Kyle Benjamin Wins Wild Watermelon 100, Scores Title

Kyle Benjamin, seen here from earlier action, scored the victory and the ARCA/CRA Southern Series Tour title Saturday at Watermelon Capital Speedway. Photo by Brandon Reed

14-year-old Kyle Benjamin, just a week away from his 15^th birthday, picked up the thrilling victory in the Watermelon 100 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia on Saturday.  In doing so, he also clinched the 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series Southern Tour Championship to become the youngest driver in CRA history to win a title.

“I can’t believe this,” Benjamin said in victory lane.  “Especially after spinning out just a couple of laps in the race and then to watch those guys in front of me battle like they were. To be standing here in victory lane and to win the championship, this is unreal.

“After what we’ve gone through over the past two weeks, tonight was all about redemption and this whole team never gave up and here we are.”

Earlier this season, the Easley, SC teenager became the youngest driver in ARCA/CRA Super Series and JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour history to win an event in each of the premier tours within Champion Racing Association (CRA) when he took the checkered flag at Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana on May 6 and then at Lucas Oil (IN) Raceway for the ARCA/CRA Super Series race on July 27.

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When the Watermelon 100, the final race of the 2012 racing season for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Southern Tour started, Benjamin knew there was a good chance at claiming the 2012 series championship. Some circumstances would have to go his way and with Bubba Pollard coming into the weekend as the points leader by just a single marker over the Palmetto State teenager, he knew he still had his work cut out for him.

That was especially the case after Pollard won the WearCrete Fast Qualifier Award and the bonus 10 points that came with it, making the deficit 11 points. Benjamin qualified eighth quick out of the 23-car field and with only the top five qualifiers receiving bonus points, Benjamin was shut out of those making the task of overtaking Pollard for the series title that much more difficult.

Then just seven laps into the 100-lap main, Benjamin looped his mount in turn three while running in eighth spot and would be forced to start at the rear of the 23-car field.

As Benjamin worked his way back through the field, the battle up front between Pollard, who started fifth, and race leader Stephen Nasse began to intensify. As Pollard and Nasse traded paint and swapped the lead on several occasions between laps 33-97, Benjamin kept picking off cars one at a time and was soon back up to fourth place.

“I was watching those guys battle it out and I was thinking ‘they might take each other out’.  I mean they were racing so hard and they were beating and banging all over the race track,” Benjamin explained. “Then Bubba went flying over the top of the backstretch, so I’m thinking ‘alright I’m in third now’ then T.J. (Reaid) and Stephen (Nasse) got together on the next restart and now I’m in the lead with Ross (Kenseth) behind me with three laps to go!”

From there, Benjamin made no mistake over the remaining three laps and was able to keep Kenseth behind him to claim his third Champion Racing Association win of the season, one in each of the premier tours within the Salem, Indiana based series, and with Pollard knocked out of the race, Benjamin sealed up the 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series Southern Tour Championship in the process.

“This is such a great feeling, especially after what happened up at Winchester a couple of weeks ago.” Benjamin said.  “I owe this all to my crew chief Freddie Query, my entire crew, everyone at Benjamin Motorsports for standing by me and supporting this entire operation.

“To be the youngest driver to ever win a Championship, that is amazing when you consider everyone that has raced in CRA.”

Kenseth, who is coming off winning two of the most prestigious races in the short track world during the month of October, the Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway and the All-American 400 in Nashville, Tennessee in back to back weeks, fought his way up to the runner-up spot after starting ninth.

“We didn’t have the car to win today, but I’m very grateful for the finish that’s for sure,” Kenseth said.

Completing the podium would be 16-year-old Matt Tifft who made the most of his ARCA/CRA Super Series debut. The Hinckley, Ohio teenager started on the pole and stayed in the top five for most of the race to post an impressive third place showing.

“To finish third against some of the best drivers in the country and the best drivers from the South is a great accomplishment that’s for sure,” he said.  “I’m very happy for this B.J. McLeod Motorsports Team, a third and a fourth is great.”

Tifft’s teammate, 18-year-old Scott Heckert, finished fourth with Daniel Hemric completing the top five. Jay Niewiek, John Hunter Nemechek, Jimmy Doyle, Anderson Bowen, and Daniel Webster wrapped up the top 10.

ARCA/CRA Super Series
Watermelon Capital Speedway – Cordele, GA
Watermelon 100 – Oct. 27, 2012

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