From the NCRA
Park City, KS — (October 20, 2012) — Jeremy Campbell used a late race restart to his advantage to claim the final points race of the 2012 race season for the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products 360 sprint car division as the tour made fifth appearance of the season at 81 Speedway in Park City on “Wix Filers/Bumper to Bumper Fall Classic” night at the speedway.
And while Campbell claimed his second victory of the season it was C.J. Johnson successfully defending his championship just by starting the night’s feature finale.
Making his inaugural season debut with the tour this season, Jeff Ratcliff started on the pole for the twenty-five lap feature but it was outside front row starter Marc Robe taking the lead as the green flag fell. Luke Cranston, Johnson and Ratcliff made it a four car battle for the lead as the leaders headed down the back stretch but the caution would slow things down when DJ Bybee slowed down the back stretch.
The complete restart saw Robe again jump out into the lead from his outside front row starting position with Johnson, Cranston, Patrick Stasa and Ratcliff your top five after the first lap was complete.
Robe’s lead would be five car lengths by lap three before the second caution flag fell, this time when Kyle Clark spun in turns one and two, also collecting Jon Freeman.
Robe would again jump out into the lead once racing action went green pull out to a five car length lead over Johnson. With drivers using the top side of the three-eighths mile oval, Robe led the contingent of drivers the next several laps before JD Johnson would slow to a stop at the top of turn four on lap seven.
The race would stay green once racing action resumed with Robe once again out into the lead. However the action behind him was picking up as Cranston would pass Johnson on the restart to take over the runner up position and look to set his sights on the leader.
At the races midway point it was still Robe out front followed by Cranston, Johnson, ninth starting Campbell and Mike Peters with Robe holding a five car length lead.
With ten laps to go and the top five drivers pressuring each other for position, Johnson would get high into the cushion entering turns three and four allowing Campbell to take over that position.
Five laps were left to be run with Robe holding a slim one car length lead over Cranston as things started heating up and lapped traffic came into play. Robe would hesitate behind the slower car entering turn one allowing Campbell, Cranston and seventh starting Peters to all look for an advantage coming out of turn two with Peters appearing to take the lead. However the final caution flag would wave with three laps to go when Ratcliff spun in turn two.
This would put Robe back out into the lead on the final restart with Campbell hot on his tail and entering turns one and two, with Robe up top, Campbell got a bite down low and exited turn two and took the lead heading down the backstretch.
There was no catching the former series champion the final three laps as he would pull away to claim the ten car length victory over Robe. However, Robe would fail post race inspection allowing Peters to claim the second position. Johnson settled for third while twelfth starting Don Droud, Jr. brought the Ochs Brothers #1x sprinter home fourth while Cranston rounded out the top five.
Second generation sprint car driver Zach Blurton officially claimed the tours Brodix rookie of the year honors.
Johnson and the rest of the top ten in point standings that made the required 75% of the shows will be honored at the series year end banquet in late January. Those details with be announced in the coming weeks.
The series would like to take this time to thank their sprint car division partners and sponsors for the 2012 race season:
Park City, Kansas, Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, Vertex Magnetos, Rod End Supply, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, The Joie of Seating, Ultra Shield, Hooker Harness, Precise Racing Products, Taylor Cable Products, XXX Racing Chassis, Super Shox, Competition Suspension, JE Racing
NCRA Sprints
81 Speedway/Park City, Kansas
10/20/12
18 Cars
1st Heat: 1) Marc Robe ( , Ks), 2) CJ Johnson (Quinter, Ks), 3) Luke Cranston (Plains, Ks), 4) Michelle Decker (Guthrie, Ok), 5) Jeremy Campbell (Wichita, Ks), 6) J.D. Johnson (Wichita, Ks), 7) Ty Williams (Liberal, Ks), 8) Jeff Stasa (Kingman, Ks), 9) Jason Schroeder (Spring Hill, Ks)
2nd Heat: 1) Jeff Radcliffe, 2) Zach Blurton (Jetmore, Ks), 3) Patrick Stasa (Fort Worth, Tx), 4) Mike Peters (Wichita, Ks), 5) Taylor Velasquez (Turpin, Ok), 6) Don Droud Jr. (Lincoln, Ne), 7) Kyle Clark (Sand Springs, Ok), 8) Jon Freeman (Salina, Ks), 9) DJ Bybee (Wichita, Ks)
A Feature: 1) Jeremy Campbell (Wichita, Ks), 2) Mike Peters (Wichita, Ks), 3) CJ Johnson (Quinter, Ks), 4) Don Droud Jr. (Lincoln, Ne), 5) Luke Cranston (Plains, Ks), 6) Patrick Stasa (Fort Worth, Tx), 7) Taylor Velasquez (Turpin, Ok), 8) Ty Williams (Liberal, Ks), 9) Jeff Stasa (Kingman, Ks), 10) Zach Blurton (Jetmore, Ks), 11) Michelle Decker (Guthrie, Ok), 12) Jason Schroeder (Spring Hill, Ks), 13) Jeff Radcliffe, 14) Jon Freeman (Salina, Ks), 15) J.D. Johnson (Wichita, Ks), 16) Kyle Clark (Sand Springs, Ok), 17) DJ Bybee, (Wichita, Ks). DQ: Marc Robe (Wichita, Ks)