Elliott and Busch Win Big in Exciting Speedfest 2012 CRA Series Opener

Cordele, GA (January 29, 2012) - Don’t you just love it when a Race plan comes together? Then you will be excited about what happened at Watermelon Capitol Speedway in beautiful Cordele, GA over the weekend when they hosted the kick-off event of the season with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and the CRA Super Series Races in SpeedFest 2012. The weather could not have been better with sunny skies and temperatures that must have made the Northern fans jealous. There was nervous energy in the air that could not be denied as the teams made last minute adjustments and readied themselves for the much-anticipated CRA season opener.

The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour presented by GM Performance Parts Rheem 150 was filled with fast and furious action featuring 3 wide racing at times and action all the way around the track. Chase Elliott came to the win as 2 cars spun on the white flag lap and Elliott and Mike Garvey threaded the needle to come in to take the checkers for the win. In victory lane, Elliott got one of the biggest cheers from the crowd and said, "I don't know if it was our strongest or not, but it worked out and we got to the front."

In the CRA Super Series race Kyle Busch ran past the field to capture the win in the Speedfest 200. With 3 wide racing the first 3 laps out for 8 - 15 spots, followed by side-by-side racing for much of the first half of the race, on lap 97, Jeff Fultz left the track and went through the dry creek off of turn 3 after hitting an oil patch for a wild ride that marked the end of the first half of the race. After the car was pulled out of its precarious landing spot, Fultz was able to drive it back to the track and finished the race on the lead lap. In the second half, Busch took the lead from Bubba Pollard, after several cautions and a rolling red caused by a uniquely unexpected and wildly unheard of grass fire in the turn 3 dry brush outfield caused by recent drought conditions in the region. Busch went on to win the lead off race of the season past Pollard and fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Ragan who finished 2nd and 3rd. Race winner Busch said, "It's awesome to come down to the south to see a full Grandstand. Thanks to you all for coming out to see us race."

John Hunter Nemechek, the fourteen year old son of NASCAR Star Joe Nemechek, took home the RaceTrailerSales.com Halfway Leader Award for holding the lead at the halfway mark of the Speedfest 200.  He also received the AR Bodies Cool Move of the race for passing Busch and Pollard to take the lead in the early part of the race.

Following the break in the SpeedFest 200 for the CRA Super Series, the cars were lined up according to many tires they changed at the break.  Elliott started on the pole as the only car to take zero tires.  Busch took the lead from Elliott on the first lap of the second half of the race and held it to the restart following a caution on lap 171.  Pollard took back the lead after a long, hard charging chase for the front spot, biding his time with much patience and total focus to take the lead after following in Busch’s tire tracks for many, many laps.  Busch retook the lead on the 184^th lap and ran away to see the checkers wave for the wildly popular win. 

The practice rounds opened on Saturday, the Top 5 CRA Super Series Speeds were done by Garvey, Erik Jones, Busch, John Hunter Nemechek and Elliott posted fast times that unofficially broke the track record at 15.831, 15.836, 15.850, 15. 858, 15.871, and 15.884 respectively which had less than a one second differential and held promise that there would be a tight field with plenty of drama and anticipation for the starting line-up results for the 35 car field. In the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour practice, while no track records were threatened, Daniel Hemric, Mike Garvey, Chase Elliott, Bent Downey and Kyle Benjamin rounded out the top 5 with the fastest practice circuits of 16.005, 16.014, 16.152, 16.156, and 16.167 that proved again that a promising strong showing that left the field with another less than one second differential time from all 32 contenders from top to bottom.

In a sport where Lady Luck often plays an unanticipated role, the 3 draw on the invert in which Chase Elliott posted the top qualifying time gave Bubba Pollard the unexpected pole in the Rheem 150 race pole, and a 5 draw on the invert by CRA Super Series by WearCrete Racing Fast Qualifier Ragan led the way for Pollard to get the nod for the poll once again. There was palpable excitement in the air as the fired-up crowd cheered for their favorites and the starting line up was set for the Battles to come in the wildly anticipated Feature Races at Speed Fest 2012.

On Sunday, despite having to deal with a change of venue from Lanier National Speedway to Watermelon Capital Speedway just 10 days before the event, there was a huge crowd who had waited all winter for their race fix, and they would not leave disappointed. On Sunday, Ragan and Busch headlined an autograph session of the events drivers that was a dream encounter for many of these excited fans who stood in long lines to meet their racing heroes. The cars for both races were parked along the front straight-away as fans poured onto the track to have a closer look at these machines as they took pictures and made instant memories, not to mention many smiles and spontaneous laughter as the energy built for the 2 races to come.

At the end of the night, many race fans were overheard saying with excitement that this was some of the best racing they had seen in this area in quite some time, with that same energy bound to carry over to one of the most competitive schedules ever  assembled in the Series history.  Many loyal followers are already beginning to make their plans to follow yet another exciting CRA Racing Season that will kick off the main portion of the shows with the CRA Super Series at Anderson Speedway on Saturday, April 14, 2012, the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour presented by GM Performance Parts will start their action packed season at Plymouth Speedway on Sunday, April 22.  For more information see www.craracing.net.