Justin South Emerges Victorious After Late-Race Rally In The 'Racing's Back!' Memphis 125
Leeds, Alabama driver roars back for the Win after a Spin and Flat Tire with 30 to go
Millington, Tennessee (October 26, 2013) – While there is not a whole lot of Pro Late
Model racing in the southeastern part of the United States, Justin South is widely known
as one of the top drivers in the Template Bodied / Crate Motored world when it comes to
the Deep South. A relatively short trip north and then west proved that to the JEGS/CRA
All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance competitors who also made the trip to
the fast 3/4s (0.75) mile semi-banked paved tri-oval of Memphis International Raceway,
located northeast of Memphis in Millington, Tennessee on October 26th.
After cutting a tire down with just 30 laps to go, the Leeds, Alabama driver rocketed his
way back to the front in his #43 Alabama Brick Delivery / Ford and with just nine laps to go,
retook the lead from another standout in Template / Crate racing, Colt James and the 25-
year-old would pull away to his first career JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour win in only his second
career start in the series.
"We all thought the tire was flat at the halfway break, but we couldn't change it because
the officials did not deem it flat and we didn't want the two-lap penalty for an unapproved
tire change," Explained South after his win. We held on as long as could and the risk wound up paying off in a way. We ended up spinning once it was all the way flat and was able to come in and change the tire. That was a helluva job by this team all weekend long and we're bringing the trophy back home. This is big man." He added.
With the Win, South would leave MIR with several post-race awards starting with the VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award as well as the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award and the D.T.S. Drive Train Specialists Halfway Leader Award. "A big Thanks also to my Dad, Josh Hamner, this whole team. This is a win that will be very special too my father and me thanks for Everyone that made it possible." He ended.
James, who led twice for a total of 16 laps before losing the lead to South with just nine laps to go, would settle for second in his #15 Glenwood Clinical Monitoring / Ford. The 30-year-old driver originally from Buda, Texas, but now calls Newton, North Carolina home was making only his third career JEGS/CRA start and has never finished worse than fourth in those three outings which includes a Win at Lucas Oil Raceway (IN) back on October 2nd, 2011.
Finishing in third after leading briefly from laps 101-108 was Bon Aqua, Tennessee native, Willie Allen who carried the torch as the lone Volunteer State entry in his #26 NAPA Auto Parts / Toyota. The 2007 NASCAR Craftsman (Now Camping World) Trucks Series Rookie of the Year was making his second career JEGS/CRA start and later in the day would make his debut in the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS.
16-year-old Anderson Bowen, who earlier in the afternoon won the PitBoxes.com Fast Qualifier Award, would finish just outside of the podium as the Suwanee, Georgia teenager in his #29 Copper Creek Hardware / Chevrolet was fourth as he picked up the FLUIDYNE Cool Under Pressure Award as 53-year-old veteran Eddie Hoffman scored a fifth place finish in his #8 LisaThomasSalon.com / Ford as the Wheaton, Illinois stand out, like Allen, Bowen and one other, would also race in the co-headlining ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS portion of the 'Racing's Back!' Memphis 250.
Former NASCAR Nationwide Series competitor, Steve Wallace would finish sixth over 16-year-old Trey Craig who recorded a career high seventh place showing in only the second JEGS/CRA start for the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series graduate who earned the Hedman Hedders Husler Award for his efforts. Another 16-year-old, Cole Rouse also picked up a career high showing with an eighth as Dakota Stroup earned the Five Star Racecar Bodies Hard-Charger Award as well as the Racing Electronics Most Improved Positions Award with his 16th to ninth place run. 2013 Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year, 15-year-old Corey Deuser completed the top 10.
Despite finishing in 16th, 15-year-old Hunter Baize would collect the Crane Ignition Top Performance Award as well as the Hinchman Racing Uniforms Hard-Luck Award. Bowen's second career PitBoxes.com Fast Qualifier Award, worth a $100 bonus, also established the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Track Record on the fast 3/4s mile as the 2012 Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year went a 22.492 which equals out to an impressive 120.043mph.
The 2013 racing season for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance is Complete as 2014 Information will be made available throughout the off-season. Congratulations go out to 2013 Series Champion, 17-year-old Cody Coughlin of Delaware, Ohio as well as 2013 Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year, 15-year-old Corey Deuser of Georgetown, Indiana.
The first official event of 2014 for the premier Template Bodied / Crate Motor series in the country will be on Saturday-Sunday, January 25-26th, 2014 as the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour will share the SpeedFest stage with the premier Super Late Model series in the country; their CRA counterparts within the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS as part of SpeedFest 2014 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia. SpeedFest 2014 is a non-points event for both series' and has kicked off the new season for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour since the 2012 season and for the ARCA/CRA Super Series, at different venues, since the 2005 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
