Salem, IN (October 4, 2016) – Indianapolis, Indiana veteran racer Eddie Van Meter has officially claimed his first CRA Championship, his second place finish in the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Powered by JEGS last event at Lucas Oil Raceway on September 25th gave him enough points to claim the 2016 Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Points Championship with one race still left on the 2016 schedule. Saturday’s Season Championship 50 lap feature will be the 11th event of the season for the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman and the second series event at Winchester Speedway during the 2016 season.
Van Meter has won six of the ten series events so far this season, three of those victories came at Anderson Speedway, two have come at Lucas Oil Raceway and he won the series event at Winchester Speedway on Labor Day Weekend. All those wins and top five finishes built Van Meter an insurmountable 124 point lead going into this weekend’s event. With his second place finish at Lucas Oil Raceway, Van Meter also won the Lyons Truck & Trailer LOR Challenge and the $1000 bonus that goes with that mini-series Championship.
Tony Brutti comes into this weekend second in series points, but wants to forget the last race at Winchester when he ended up upside down in turn one after a multi-car pileup that happened when Shawn Amor’s car broke in front of a pack of cars at the end of the front stretch. Brutti is still in a battle for second with leading series rookie Steven Woods. Woods is 22 points behind Brutti, so he still has a shot at moving up a position, but has already secured the 2016 Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Rookie of the Year Award.
Terry Fisher Jr. is fourth in series points, but he is 75 points behind Woods after missing a couple of races repairing damage from the August 20th series event at Anderson Speedway. Fisher Jr. has three series wins to date, including one win at Anderson Speedway and two wins at Lucas Oil Raceway, including the series last event on September 25th. Billy Van Meter is in fifth place in series points, he got a season high finish of second at the series Labor Day event at Winchester Speedway. Tommy Cook is the only other series winner in 2016, he picked up that win on September 17th at Anderson Speedway.
Things begin for the Winchester 400 Weekend with an optional load in, hauler parking and pit pass purchases on Thursday, October 6th from 3 to 7pm. Pits open on Friday, October 7th at 9am with rotating practice for all divisions beginning at 1pm. Second round practice and Group Qualifying for the Vore’s Touring Compacts and the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and CRA Street Stocks New Star events will start at 4:10pm, the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Boyne Machine qualifying will start at 6:15pm. Racing action will begin at 7pm with 8 lap heat races for the Vores Touring Compacts. The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Season Championship Winchester 100 Presented by JEGS.com will be up next. The CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and CRA Street Stocks 25 lap New Star features will follow. The Vores Touring Compacts 25 lap feature will cap off the nights racing action.
Pits open on Saturday, October 8th at 8:30am, rotating practice for all divisions will begin at 11am. Second round practice and Group Qualifying CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and CRA Street Stocks will begin at 2pm. Qualifying for the Top Speed Modifieds Run for the Gun will start at 3:30pm, EDCO Welding Pole Qualifying for the 45th Annual Winchester 400 for the ARCA/CRA Super Series will begin at 4:15pm. The race program will begin at 5pm with Top Speed Modifieds Last Chance races. The 50 lap CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Season Championship event will be up next. The Top Speed Modifieds 50 lap Run for the Gun will follow. The 50 lap CRA Street Stocks Season Championship event will cap off this huge night of racing. The Annual Winchester 400 Party in the Pavilion will start in immediately following the races with live music.
On Sunday, October 9th pits will open at 9am. There will be an on track autograph session with all the 45th Annual Winchester 400 drivers starting at 12:30. Opening ceremonies will begin at 1:30 pm with the 45th Annual Winchester 400 taking the green flag at 2pm.
For those fans that cannot attend the Winchester 400 Weekend events, 51 TV Pay-Per-View will broadcast all the racing events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Winchester 400 Weekend. Purchase the live Winchester 400 Weekend broadcast now at Speed51.com.
Additional track and event information can be found at www.winchesterspeedway.com.
More event information and information on all the CRA series is available at www.cra-racing.com.
Photo By: R&S Racing Photos
