Anderson, Indiana (Saturday, July 26, 2014): The fast 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved oval of Anderson Speedway (IN) in Anderson, Indiana was the site for the Edgewater Woods 100 Presented by JEGS.com. The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance highlighted the night as the teams who made the trip to Central Indiana were looking to stop the unprecedented win streak laid out by Trent Snyder. In the three previous races, Snyder had swept all three and was going for an unprecedented fourth in a row in four years of the Tour racing at Anderson.
When all was said and done at the end of the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tours’ 50th all-time event and at the end of 100 laps, Lakeland, Florida veteran, Steve Dorer not only stopped Snyder’s impressive track winning streak at three, but he would also score his first career JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour victory. The pilot of the #10 Racecar Engineering / FLF Racecars / Chevrolet survived a 90 minute rain delay as well as several challenges throughout the course of the race to go the distance in leading all 100 laps for the victory.
“It’s about time. Wow! I can’t believe this. We’ve had so many second and third place runs over the past couple of seasons I was wondering when I’d ever get back here,” The emotional 44-year-old stated in victory lane. “We’ve been coming back home (Coldwater, Michigan) during the summer for a few years now and running when we could as much as we could before going back to Florida in the fall each year. It’s been awhile since we’ve got a win up north. It was here in the Redbud (2011). This feels really good.” He added.
It would be 17-year-old Cole Rouse, a contender for the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year title and Dorer leading the 22-car field to the green flag to start the race under threatening skies. As the field went into turn one, 16-year-old Hunter Baize went around bringing the caution flag right back out. On the restart, Dorer jumped out ahead of the field and when the fourth caution of the race flew on lap 42, the skies opened up, forcing the teams to the infield and the crews scrambling for car covers.
After an approximately 90 minute delay which also had plenty of lightning and thunder, which forced patrons to seek shelter at the track, racing would resume thanks to the Anderson Speedway management and staff for getting the track dried so quickly after the showers passed through. Dorer would pick up where he left off as he continued to pace the field as he had a busy time fighting off Josh Nelms who was running in second spot until 15 laps to go when he was involved in an accident which reset the field behind Dorer.
This placed 15-year-old rookie, Grant Quinlan, the winner at Salem Speedway (IN) back on June 21st behind Dorer and the battle was on for the lead. The war was short-lived though as fellow 15-year-old J.J. Haley, who started 15th, was in third and began applying heavy pressure to Quinlan which allowed Dorer to slowly but surely pull away from the field. Dorer’s lead would continue to grow as the laps clicked off and in the end, Dorer would leave Anderson, Indiana with his first win since the 2011 Redbud 300 at the same track almost three years ago to the day.
“I’m pretty blessed to have such a wonderful group of people who help me do this. Most of the family is here tonight, my sister is back home though in Florida, but I know she’s keeping an eye on things through Speed51.” Laughed the President of Racecar Engineering in Lakeland, Florida, his current residence. “Man this feels good and I owe it to my whole crew and especially my crew chief, Danny McEndarfer. Hopefully this win will build up to going out and getting a few more of these before we head back to Florida.” He ended.
Settling for second was current Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year points leader, Grant Quinlan who would extend his freshman points advantage. The 15-year-old in his #28 Quinlan Incorporated / Ford started seventh and was in the top five early in the event. After challenging Dorer for much of the race, the Harrison, Michigan teenager would then fight off fellow rookie J.J. Haley to finish second. Quinlan earned the Howe Racing Enterprises Rookie of the Race Award as well as the FLUIDYNE High Performance Cool Under Pressure Award.
A second 15-year-old wrapped up the podium finishers as another Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie, J.J. Haley finished third in his #99 Braun Ability / Chevrolet. The Winamac, Indiana teen started 15th and would earn the C.V. Racing Products Hard-Charger Award by advancing 12 positions during the race. The Hoosier State budding star would also collect the first Great Lakes Tire / Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award and battled with Quinlan throughout the late stages of the century grind before finishing up the race in the third spot.
A third straight Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie contender would occupy fourth as 19-year-old Dalton Armstrong posted a career high finish of fourth in his #4 Winfield Solutions / Chevrolet. The New Castle, Indiana driver, an open-wheeled graduate from the USAC ranks, is racing for 2012 Championship winning Car Owner & Crew Chief, Scott Neal and started 10th. Armstrong would advance six spots to finish in the fourth spot.
Current Points Leader, Dan Leeck rounded out the top five and was one of the few drivers who was happy about the rain delay. During the red flag, the #12 Mr. Asphalt / Chevrolet went pit side for repairs to his machine, came back out a lap down, got a ‘free pass’ on the first caution, and worked his way up to a fifth place finish in the end. He collected the Hedman Hedders Husler Award for his efforts as well as the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award.
14-year-old rookie, Chris Hacker posted a career high sixth place finish over 16-year-old Jaxson Jacobs who posted a season high finish of seventh and collecting the second Great Lakes Tire / Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award in the process. Josh Nelms, who came into the night second in points, stayed there with his eighth place showing while Marc Jacobs, Jaxson Jacobs’ older brother, finished a season high ninth. 18-year-old Jordan Miller would complete the final top 10. Jack Smith, who started 22nd and got to as high as fourth before being involved in an accident on lap 85, picked up the VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award prior to his night ending on lap 85.
Earlier in the afternoon in Boyne Machine Company Qualifying, Trent Snyder took the honors with a 12.335 around the fast 1/4 mile. It was his first award of the season and second of his JEGS/CRA career. The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Track Record in Anderson, Indiana remains in the possession of Bubba Pollard who went a 12.231 back on July 19th, 2013. His lap equaled out to 73.584mph.
The teams will have a brief vacation of a weekend before heading back out on the road on Saturday, August 9th. The unique 0.393 semi-banked, egg-shaped paved oval of Auto City Speedway, located north of Flint in Clio, Michigan is the next stop on the tour with the running of the Auto City 100 Presented by JEGS.com. In two previous JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour appearances at the Eastern Michigan speed plant, former track champion, Robbie Johnson was the winner in 2013 while 2012 Tour Champion, Daniel Hemric scored one of his eighth triumphs that year on the unique layout.
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 along with all of CRA’s touring series’ all season long on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/