CRA: Anderson: Season opener summary

BOBBY PARSLEY GRABS SEASON OPENING WIN AT ANDERSON SPEEDWAY

Anderson, IN (April 16, 2005) -- On a beautiful spring Saturday evening 2003 CRA Super Series Champion Bobby Parsley started the 2005 season, just like the 2003 season, with a win in the series season opener at Anderson Speedway. Parsley had pretty much settled for finishing third in the Anderson 125 Presented By Great Deals as leader Chris Gabehart and second place Scott Hantz had pulled away from Parsley and the rest of the lead pack with 9 laps to go. That all quickly changed when contact between Hantz and Gabehart sent both cars spinning into turn three, with both cars sustaining heavy damage. From there Parsley held off the challenges of Eddie Van Meter and Jack Landis to get the win.

"We did not have the fastest car here tonight, but when both the fast guys got tangled, we got the win," remarked Parsley in victory lane. "We didn't have a great season last year, hopefully this will be the start of a good 2005 season for us. This win was for Richard Woolums with Spray Power, our sponsor."

Parsley was the Bicycle Clay Poker Chips -- Menards Fast Qualifier out of 33 cars that were on hand for Saturday night's event. Parsley's qualifying time on the banked quarter mile track was 11.973, bettering Wisconsin's Ryan Mathews time of 11.974. Mathew's was making his first ever start at Anderson Speedway. Parsley drew a 3 for the Bicycle Clay Poker Chips Invert, which put 2004 CRA Super Series Rookie of the Year Chris Gabehart on the pole. Gabehart took full advantage setting an early torrid pace with Mathews in tow. Gabehart looked to be in position to get his first victory with the CRA Super Series until the contact with Hantz ended his night.

"My car was just not that fast towards the end of the race and I was doing everything I could to stay out front," remarked Gabehart. "With less than 10 laps to go I was going to do anything I could to try and keep Scott behind me. We were just both racing hard and Scott got into the back of my car. Scott's a good clean racer, he doesn't do things like that on purpose, its just racing."

Van Meter's second place finish showed series regulars that he will be a serious contender in 2005 with new Crew Chief Bill Rievley. Jack Landis finished third with series veterans JR Roahrig in fourth and Kenny Tweedy in fifth, those two and six place finisher Eddie Hoffman put on a classic battle for positions over the last half of the race. Kenny Tweedy was awarded the Sweet Manufacturing Sweet Move Of The Race for making some impressive passes coming from twelfth place to get his fifth place finish and along with earning a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award.

Jason Setser was the Cometic Gasket Rookie Of The Race Award winner with a ninth place finish, the highest of the six registered rookie candidates competing in Saturday nights event. Iowa's 15-year-old Landon Cassill was the Lane Automotive/ISKY Racing Cams Hardcharger Award winner. Cassill came from his twenty-fifth place starting position to finish tenth. Cassill also was awarded a Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Award. Chris Gabehart grabbed the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway award bonus. 16-year-old Jeff Bland Jr. was the Howe Performance Award winner by gaining thirteen positions in Saturday night's event. Jeff Martin of Parsley Racing was the Marvel Mystery Oil Mechanic Of The Race Award winner.

The next CRA Super Series event will be the Manning Service 100 Presented by Spray Power on Sunday, April 24th at Winchester Speedway. The event will be run in conjunction with the Rich Vogler Classic for the Valvoline USAC Sprint Cars as a part of the Grand Re-opening Weekend for Winchester Speedway. More information is available at www.craracing.net.

-cra-