Leader Award. Cody Coughlin entered the event leading the Rookie of
the Year standings and he earned his second Howe Racing Rookie of the
Race Award and the VDL Fuel Systems Rookie Award of the season as the
highest finishing rookie contender.
Illiana
Motor Speedway local driver Tracy Schuler had issues before qualifying
and was unable to get them fixed in time to take a qualifying time so
he started last on the grid. During the race he
worked his way up carefully driving to a fifth place finish giving him
the Five Star Stock Car Bodies Hard Charger and Racing Electronics
Most Improved Awards. He also earned at Hoosier Racing Tire
Performance Award, DJ Weltmeyer took the second Hoosier Award.
The next
JEGS/CRA All Stars Tour event will be the Stanley Steemer 100
presented by JEGS.com on July 30 at the Rockford Speedway in Rockford,
IL. For more information about JEGS/CRA All Stars Tour or any of the
Champion Racing Association divisions go to
www.craracing.net.
