James Takes Wild North-South Shootout 125
Concord, NC — The CRA Super Series North-South Shootout 125 presented by WearCrete Diamond Concrete Polishing at Concord Speedway had a little of everything – a car on its top on the second lap and another on lap 106, the leader running out of fuel during a caution with only 14 laps left and a first time CRA Super Series winner, Colt James.
Bobby Measmer, Jr. WearCrete Racing with Jeff Fultz Fast Qualifier set fast time during qualifying on Friday evening with a time of 15.688 seconds, just ahead of Jimmy Weller who turned a lap of 15.700, putting Measmer on the pole for the start. The heat races used to set the lineup for 10th through 20th for the North/South Shootout 125 were cancelled due to inclement weather when rain settled in for the evening. The lineups were then set using qualifying times only.
The CRA portion of the North-South Shootout started just after the sun set on a cool night at Concord Speedway following a very exciting day that included a portion of the back stretch fence being torn down by a car in the first feature of the day.
[11/4 Charlotte Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
[11/5 – North-South Shootout Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
[11/6 – North-South Shootout Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Jimmy Weller jumped to the early lead when Measmer spun his tires on the start of the race. On the second lap, the first of 13 caution flags flew due to a spin. On the restart Ryan Blaney slipped high sending Matt Brooks into the wall. Brooks car climbed the wall sliding along the front stretch with the bottom of the car facing the crowd before ending up on his top in the first turn, tearing the crossover gate off the front stretch wall.
During the ensuing lengthy red flag Blaney’s crew worked to repair his heavily damaged machine as he tried to get back on the track to preserve his CRA Super Series Southern Six-Pack Championship. For their hard work Blaney’s crew was awarded the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award.
As the race restarted Jeff Fultz stalked Weller as Fultz attempted to overtake Blaney for the Championship trophy himself. Fultz took the lead on the sixth lap and seemed to be the car to beat for the several laps as he ran away from the field.
As the leaders made their mandatory pit stop at the caution on the 56th lap pit road became a hornet’s nest of activity. Fultz came out last as his crew looked under the hood and the lead fell to Mark Reedy.
Dennis Schoenfeld took the lead from Reedy on the 59th lap only to have pole sitter, Measmer take it from him on lap 63. Measmer then spun out by himself coming out of the first turn after taking the lead.
During the caution Fultz pulled into the pits where the crew determined his lower control arm was broken and he was forced to retire from the race, giving the Championship to Blaney.
Schoenfeld retook the lead on the restart and held it until the 102nd lap when he spun his tires on a restart allowing Michael Pilla to run out front before Ross Kenseth took over following another caution.
Then disaster struck for Blaney. The car of Cody Humphries spun in turn four throwing up a huge cloud of smoke. Blaney drove in blind trying to get past but clipped Weller and flipped over to end up on his top on the 106th lap.
Another caution flew on the 111th lap caused by a spin. On the backstretch as the field came to the green Kenseth ran out of fuel causing the caution to be extended and giving the lead to Pilla, and with Kenseth in seventh after pitting for fuel.
On the last restart Colt James took the lead when Pilla spun his tires. James then held the lead for the last five laps, with Kenseth coming on hard. Kenseth finished second less than a second behind James.
“I ran good all night, and I knew that last restart was my last chance to take the lead.” James stated. “For me it was a good night.”
James picked up a couple of nices bonuses, $500 from Ford Racing for winning the event with a Ford Engine and $500 for the Scott Performance Wire North Carolina Challenge for being the best overall finisher between Saturday’s event and the series event at Hickory Motor Speedway in May. He also picked up the $250 bonus for being the highest finishing non CRA and PASS Series car.
Kenseth picked up the $250 CRA Highest Finsher bonus while Grant Davidson picked up the $250 PASS Series Higehst Finisher bonus. The DMR Hardcharger Award went to Kevin Love for moving up to seventh from his 22nd starting position. Schoenfeld took the RaceTrailerSales.com Halfway Leader Award. Love and Pilla earned the Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Awards.
This completes the CRA Super Series 2010 Season. The next event will be the CRA Banquet on January 8th at Indiana Downs in Shelbyville, IN. The next racing event will by 2011 SpeedFest at Lanier National Speedway in Brazleton, GA on January 28-30. For more information see www.craracing.net.
North-South Shootout Feature Finish: 1. Colt James Newton, NC; 2. Ross Kenseth Spring Valley, IL; 3. Michael Pilla Midland, NC; 4. Dennis Schoenfeld Van Buren, AR; 5. Grant Davidson Asheboro, NC; 6. Daniel Johnson Locust, NC; 7. Kevin Love Midland, NC; 8. Mark Reedy Kannapolis, NC; 9. Terry Horak Pawleys Island, SC; 10. Preston Peltier Concord, NC; 11. Cody Humphreys Olathe, KS; 12. John Coffman Live Oak, FL; 13. Jared Marks Napoleon, OH; 14. Roger Lee Newton Concord, NC; 15. Scott Hantz Angola, IN; 16. Jimmy Weller Hubbard, OH; 17. Ryan Blaney High Point, NC; 18. Bobby Measmer Jr. Concord, NC; 19. Daniel Webster Brookville, FL; 20. Jeff Fultz Troutman, NC; 21. Jason Dietsch Edgerton, OH; 22. Corey Williams Boothbay Harbor, ME; 23. Randy Gentry Easley, SC; 24. Tim Allensworth Wilmington, NC; 25. Chris Lawson Troutman, NC; 26. Joey Coulter Union Grove, NC; 27. Maryeve Dufault Sorel, Quebec; 28. Matt Brooks Concord, NC.
Sources: Gib Chew/CRA PR