From David Smith Jr.
PARK CITY, Ks. (October 20, 2018) — Don Droud, Jr. from Lincoln, Nebraska took advantage of Mike Woodruffs misfortune to claim his second National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products sprint car feature victory of the season as the tour concluded their 29th consecutive season Saturday night at 81 Speedway in Park City. While Droud was celebrating his victory, defending tour champion Jeremy Campbell was enjoying his second-consecutive series championship and fourth overall.
Droud and Woodruff started on the front row for the twenty-five-lap feature finale with Droud taking the early lead as the green flag fell. Woodruff settled into the runner-up position while Glen Saville, Jake Greider and Campbell were the to five as Droud led lap one.
His lead would be short-lived, however, as Woodruff would drive underneath him to take the lead coming out of turn two one lap later.
Woodruff would open a quick half-stretch victory before the first caution of the night fell for J.D. Johnson as he came to a stop at the top of turn one. Johnson, who came into the night trailing Campbell by a mere 15-points, restarted at the tail end of the field to virtually eliminate his opportunity of his first-career series championship.
Woodruff led the field to green on the restart and would lead the next two laps before he suddenly slowed coming out of turn two on lap six to bring out the caution. Woodruff would retire to the pit area and unable to continue.
Droud, aboard the Ochs Brothers #1x; Don Ott powered Schnee chassis sponsored by MAP Inc./Ruff Bailey Cattle Co./Heeke Farms/Jennifer Ann Designs would inherit the lead on the restart and quickly throttle away from the field as Campbell worked his way past Saville for the runner-up position and Greider in fourth. Droud had opened a half-stretch lead over Campbell before the caution fell again on lap nine when Saville and Greider made contact entering turns three and four, battling for third, sending Greider into a spin.
Droud once again took off on the restart and would eventually reach slower cars on lap seventeen.
Lap eighteen would see the final caution of the night fall when Jeff Stasa spun in turns three and four.
On the final restart, there was no stopping Droud as the former series champion cruised the rest of the way to claim his eleventh career NCRA victory and would end up in a tie with Johnson for second in the final point standings.
Meanwhile, Campbell Schroeder powered/Maxim chassis sponsored by Dan’s Cycle/Scott’s Well Service/BEPC/Knoche Farms/JP Agronomy/HRP/DMI Penske would claim his fourth series championship in his ten years running with the series by thirty-points over both Johnson and Droud.
Greider and Hillsboro Racing Engines powered Maxim; sponsored by Auto Masters Service Center/Speedway motors/Bybee Electric would come back from his earlier spin to finish third while Saville, making his first-career NCRA start, came home fourth. Danny Jennings of Norman, Oklahoma would round out the top five.
Keep viewed to the series official facebook page: NCRA Racing Series as well as their website for year-end articles and upcoming announcements on the 2018 series banquet.
NCRA Sprints
81 Speedway/Park City, Kansas
October 27, 2018
13 Cars
1st Heat (8 Laps): 1) 1X-Don Droud Jr, [4]; 2) 9M-Glen Saville, [1]; 3) 98-J.D. Johnson, [2]; 4) 10C-Jeremy Campbell, [6]; 5) 37H-Nick Howard, [5]; 6) 6Kaden Taylor, [3]; 7) 31M-Eric Matthews, [7]
2nd Heat (8 Laps): 1) 17-Mike Woodruff, [2]; 2) 20G-Jake Greider, [3]; 3) 92J-J.R. Topper, [1]; 4) 1J-Danny Jennings, [5]; 5) 91-Jeff Stasa, [6]; 6) 24BH-Frank Galusha, [4]
A Feature (25 Laps): 1) 1X-Don Droud Jr, [1]; 2) 10C-Jeremy Campbell, [5]; 3) 20G-Jake Greider, [3]; 4) 9M-Glen Saville, [4]; 5) 1J-Danny Jennings, [7]; 6) 24BH-Frank Galusha, [11]; 7) 98-J.D. Johnson, [6]; 8) 92J-J.R. Topper, [8]; 9) 91-Jeff Stasa, [9]; 10) 31M-Eric Matthews, [13]; 11) 6-Kaden Taylor, [12]; 12) 37H-Nick Howard, [10]; 13) 17-Mike Woodruff, [2]
Lap Leaders: Droud 1; 7-25: Woodruff 2-6