Salem, IN (April 9, 2013) – Champion Racing Association will open its 2013 regular season with this weekend’s traditional season opening event for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Saturday night at Anderson Speedway. The famous high-banked quarter mile racetrack located in Anderson, Indiana has hosted more Super Series events than any other track since the series’ first ever event on Saturday, April 26, 1997. Anderson Speedway has hosted a total of 52 series events to date. Former two time series champion Brian Ross is the all-time series victory leader at Anderson Speedway with nine victories.
This weekend’s event kicks off the second year of the partnership between Champion Racing Association and ARCA. The partnership is providing participants in the ARCA/CRA Super Series with ARCA member benefits, including Participant Accident Insurance. In addition ARCA will provide the 2013 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion with the opportunity to test an ARCA Racing Series car in the open test at Daytona International Speedway in December 2013.
Three time series Champion Johnny VanDoorn, last year’s defending Champion, will not compete full-time with the series in 2013, fellow three time series Champion Scott Hantz is also not currently planning a full season, so it will be wide open for a possible new series Champion in 2013.
There is a very talented group of drivers on the entry list for the Sell It Again Sam 125 Presented by Great Deals including Hantz and several other former Anderson series winners including 1997 series Champion Kenny Tweedy who has four series victories at Anderson. Also two time series Anderson winner Rick Turner is entered along with defending event winner T.J. Reaid from Georgia and Florida native Steve Dorer, winner of the 2011 Redbud 300. Scott Neal, who has more recently been known for his CRA titles as a Crew Chief and car owner, will get back behind the wheel for Saturday’s race at Anderson in one of his own Scott Neal Racing machines. Neal also has a series victory at Anderson Speedway in 1999.
Other top CRA regulars entered for Saturday’s event includes 2012 Boyne Machine Company Rookie of the Year Travis Braden, local veteran Joe Beaver, Brent Jack, Damon Ecoff, Jay Niewiek, Eddie Van Meter, Brett Robinson, Robert Maynor, Colin Nickolai and Jason Shively, who makes his series return after not racing the past two seasons.
The series has a great group of registered Boyne Machine Company Rookie of the Year candidates entered for Saturday nights race, who could all also compete for the 2013 Championship including Georgia teenager Anderson Bowen, the 2012 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Rookie of the Year and race winner at the season ending event at Watermelon Capital Speedway, he also got a third place finish in his ARCA Racing Series debut at Mobile International Speedway in March. Bowen’s Crew Chief is former ASA Racing Series Champion Joey Clanton. Also competing for rookie honors will be former JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour competitors Ali Kern and Brandon Oakley, who’s Crew Chief is another former ASA Racing Series Champion Gary St. Amant.
This will be the only opportunity for the ARCA/CRA Super Series teams to get some racing on the tight quarter mile prior to the Stoops Freightliner Redbud 300 on July 20th, which will now pay a minimum of $10,000 to win and is the second leg in the JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown!
There will be an open practice at Anderson Speedway this Friday, pits open at 3pm and practice will run from 4pm until dark. Pits open on Saturday at 12noon. Practice will begin at 3pm with qualifying starting at 5:30pm. The race program will begin at 7pm and will include the Sell It Again Sam 125 Presented by Great Deals for the ARCA/CRA Super Series plus racing from the Anderson Speedway Thundercars and Legends divisions.
Additional track and event information can be found at www.andersonspeedway.com. More information on the ARCA/CRA Super Series is available at www.cra-racing.com. More information on ARCA is available at www.arcaracing.com.