Jason Atkinson Completes CRA Street Stocks Series Clean Sweep With The Win At Lucas Oil Raceway
Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks Series Powered by JEGS kicks off their 10th anniversary 2014 racing season
Brownsburg, Indiana (April 6, 2014) – It was the 2014 season opener of the 10th anniversary
campaign for the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks Series Powered by JEGS at the
biggest track on the schedule; the fast 0.686 mile semi-banked paved oval of Lucas Oil
Raceway, located west of Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Indiana. The Stealth Trailers 40 was
a part of the UAW Motorsports Presents The 5th Annual March of Dimes Cabin Fever
Championships on Sunday, April 6th in the Circle City.
On a pleasant afternoon of racing the traveling weekly warriors put on a great show and
when the checkered flag flew at the end of the 40-lap feature, it was Jason Atkinson
showing the quick way around LOR as the New Castle, Indiana driver aboard his #73
Accelerator Racecars / Richmond Performance / Chevrolet grabbed the lead away from
Brandon Mefford on lap 14. Atkinson would then survive a caution flag with five laps to go
and pressure from veteran Jeff Lane to score the victory.
"This car was probably the best one I've ever had here and that's saying something since we've had a lot of success here over the years with the Late Model Sportsman car." The happy 37-year-old, who won the last three CRA Late Model Sportsman Series races in Indy prior to the 2014 Cabin Fever Championships, stated in victory lane following his win. "I'm really happy to get a Street Stocks win here though especially after setting fast time too. Never won here in this class before and it means a lot to sweep the day." He added.
After Atkinson won the Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier Award, he then drew an eight for an inversion, Rookie Jim Brown and 2012 Series Champion; Jimmy Kirby would bring the field down to the green flag to start the 10th anniversary 2014 racing season for the CRA Street Stocks Series. Brown would fight off Kirby for the first three laps to lead the field early before Brandon Mefford charged his way to the front from his inside second row starting position and take over the lead on lap four. He brought Kirby with him and the race was on for the lead.
The first of only two yellow flags flew on lap seven when 14-year-old rookie, Jaren Crabtree, who was making his CRA Street Stocks Series debut, backed his car into the turn one wall. The car suffered some damage, but the freshman was able to continue and make laps the rest of the event. On the restart, Mefford and Kirby continued their battle for the lead when Atkinson soon joined in on the action. On lap 14, Atkinson made a bold three-wide pass for the lead coming out of turn two to earn the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award and began to pull away from the rest of the pack.
Jeff Lane worked his way into the second position with 10 laps to go after Defending Series Champion, Dustin Burge, who got by both Mefford and Kirby for second, was black flagged for excessive smoke coming from his machine. The final yellow flew on lap 35 setting up a five lap shootout to the finish. However as the green flag came back out, Atkinson showed his muscle and would pull away from Lane and the rest of the field to earn his fourth career CRA Street Stocks Series victory to move him into a three-way tie for seventh all-time in career wins.
"I really need to thank Danny Acrey for letting me race this car. It's a really good piece that's for sure," The appreciative Hoosier State veteran continued amidst post-race celebrations. "This is such a fast car, I could go almost anywhere I wanted too with it. It got a little crazy there making that pass for the lead out of two, but it worked and here we are standing in victory lane." He ended.
Lane would settle for second aboard his #21 Hill Top Drive-In Chevrolet after timing in second quick and starting next to Atkinson on the inside of the fourth row. The 50-year-old veteran from Knightstown, Indiana was the 2011 CRA Street Stocks Series Champion as well as the 2005 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion. One of the most successful drivers in CRA's history, Lane stayed with Atkinson for the first couple of laps on the final restart, but would have to settle for a second place finish in the end.
2012 Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby would remain on the podium after battling for the lead and later for second place throughout the event by finishing in third behind the wheel of his #11 USA Tires / Chevrolet. The Indianapolis, Indiana driver won the last CRA Street Stocks Series race at LOR back on September 22nd, 2013 during the 2013 CRA Fall Brawl and the 41-year-old was looking to make it two in a row at his home track. Kirby was also looking back through the field on his 13-year-old son, James Kirby III who was making his CRA Street Stocks Series debut and would finish 14th.
Brandon Mefford, who led laps fourth through 13 came away with the best finish of his CRA Street Stocks Series career, a fourth place effort in the 29-year-olds' #83 Sunnyside Motors / Chevrolet. The Spiceland, Indiana driver is a former competitor in the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series. Rounding out the top five and earning the TCI Automotive Hard-Charger Award for his efforts was Greenwood, Indiana's T.J. Flynn who started back in 14th in his unsponsored #30 Flynn Racing / Chevrolet. The 22-year-old patiently picked off cars one by one before finding himself in the top five with only two laps to go.
A.J. Ridner ran in the top five for the last half of the event before being passed by Flynn late in the race as he would settle for a sixth place finish while Colby Lane came home seventh ahead of Late Models driver, Blake Hillard, who was making his CRA Street Stocks Series debut and finished eighth. Another eligible rookie contender, Jeff Johnson finished a career high ninth in his series debut, highest amongst eligible 2014 Rookie of the Year title contenders while 2013 Rookie of the Year, Josh Lank completed the final top 10.
Earlier in the day in Allstar Performance Qualifying, Atkinson, who is the all-time leader in Fast Qualifier Awards in the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series, picked up ironically, his first career CRA Street Stocks Series award over the 20-car field as he toured the Circle City oval at a 25.870, just 0.033 seconds off of the CRA Street Stocks Series Track Record which was set by veteran Dave Bice back on October 1, 2011 as he turned a 25.837.
The first race within the CRA Street Stocks Triple Crown Series is next on the 2014 calendar as the series' second race of the 10th anniversary season will see the teams make the lengthy trip east to 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; the Shady Bowl 200. This race will pay a $3,000 to the winner and is the first race at the Buckeye State oval since the 2012 season when all-time series wins leader, Jeff Lane went to victory lane.
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 Shady Bowl Speedway, the host facility for the second race of the 10th anniversary 2014 racing season and the first race of the CRA Street Stocks Triple Crown Series for the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stocks Series Powered by JEGS, go to the track website, which can be found at: www.shadybowl.com
