Calvin Parham Scores First CRA Street Stocks Series Win Since 2007 Season In Final Race Of 2013 Campaign
Dustin Burge Picks Up A Runner-Up Finish to Clinch First Career Series Championship
Winchester, Indiana (October 12, 2013) – In a season of what-if's for a number of drivers
within all four divisions of Champion Racing Association (CRA) Powered by JEGS, Calvin
Parham had to miss an event during the 2013 racing season while hanging on to second
place in the points standings in the last race at Lucas Oil Raceway (IN) on September 22nd.
Perhaps if he had ran that event, Parham would've been in position to claim his first career
Championship in the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks Series. Instead he'll settle for his
first Win since the 2007 season.
The Knightstown, Indiana driver took the lead from the points leader coming into the night,
Dustin Burge and from there, Parham would pull away from Burge and the rest of the field in
his #33 Stanley Show Pigs / Chevrolet to score the Win in the Winchester 50, which was
part of the 42nd Running of the Winchester 400 Weekend at the historic 1/2 (0.500) mile
high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana on October 12th. It
was Parham's first series Win since September 3rd, 2007, which also came at the legendary
high-banks.
"Man I tell you, it's about time. I was beginning to wonder if we would ever win one of these
again," Laughed Parham after climbing from his machine. "Jason (Thompson) gave me all he
had until something happened to him just before the halfway mark. After that, we just tried to
run our line and stay consistent. I know Dustin (Burge) was behind us and he was going after
the Championship. Congratulations to him and his team on winning the title. Maybe we'll get
ours next year." He added. With his pass of Burge on lap three, he earned the AR Bodies
Cool Move of the Race Award.
Crossing the stripe in second and clinching the 2013 CRA Street Stocks Series
Championship was Dustin Burge in his #63 Barber Manufacturing / Chevrolet. Just five days
prior to the race, the Anderson, Indiana driver became a Father for the first time as his wife,
Lindsey Burge delivered a baby boy, Gavin. "This has been the greatest week of my life," The
emotional driver stated after receiving his hardware for winning his first career Championship.
"I can't tell you what all of this means to me, my family, and this whole team, our sponsors,
everyone. I'm just speechless. Dreams really do come true when you work hard enough for
them." The newly crowned Champion added.
During his Championship run, the 26-year-old Burge would score one event Win while also
recording seven top fives and eight top 10 finishes in the nine events conducted during the
2013 CRA Street Stocks Series season. Burge took over the points lead in the second event
of the 2013 campaign and never relinquished the top spot the rest of the year en route to his
first career Championship.
Jason Atkinson would make up for his accident he was involved in during the CRA Late Model
Sportsman Series portion of the weekend by grabbing the final podium position of third in his
#73 Accelerator Racecars / Chevrolet. The 36-year-old from New Castle, Indiana would finish
the 2013 season with six overall event wins in CRA competition with two of those coming in
the CRA Street Stocks Series.
2012 Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby saw his two-race win streak snapped as the
Indianapolis, Indiana veteran in his #11 USA Tire / Chevrolet would bring home a fourth place
finish over CRA Veteran, Jeff Lane who overcame a pit stop for a faulty radio and would
charge back through the field to finish off the top five in his #21 Hilltop Drive-In / Chevrolet as
earlier in the weekend, the Knightstown, Indiana veteran, the 2011 CRA Street Stocks Series
Champion as well as the 2005 ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS Champion,
extended his All-Time Lead in CRA Street Stocks Series history by winning his 19th career
Fast Qualifier Award.
19-year-old Tyler Marsh, the 2012 Rookie of the Year, would finish in sixth place while 2008 Series Champion, Bret Miles Jr., was seventh over 2011 Rookie of the Year, 19-year-old J.J. Schafer who scored an eighth place finish after winning the 'New Stars' Feature the night before. 19-year-old J.P. Crabtree, a regular in the Super Cup Stock Car Series, returned to CRA once more and recorded a ninth place finish over Jeff Albright who would wrap up the final top 10.
By starting the race, Josh Lank would clinch the 2013 Rookie of the Year title. In addition, he would also pick up the T.C.I. Automotive Hard-Charger Award as well as the Hedman Hedders Husler Award for his 21st to 13th place run for the top freshman of the 2013 racing season. Colby Lane was strong throughout the weekend as he qualified second quick behind his Father, Jeff Lane; unfortunately, the younger Lane was involved in a lap five accident and forced out of the race. He did however receive the Hinchman Racing Uniforms Hard-Luck Award.
Jeff Lane would score his second Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier Award of the season over a 27-car field as he went an 18.470 which measures out to 97.455mph. The previous night in the special non-points 'New Stars' 25-Lap Feature, J.J. Schafer would be the one standing in victory lane next to his #68 Wakarusa Heavy Equipment / Chevrolet as the Bremen, Indiana native won over Tyler Marsh, Colby Lane, Brandon Mefford and Jeff Albright who were the top five. Rodney Roush was sixth as Josh Lank, Joe Coffin, Josh Sage and Ricky Young would complete the top 10. 'New Stars' 25 Results
The 2013 racing season is now over for the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks Series Powered by JEGS. 2014 information will be made available throughout the off-season. For more information about all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, please go to the series website at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow CRA on Facebook at: www.facebook.com and search for "Champion Racing Association" as well as Twitter at www.twitter.com/CRAracing
