Salem, IN (June 11, 2017) – Three time ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS Champion Johnny VanDoorn freely admitted prior to Saturday nights series event at Baer Field Motorsports Park, that race track was one of his least favorites, those thoughts may have changed after VanDoorn came out on top in a tough battle with Dalton Armstrong to get the win in the Summit City 100.
“Wow I can’t believe I won a race here at Baer Field,” remarked a visibly elated VanDoorn in victory lane. “We have never really run very well here and never had any good luck, but everything came together tonight and we parked it in victory lane. I want to thank all the fans that came out for tonight’s race, what a great crowd. We need a lot more of this in short track asphalt racing, I hope fans will come out and support these type of events more!”
The stands were packed on Saturday night as promoters Dave and Jody Muzzillo had one of the biggest events ever held in the recent history of Baer Field Motorsports Park on Saturday as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Summit City 100 was teamed up with the ICAR Outlaw Super Late Models who contested the final Stan Perry Memorial 110 lap event, which was appropriately won by his son Bud Perry and a special 10 car, $10,000 to win Challenge event that was won by Terry Senneker. It was also Baer Field Hall of Fame Induction Night, were former ARCA/CRA Super Series competitor Terry Fisher was inducted into the track’s Hall of Fame. Fisher is the father of current CRA competitor Terry Fisher Jr.
Florida native Steve Dorer took advantage of his pole starting position to grab the lead at the drop of the green flag after EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Kyle Crump drew a seven for the events invert. Dorer led through lap four, but VanDoorn was quickly on the move coming from his sixth place starting position to grab the lead from Dorer on lap five.
VanDoorn continued to lead while a tough battle for every other position on the track was going on behind him. Dalton Armstrong worked his way to second from his fourth place starting position but VanDoorn had built a significant lead. That all went away when the yellow flag came out for a spin, bunching the field back together, setting up a series of restarts between VanDoorn and Armstrong.
Both VanDoorn and Armstrong battled back and forth on each restart with Armstrong grapping the lead on lap lap 54 after VanDoorn slipped up the track on one of the restarts. Another yellow came out bunching up the field again, on that restart VanDoorn got the lead back on lap 61. VanDoorn had to fight off Armstrong on one more restart with 16 laps to go, but cruised from there to get his second series win of the 2017 and was the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award winner for his pass to get the lead and the eventual win.
VanDoorn and Toledo Speedway event winner Brian Campbell are the only drivers locked into the new Chase Championship format to date, if they compete in at least 75% of the races leading up to the final four Chase events, to crown the 2017 series Champion.
Armstrong would settle for second, his best finish so far this season. Armstrong was the FLUIDYNE High Performance Cool Under Pressure Award winner for his tough battle with VanDoorn. Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year competitor Hunter Jack finished in third, a series best finish for him, earning his first Senneker Performance Rookie of the Race Award for the season. Former series regular Jason Dietsch came out of retirement to race in Saturday night’s race and put on a show, coming from his 12th place starting position to finish in fourth, even after having to go to the tail after being involved in one of the yellows. Dietsch earned a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award and the Hamner Racing Engines Hardcharger Award. Fellow rookie Logan Runyon would battle back from the tail to get a series best fifth place finish and earned the Sweet Manufacturing Sweet Move of the Race Award.
Series veteran Wes Griffith Jr. and his crew had a long, but successful day at Baer Field. Griffith Jr.’s car was hit in the pits prior to qualifying by another divisions car accidently while parked on pit road. His crew worked hard and got it back race ready and able to qualify. Then Griffith Jr. was forced to pit prior to the opening green flag when something was dragging on his car, the crew fixed the problem and were able to get Griffith Jr. back out to start the race. The crew made several more pit stops during the race to get Griffith Jr.’s car handling better, resulting in a sixth place finish and his crew earning the PitBoxes.com Pit Crew of the Race Award. Griffith Jr. picked up a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award.
The next scheduled event for the ARCA/CRA Super Series is the prestigious Redbud 400 on Saturday, June 24th at Anderson Speedway. More information on the ARCA/CRA Super Series is available at www.cra-racing.com.