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Jody Harrison Wins Season Finale and Championship for Third Straight Year

The “Hurricane” struck again, but this year was slightly different from the past two.  Unlike 2010 and 2011, Renick, West Virginia’s Jody Harrison did not come into the final race of the 2012 season with the point lead.

A 15 car field was present for a rainy-but-clearing final race of the Super Cup Stock Car Series season at Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pennsylvania, part of the track’s annual Piney Lasky Memorial season concluding event.  The race for the championship was a close one with the top four competitors separated by only 23 points, and was guaranteed to come down to the wire since each of those drivers had never finished outside the top five in their career SCSCS Motordrome starts.

Jody Harrison paced the qualifying session early on with a time of 19.96 seconds, but it was the consistent point leader coming into the race, Muncie, Indiana’s Jimmie Crabtree Jr., who eclipsed that time with a 19.49 second lap earning the Boschett Timepieces Pole Award and the first five bonus points of the night.  However, in the qualifying redraw Crabtree drew a six and would have his work cut out for him for the 50 lap race.  Another championship contender, Ona Speedway winner Harvey Harrison, drew the pole and would lead the first two rows of Harrison family members to green.

It didn’t take long for the excitement to pick up, as before the first lap was even completed there were cars around in turn four.  Involved were Jimmie Crabtree Jr., J.P. Crabtree and Brian Harrison.  Harvey Harrison pulled into the lead after the complete restart and gained those all-important five bonus points for leading a lap.  It was Jimmie Crabtree Jr. though that was the car to watch as he had already climbed up to sixth place by lap five, despite some damage to the rear of his #63.

The second caution of the evening flew on lap six when Rob Morris spun around heading into turn two, nearly collecting championship contenders Jimmie Crabtree Jr. and Kevin Kromer.  Once the green flag flew again it was Jody Harrison who was applying pressure on his uncle, and made the pass for the lead on lap nine of the race.  2011 Motordrome winner Todd Peck was making his first series start of the season and was steadily moving through the field after starting from the rear, but the Stopain sponsored #96’s night was cut short when the car struck a piece of debris which caused problems with the car internally.

Jody Harrison began checking out on the field, but his night was far from over.  By lap 12, Jimmie Crabtree Jr. had moved into the second spot and was chasing down the two-time defending champion.  Harrison would maintain the lead through the halfway point before an anxious moment occurred during the second half of the race.  Jody’s #75 was caught behind the lapped cars of Jeff Zillweger and J.P. Crabtree, allowing the #63 to catch up.  It was Jody that would dive low and lap them both coming out of turn four, briefly making it three wide on the frontstretch.  The leaders continued to set a blistering pace over the closing laps, with Jody lapping the fifth place car of Brandon Harrison with ten to go.

Jody Harrison would hold off any remaining attempts from Jimmie Crabtree Jr. to grab the win, and the five bonus points for being the halfway leader and leading the most laps each were enough for him to claim his third championship in a row.  June Motordrome flag-to-flag winner Kevin Kromer passed Harvey Harrison for third place on the last lap of the race, making it that all four championship contenders finished the race in the top four positions.

Following the race, the festivities moved to New Stanton, Pennsylvania for the annual post-season banquet.  The top ten drivers in the final standings were awarded with various trophies and plaques thanks to Xtreme Trophies.  Some special season awards were handed out including Rookie of the Year J.P. Crabtree, Sportsman of the Year Rob Morris and Hard Charger Award in memory of former series competitor Charlie Canterbury to Brent Nelson.  The series’ Director of Competition Joe Schmaling also thanked longtime series officials and all around helpers Tom and Brenda Pitts , driver Lou Ansel and his wife Susan for Ansel’s Tire Outlet’s support and Keith Boschetti for Boschett Timepieces support and the custom made Super Cup Stock Car Series race winner watches awarded to the five series winners in attendance.

Stay tuned to www.supercupstockcarseries.com for information regarding the 2013 season and some more “Racin’ the way it used to be.”

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