19-Year-Old Travis Braden Wins Fourth Race of the Season To Secure 2013 ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship
One Points Race Remaining; the 42nd running of the Winchester 400
Clermont, Indiana (September 22, 2013) – All Travis Braden had to do during the
McGunegill Engine Performance CRA Fall Brawl 2013 Presented by P.A.D.D. (People
Against Distracted Driving) at Lucas Oil Raceway, located west of Indianapolis in
Clermont, Indiana, was simply take the green flag in the main event of the weekend; the
T.J. Racing Lubricants 100 Presented by Quarter Master on September 22nd and he
would clinch the 2013 ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS Championship.
The Wheeling, West Virginia stand out did more than that as he took advantage of a
pivotal multi-car pile-up which started when the top two cars on the track, Defending Fall
Brawl Winner, Brian Campbell and former Winchester 400 Winner, Boris Jurkovic collided
going into turn one on a lap 85 restart resulting in a massive 11-car melee. Braden
swerved by the incident unscathed, inherited the lead, and would then fend off a hard-
charging Jeff Cannon to win his fourth ARCA/CRA Super Series race of the 2013 season
and stamping an exclamation point on his title winning season.
"It's finally official and I don't think the championship could have been earned in any better
way, in victory lane." The emotional and jubilant driver stated in victory lane. "We had a
great car all weekend, but it looked like we were going to have to settle for a solid third
place run, which I was pretty content with because I was having a hard time seeing
because of an enormous amount of oil that was on our windshield from another
competitor's car." He explained.
After winning his fourth EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Award of the season the day before, his inversion draw of a seven would see his #01 West Virginia University / Chevrolet start from the inside of the fourth row. He moved his way up to third and that's where he stayed as race leader, Campbell and the second place car of Jurkovic were setting a torrid pace as the first 85 laps went caution free.
"I was kind of wanting to just get it over with in a way, but boy am I glad I was thinking the wrong way." Braden continued. "When the caution came out I told the guys I felt like a sitting duck because I was having to be so cautious off the corners, but they convinced me I could hang in there. Just one of many times this season they have helped me think about the positives and I think it really makes a difference. Lucky for us we restarted on the inside and we missed the huge pileup."
After inheriting the lead, Braden would fight off Cannon to score win #4 of the season. "I can't think of a more perfect scenario heading into the Winchester 400. A championship in the books, two straight wins, three out of the last five and Winchester is probably our strongest race track." He remarked. " There's really nothing I would love more than a 400 win, and I'm confident we'll be as good or better as we normally are. We'll see if we can 'dethrone' JVD (Johnny VanDoorn). It could be one of the most thrilling 400s in recent memory with all he has on the line and all the fierce competitors looking for that oh so special Winchester 400 victory." He ended.
Cannon, a regular in the weekly Super Late Models division at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Indiana fought valiantly, but settled for a career high second place finish in his #33 Govert Auto Body / Chevrolet. Cannon did pick up the VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award as well as the FLUIDYNE Cool Under Pressure Award as the Kouts, Indiana pilots' previous career high finish in limited ARCA/CRA appearances was a third at Illiana back on June 24, 2006.
Brett Robinson posted a career high finish of a third for a first ever visit to the podium in his #5 Boot Scoot Bar & Grill / Chevrolet. The New Albany, Indiana native also moved into 10th place in the season long points chase and picked up the first Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award while Jurkovic recovered from lap 85 pile-up to post a fourth place finish in his #53 Widow Wax / Chevrolet as the Joliet, Illinois veteran fought off a late charge from former Three-Time ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Scott Hantz as the Angola, Indiana driver wrapped up the top five in his #72 Top Speed Fabrication / Chevrolet and continued to add to his legacy as the most successful driver in ARCA/CRA Super Series history. Hantz is the All-Time Leader in a whopping 10 categories and is second in the other two major statistical lists.
Chad Finley, one of several cars that was involved in the race changing accident, managed a sixth place finish in a mangled racecar while Inaugural Series Champion from the 1997 season, Kenny Tweedy, who did not qualify due to mechanical issues the day before, started 26th and charged through the field to post a seventh place run earning the second Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award as well as the Racing Electronics Hard-Charger Award and the Hedman Hedders Hussler Award for his efforts. Eddie Hoffman would collect an eighth place finish.
19-year-old Brandon Oakley was the highest finishing Rookie in the field by crossing the stripe in ninth and thus earning the Boyne Machine Company, VDL Fuel Systems & K&N Filters Rookie of the Race honors. Brent Downey, who started last, 27th, also picked his way through the field and would complete the top 10. Chris Koslek would collect the Hinchman Racing Uniforms Hard-Luck Award while Braden's fourth EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Award of the year was a 21.848 which measured out to 113.036mph.
The final jewel in the $100,000 JEGS Triple Crown Series for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS is also the final points race of the 2013 racing season and one of the most prestigious short track races in the world; the 42nd running of the Winchester 400, which is held at the legendary 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana on Friday-Sunday, October 11-13th.
Three-Time ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Johnny VanDoorn is the driver who will have the eyes of the motorsports world on him as he is in line for an unprecedented $100,000 payday in October as the Coopersville, Michigan driver has already won the first two legs of the Triple Crown and will go for the biggest win of all at the famed high-banks in Eastern Indiana.
VanDoorn is already assured of at least a $10,000 bonus for the first two victories he scored at his home track of Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan back on June 15th in the Inaugural Battle at Berlin 251. He then picked up win #2 in the prestigious Redbud 300 at Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Indiana on July 20th. Now he's the only driver eligible for a whopping $100,000 bonus from JEGS if he can complete the "hat trick" in the series by winning the 42nd running of the Winchester 400.
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 Finally for more information about Winchester Speedway, the host facility for the 14th and final points race of the 2013 season for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS; the 42nd running of the Winchester 400, go to the track website at: www.winchesterspeedway.com
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the entire country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards as well as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing is held at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
