Salem, IN. (September 26, 2016) – Veteran Michigan racer Brian Campbell came into Sunday’s Wish For Our Heroes 100 at Lucas Oil Raceway hoping to get the win and the event signature trophy that includes a pair of boxing gloves, to go with the other two pairs he had won in 2015 and 2012, and he did just that in winning his third ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS event of the season.
“I’ve got three kids at home and only two pairs of the gloves, so I wanted to win another so each kid would have their own pair,” remarked Campbell in victory lane. “The kids just love them, but they are a really cool trophy to win.”
Andy Jones took the early lead from his pole starting position after EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Travis Braden drew a five for the events inverted start. Jones led the first 11 laps before Senneker Performance Rookie Point’s leader Dalton Armstrong made the pass to take the lead on lap 12. Armstrong, who is in a tight points battle with points leader Cody Coughlin, was trying to pick up his third series win of the season and first at Lucas Oil Raceway, but Campbell was already marching from his sixth place starting position to the front.
Campbell made the pass on Armstrong and took the lead on lap 22 until the caution flew for Braden’s single car spin. On the lap 34 restart Armstrong managed to get past Campbell and retake the lead until Campbell charged back and retook the lead on lap 36. From there Campbell would take off and get the win, the 21st series win of his career by just over four seconds over Armstrong.
“This was a great weekend for Terry Senneker and his Senneker Performance Race Cars,” added Campbell. “Bubba Pollard won with one at Pensacola Saturday night, and we got our third series win with one today! I appreciate all the hard work my crew puts in for every race we go to and all our great sponsors, we couldn’t do this with out there help!”
Campbell received the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award for his last pass of Armstrong to retake the lead. With his second place finish, Armstrong cut into Coughlin’s points lead with only one race remaining in the 2016 season. Armstrong was awarded the Fluidyne High Performance Cool Under Pressure Award for his pass of Campbell to retake the lead on the lap 34 restart and received the Senneker Performance Rookie of the Race Award.
While the race for first and second was a little boring at the end, the battle for third through sixth kept everyone on the edge of their seat over the closing portion of the race. Wes Griffith Jr. came to pit road under caution and let his crew make some adjustments, Griffith Jr. then proceeded to use the bottom of the track to come through the field and catch the third and fourth place battle that included Coughlin and Chris Hacker, who battled for many laps for the fourth position. The battled continued when Griffith joined them, the three cars were each using a different lane trying to gain an advantage. They then caught third place running Jordan Pruitt and it suddenly became a four car battle.
Griffith Jr. used the bottom to get by all three and finished in third place, he received the Sweet Move of the Race Award for the passes he made on the bottom. Griffith’s crew was awarded the PitBoxes.com Pit Crew of the Race Award for the second straight race for the adjustments on pit road that allowed Griffith Jr. to get to the front. Hacker got by Coughlin and Pruitt to finish in fourth in his series debut. Coughlin would finish in fifth place after starting 16th and was awarded a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award and the Hamner Racing Engines Hardcharger Award.
The next ARCA/CRA Super Series event will be the prestigious 45th Annual Winchester 400 on the famous High Banks of Winchester Speedway on Sunday, October 9th. More information on all the CRA series is available at www.cra-racing.com.
Photo By: R&S Racing Photos
