Over 170 racecars and a full grandstand of race fans enjoyed the Labor Day Weekend World Stock Car Festival Presented By Maple-Tarr Chrysler Dodge Jeep at Winchester Speedway on Sunday and Monday. Blessed with some great weather, fans flocked to the famous High Banks to watch eight different divisions race during the two day show, many camped the entire weekend at the track taking in what has become a huge racing tradition in Central Indiana.
Veteran stock car race Jeff Fultz came back home to get his first ever CRA Super Series victory in Monday afternoon’s McGunegill Engine Performance 100 Presented By Great Deals in the feature event of the weekend. Fultz, who grew up in near by Ohio, and cut his teeth racing in mini-stocks and late models early in his racing career at Winchester Speedway, but has lived for several years in North Carolina while still racing and working full-time for several NASCAR Nextel Cup Teams. Fultz returned to the High Banks on Monday to get the victory for car owner Curtis Venable.
” I won my first feature here, my first championship here and it’s really cool to comeback and win this race today, ” an elated Fultz commented in victory lane. “We had struggled all weekend with steering problems, I hung in there and kept racing, then things worked out in our favor and we ended up in victory lane. I want to thank Curtis my car owner, and all the guys who worked so hard this weekend. ”
CRA Super Series points leader Chris Gabehart looked like he would be pulling into victory lane, leading from the drop of the green flag until lap 89 when contact from Tommy St. John caused Gabehart to spin, putting him and St. John on the tail of the field. This handed the lead to Fultz who had worked his way to third from the tail of the field after pitting for adjustments. Fultz had to hold off a hard charging Terry Fisher Jr., who was also looking for his first series victory.
Fisher would finish in second with Concord, North Carolina racer Dennis Schoenfeld in third. Gabehart would battle back to finish in fourth, maintaining his series points lead with only three events remaining in the 2007 season. Gabehart seemed to be salvaging a very trying weekend, after spending part of the weekend in the hospital coming back to the track to qualify after passing a kidney stone Sunday afternoon. St. John would finish in fifth. John Belott finished in sixth from his 26th starting position after showing up on Monday and missing Sunday’s qualifying.
Mike Stacy put on a strong performance is winning the Fire Bottle 40 for the American Modified Series on Monday. Stacy fought through the field to grab the lead from series point’s leader Bud Perry, he pulled out to almost a half lap lead before a late caution tightened the field. Perry would battle back but could never make a pass as Stacy would grab the win with Perry second, Jason Dietsch in third, Greg Stapleton in Fourth and Scott Tomasik in fifth. Dietsch came from eighth to win the 10-lap dash on Sunday night.
The recently revived US PRO Series had six cars compete in its Sneak Peek 35 that showcased the highly competitive crate engine late model series that will return as part of the Winchester 400 weekend in October. Al Cook Jr. got the win over brother Tommy Cook with Bob Varney in third in his first ever appearance on the High Banks with Bob Sibila Jr. in fourth and Royce mason in fifth.
The Short Track Truck Series returned as part of the 2007 World Stock Car Festival, they last competed on the High Banks during the 2005 event. Veteran Indiana racer Steve Blair fought off fellow Hoosier Jared Waldhoff to get the win for the Michigan based series. Keith Winncek got third, Justin Claucherty was fourth with Paul Schaffer in fifth. Sunday night’s heat races were won by Stuart Quakenbush and Jared Waldhoff, Waldhoff was the fast qualifier of the 19 trucks that took times.
The Howe CRA Sportsman, CRA Street Stock and Vore’s Welding & Steel CRA FWD Compacts were also on hand for the annual World Stock Car Festival presented by Maple-Tarr Chrysler Dodge Jeep.
Charlie Hanna beat a hard charging Rick Rinehart to become the first multi-feature winner with the Howe CRA Sportsman series in 2007 taking the Maple-Tarr 40 on Monday afternoon. Hanna started eighth and worked his way through the field to second place behind Dean Baker who had built up a large lead. When Baker spun in the first turn hitting the wall and ending his day, Hanna inherited a spot he never gave up.
“We were really lucky today, I was settling in thinking we were going to finish second, when he had his problem and we were there to take the win. ” Hanna said.
The Howe CRA Sportsman heat races on Sunday featured wins by Billy Hutson and Rick Tackman Jr. Charlie Hanna was the fast qualifier of the 20 cars that took times.
The CRA Street Stocks Calvin Parham took the lead from Brian Hopkins on lap 26 of the MAX Rocks 40 and held off all comers to win. Parham made a miraculous save after contact with another car caused him to slide sideways going into turn one and still came out the leader as the other car spun. With five laps to go, Rich Boyer caught up following a caution and nearly passed him several times, including crossing the finish line side by side, but he could not get ahead.
“I don’t know how I saved it in the first turn, but the front end was not right after that and bumped and grinded the rest of the way. But it held together long enough for me to win. ” An elated Parham stated.
The Street Stock heat races on Sunday featured wins by Winston Wood, Phil Evans, Brian Hopkins and Johnny Magee. This victory was the first win in a stock car by Wood at any track. Rich Boyer was the fast qualifier of the 34 teams that took times.
The Vore’s Welding & Steel CRA FWD Compacts featured a first time winner in that series when Plymouth Indiana’s Matt Noren won Monday’s Winchester 20, in his first ever race on the High Banks. Noren ran just head of second place finisher Brian Redmond. Redmond jumped out to the early lead from his fourth starting position leading the first 12 laps of the race before Noren worked his way through traffic from his 11th starting position. Noren caught Redmond and passed him to take the win.
AJ Ridner won his first Vore’s Welding & Steel CRA FWD Compact feature Sunday night coming from the tail to win the Winchester 20. “The odds were in our favor tonight, we got in front and held on and our luck held out. I am really happy to win here at Winchester, and want to say a big thank you to Jim Winters for helping make this happen. ” A very happy Ridner stated. Randy Walton finished second and Derick Young third. Greg De St. Jean and Brian Redmond won the heat races.
Sunday night racing featured the Thunder/Enduro cars with veteran Anderson Speedway racer Rod Phipps taking the win in one of the best races of the entire weekend. Phipps was sure about who was behind him for most to race, and Mike Riddle, Jr. made sure he did not forget he was there, as Tom Gossar ran up in the front (after starting on the tail) making it a three way dogfight to the end with Rod having just enough to win.
“Mikey let me know he was back there, several times. Last night at Anderson the shoe was on the other foot as I chased him and let him know I was there. But it was fun. ” Commented Phipps after the win.
Riddle finished second, Gossar a close third and Randy Hoppes battled to get a third place finish. Gossar and Jason Thompson won the heat races.
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