Event Information – Entry List
Chase Elliott and Erik Jones Top Strong Entry List
Salem, Indiana (Sunday, June 14, 2015): The ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS will head back to Michigan for this Tuesday’s Battle at Berlin 251 Presented by Primera Plastics at Berlin Raceway located in Marne, Michigan, just North of Grand Rapids. The 251 lap event will pay out over $100,000 in purse and cash bonuses, for one of the largest total payout Template Super Late Models will race for all season. The event will pay $10,000 to win, $8000 for second, $6500 for third, down to an astounding $2000 to start for a 30 car starting field.
The Battle at Berlin 251 Presented by Primera Plastics will be the first event of the JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown, which will pay a driver $100,000 bonus if a driver can win the Battle at Berlin 251, the Stoops Freightliner Redbud 300 at Anderson Speedway on July 18th, and the 43rd Annual Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway on October 11th. There is a $10,000 bonus if a driver can only win two of the events. If no driver wins two of the Triple Crown events, the driver who accumulates the most points during those three events will receive a $5,000 bonus and the title of Champion of the JEGS/CRA $100,00 Super Late Model Triple Crown.
There are 36 cars entered to date for Tuesday’s event, a list that is full of talent and experience. Topping the list is 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion Chase Elliott, who earlier this year was named as the driver to replace the legendary Jeff Gordon in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series famous #24 for car owner Rick Hendrick in 2016. Elliott is no stranger to CRA fans with 10 total victories with CRA including wins in the Winchester 400, the Mercy Masters of the Pros 144, and multiple wins at SpeedFest.
Another familiar NASCAR young gun entered is Erik Jones, the 2011 inaugural JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion. Jones is competing full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series while also making appearances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, where he picked up his first series win earlier this season at Texas Motor Speedway and substituted for injured Kyle Busch for one race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Gibbs.
Wyoming, Michigan racer Brian Campbell comes into Tuesday’s race as one of the favorites, Campbell picked up the win at the CRA event at Berlin Raceway on May 16th, it was his 16th ARCA/CRA Super Series win, seven of those have come at Berlin Raceway, tops with the series. Campbell also picked up a victory in the Berlin Raceway Boyne Machine Super Late Models 2015 season opener.
Other racers entered with NASCAR ties include John Hunter Nemechek, son of NASCAR competitor Joe Nemechek, who competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and was the winner of the 2014 Snowball Derby, also NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Mason Mingus, a former regular with CRA. NASCAR K&N Pro Series drivers Dalton Sargeant and William Byron are also entered. Also Ross Kenseth, son of NASCAR Champion Matt Kenseth, is entered. Kenseth, winner of Friday’s ARCA Racing Series event at Michigan International Speedway, will make his NASCAR Xfininty Series debut next Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. Kenseth finished second in ARCA/CRA Super Series points in 2014 and is a former winner of the Winchester 400 and Redbud 300.
Other top drivers entered include Georgia hot show Bubba Pollard, who has picked up more late model wins the past several years than any driver in the country, including winning the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour event at Berlin last season. Also entered driving the Kyle Busch Motorsports entry is Oklahoma racer Christopher Bell who has picked up a couple of big late model wins this season along with two World of Outlaws Sprint Car wins. Fellow Oklahoma racer Donnie Wilson is also entered, Wilson picked up multiple wins with the Southern Super Series during the 2014 season. Kyle Jones, a winner of three late model events at Columbus Motor Speedway this season, is also entered.
Several top CRA drivers are entered including 2013 & 2014 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion Travis Braden, 2014 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion Dan Leeck, current ARCA/CRA Super Series point’s leader rookie Grant Quinlan, a two time JEGS Tour winner in 2014 and current JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour points leader Dalton Armstrong, a winner with the JEGS Tour in 2015. Several former CRA winners are entered including Hunter Baize, winner of the ARCA/CRA Super Series last point’s event at Illiana Motor Speedway, also past CRA event winners Chad Finley, Rick Turner, Eddie Van Meter and Dominique Van Wieringen.
Other CRA regulars entered include 2014 Senneker Performance Rookie of the Year Wes Griffith Jr., 2013 Rookie of the Year Ali Kern and current series rookie competitors Matt Hall, Mark Lambert, Tom Woodin and Jordan Pruitt , plus Brett Robinson driving for Stan Rosen and part-time series competitor Austin Nason.
Several top local drivers are entered including Terry Van Haitsma, who is a former CRA winner at Berlin, also Terry Senneker, a former track Champion and multi-time winner at Berlin in Outlaw Late Models, along with Chris Koslek, Jay Niewiek, Barry Hartwell, Andrew Nylaan and Lauren Bush.
There is an open practice on Monday, pits open at 12noon for teams to unload their haulers. Open practice will go from 2pm until 6pm. The 2nd annual Battle at Berlin .251 warmup at Craig’s Cruisers will take place on Monday evening.
Pits open on Tuesday at 11am, there will be a one hour practice for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Battle at Berlin 251 cars at 2:20pm, with qualifying for the Battle at Berlin 251 beginning at 4:30pm. There will be an on track autograph session with all the drivers starting at 5:30pm, the race program will begin at 6:30 pm and will include the Battle at Berlin 251 Presented by Primera Plastics plus racing action from the Broaster Chicken Top Speed Modifieds in a 51 lap feature.
More event and track information on the Battle at Berlin 251 Presented by Primera Plastics is available at www.berlinraceway.com. More information on all the CRA Series is available at www.cra-racing.com.
