Johnny VanDoorn celebrates in victory lane after winning Saturday’s Border Wars 7-Up 150 at Toledo Speedway. Photo courtesy CRA Media
It was a historic evening on Saturday, April 20 at the famed 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Toledo Speedway, located just south of the Michigan / Ohio state line in Toledo, Ohio as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS and the ARCA Midwest Tour Presented by SCAG Power Equipment & Lester Builders came together for the first ever combination race pitting the two premier Super Late Model tours in the country head to head in the running of the Border Wars 7-Up 150.
Standing in victory lane on a cold and blustery night was a familiar name to those who have followed Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS action over the years as Three-Time and Reigning ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion, Johnny VanDoorn took the lead for the final time from ARCA Midwest Tour invader, Chris Wimmer with just eight laps to go and would hang on to collect the $5,000 payday.
“This is my favorite race track so this win is even more special with everything that is surrounding this event with the guys from the ARCA Midwest Tour coming over,” The Coopersville, Michigan driver stated in victory lane. “We broke the track record and my brother (Butch VanDoorn) is back as my crew chief. This whole crew was great and I really appreciate all of their hard work.”
After breaking the track record in EDCO Welding Qualifying by 0.173 seconds over the massive 43-car field, which was his 14th career Fast Qualifier Award and moved him into a tie for fourth all-time with Canadian legend Junior Hanley, VanDoorn drew a six for an inversion which placed ARCA Midwest Tour regulars, Jacob Goede and Skylar Holzhausen on the front row for the Border Wars 7-Up 150.
The two traveling invaders brought 30 of the best Super Late Models competitors in the country to Chief Starter, Brian Duncan’s green flag and it would be Goede beating Holzhausen and the rest of the field to the first corner to take the early advantage while the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him.
On lap 19 after a restart, Chris Wimmer, who started fifth, had worked his way up to second and would grab the lead away from Goede only to lose it three laps later. It wasn’t until lap 64 when Wimmer would work his way back by Goede to reclaim the top spot and lead the field into the 15 minute break at lap 76 of the 150-lap main over Goede, Defending ARCA Midwest Tour Champion, Jonathon Eilen, Dan Fredrickson and Nathan Haseleu who were the top five and lead a contingent of seven ARCA Midwest Tour competitors onto pit road for service.
VanDoorn, who fell back to as far as 10th and restarted from there when the green flag flew again, began his charge to the front and in just 10 laps had positioned himself in the top five for the first time of the race.
“We ran the whole race on one set of tires, so it was a race of tire management,” VanDoorn explained. “That is a challenge for me because I’m more of a wide-open type of guy. It took a lot of discipline from me and a lot of effort from my crew to hold me back for the first half of the race.”
After a restart on lap 85, VanDoorn quickly worked his way into the top three and by lap 90 was in second place after disposing of Goede and setting his sights on Wimmer who continued to show the way. For the next 36 laps, VanDoorn followed Wimmer’s tire tracks all over the historic Northern Ohio speed plant when on lap 127, he made his move and after contact with the race leader, VanDoorn would take over the lead for the first time.
With 10 laps to go, Wimmer had regrouped and fought his way back by VanDoorn to retake the top spot only to see VanDoorn charge back by two laps later and from there, it was all VanDoorn who steadily pulled away from Wimmer and would steer the Port City Racecars House Car to the checkered flag first after winning his 14th career ARCA/CRA Super Series race, which moved him into a tie for fourth all-time with Jeff Lane.
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“I started working for Port City back in high school in 2004,” continued the recently turned 25-year-old. “I started off cutting tubing and sweeping the floors for Harley (Boeve – Port City Racecars Founder) and now here we are almost 10 years later and I’m driving the Port City House Car that so many legends have raced over the years. I have to pinch myself to make sure this is real.”
Wimmer came home in second, but the Wausau, Wisconsin driver was very happy with his efforts on the day.
“We had such a great car all weekend long. We were fast yesterday in Practice and again today. We were able to lead a few times and we honestly just had an awesome weekend down here.” The 33-year-old remarked. “I have to thank my guys. I know it was a hard day with it being so cold here all weekend.”
Bangor, Wisconsin competitor, Skylar Holzhausen, who started on the outside of the front row and fell back to as far as ninth at one point, rallied to post the final podium position in third.
“We had to fight the car during the race, but we managed to get back up there and I’m real happy, especially with the cars that were here tonight,” said Holzhausen.
Inaugural ARCA Midwest Tour Champion from the 2007 season, Nathan Haseleu finished in fourth spot as Bubba Pollard completed the top five. Eddie Hoffman finished sixth as Dennis Prunty was seventh ahead of Nick Gullatta while Chad Finley overcame a mid race spin and pit stop to finish ninth ahead of Derrick Griffin, who wrapped up the top 10.
VanDoorn’s new track record was a 15.197 which measures out to 118.444mph. With his win VanDoorn claimed the Team Construction Clean Sweep Award which had grown to $500 since it had not been claimed since the 2012 season. By leading at halfway Wimmer was awarded the VR-12 Halfway leader bonus.
With a 43-car field in attendance, two Last Chance Races were needed as Mark Kraus won the first 15-lap affair over Joel Theisen while Jeff Storm finished ahead of Thor Anderson in the second Last Chance Race.
For more information about all of the series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, visit cra-racing.com.
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