Winchester, IN (October 14, 2012) – The story of the Winchester 400 Weekend at Winchester Speedway was battling through the weather to get every race finished. Some not ending until the middle of the night, moving qualifying for the Winchester 400 and then waiting out a rain delay to see one of the most exciting finishes in Winchester 400 history.
Ross Kenseth and crew worked for 399 laps to put themselves in the right place to win the Winchester 400, one of short track racing’s toughest and most coveted victories. But coming out of the fourth turn racing toward the checkered flag, 14 year old Kyle Benjamin moved under Kenseth to beat him to the line by less than 10 feet. Despite winning on the track, Benjamin was later disqualified in post-race tech due to an RPM Limiter Infraction making Kenseth the winner.
“I felt like we had set everything up for the end of the race perfectly.” Kenseth stated following being declared the winner. “We had the lead, we had good tires, enough fuel and were running well. While I didn’t want win in tech, I do feel like we deserve to win.”
The ARCA/CRA Super Series Winchester 400 fought through a weekend of rain, which forced qualifying to be moved from its traditional Saturday evening time to Sunday morning. Rick Turner racing in his 200th ARCA/CRA Super Series sanctioned race (only the fourth driver to do so) took the EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Award.
Turner took the early lead over second fast qualifier Anderson Bowen as the race started. Donnie Wilson moved from his fourth place starting position to second. Coming out of the fourth turn on the eighth lap, Turner’s car wiggled causing Wilson to bump him as he tried to check up causing Turner to spin in front of the field. Several cars were involved with three unable to continue including Bowen, Turner and 2009 Winchester 400 Champion Kyle Busch, with several other cars damaged but were repaired and able to continue.
Wilson then took off with the lead, but the race was brought to a stop on the 26th lap when the rain returned for a brief shower. After the rain delay, Wilson continued where he left off holding the lead until he pitted on the 111th lap.
Johnny VanDoorn had the clinched the 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship before arriving at Winchester Speedway. As the race started he was battling on ill handling car and lost a lap in the pits. His crew found a solution to set VanDoorn up to race with the leaders, after getting the Lucky Dog on a caution on lap 78, VanDoorn set about getting back to the front as the crew kept working to make the car faster on each pit stop.
Kenseth took the lead for a final time on the 370th lap with several drivers following closely setting up a race to the end. Wilson spun in the second turn, however taking Eric Jones, Nate Caruth and Ben Kennedy with him. On the restart Kenseth again took the lead with Benjamin moving to second until the last quarter lap.
Jay Niewiek earned the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award after moving from his 35th starting position finish fifth. He also earned a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award. Josh Nelms earned the second Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award and the Lane Automotive/ISKY Racing Cams Hardcharger Award moving up 32 positions during the event to finish 7th.
Georgia driver Bubba Pollard won the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway Leader Award. The Boyne Rookie of the Race Award went to Nate Caruth. The VDL Fuel Systems Hot Lap of the Race Award went to Wilson.
VanDoorn celebrated his championship with his car owner and crew, his third for Kaos Motorsports in the four year history of the team. “After last year I will savor this championship longer.” Jim TenBrink, owner of Kaos Motorsports commented. “The first two everything went right, and then last year it showed any championship can be your last. It takes a great group of people working together to make something like this happen. And these are a great bunch of people.”
KC Spillers and Jason Atkinson were in a tight race for the Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman title with only three points separating the two at the start of the day. Atkinson qualified second and was scheduled to start ninth on the grid with Spillers starting fourth.
Following a lengthy rain delay that caused the Sullivan RV 50 to be shortened to 30 laps, the night started poorly for Atkinson when a flat tire on the parade lap forced him to the pits and to the rear of the field. Spillers took off quickly and took the lead on the fourth lap, while 2011 Champion, Keith Sterkowitz, worked around Spillers to take the lead on the 16th lap. Sterkowitz ran out to a long lead with Spillers in second.
Meanwhile as Atkinson had been picking his way through the field an accident on the 17th lap caused a red flag after collecting him as several cars spun going into the first turn. The accident ended Atkinson’s night ensuring Spillers would take the championship, the accident also ended the night for several other drivers. All Star Performance Fast Qualifier Terry Fisher, Jr. was forced out on the eighth lap. Sean Amor finished third, Bob Sibila, Jr fourth and Steve Blair fifth.
“This car is for sale.” Sterkowitz stated. “We didn’t do a whole lot of racing this year. Hopefully we can sell this car and get a Super Series car next year.”
“We didn’t come here to race for a Championship, we came here to win a race.” Spillers exclaimed. “We almost got the race, but we did win a Championship.”
After setting fast time and earning the All Star Performance Fast Qualifier Award for the CRA Street Stocks Winchester 30 Jeff Lane drew an eight for the invert, forcing him to drive through several cars to front. Jason Thompson chased down the pole sitter JJ Haley, who had taken the lead on the start, on the fifth lap to take off for the lead. Lane worked his way through traffic to catch Thompson and on a restart on lap 16 Lane powered by Thompson to take a lead he never gave up. Thompson finished second, Jimmy Kirby third, Tyler Marsh fourth and Brandon Barcus fifth. By finishing ahead of Brian Hopkins, Kirby earned the 2012 CRA Street Stock Season Championship.
“I had the best crew chief, Steve Davis.” Lane commented. “These guys gave me a really fast car tonight.”
“This is great.” Kirby stated. “To win the track championship at Anderson Speedway and then this Championship is great. We came here to win a championship, and got it done.”
The ARCA/CRA Super Series will finish their season at Watermelon Capital Speedway, scene of Speedfest the opener in 2012, on October 27 for the Watermelon 100. For more information about any of the CRA series see www.craracing.net.