Hudson Drives To Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stock Shadybowl Victory

DEGRAFF (OH) August 24, 2019 – For the second year in a row Owensboro, Kentucky Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stock driver Brett Hudson steered his #00 Chevrolet to the Shadybowl Speedway (OH) CRA Street Stock Four Crown 200 victory. A race rescheduled from early spring, Hudson would chase local shoe, Buck Purtee for the whole first half staying within striking distance in the top four all evening. The strike would come with less than 20 laps to go when Hudson willed his way to the lead and then fend of the charge of another local, Don Mahaffey Jr., on a late race restart to secure the win.

“When we got into the lapped traffic the last half I was able to close ground and I got a run on him,” noted Hudson. “Trying to pass him clean me and Buck are buddies. There was a little rubbing, that’s short track racing, there was a little beating and banging. To get this win two years in a row feels good. Track position mint so much tonight, on those restarts you just have to go, you can’t just ride here. So, it worked out tonight.”

23 well prepared Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks would make up the pit area as Chad Pendleton would set Allstar Performance Fast Time and then draw an eight for the starting field inversion, putting Purtee on the front row alongside Pole sitter J.J. Schafer, Hudson would start sixth. By lap three Purtee had scooted out on top of the field showing the way. The first 100 laps saw five yellow flags as Purtee was on cruise control. Both Hudson and Josh Poore would move into contention and run with the leader, but unable to mount a charge as the 10-minute halfway break came up.

After the break the last 100 laps turned into a barn burner as Purtee took up right where he left off, at the front. This time, however, Hudson and Poore stayed right in his tracks. Poore would move by Hudson to second until three laps later Hudson repaid the favor on his way after the leader back to second. Just two yellows dropped as Hudson was mounting his charge and would get inside Purtee after a timely friendly tap just enough to get inside. The next lap Hudson was the leader and with seven to go the yellow would once again come out for the final time. A double file restart with Purtee on the outside, the first time all night. This proved fatal as Purtee got stuck there as Hudson moved on as Poore and now Mahaffey Jr. blasted by. The next lap Mahaffey Jr. blew by Poore, but too late. Hudson willed his way to the checkered flag, Mahaffey Jr. was second, Poore third, Purtee survived for fourth, and Andrew Teepe was fifth.

“I felt like I had the best car all race long,” added Hudson. “I just kept having to start on the outside on those restarts. I would lose a spot or two every time. I just knew that was not going to work out, so, I just had to get to the bottom as quick as I could, it is so hard to pass here. At the halfway break we just cleaned up some things fixed some damage and went back out, the car was good.”

The win gives Hudson two straight Four Crown victories after also winning the August 10th Four Crown event at Anderson Speedway. For his pass of Purtee to get the win, Hudson was awarded the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award.

Teepe came from the back of the field after being involved in an early on track altercation, which resulted in a torn off left front fender. For his efforts coming from the tail and being the highest finishing series points regular, Teepe was awarded the KRJ Race Products Sweet Move of the Race Award.

8.24.19 Four Crown Champion AtkinsonWith his sixth place finish, Jason Atkinson claimed the 2019 Four Crown Points Championship, which comes with a $1,000 cash bonus and a specially designed buckle from Crumrine Buckle Manufacturing. Jason Thompson was second in Four Crown points and picked up a $600 cash bonus. Teepe would finish in third in Four Crown points and received a $400 cash bonus. 2018 Five Crown Champion Jacob McElfresh and leading series rookie Dallas Frueh picked up the $250 random draw cash bonuses from the drivers that attended all the Four Crown events.

The next Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS event will be Monday, September 2nd at Winchester Speedway as part of the Labor Day Weekend World Stock Car Festival, which will be the first event of the 2019 Chase for the Championship for the series. More information on all the CRA Series is available at www.cra-racing.com.

Story By Todd Ridgeway