CRA: Baer Field pre-race notes

Champion Racing Association To Showcase All Four Of Its Series Sunday At Baer Field Speedway

Salem, IN (May 17, 2007) -- Champion Racing Association will have one of it's biggest shows of the season this Sunday at Baer Field Speedway in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The CRA Super Sunday Presented By Dietsch Sales & Service will showcase all four of the Champion Racing Associations series. The CRA Super Series late models will compete in a 100 lap feature, the Howe CRA Sportsman in heats and a 50 lap feature Presented By Sullivan RV, the CRA Street Stocks in heats and a 50 lap feature and the Vore's Welding & Steel CRA FWD Compacts in heats and the Vore's Welding & Steel 20 lap feature.

Defending CRA Super Series Champion Scott Hantz and Eddie Hoffman are tied for the most CRA Super Series victories at Baer Field Speedway with two a piece. 2004 CRA Super Series Champion Chuck Barnes Jr. was a surprising victor in last season's event. Coming down to the final laps it looked like Scott Hantz and Eddie Van Meter would battle for the victory between themselves when contact from behind by Van Meter caused Hantz to get sideways coming out of turn four on lap 96. Van Meter checked up behind Hantz, Barnes Jr. made the quick move to the outside to pass both from his third place running position. Barnes Jr. would hold off Hantz to get the victory. 26 cars are already pre-entered for Sunday's event including current points leader Chris Gabehart and Scott Hantz who will be trying to break the tie for most series victories at Baer Field Speedway.

Sunday will be the second event of the season for the Howe CRA Sportsman Series, the first event was on Saturday, May 5th at Winchester Speedway were Stuart Quakenbush picked up his first ever victory with the series. Rookie competitor Gabe Cerny comes into the Baer Field Speedway event as the series point's leader. Cerny finished second to Quakenbush in his first ever series event, driving the car that Al Cook Jr. took to victory lane last season at Winchester Speedway. Billy Hutson is second in points, only one behind Cerny after finishing in third in the opening event. Quakenbush is in third place, five points behind Cerny. Quay Gregory is fourth nine points out of first place with Rick Tackman Jr. in fifth 11 points out of first place. The Howe CRA Sportsman cars have been invited to compete with the Baer Field Speedway Late Models in a special event on Saturday night, many of the Baer Field Speedway regulars are also expected to compete in Sunday's series event.

The CRA Street Stocks will be competing for the third time in 2007 Sunday. The previous two events have been held at Winchester Speedway were 2006 series Champion Joe Beaver won on April 22nd and 16 year old Frank Kimmel II got his first series victory on May 6th. Beau Mitchell comes into Sunday's event as the series point's leader with 214 points on the strength of two second place finishes in the series first two events. Mitchell holds a 15-point lead over veteran series racer Rich Boyer in second with 199 points. Jacob Owens is in third place with 174 points, Joe Beaver is in fourth with 172 points and Jeff Perry is in fifth with 161 points. Several Street Stock competitors from Illiana Motor Speedway, Angola Motor Speedway and Baer Field Speedway are also expected to compete in Sunday's events.

The Vore's Welding & Steel CRA FWD Compacts are ready for their second event of the season. Jordan Flynn comes in as the series points leader after getting the win in the season opener on April 22nd at Winchester Speedway and will have the option along with Sunday's feature event pole sitter to go to the tail of the starting field to try and win the R & R Liquors Safe Driving Challenge Bonus, which has grown to $200 after not being claimed in the season opener. Bill Charles is second in points, Rex Zimmerman is third, Derek Young is fourth and Todd Kirk is fifth.

Pit gates open at 8am on Sunday May 20th at Baer Field Speedway, practice will begin at 10am, qualifying at 12:15pm, the race program will begin at 2pm. More information is available at www.craracing.net.

-credit: cra