Cordele, Georgia (Saturday, October 27th, 2012): 14-year-old Kyle Benjamin, just a week away from his 15th birthday (November 3rd) picked up the thrilling victory in the Watermelon 100 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia on October 27th and in doing so, he also clinched the 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series Southern Tour Championship to become the youngest driver in CRA History to Win a Title!
“I can’t believe this! Especially after spinning out just a couple of laps in the race and then to watch those guys in front of me battle like they were. To be standing here in victory lane and to win the Championship, this is unreal!” The driver of the #71 Benjamin Motorsports / Ford excitedly exclaimed in victory lane. “After what we’ve gone through over the past two weeks, tonight was all about redemption and this whole team never gave up and here we are.” He added.
Earlier this season, the Easley, South Carolina teenager became the youngest driver in ARCA/CRA Super Series and JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance History to Win an event in each of the premier tours within Champion Racing Association (CRA) when he took the checkered flag at Winchester (IN) Speedway in Winchester, Indiana in a JEGS/CRA race, the Winchester 100 Presented by JEGS.com on May 6th and then at Lucas Oil (IN) Raceway in the Fatheadz 100 Presented by Team Construction for the ARCA/CRA Super Series race on July 27th.
When the Watermelon 100, the final race of the 2012 racing season for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Southern Tour started, Benjamin knew there was a good chance at claiming the 2012 series championship. Some circumstances would have to go his way and with Bubba Pollard coming into the weekend as the points leader by just a single marker over the Palmetto State teenager, he knew he still had his work cut out for him.
That was especially the case after Pollard won the WearCrete Fast Qualifier Award and the bonus 10 points that came with it, making the deficit 11 points. Benjamin qualified eighth quick out of the 23-car field and with only the top five qualifiers receiving bonus points, Benjamin was shut out of those making the task of overtaking Pollard for the series title that much more difficult.
Then just seven laps into the 100-lap main, Benjamin looped his mount in turn three while running in eighth spot and would be forced to start at the rear of the 23-car field, so the hill the Easley, South Carolina driver had to climb to get to Pollard and have any hopes of overtaking the Senoia Georgia standout for the series title got a little steeper for him and his #71 Benjamin Motorsports / Ford.
As Benjamin worked his way back through the field, the battle up front between Pollard, who started fifth, and race leader, 17-year-old Stephen Nasse began to intensify. As Pollard and Nasse traded paint and swapped the lead on several occasions between laps 33-97, Benjamin kept picking off cars one at a time and was soon back up to fourth place.
“I was watching those guys battle it out and I was thinking ‘they might take each other out’ I mean they were racing so hard and they were beating and banging all over the race track,” Benjamin explained. “Then Bubba went flying over the top of the backstretch, so I’m thinking ‘alright I’m in third now’ then T.J. (Reaid) and Stephen (Nasse) got together on the next restart and now I’m in the lead with Ross (Kenseth) behind me with three laps to go!”
From there, Benjamin made no mistake the remaining three laps and was able to keep Kenseth behind him to claim his third Champion Racing Association win of the season, one in each of the premier tours within the Salem, Indiana based series, and with Pollard knocked out of the race, Benjamin sealed up the 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series Southern Tour Championship in the process.
“This is such a great feeling, especially after what happened up at Winchester a couple of weeks ago. I owe this all to my Crew Chief Freddie Query, my entire crew, everyone at Benjamin Motorsports for standing by me and supporting this entire operation.” The appreciative driver continued. “To be the youngest driver to ever win a Championship, that is amazing when you consider everyone that has raced in CRA.” He ended.
Kenseth, who is coming off winning two of the most prestigious races in the short track world during the month of October, the Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway and the All-American 400 in Nashville, Tennessee in back to back weeks, fought his way up to the runner-up spot after starting ninth. “We didn’t have the car to win today, but I’m very grateful for the finish that’s for sure,” The Appleton, Wisconsin native, who now calls Mooresville, North Carolina home stated while standing next to his #25 FarmandFleet.com / Ford.
Completing the podium would be the #89 Malco Automotive / Ford driven by 16-year-old Matt Tifft who made the most of his ARCA/CRA Super Series debut. The Hinckley, Ohio teenager started on the pole and stayed in the top five for most of the race to post an impressive third place showing. “To finish third against some of the best drivers in the country and the best drivers from the South is a great accomplishment that’s for sure!” The 2012 ASA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year remarked during his post-race interview. “I’m very happy for this B.J. McLeod Motorsports Team, a third and a fourth is great.” He added.
18-year-old Scott Heckert; Tifft’s B.J. McLeod Motorsports teammate, finished fourth with 2012 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Champion, Daniel Hemric completing the top five. 19-year-old Jay Niewiek, now the Three-Time Defending Cometic Gaskets Hard-Charger of the Year Award Winner, earned the DMR Motorsports Hard-Charger Award with his 20th to sixth place run.
15-year-old John Hunter Nemechek finished seventh over Jimmy Doyle who started 22nd, 15-year-old Anderson Bowen, who earlier in the evening won the JEGS/CRA Watermelon 100, and Daniel Webster wrapped up the top 10. Earlier in the afternoon, Pollard picked up the WearCrete Fast Qualifier Award as turned in a 15.700 which measured out to 91.720mph.
For more information about the ARCA/CRA Super Series as well as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Southern Tour with regards to the fast approaching 2013 racing season in both series’, please go to the Champion Racing Association website located at: www.craracing.net