By David Smith Jr.
Park City, Kansas – June 9, 2012 – A motor change after hot laps paid off for Luke Cranston as the Plains, Kansas driver wired the field in winning Saturday night’s National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products 305 sprint car feature at 81 Speedway in Park City.
After blowing a motor during hot laps, the crew on his familiar #20 sprinter changed motors in time for his second heat race. By virtue of winning his heat and accumulating the most passing points during heat race competition, Cranston started on the pole for the twenty lap feature and quickly jumped out into the lead over outside front row starter Brian Herbert. C.J. Johnson fell into the third slot followed by Darren Bowman and Jason Martin.
Cranston would quickly distance himself from the rest of the field and by lap half stretch lead over Herbert by lap five.
With the leader showing the way around the top side of the tracks three-eighths mile oval, the battle for the second position was changing behind him as Johnson got by Herbert for the runner up position on lap twelve and by then Cranston had begun his first stint entering lapped traffic.
But Johnson couldn’t close the gap and had to contend with a late race charge over Martin, who would then take over the runner up position with five laps to go.
The leader again picked up more lapped traffic but Martin nor Johnson could get away from each other as both drivers battled for the second position.
Back up front it was all Cranston as he would go the rest of the way to take the $1000 victory. Martin secured the runner up position from Johnson while Herbert faded to fourth. Zach Blurton rounded out the top five.
Eight lap heat racers were won by Herbert and Cranston.
The next event for the NCRA 305 sprint car division will be held on Friday night, July 13th at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas during opening night of the 56th annual Hutchinson Grand Nationals.
NCRA 305 Sprints
81 Speedway/Park City, Kansas
6/9/2012
12 Cars
1st Heat: 1) Brian Herbert (Dodge City, Ks), 2) Zach Blurton (Jetmore, Ks), 3) Jason Martin (Liberal, Ks), 4) Raymond Seeman (Jetmore, Ks), 5) Kris Miller (Woodward, Ok), 6) Kip Hughes (Enid, Ok)
2nd Heat: 1) Luke Cranston (Plains, Ks), 2) CJ Johnson (Quinter, Ks), 3) Lance Davis, 4) Josh Fairbank (Wichita, Ks), 5) Darren Bowman (Kinsley, Ks), 6) Koby Walters (Liberal, Ks)
A Feature: 1) 20 Luke Cranston (Plains, Ks), 2) 36 Jason Martin (Liberal, Ks), 3) 45x CJ Johnson (Quinter, Ks), 4) 97 Brian Herbert (Dodge City, Ks), 5) 2j Zach Blurton (Jetmore, Ks), 6) 72 Raymond Seeman (Jetmore, Ks), 7) 9b Darren Bowman (Kinsley, Ks), 8) 33 Kris Miller (Woodward, Ok), 9) 9d Lance Davis, 10) 51 Josh Fairbank (Wichita, Ks), 11) 60 Kip Hughes (Enid, Ok), 12) 33x Koby Walters (Liberal, Ks)