Josh Poore Continues Knack For Winning Long Distance Races; Scores Commercial Roofing 200 Triumph
First race of CRA Street Stocks Triple Crown Series at Shady Bowl Speedway
DeGraff, Ohio (April 19, 2014) – The first race within the CRA Street Stocks Triple Crown
Series was also the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks Series Powered by JEGS second
race of the 10th anniversary season. The Commercial Roofing 200 was at the unique
3/10s (0.300) mile semi-banked paved oval of Shady Bowl Speedway, located west of
Columbus and north of Dayton in DeGraff, Ohio for the first of three 200-lap extended
distance events within the tour. A cool $3,000 awaited the winner and 37 teams made the
trip to the Buckeye State oval.
When all was said and done, Anderson, Indiana standout, Josh Poore would continue his
knack for winning long distance races within the CRA Street Stocks Series. The 24-year-
old driver of the #27 Zaki Ali Defense Lawyer/G-Mack Graphics / Chevrolet took the lead
on lap 17 and would go on to pick up his sixth career CRA Street Stocks Series Feature
Win to move him into sole possession of fourth all-time in career victories.
I was just trying to survive the first 100 laps. Dustin (Burge) and I ran side by side for
awhile and luckily when the yellow came out I had led the previous lap." Explained Poore
during post-race ceremonies on the front stretch. "That gave me the inside lane and the
advantage for the next restart. Once I got out front I just tried to maintain my tires and not use them all up before the end of the race." He added.
13-year-old rookie, James Kirby III and Defending Series Champion Dustin Burge brought the massive 30-car field down to the green flag to begin the first of three 200-lap, $3,000 to Win CRA Street Stock Triple Crown Series events of the 2014 season. Burge would edge the freshman going into the first corner and would take the lead while the rest of the field jockeyed for position and started to settle into a rhythm for the long race.
Poore, who started from the inside of the third row, began picking his way through the field and soon found himself on Burge's back bumper. After a lengthy side by side dual, Poore would take the lead on lap 21. A lap later a caution flew setting up a double-file restart. Poore got the jump and from then on, it was all Poore the rest of the way as he survived a few more yellow flag slowdowns and in the end, would cross the start / finish line first to pick up the win and the $3,000 payday.
Four of his six career CRA Street Stocks Series wins have come in races at least 200 laps in length with three of those extra distance event triumphs coming at his home track of Anderson Speedway (IN). "I have got to thank my crew; the Pitts Brothers, Goober, Ronnie. Also my parents for their support and my sponsors." The appreciative driver continued. "Also we really need to thank all the sponsors that made this race and the whole Triple Crown Series possible for us Street Stock guys. Commercial Roofing, Stealth Trailers, JEGS and everyone involved with CRA." Poore ended.
Finishing in second place would be 2012 CRA Street Stocks Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby who would take over the early season points lead in his #11 USA Tires / Chevrolet with his second consecutive podium finish. The Indianapolis, Indiana veteran, who finished second in the 2014 season opener at Lucas Oil Raceway (IN) back on April 6th now the 41-year-old carries a three-point lead heading into the next event at Anderson Speedway (IN) on May 3rd.
Rounding out the podium finishers would be Defending Series Champion, Dustin Burge who recovered from Engines woes in the season opener at Lucas Oil Raceway (IN) to grab a third place finish in his #63 Stone Age / Chevrolet. The Anderson, Indiana native was relegated to a 19th place finish at LOR two weekends ago. In the second race of the year he would start on the outside of the front row and led the first 20 laps before Poore made what was the winning pass on lap 21.
Veteran John Hayden would earn the T.C.I. Automotive Hard-Charger Award for the 43-year-old's impressive pick up of 24 spots from 28th to a fourth place showing for the former part-time NASCAR Nationwide Series competitor. The Owensboro, Kentucky driver in his #55 Kelly Rae's Country Cafe / Chevrolet had to finish second in the 15-Lap Last Chance Race to transfer into the 200-lap main. Local favorite, Rodney Roush from near-by Sidney, Ohio completed the top five in his #7 Roush & Sons Racing / Chevrolet. The 37-year-old was the highest finishing weekly competitor as well as top finisher from the state of Ohio.
Jason Atkinson, the winner of the 2014 season opener at Lucas Oil Raceway (IN) on April 6th finished sixth as Brandon Mefford was the highest finishing 2014 Rookie of the Year title contender with his seventh place showing. J.J. Schafer garnered an eighth place finish over veteran Calvin Parham, who also had to come through the 15-Lap Last Chance Race to finish ninth after starting 29th. Shawn Smith completed the top 10.
Earlier in the afternoon in Allstar Performance Qualifying, Jeff Lane broke his own track record in DeGraff, Ohio while also claiming his 20th career CRA Street Stocks Series Fast Qualifier Award of his career, tops by a wide margin in series history. Lane's first such award of 2014 was a record breaking 14.956 which eclipsed his own record he set back on May 26, 2012 which was a 15.080 by 0.124 seconds. His speed around the unique 3/10s mile was 72.212mph.
In the 15-Lap Last Chance Race, Bret Miles Jr., went the distance from his p1 starting spot to earn a position in the 200-lap main, John Hayden finished second ahead of Calvin Parham and 14-year-old Mason Keller who all transferred into the show. 2014 Rookie of the Year title contender, Jim Brown and 18-year-old Jake Thompson, who was one of the fastest cars in practice before fuel issues plagued the rest of his day, were the first two cars on the outside looking in.
The next race on the 2014 schedule for the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks Series Powered by JEGS will be the first of five appearances of the 10th anniversary campaign at the series' home track of Anderson Speedway located in Anderson, Indiana on Saturday, May 3rd. The CRA Street Stocks will take part in the Anderson 75 at the fast 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved oval for the 29th time in series history. Josh Poore will be the home track favorite as he leads the way with five career wins while Rich Boyer and Ronnie Rose both have three victories apiece.
For more information about all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, go to the CRA website which is located at:
www.cra-racing.com You can also follow CRA on Facebook as well by logging on at: www.facebook.com/ChampionRacingAssociation and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally for more information about Anderson Speedway, the host facility for the third race of the 10th anniversary 2014 racing season for the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks Series Powered by JEGS, go to the track website, which can be found at: www.andersonspeedway.com
