CRA: Kalamazoo report

Michigan's Fred Campbell Wins at Kalamazoo. Former track champion becomes seventh winner in eight races.

Kalamazoo, Mich. (July 3, 2002) - In the inaugural Sunoco Super Series event at the historic Kalamazoo Speedway, former track champion Fred Campbell grabbed his first series victory. Campbell of Battle Creek, Mich., passed Chris Orr on lap 64 and then led the remainder of the race. Campbell was .751 second ahead of Orr at the checkered of the Kalamazoo 150 Presented By Hardings Friendly Market.

"This is a great win for us," said an elated Fred Campbell in victory lane. "We have a lot of bad luck this year and were taken out early at Toledo. This makes up for it."

At the drop of the green flag, Chris Orr darted into the lead with Fred Campbell, Bob Holley, Bobby Parsley, Andy Bozell and Jeff Bozell running at the front of the pack. On the 21st circuit, Parsley bypassed Holley for third with Jeff Bozell passing Andy Bozell for third on lap 8.

The first portion of the race featured a lot of side-by-side racing. While the top five competitors shuffled positions, 2000 series champion and rookie of the year Scott Hantz and Junior Hanley began charging to the front of the field.

At lap 44, Hantz was scored in sixth position after starting 18th and Hanley was listed in eighth slot. On the 55th circuit, Hantz suddenly slowed after running in fifth place. He was finished for the evening and finished in 27th position.

Series flag Keith Ousley waved the green flag on lap 61, with Fred Campbell starting to flex his muscle. He powered underneath Orr and grabbed the lead heading into the third corner. A few circuits later, Holley dropped Orr to third place.

Just past the lap 75 mark, Campbell and Holley began to slightly edge away from Orr, Jeff Bozell, Andy Bozell and Junior Hanley as Brian Campbell began catching the front runners. The fourth caution of the event occurred on the 84th go-around.

Racing action returned to the .375-mile oval with Campbell continuing to lead and then on the restart, 1997 series champion Kenny Tweedy went spinning in turn three which caused a pile up. Matt Hagans, Evan Jackson and Bobby Murany all suffered severe damage and were finished racing for the evening.

During the final 50 circuits, Campbell was able to hold Orr for the victory. Orr passed Holley for second on lap 104. With less then ten lap to go, Andy Bozell got by Jeff Bozell for fourth place. Hanley finished sixth, with Brian Campbell, J.R. Roahrig, Brent Hook and Jeff Lane rounding out the top-ten finishers.

Bob Holley recorded his first ever pole and was the fastest of 29 cars to earn the Tobacco Depot Fast Qualifier Award. Holley toured the .375-mile oval in 13.343 seconds / 101.177 mph. Jim Crabtree Jr. was the winner of the Lane Automotive/K&N Performance Filters Hard Charger, finishing in 12th position after starting in 24th slot. Tim Phillips was the Hubler Group/Blake Carburetion Rookie of the Race. Fred Campbell and Jeff Lane were the winners of the Goodyear Performance Awards. Fred Campbell was the winner of the Sweet Move the Race. Fred Campbell was the awarded lap leader bonus from Acro-Tech Manufacturing.

The next Sunoco Super Series event is the Hargus Mullins Memorial Firecracker 150 at Angola Motor Speedway on Thursday, July 4.

-cra-