Salem, IN (April 18, 2021) – Former series Champion Jason Atkinson dominated Saturday night’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 75 for the Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS at Anderson Speedway. The event was the series 2021 season opener and the first of four series events at Anderson Speedway during the 2021 season.
The early lead was taken at the drop of the green flag by Matt Barnes in his series debut after Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier Andrew Teepe drew an eight for the events inverted start. Barnes got the jump on pole sitter Joe Muldoon to get the early lead. The race got off to a slow start with three caution flags in the first 11 laps, the most serious when Dylan Hoppes lost an engine on lap 11 and collected the car of Adam Rowe.
On the lap 12 restart Atkinson, who had worked his way to second from his seventh place starting position, started on the outside pole of Barnes, and was able to get a great start and power by on the outside to grab the lead. Atkinson had to fight off challengers on another restart but sailed away to the win with the last 49 laps of the event going caution free, lapping up to sixth place in the process.
“We knew we had a pretty good car, we practiced on old tires all day yesterday and most of today and it just didn’t fall off,” Atkinson said. “I knew it was going to be good. I’ve been around here a few laps.”
The win was Atkinson’s 15th with the series, breaking a tie for the most series wins with Jeff Lane and Josh Poore, who are now in second with 14 wins a piece. Atkinson picked up the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award for his pass to get the lead.
Barnes finished in second in his series and track debut. Alan Williams Jr. came from his ninth place starting position to finish in third earning the KRJ Race Products Sweet Move of the Race Award. Teepe would battle from his eighth place starting position to finish in fourth. Nathan Greene would finish in fifth place, his best finish with the series. Poore would finish in sixth place, Muldoon in seventh, Jordan Hahn in eighth, Blaine Adkin in ninth in his series debut and Frankie Oakes rounding out the top ten.
The Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks next event will be a $1,500 to win, 50-lap special non-points event as part of the Midwest 250 Presented by Scott County Tourism & Lucas Oil on the famous High Banks of Salem Speedway, located in Salem, Indiana on Sunday, April 25th. More information on all the CRA Series can be found at www.cra-racing.com.
