ANDERSON, IN – Tight racing among nine different drivers highlighted the Star Financial Bank Street Stock 200 with Kentucky driver Brett Hudson emerging as the winner. The event was the second event of the 2017 Lawrence Towing CRA Street Stock Four Crown Series, that will feature four 200 lap, $3000 minimum to win events.
Although there were only four different leaders in the Lawrence Towing CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS event Saturday night at Anderson Speedway, only early leader Colby Lane didn’t have a pack of cars on his rear bumper for an extended period of time.
Hudson started tenth in the field and didn’t crack the top five until lap 50, but once there he stayed in the hunt for the win.
At the halfway break Ryan Amonett was the leader chased by Brian Hopkins and Hudson after early leaders Lane and Chuck Barnes Jr. both hit the outside retaining wall on lap 93 when Jordan Hahn lost an engine entering turn two. Both Barnes and Lane were able to continue.
Hudson moved into the second spot on lap 152 when he was able to make an outside pass of Hopkins entering turn three aided by slower cars. With the three leaders running nose to tail fast qualifier Josh Poore joined the fray and Barnes was charging through the field after starting tenth after the break.
Hudson and Hopkins got inside of Amonett on lap 167 when the New Castle drifted high in turn one and Amonett’s night would end on lap 171 with a mechanical problem.
For the final 33 laps Hopkins was glued to Hudson’s rear bumper. When the two leaders encountered slower traffic with less than 20 circuits remaining it looked like Hopkins would find a way around Hudson, but his efforts came up short.
Barnes completed his strong second half run by passing Poore on lap 192 with a pass on the front straight. Following Hudson, Hopkins and Barnes to the checkered flag were Poore and Andrew Teepe.
“We’ve been coming here eight or nine years,” an elated Hudson said in the winner’s circle. “We’ve had good cars here in the past, so it’s good to finally get a win here. There was tight racing all night, Ryan (Amonett), Brian (Hopkins), Josh (Poore) and Barnes were all strong.”
Hopkins, who started fourth, said the runner-up finish was a good run for the team.
“I thought I had a chance to take the lead in the slower traffic,” he said. “There just wasn’t enough grip on the outside.”
Barnes credited his team with making repairs to keep him in contention for the win.
“We just got into some oil,” he said. “That’s racing. The crew worked hard to make repairs to the car.”
Lane led the first 91 laps chased early by Jeff Lane, who was holding up the field. Jeff Lane retired on lap 45 which put Hopkins and Barnes into the top three.
The race was slowed six times by the caution flag for a total of 37 laps, but the second half went caution free. There were three lead changes among four different drivers.
The next Lawrence Towing CRA Street Stocks event will be the third leg of the CRA Street Stock Four Crown series on Saturday, July 15th at Kentucky Motor Speedway. That event will be 200 laps and pay $3000 to win. For more information on all the CRA series go to www.cra-racing.com.
By Ken de la Bastide
