JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour At Salem Speedway For The First Time Ever On Saturday, June 22nd
Historic Southern Indiana Facility Hosted ARCA/CRA in Years Past
June 19, 2013
Salem, Indiana (June 19, 2013) – The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance will head to the famed High Banks of Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem, Indiana, this Saturday for the Touchtone Energy 100 Presented by Focus Eyewear and JEGS.com. The event will be the fifth race of the season for the crate motor template bodied series sanctioned by Champion Racing Association, and its first ever series event at Salem Speedway, which has hosted several ARCA/CRA Super Series events in the past.
Topping the list of entries are Cody Coughlin and Dan Leeck, who come into Saturday’s event tied for first place in series points. Coughlin was the point’s leader prior to last week’s series event at Berlin Raceway, but some bad luck early in the event when Coughlin hit the wall after a competitor spun in front of him leaving him no place to go, lost Coughlin several points to Leeck. Coughlin’s team made repairs and was able to return to the event and make up some valuable points. Coughlin is one of four separate event winners so far this season in the four series events held to date and is the only current season winner entered in Saturday’s event.
Leeck, from Birch Run, Michigan, has turned his continuous steady finishes so far this season into a possible Championship run. Other top series regulars entered for Saturday’s event include third place in points Landon Cling from Tempe, Arizona, fourth in points Tom Woodin from Battle Creek, Michigan and fifth in points Jerrod Foley from Williamsport, Kentucky. Several other series regulars are also entered including Wes Griffith Jr., Jimmy Novak and Jordan Miller.
A huge contention of series Howie Lettow Rookie of the Year Presented by Howe Racing candidates are entered including Kyle Crump who leads the Rookie of the Year points after a career high fourth place finish last Friday at Berlin. Crump is only one point ahead of Corey Deuser, from Lanesville, Indiana, right down the road from Salem, who is also entered. Other registered rookies entered include Jake Griffin, Dominique Van Wieringen, Kody Evans, Hunter Baize, from Bremen, Kentucky and brothers Mark Jacobs and Jaxson Jacobs.
The series regulars will have some stout competition on Saturday from a couple of local competitors and a couple of non-series regulars. Louisville, Kentucky native Chuck Barnes Jr., the 2004 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion and a former Champion in the Salem Speedway Late Models is entered in Missouri’s Kevin Crider’s #55. Saturday will be Barnes Jr.’s second series start, the other came in the series 2013 season opening Mercy Masters of the Pro’s at Lebanon I-44 Speedway were Barnes Jr. finished second to winner Chase Elliott. Barnes Jr. has 11 career late model wins at Salem.
Fellow Louisville native Jeff Berg is also entered, Berg raced several seasons on the High Banks in the Salem Speedway Late Models. Also entered is former ARCA veteran racer Joe Cooksey from Centralia, Illinois and Brandon Hermiller from Walker, Michigan. Hermiller, a full-time series competitor in 2012, is the nephew of former multi-time ARCA Champion and multi-time Salem ARCA race winner Tim Steele, Hermiller is racing mostly with the ARCA/CRA Super Series in 2013.
On Saturday pit gates will open at 1pm. Practice will begin at 3:30pm with qualifying beginning at 6pm. Pre-race festivities kick-off on Saturday night with The Short Notice Band providing musical entertainment in the Lowe’s Zone, situated behind the main grandstand, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Short-Notice Band plays a combination of classic rock and country tunes.
The race program will begin at 7:15pm and will include the Touchtone Energy 100 Presented by Focus Eyewear and JEGS.com for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance. Also racing on Saturday night will be the Salem Speedway Great American Stocks, Pure Stocks and FWD Stocks.
Saturday is also Hoosier Lottery Night at the Track, The Hoosier Lottery trailer will be on site with special ticket and prize giveaways. In addition the first 1,000 spectators, age 18 and over, through the ticket gate on Saturday will receive a free Hoosier Lottery scratch-off ticket. With every $5 purchase at the Hoosier Lottery trailer on Saturday race fans will get to spin the prize wheel for lots of fun Hoosier Lottery tickets and prizes.
More event information is available at www.salemspeedway.com More information on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance is available at www.cra-racing.com
