VanHaitsma Finishes and Wins at Berlin

(Photo Courtesy of Tom DeVette)

VanHaitsma Finishes and Wins at Berlin

Veteran Racer Pickes Up First JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Win

Terry VanHaitsma has had strong cars this year, running very well in several races, but different mechanical issues kept him out of Victory Lane seveal times this year. At the Berlin 100 presented by JEGS.com at Berlin Raceway Saturday night, VanHaitsma finished and raced to his first JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour presented by GM Performance Parts victory.

Brandon Hermiller set Keyser Manufacturing fast time with a lap of 16.358 seconds, .003 seconds faster than VanHaitsma. Hermiller then drew a four to set the invert putting Erik Jones on the pole with Seth Moody on the outside of the front row and VanHaitsma on the inside of the second row.

Jones took off for the lead over Moody at the start. Moody then came back and slipped under Jones for the lead on lap number four. VanHaitsma was hot on Moody’s trail keeping him very close, but with lapped traffic he was unable to get past.

Then VanHaitsma powered past Moody for the lead. After he took over on the 37th lap, the only time VanHaitsma was slowed was the only caution during the race on the 51st lap when Jordan Dahlke and Matt Puskarich spun.

Moody stayed in second with Brent Downey close behind. Downey passed the hard racing Moody on the high side late in the race to take second, Moody finished in third, Tim Steele was fourth and Brandon Hermiller fifth.

“I feel like I finally got the monkey off my back!” VanHaitsma stated. “It has been a tough year, we have had good runs going several times, but something has always happened. I feel great, and we all worked so hard on the car it is great to win.”

For his move to pass Moody, Downey earned the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award. The Howe Racing Rookie of the Race Award went to Tom Woodin as well as the VDL Fuel Systems Rookie Award as the highest finishing rookie.

Great Lakes Tire Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Awards went to Downey and Lauren Bush. Bush, who finished a CRA career best 10th, also earned the Five Star Stock Car Bodies Hardcharger Award and the Racing Electronics Hardcharger Award.

VanHaitsma took home the Turn One Lap Leader Award, and the DTS Drive Train Halfway Leader Award. Cody Coughlin earned the DJ Safety Hard Luck Award as the first driver out.

The next event for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour presented by GM Performance Parts will be the Fall Brawl 100 presented by JEGS.com at Lucas Oil Raceway (ORP). The Fall Brawl on October 1-2 will also feature the CRA Super Series, the Sullivan RV CRA Late Model Sportsman, EDCO Welding CRA Street Stocks, and the Vore’s Welding and Steel CRA FWD Compacts. Practice and qualifying will take place on Saturday with features only on Sunday afternoon. For more information on any of the CRA series go to www.craracing.net. For information about Lucas Oil Raceway see www.lucasoilraceway.com.