(R&S Racing Photos) – Qualifying Results – OFFICIAL Race Results
Spring Classic 30 marks first of five appearances at immaculate Circle City oval
Brownsburg, Indiana (Friday, April 24, 2015): The Lucas Oil Raceway Stock Car Series Presented by Visit Hendricks County at Lucas Oil Raceway (IN) kicked off the 2015 racing season on Friday, April 24th. The Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stock Series Powered by JEGS was a part of the festivities with the running of the Spring Classic 30. The six-race series held at LOR was originally supposed to begin on March 28-29th but Mother Nature had a hand in canceling that event. So the CRA Street Stock Series teams had to wait almost a month before having the chance to race at the immaculate facility.
The (0.686) mile semi-banked paved oval would host the CRA Street Stock Series for the 10th race all-time in series history. When the 30-lap main was complete, Colby Lane proved that all of the bad luck and issues that had plagued him in the previous three seasons were behind him. The Knightstown, Indiana competitor, who has always been competitive in series competition since his debut in 2012 hadn’t visited victory lane until one week ago at Shadybowl Speedway (OH) in the Door Buster 200. Lane backed that win up by steering his #44 Second Amendment Supply / Ed Martin Automotive Group / Chevrolet to victory lane for the second race in a row and his second career victory.
“This car has been just about flawless in both races this season. We never gave up and we kept working hard and now all of that is finally starting to pay off,” Stated the 24-year-old driver, the son of 2011 Series Champion and 2005 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Jeff Lane who served as his Crew Chief for this race. “Everybody has worked their tails off to get us where we are finally where we deserve to be. I always knew that good luck and good fortune was coming our way. We just had to be patient and it’s all paying off now.” The Series Points Leader added.
After Lane won his first career Fast Qualifier Award earlier in the day in Allstar Performance / Scorpion Racing Products Qualifying, he would draw a six for an inversion which placed 2015 Rookie of the Year title contender, Gordon Watson Jr., and veteran Jason Thompson on the front row for the Spring Classic 30. Thompson would pace the field for the first 13 laps when Lane, who started sixth, began picking his way towards the front. Once he got to Thompson, he followed his tire tracks around the massive oval sizing up the seven-time series winner.
On lap 14, Lane made his move and would skate past Thompson to grab the lead. He brought Defending Series Champion, Jason Atkinson with him and the two drivers would pull away to battle amongst themselves. As hard as Atkinson worked on Lane, the race leader was up to the challenge and would keep the reigning champion a safe piece of real estate behind him the rest of the way en route to his second straight victory which ties him with six other drivers for most consecutive wins in series history at two in a row.
Atkinson’s #73 Oak Motors / Chevrolet would come in second place for the second race in a row. The New Castle, Indiana driver would start next to Lane on the inside of the third row and followed his fellow Hoosier State competitor to the front. However, the 38-year-old driver, one of three competitors pulling double duty at LOR during the night, would settle for the runner-up spot for the second race in a row.
Elwood, Indiana driver, Jake McElfresh tied a career finish as he was the last car on the podium in third in his #3 Matrix Computers / Chevrolet. The 25-year-old competitors only other third place came at near-by Anderson Speedway (IN) back on June 8th, 2013. McElfresh also picked up the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award for a daring three-wide pass for third with Atkinson who both slipped past Thompson for the spots.
Thompson would hang on for fourth in his #28 WeAreInsulators.org / Chevrolet. The 32-year-old driver from Shirley, Indiana led the first 13 laps before Lane got around for the lead. Thompson is near the top of nearly every statistical category in series history including tied for third all-time in career wins with seven. 2014 Rookie of the Year, 14-year-old James Kirby III would complete the top five in his #12 U.S.A. Tires / Chevrolet. The second year driver started in third and slipped out of the top five for a period of time before regrouping and reemerging back in fifth towards the end.
Kirby III’s Father and 2012 Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby finished just behind his son in sixth while Robert Amos Jr., and Robert Sr., grabbed the seventh and eighth positions respectively. Another 2015 Rookie of the Year title contender, Matt Clark was the highest finishing freshman in ninth and also collected the T.C.I. Automotive Hard-Charger Award for advancing eight positions from his 17th starting spot. A.J. Ridner rounded out the top 10.
In Allstar Performance/Scorpion Racing Products Qualifying held earlier in the afternoon, Lane would score his first career Fast Qualifier Award in CRA Street Stock Series competition over the 19-car field when he turned a 26.106 which equals out to 94.599mph. Dave Bice holds on to the CRA Street Stock Series Track Record which he set back on October 1st, 2011 as he went a 25.837
The Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stock Series Powered by JEGS teams will now take a weekend off before coming back on Saturday, May 9th for their second CRA point’s race of the 2015 racing season. The track that has hosted the series the most all-time in the 11-year history, Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Indiana will host the Anderson 75. This race will be the series’ 33rd appearance at the fast 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved oval.
Anderson native Josh Poore leads the way with six victories all-time while Rich Boyer and Ronnie Rose both have three wins apiece. Defending Series Champion, Jason Atkinson, 2013 Series Champion, Dustin Burge, 2012 Series Champion, Jimmy Kirby, 2008 Series Champion, Bret Miles Jr., and Jason Thompson all have two triumphs apiece. 10 different drivers lead by 2011 Series Champion, Jeff Lane all have a single win each including Tyler Marsh, Josh Myers, Brian Hopkins, Rob Allman, Rick Erwin, Scott Neal, Katie Jackson, Beau Mitchell and Calvin Parham.
For more information about the rest of the 2015 racing season for all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, go to the series website at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow along with all of CRA’s touring series’ all season long on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ChampionRacingAssociation and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally for more information about Anderson Speedway, the host track for the third race of the 2015 racing season, go to the track website at: www.andersonspeedway.com
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