Special from Champion Racing Association: Salem, IN (May 26, 2020) – The ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS is finally set to kick off it’s 2020 Points Season with its first ever visit to Lebanon I-44 Speedway this Saturday in the Lucas Oil Show Me State Showdown Presented by Speed 51. The COVID-19 pandemic caused several series events to be postponed or cancelled, but Track Enterprises decided just two weeks ago to lease Lebanon I-44 Speedway and schedule the ARCA/CRA Super Series season opener as part of a huge CRA show that will also include the season points opener for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance and a special non-points event for the Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks.
2019 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion Greg Van Alst is entered as he looks to defend his Championship in 2020. That Championship was the former Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Champion’s first ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship as he finished one position higher than 2018 series Champion Josh Brock in the Winchester 400 to claim the 2019 Chase for the Championship.
2018 series Champion Josh Brock is also entered as he looks to claim his second series Championship in 2020. Brock was the only Chase for the Championship final four competitor to score a series win in 2019, he got one win to start the 2019 season at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in the North/South Challenge and held off three time series Champion Johnny VanDoorn to win the series event at Baer Field Motorsports Park.
2017 series Champion Logan Runyon is entered as he also looks to score his second series Championship in 2020. 2016 series Champion Cody Coughlin is also entered, the former Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series competitor has five series wins in his career.
2014 and 2013 series Champion Travis Braden is entered, his team recently announced that they will seek Braden’s third series Championship and the team’s first series Championship in 2020. Braden is a ten-time series winner including the Winchester 400 and won this past December’s Snowball Derby. Six ARCA/CRA Super Series Championships will be represented at Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Saturday.
Other top series contenders who are entered for Saturday’s event include Michigan’s Brian Campbell, who had two series wins in 2019 and now only trails all-time series wins leader Scott Hantz by two wins heading into 2020. 2019 series Rookie of the Year and 2019 event winner Jack Dossey III is entered. 2019 Chase for the Championship contender Hunter Jack is entered. 2018 series event winner and 2019 Chase for the Championship contender Austin Kunert is entered. 2019 series event winner Kyle Crump is entered as is fellow Michigan racers Michael Simko and Jerry Andrews.
Former Winchester 400 and All American 400 winner Boris Jurkovic is entered. The former full-time series competitor had one series win in 2019, he won the Battle at Berlin 251 in August.
2017 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Rookie of the Year Carson Hocevar is entered. Hocevar won a JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour leading three times during his rookie season. Hocevar is competing part time in the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series this season and will make several ARCA/CRA Super Series and JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour starts in 2020.
There as a strong contingent of some of the best racers from all over the country making the trip to race at Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Saturday, including one of the best in the country Bubba Pollard, who won last year’s ARCA/CRA Super Series Speed 51 Super Select event at Lucas Oil Raceway as well as the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Masters of the Pro’s 125 at Memphis International Raceway. Pollard is one of the all-time winningest late model drivers currently in the country.
2019 Winchester 400 winner Stephen Nasse is entered as he comes in as one of the hottest Super Late Model drivers in the country. Nasse also picked up series wins in the U.S. Short Track Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway and in the Labor Day Weekend event at Winchester Speedway to lead the series with three wins in 2019.
Veteran Alabama racer Augie Grill is entered, Grill is always a favorite to win. Georgia Super Late Model rookie driver Jake Garcia is entered, Garcia won the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Fall Brawl event at Lucas Oil Raceway last season and finished second in the Snowball Derby this past December. ARCA/CRA Super Series rookie competitor Sammy Smith from Iowa is entered to make his series debut for the Kyle Busch Motorsports Team. Texas racer Chris Davidson is entered for Saturday’s race. Wisconsin competitor John DeAngelis Jr. is entered to make his series debut on Saturday. Colorado native Mike Neff is entered to make his second ever start with the series along with fellow Colorado native 18-year-old Cody Dempster who is entered to make his series debut.
Former NASCAR competitor Mike Wallace is entered to make his series debut on Saturday. Wallace is a former track Champion at Lebanon I-44 Speedway with several wins. Wallace will be driving the car normally piloted by his son Matt, also a former regular at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. Wallace made 191 NASCAR Cup Series starts between 1991 and 2015. Wallace made 494 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts between 1990 and 2015 winning four events. Wallace made 115 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series starts between 1995 and 2011 winning five of those events.
There will be an open optional practice on Friday, May 29th, gates open at 2pm Central Time, open practice will go from 4:30pm until 8:30pm. Pit gates open at 9am on Saturday. Practice will begin at 12:30pm with qualifying starting at 4:30pm. The 300 laps of feature racing action will begin at 6:30pm with the 100 lap JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour event. The 75 lap Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stock feature will follow. The 125 lap ARCA/CRA Super Series feature will close out the nights racing action. The events rain date if needed will be Sunday, May 31st.
Those interested in purchasing one of the 1200 general admission tickets available for the Lucas Oil Show Me State Showdown Presented by Speed 51 before they are gone, can do so by visiting www.trackenterprises.com. A limited number of tiered parking spots for cars and RVs are also available, which come with tickets as well. For more information on the event, visit www.trackenterprises.com or www.i44speedway.net.
Race Teams can purchase advanced pit passes by calling Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200 from 9AM to 4PM (Central Time) Wednesday and Thursday.
More information on the ARCA/CRA Super Series can be found at www.cra-racing.com.