Nashville, TN (Friday, May 5, 2023) – The time has come for the return of the Champion Racing Association (CRA) Street Stocks Powered by JEGS to Shadybowl Speedway in De Graff, Ohio on Sunday, May 7th. The event represents the third race of the 2023 season and the first of the prestigious Four Crown Championship Chase. A $2,000 championship bonus awaits the driver who is honored as Four Crown Champion, and Shadybowl Speedway represents the first challenge.
A 150-lap race for the CRA Street Stock Series is the first of three scheduled for that distance. It’s the longest race on the 2023 CRA Street Stock Series schedule, with the other two 150 lap contests held at the ¼-mile Anderson Speedway; drivers will race door-to-door for 45 miles in hopes of collecting the $3,000 payday that awaits one driver who puts together a perfect performance on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier this season, Kentucky’s Blaine Akin started a trend of first-time winners with CRA in 2023. Akin was patient the first two thirds of the 75 lap contest held on April 2nd, waiting until the perfect moment to make a move on then-race-leader, Andrew Teepe. After displacing Teepe from the top spot, Akin went to work defending his top spot from two-time defending CRA Street Stock Series champion, Jason Atkinson. Atkinson took the lead for a handful of laps before Akin crossed over the veteran on the backstretch and retook the lead coming out of four.
Two weeks later, another first-time winner was crowned when the Series went to Anderson Speedway. Like Shadybowl, eventual race winner, Dalton Conner found himself in position to grab a win when Teepe’s No.84 encountered problems under a yellow flag. Connor held off James Kirby and Atkinson for his win. So, will another driver grab their first career win with the CRA Street Stocks on Sunday? Trends point highly to the possibility.
Since 2015 Teepe has competed in nearly every event contested with the CRA Street Stocks, racking up 60 top-tens, and 31 top-five finishes; however, until 2020, Teepe had been searching for his first career win. Since then, Teepe has collected four CRA Street Stock Series wins, and has already been on the cusp of victory in every race so far this season.
Atkinson is looking to make history in 2023 as the only driver to ever win three consecutive CRA Street Stock Series Championships. Coming into the weekend, the No.73 team is winless, but has finished on the podium at each of the first two events. His strong performances allow him to trail Conner by just three points.
As for the Four Crown Championship, Atkinson has won that title four times since the program was introduced in 2014. Brett Hudson, Chuck Barnes, Jr, and Jacob McElresh have also been seated as royalty.
Events on Sunday at Shadybowl Speedway begin with Practice at 10:00 AM for the Vore’s Compact Touring Series, followed by the Must See Racing Midwest Lights Sprint Cars, then the CRA Street Stocks. Fans can get through the gates for Qualifying at 12:45 PM with opening ceremonies at 2:00 PM. Tickets are available at the gate. For fans who can’t attend in person, streaming of the event is scheduled for RacingAmerica.TV.
For more information on Champion Racing Association, the Four Crown Series, or the CRA Street Stocks, log onto www.CRA-Racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on Twitter.
Story – Zach Hiser, Champion Racing Association
