| |
Jurkovic Comes Back from Two Laps Down
Winchester, IN (October 18,
2011) – A tire
problem put Boris Jurkovic two laps down in the 40th Annual
Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway Sunday afternoon, undeterred his
crew kept him cool, and after he spun he came in changed his tire and
with a couple of Lucky Dogs found himself back on the lead lap and in
contention.
With only five laps to go, Jurkovic was in
third behind both Chase Elliott, the defending Winchester 400 winner
and Derrick Griffin. When a late spin brought out a caution and
bunched up the field, Elliott went in for tires. On the restart
Jurkovic took the lead with Elliott moving from fifth (last car on the
lead lap) to third. As Jurkovic came down the back stretch into the
third turn looking for the white flag a spin in the second turn
brought out the final caution.
Griffin went in for his final set of tires,
coming back onto the track, Griffin charged back to the front on the
green/white/checker finish, pulling up beside Elliott as both were
chasing Jurkovic. As the three raced to the finish in a tight bunch
Jurkovic pulled ahead to win. Griffin pulled past Elliott from the
fourth turn coming to the line. Josh Vadnais was fourth and Jeff Lane
finished fifth.
"Who would have thought I would win after
getting two laps down early. We suffered a left rear twisted tire, and
the crew kept telling me to stay out and hang on to the caution,
unfortunately I was the caution. " Jurkovic stated. "But we got back
to the front with the lucky dogs. I can't thank my guys enough, Chris
Gabehart gave me the setup, and the guys really worked hard."
Griffin dominated most of the race. Starting
from the pole after setting the EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Award, he
took off for the early lead, and held it for 150 laps. Elliott took
over for most of the next 120 laps.
On the 93 lap the only red flag of the event
flew when nine cars were involved in a horrific looking accident in
the first turn when one car spun and the others could not stop on a
restart. Five cars were eliminated in that accident.
The Lane Automotive/ISKY Racing Cams
Hardcharger Award went to Dennis Schoenfeld who moved from 31st
to finish 11th. The Turn One Lap Leader Award went to
Griffin for leading the most laps of the race.
Starting the weekend Scott Hantz led Griffin
by seven points for the 2011 CRA Super Series Championship. Griffin
earned 10 points during qualifying to take the lead by three points
going into the race. They traded places between first and second a few
times during the race as Hantz even got to the lead for a few laps.
Then disaster struck as Hantz had an oil pressure line come loose
under green flag conditions. He lost eight laps in the pits, that bit
of bad luck took him out of contention for the race and the chance to
win his fourth series Championship. Griffin became only the second
driver to win the CRA Super Series Championship as a rookie, Hantz was
the first in 2000.
"This is something you dream about, but who
believes you can win a Championship against these guys in your rookie
year?" Griffin commented. "I just can't believe it, it is great, just
great."
The final event for the CRA
Super Series will be the North/South Shootout at Caraway Speedway in
Ashboro, NC on November 4&5. For more information see
www.craracing.net.
Winchester 400
Official Results
New Points Leader
Starting the day seven points behind Scott Hantz
in the CRA Super Series points race, Derrick Griffin set fast time for
the 40th Annual Winchester 400 with a lap of 15.243 seconds, which
gave him 10 points for qualifying. Hantz did not finish in the
top five so he received zero points giving Griffin a three point
advantage at the start of the Winchester 400 on Sunday. Josh Vadnais
traveled from White Bear Lake, MN and set second fast time with a lap
of 15.335 seconds. Terry Fisher, Jr. was third, Jeff Lane fourth
and Donnie Wilson fifth. This race will start "heads up" with
Griffin on the pole and Vadnais on the front row.
Winchester 400
Saturday Qualifying Results
Winchester 400
Saturday Lineup
CRA Super Series Qualifying Order Set
Mason Mingus drew the number one qualifying chip
to lead off CRA Super Series Qualifying for the 40th Annual Winchester
400. Joe Beaver will be second qualifier, Boris Jurkovic third,
Josh Vadnais fourth and "Flyin" Brian Ross will be fifth.
Winchester 400
Saturday Qualifying Order
Wilson to the Top of the Charts
A lap at 15.582 seconds was fast enough to put Donnie Wilson at the
top of the chart for the second and final practice session for the
2011 Winchester 400. Scott Hantz, locked in a tight battle for
the championship was second at 15.585. Joe Beaver was third,
Derrick Griffin fourth and Josh Vadnais fifth.
Winchester 400
Saturday Practice #2 Results
Griffin Quickest in First Practice on Saturday
Picking right up where he left off in Friday's practice for the 40th
Annual Winchester 400, Derrick Griffin led CRA Super Series practice
with a lap 15.507 seconds on a sunny, cool windy day at Winchester
Speedway. Rick Turner was second at 15.546 seconds, Josh Vadnais
pulled from White Bear Lake, MN and had third fast time, Chase
Elliott, winner of the 2010 Winchester 400 was fourth and Jeff Lane
was fifth.
Winchester 400
Saturday Practice #1 Results
Griffin Fastest in Practice for Winchester 400
Derrick Griffin turned a lap of 15.647 seconds
to set fast time in the open practice for the Winchester 400.
Chase Elliott was second fast at 15.707 for the day. Donnie
Wilson was third, Aaron Pierce fourth and Josh Vadnais fifth.
Winchester 400
Practice #1 Results
Winchester 400
Practice #2 Results
|
|
