15-Year-Old Corey Deuser Celebrates Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie Title With First JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Win
Newly Crowned Rookie of the Year passes fellow Freshman, Dominique Van Wieringen at the last corner on the last lap
Winchester, Indiana (October 11, 2013) – In what has become a new tradition within the
Winchester 400 Weekend at the historic 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of
Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana; Day I of the prestigious weekend features the
JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance as Champion Racing
Association (CRA) Powered by JEGS Officials as well as Management of the famed speed
plant thought it would be a great idea to kick off the weekend with the premier Crate Engine
Tour in the country. When the fans left the track on October 11th, they knew they got their
monies worth and witnessed a first-time winner in the process.
15-year-old Corey Deuser, who only needed to start the Winchester 100 Presented by
JEGS.com to lock up the prestigious Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year Title,
decided he wanted more than just the freshman honors as he made a daring last lap pass
around the outside of turn four coming down for the checkered flag on fellow rookie, 18-year-
old Dominique Van Wieringen to lead only one lap, but it was the lap that matters most as the
Georgetown, Indiana teenager emerged victorious by just 0.156 seconds over Van Wieringen
to stop the Canadian from winning her second straight race while also scoring his first career
JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour victory in the process.
"We finally got one of these awesome trophies, man I can't believe it. This is such a big day
for this whole team," The elated driver of the #14 Focus Eyewear / Ford remarked in victory
lane. "I could see that Dominique (Van Wieringen) was having trouble there with a few laps to
go and was running right in the middle of the track. I was catching her pretty quickly. I only
saw one move I could possibly make and keep up my speed at the same time and that was
to go to the outside right up against the wall and pray I didn't bounce off of it and stick to the
track. Fortunately the car held on and here we are. What a great way to end the point's
season in the best series out there." He added.
With his Win, Deuser also locked up second place overall in the Final 2013 JEGS/CRA All-
Stars Tour Points Standings while collected a few contingency awards including the AR
Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award for his around the outside pass of Van Wieringen
coming out of turn four on the final lap. In addition, he also picked up the Howe Racing
Enterprises and VDL Fuel Systems Rookie of the Race Awards also. He started 13th.
After locking up the 2013 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Championship by merely showing up at the high-banks, 17-year-old Cody Coughlin's night didn't end as well as he had hoped as an accident due to a tire going down on lap 33 ended the Delaware, Ohio drivers' night early. "I hated to crash in the last points race, but we already had the title and it doesn't change the fact that this whole team worked their butts off this season and this is the big payoff right here." Smiled Coughlin as he clutched his 2013 Championship Trophy. Prior to his incident, Coughlin turned in the fastest lap of the race to score the VDL Fuels Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award.
During his Championship run, Coughlin scored two Wins as well as two Fast Qualifier Awards and was in a fierce battle with Tom Woodin as well as Dan Leeck and later in the season, eventual Rookie of the Year, Corey Deuser before securing the title. "This series has some of the toughest competition around. With running the Crate Engines, it evens everyone up." The appreciative driver continued. "This is a good series to learn to race at a variety of tracks. We've definitely learned a lot by running this series and I think we are prepared for our next challenge." He ended.
Despite losing the lead in the final corner due to no Power Steering, Van Wieringen would still finish second to back up her Win in the last JEGS/CRA race on September 22nd at Lucas Oil Raceway (IN). She led every lap of the race but the last one while picking up the D.T.S. Drive Train Specialists Halfway Leader Award. The Amherstburg, Ontario driver in her #5 DuroByte Incorporated / Ford would also snare the 2013 Rookie Runner-Up honors in the final Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year title chase behind Deuser. "That's the second time that's happened here with the power steering. I could barely hang onto it." The 18-year-old explained after climbing from her car to a thunderous ovation from the packed grandstands. "Everyone knows we're here now and we're not going anywhere." She smiled.
The third straight rookie on the podium was 18-year-old Kyle Crump as the Brighton, Michigan teenager, a graduate of the old CRA Front Wheel Drive Compacts Series (Now the Vore's Compact Touring Series), finished a career high third after starting 19th in his #7 T.J. Racing Lubricants / Ford. "We're just a small team on an even smaller budget and to get our second top five of the year (His first top five was a fourth place at Berlin Raceway (MI) on June 14th) at one of the most intimidating tracks in the world really shows how much we've overcome this season." He stated.
The fourth straight rookie in the finishing order, and second Canadian invader, would be 16-year-old Jaxson Jacobs as the London, Ontario teenager in his #97 Rocky's Harley-Davidson / Chevrolet started 20th and posted a career high finish of fourth place finish over the lone non-rookie in the top five, veteran Outlaw Super Late Models competitor, Phil Bozell as the 30-year-old finished a career high fifth after starting 23rd in his fourth career JEGS/CRA start aboard his #104 R.C. Sales & Leasing / Chevrolet. He would earn the Five Star Racecar Bodies Hard-Charger Award as well as the first Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award for his finish.
15-year-old rookie, Hunter Baize posted a career high sixth place finish while Jon Beach collected a career high seventh place showing in his second career JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour start. Another Rookie, Marc Jacobs (Jaxson's older brother) started 25th and earned both the Racing Electronics Hard-Charger Award as well as the Hedman Hedders Husler Award and the second Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award for his eighth place effort. Jerrod Foley was ninth while Mike Stacy would complete the final top 10.
Cody Robinson, who was making his JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour debut, had an engine let go in his machine forcing him out of the event. He did up the Hinchman Racing Uniforms Hard-Luck Award. Earlier in the afternoon, Dan Leeck won his first career Boyne Machine Company Fast Qualifier Award over the 27-car field on the grounds with a 15.944 which equals out to 112.895mph. He also scored the Van Hoy Oil Fast Qualifier bonus for his efforts as well.
The 2013 points season for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance is complete, but there is still one more race left on the schedule as the premier crate motor series in the country will join the premier division within CRA, the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS at the 3/4s (0.750) semi-banked paved tri-oval of Memphis International Raceway, located northeast of Memphis in Millington, Tennessee on Friday-Saturday, October 25-26th as MIR will host stock car racing for the first time since the 2009 season when the NASCAR Nationwide Series raced there.
The 'Racing's Back!' Memphis 250 will feature Twin 125-lap mains for both the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour as well as the ARCA/CRA Super Series. In addition, the stars of the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience will run a special 50-Lap race in support of the two premier tours within Champion Racing Association (CRA) Powered by JEGS. The 3/4 mile will be the largest track the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour teams have competed on in the series' three-year history.
For more information about all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, go to the CRA website at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow along with CRA on Facebook at: www.facebook.com and search for "Champion Racing Association" as well as on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally for more information about Memphis International Raceway, the host facility for the final race of the 2013 season for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance, go to the track website at: www.racemir.com
