SALEM, Ind. – The best-of-the-best in street stock racing will converge on Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery on Saturday night for the third annual Casey’s General Store GAS/CRA Challenge.
The north-south shootout, featuring the Salem Speedway Lucas Oil Great American Stocks and the CRA Street Stocks powered by JEGS, is expected to attract the top street stock racers from throughout Indiana and Kentucky.
“We’re looking for another outstanding race,” said Salem Speedway general manager Richard Deaton, who noted that the main event will be run in three 50-lap “legs”.
The CRA Street Stocks and Lucas Oil Great American Stocks will each run 50-lap feature events with the top 12 finishers from each race transferring to the final 50-lap Casey’s General Store GAS/CRA Challenge race.
The first two 50-lappers will be regular season point races for the GAS and CRA teams.
“Drivers in both of these divisions have shown their tremendous ability on some of the most demanding tracks throughout the Midwest and South,” said Deaton. “The competition level includes drivers that have competed in the upper levels of NASCAR, as well as with ARCA and various late model series.”
Heading the list of expected entries are a couple of Owensboro, Ky., drivers, Brett Hudson and Blake Hillard, winners of the past two GAS/CRA Challenge races, and Chuck Barnes Jr., the defending street stock champion at the U.S. Short Track Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Other top drivers expected include Todd Kempf, Bret Miles Jr., Will Kimmel, Brian Bayer, James Kirby III, Chuck Barnes Sr., Tony Conway, David Bayens, JJ Schafer, Kyle Hadley, Jason Atkinson, Phil Jenkins, Jimmy Kirby and others.
Miles currently leads the CRA Street Stock standings, while Kempf tops the Lucas Oil Great American Stock standings.
The evening of racing action also includes the Tow Zone Kentuckiana Legends Series.
Spectator gates open on Saturday and practice begins at 4:15 p.m., with qualifications at 5:45 p.m. and the first race rolling off at 7:10 p.m. (EDT).