Salem, IN (October 8, 2012) – The 2012 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance 2012 points season will come to a close with the Winchester 100 Presented by JEGS.com this Friday on the famous High Banks of Winchester Speedway, part of the huge 41st Annual Winchester 400 Weekend. This is the second season for the crate motor touring series sanction by Champion Racing Association with the support of Title Sponsor JEGS and Presenting Sponsor Chevrolet Performance.
To say 21 year old Daniel Hemric from Mooresville, North Carolina had a remarkable 2012 season with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour would be an understatement. Everyone knew when it was announced that Hemric would be teaming with Scott Neal Racing to run for the Championship with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour for 2012, they would definitely be a title contender, and would win races, but no one expected the results that this lethal combination would produce.
In the 13 series events to date Hemric has won a series record eight events starting at the series season opener at Plymouth Speedway. Other wins came at Illiana Motor Speedway, Dixie Motor Speedway, Springport Speedway, Shadybowl Speedway, Auto City Speedway and he swept both the series events at Lucas Oil Raceway, which was the only track Hemric won on that he had raced at prior to the 2012 season. With his win at the series last event on September 30th at Lucas Oil Raceway, Hemric has already clinched the 2012 series Championship. In the five series events that he did not win, Hemric got two second place finishes, one third place and one fourth place finish and only one DNF after a wreck at Columbus Motor Speedway which resulted in a 18th place finish. The team had to build a new car after the Columbus accident and came right back and won three straight events.
The other event winners to date for the 2012 season include 14 year old Kyle Benjamin in the May 6th event at Winchester Speedway, Chad Finley at the May 26th Columbus Motor Speedway event, Trent Snyder at the July 20th Anderson Speedway event, Mike Bursley at the August 4th Berlin Raceway event and Brian Campbell at the September 1st event at Auto City Speedway.
There are still some battles in the top ten in points heading into Friday’s race. Second place in points Brent Downey currently holds a 17 point lead over third place Anderson Bowen. The 14 year old Bowen, who traveled from Suwanee, Georgia to compete full-time with the series this season, has already clinched the series 2012 Howie Lettow Rookie of the Year Award Presented by Howe Racing. Bowen has a 20 point lead over fourth place in points Josh Nelms who only has a one point lead over fifth place Finley. Jerrod Foley is currently in sixth place, he is 82 points behind Finley. Tom Woodin is seventh in points, 43 points behind Foley. Wes Griffith Jr. is eighth in series points, he is just four points behind Woodin. Rookie Brandon Hermiller is ninth in series points, he is 41 points behind Griffith. Ali Kerns is tenth in points, she is 110 points back of Hermiller.
The entry list for Friday’s race is full of all the top JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour competitors, but there will be some tough outside competition led by Chase Elliott, son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott who got a JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour win on the High Banks last season. Also 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series Boyne Machine Company Rookie of the Year Travis Braden is entered for Friday’s race, Braden got the win in last season’s JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour on Winchester 400 weekend.
There will be optional load in, hauler parking and pit pass purchases on Thursday, October 11th from 3 to 7pm. Pits open on Friday, October 12th at 10am with rotating practice for all divisions beginning at 1pm. Qualifying for the Vore’s Touring Compacts, the Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and CRA Street Stocks New Star events and the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour 100 lap event will start at 5:40pm. Racing action will begin at 7pm with 8 lap heat races for the Vores Touring Compacts. The Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and CRA Street Stocks 25 lap New Star features will follow. The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Season Championship Winchester 100 Presented by JEGS.com will be up next. The Vores Touring Compacts 20 lap feature will cap off the nights racing action.
Pits open on Saturday, October 13th at 8am, rotating practice for all divisions will begin at 10:30am. Qualifying for the Vores Touring Compacts, Top Speed Modifieds, Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and CRA Street Stocks will begin at 3pm. Pole Qualifying for the 41st Annual Winchester 400 for the ARCA/CRA Super Series will begin at 5pm. The race program will begin at 6pm with Top Speed Modifieds Last Chance races. The 50 lap Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Season Championship event will be up next, followed by the 25 lap Winchester 400 Last Chance race if needed. The Top Speed Modifieds 50 lap Run for the Gun will follow. The 50 lap CRA Street Stocks Season Championship event will be up next while the Vores Touring Compacts will cap off Saturday nights racing with their 20 lap Season Championship feature. The Annual Winchester 400 Party in the Pavilion will start in immediately following the races.
On Sunday, October 14th the pits will open at 9am, there will be a short warm-up session for the ARCA/CRA Super Series cars at 11am. There will be an on track autograph session with all the 41st Annual Winchester 400 drivers starting at 12:30. Opening ceremonies will begin at 1:30 pm with the 41st Annual Winchester 400 taking the green flag at 2pm.
Additional track and event information can be found at www.winchesterspeedway.com. More information on all the CRA Series is available at www.craracing.net.