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A
Familiar Face to Jennerstown Fans and an Indiana Family Highlight
Championship Night
Jennerstown,
Pennsylvania (August 27, 2017) – Another record turnout with
incredible racing closed out the 2017 regular season for the Super
Cup Stock Car Series during Saturday’s Jennerstown Speedway Twin
50s presented by United Tire.
Brent Nelson picked
up where he left off in July at the popular Pennsylvania 1/2-mile
with his second Pole Award of the season in his No. 80 Airtek Inc. /
Precision Auto Collision / Berg Construction Chevrolet.
Despite drawing to start up front as well, the Petersburg,
West Virginia would have some eager competition to contend with on
this night.
Codie Rohrbaugh, a
name that has become synonymous with Jennerstown, maneuvered his way
to second position in the early laps.
After a few attempts of
peeking the No. 7 Grant County Mulch Inc / 
Olson
Landscape Company Chevrolet under Nelson out of turn two, the driver
also from Petersburg found a way under and led by a bumper on lap
seven. On the ensuing
circuit, contact was made coming
out of two requiring Nelson to check up and
fall back to second.
From there, it was
all Rohrbaugh for his sixth career SCSCS victory, all of which
coming at Jennerstown, something in which the young racer who has
spent much of the year competing on the speedways in the ARCA Racing
Series is proud about.
“It’s
special because the people around here, the management, the
facilities; everything is top of the line,” Rohrbaugh remarked.
“It’s really cool to have all your wins at Jennerstown.”
Both JP Crabtree
and Jim Crabtree Jr. were able to work by Nelson for second and
third, which was only the beginning of their night’s success.
The finish for Jim Crabtree Jr. sealed the Northern Division
title up for the Muncie, Indiana driver and meant that he simply
needed to start the second Twin 50 in order to lock up the 10th
Anniversary championship.
While Brian
Harrison rounded out the top five, a sixth place finish and
Nelson’s falling back from the lead allowed Lonesome Pine Raceway
winner Ben Ebeling to claim the first ever Southern Division title
in the Potter Racing No. 44 Wrench Rags / Custom Graphics / Battery
Specialists Ford.
The second race
would see the chance at a win completely up for grabs for the
remaining competitors. Rohrbaugh
elected to vacate the seat of his racecar for his grandfather Larry
Berg to take his place for the next 50 laps.
“If it was up to
me he would have driven the first race, but it’s what this is all
about,” Rohrbaugh admitted. “I
get way more excited for Pap to drive than I do.”
Berg would have to
start from the rear of the field giving the first of the redraw
options to JP Crabtree. The
driver of the No. 42 USA Tire / For The Troops / J.R.'s Landscaping
/ Don Gnat Racing Ford randomly picked the correct pill and started
from the pole in feature number two.
After
a sensational four-wide salute to the fans during the pace laps, the
green flag flew with Crabtree getting the lead on the opening lap,
but Nelson, the relentless two-time winner from July, made a pass
from the outside and kept the top spot the next several times
around.
Both son and father
stayed right with Nelson for numerous laps before the younger
Crabtree made his best bid yet for the lead a lap after halfway.
He would cruise the rest of the way for his first career
SCSCS victory.
“I can’t even
describe the words right now,” JP Crabtree commented in victory
lane. “I’m still
shaking. The car was
unbelievably great.”
The 2012 series
rookie of the year had come close many times in the past, but
finally sealed the deal beating one of the series top talents.
“I saw that
Nelson was real tight in the center and I felt like if he would have
just backed his car off just a little bit and try to get the car off
the corner I don’t think I would have had anything for him,” JP
Crabtree explained. “But
he kept running the line he was running and I was just trying to
capitalize where his car wasn’t too good.”
It also bookended
the season in winners circle for car owner Don Gnat, who was
victorious with 2016 rookie of the year Trent Gossar at the opening
round at Midvale Speedway.
“I know Don’s
thrilled,” JP Crabtree, who also locked up second in the overall
standings, continued. “He
was on the backstretch on a couple of cautions giving me the thumbs
up so I know he’s really excited.”
Jim Crabtree Jr.
passed Nelson in the closing laps to make it a one-two finish for
the Indiana family that has supported the series since the
beginning. 2016 champion
Harvey Harrison finished fourth while Berg climbed his way up to
round out the top five.
Despite getting a
few yellows late in the going, Jim Crabtree Jr. admitted not having
anything for his son.
“It was probably
a third place car both races,” the driver of the No. 63 Jim's
Automotive / Judy's Apartments Chevrolet said.
“The first race was kind of trying to save it to make sure
I made it to the second race, and the second race I wasn’t going
to be able to beat JP. His
car was just turning so much better than mine.”
Nevertheless,
for Jim Crabtree Jr. and family, it was perhaps icing on the cake
having it all occur on the same night.
“That’s even
better than me winning a race,” Jim Crabtree Jr. mentioned.
“For me to finish second and win the championship, the only
other way I wanted it is if he would have won the championship.
I’m tickled to death. It’s
going to be a good ride home back to Muncie.”
The Jennerstown
Speedway Twin 50s presented by United Tire will air at a future date
on MAVTV, which premieres 2017 season episodes on Thursday,
September 7.
Please visit the
official web site at www.supercupstockcarseries.com,
the Super Cup Stock Car Series Facebook
or Twitter for more
information.
Click
here for Results...
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here for Current Points...
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