The Big "O" Classic 100 Presented by JEGS.com highlighted the Labor Day Holiday Weekend at the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved oval of Owosso Speedway located northeast of Lansing in Ovid, Michigan as the pivotal 12th race of the 2012 racing season for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance answered a few questions moving forward for the remainder of the 2012 campaign.
At the end of the 100-Lap main at the historic Central Michigan speed plant, Wyoming, Michigan veteran, Brian Campbell emerged victorious as he swept everything involving race day at the historic Central Michigan speed plant. The 33-year-old started the day by sweeping both Practice Sessions. Then after winning his first Boyne Machine Fast Qualifier Award, the two-time ARCA/CRA Super Series Winner in 2012 took the lead on lap 38 and went on to score the victory in the Big "O" Classic 100 Presented by JEGS.com.
"We just had a great car all day long, we didn't really change much at all and we just waited for everyone to sort themselves out," Campbell explained in his post-race winners circle interview. "This was a great way to kick off the month of September. We've got a busy schedule the rest of the season and I'm very happy that we can start it off with a win at one of my favorite race tracks."
The 24-car field was brought down to the green flag by Johnny Belott and 19-year-old Rookie Brandon Hermiller and right from the get-go, the field behind the front row began jockeying for position while Belott and Hermiller held their lines for the first lap. On lap two, Hermiller got a right rear tire off the backstretch which allowed the field to freight train him on the inside.
The biggest benefactors would be both of the home track favorites in the field, Chad Finley from near-by DeWitt, Michigan and Reigning JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Champion, 16-year-old Erik Jones who was making his first appearance of the season on his home track after spending the majority of the year running in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards for Venturini Motorsports.
Both drivers climbed up to second and third from their fourth and seventh starting positions respectively and on lap four, both drivers slipped by Belott, a former winner in the ARCA/CRA Super Series back in the 2005 season at Toledo Speedway and ironically making his JEGS/CRA debut filling in for Joe Johnson. Finley took the lead only to lose it a lap later to Jones as the near capacity crowd on hand were already on their feet cheering on the two home track favorite.
Both drivers would swap the lead twice more for a total of four lead changed between laps four through seven before Jones took over again and kept Finley behind him who now had the remainder of the field from third back to 13th to deal with. Campbell, who started sixth, methodically worked his way up to the second spot and quickly reeled in Jones and placed himself on the teenagers back bumper.
On Lap 38, Campbell made his move for the lead and took over the top spot. Jones gave a valiant effort but slowly began fading due to a slowly deflating tire. He would later be involved in a mid race caution and would be done for the night. From there, Campbell was a man on a mission as he slowly but surely pulled away from the rest of the pack and as the laps continued to click off, would put lapped traffic between him and the rest of the field.
The last of five cautions flew on lap 65 setting up a 35-lap sprint to the finish, however it would be all Campbell as the driver of the #20 K.B.R. Development / Ford would set sail the rest of the way to win his first JEGS/CRA victory of the 2012 season and second career win in the series as Campbell was the winner of the Inaugural JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour event at Toledo Speedway back on April 23rd, 2011.
"I had to get a win in this series pretty quick. I've been getting razzed for a month now after (Car Owner) Mike (Bursley) won at Berlin about how I can't win anymore in the JEGS/CRA Series," Laughed the Western Michigan standout. "But I do have to thank Mike & Kathy (Bursley) for giving me a great car and a great team and a huge thanks to my Dad (Fred Campbell) too, he's on the ball with the tire program."
Finishing second at his home track would be Finley as the driver of the #42 AutoParts2020.com / Ford led twice early in the race after a thrilling battle with Jones. "We had a really good for most of the race, but it got really tight there towards the end." The 20-year-old driver explained. "I wasn't expecting to be battling that hard that early in the race with Erik (Jones) but everyone behind us was going like it was the last lap so we had to go. It was way too early to do that. But we got a good finish out of it." Finley added.
Earning the Five Star Racecar Bodies & Racing Electronics Hard-Charger Awards for his impressive 18th to third place run was Dave Gentile Jr., who was making only his second start of the year in the series. "This is a great run for this team. It feels like a win running against the cars that was here tonight," The Elwood, Illinois driver stated as he stood next to his #6 W.M.C. Incorporated / Chevrolet. "I wish we had the sponsorship to run the full schedule in 2013. Hopefully we showed a few people here how good this entire team really is." The 33-year-old regular at Grundy County Speedway and Illiana Motor Speedway remarked.
Current Points Leader & Seven-Time Event Winner, Daniel Hemric finished fourth over Robbie Johnson who completed the top five with his second straight fifth place finish in two races. Wes Griffith Jr., finished sixth after starting 16th while 14-year-old Anderson Bowen Unofficially clinched the 2012 Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year Presented by Howe Racing Enterprises Award with his 19th to seventh place effort. Dan Leeck was eighth with Josh Nelms and 16-year-old Kyle Crump finished off the top 10 after starting 21st.
Earlier in the afternoon in Boyne Machine Qualifying, Campbell won his first Boyne Machine Fast Qualifier Award of the season as he toured the historic Central Michigan oval at a 15.571 which measures out to 86.700mph as he had swept everything JEGS/CRA related up to that point. The JEGS/CRA Track Record in Ovid, Michigan was set back on September 3rd, 2011 when Jones turned a 15.531.
The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance will now take a mini vacation before finishing out the 2012 racing season beginning with a return trip to Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, Indiana on Saturday-Sunday, September 29-30th as the JEGS/CRA teams will race in the Lucas Oil 100 Presented by JEGS.com which is part of the CRA Fall Brawl Weekend.
Then the Season Finale, for points, will see the 2012 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Champion and Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year Presented by Howe Racing Enterprises be crowned on Friday, October 12th at Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana as the JEGS/CRA Season Championship race will kick off the prestigious 41st annual Winchester 400 Weekend which runs from October 12-14th.
After the points are tabulated and everything is official, there is one more JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance event in 2012; A non-points race at the 4/10s (0.400) mile semi-banked paved oval of Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia on Friday-Saturday, October 26-27th as the JEGS/CRA teams will be a part of the Fall Speedfest as the 100-Lap main will pay $3,000 to the winner. The ARCA/CRA Southern Six-Pack Series will also be racing in a 100-Lapper as well.
For more information about the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance, please visit: www.craracing.net and for more information about Lucas Oil Raceway and Winchester Speedway, go to each track website located at: www.lucasoilraceway.com and www.winchesterspeedway.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment