Travis Braden scored the win in Sunday’s CRA Fall Brawl, clinching the ARCA/CRA Super Series championship in the process. Photo courtesy CRA Media
All Travis Braden had to do during the CRA Fall Brawl 2013 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, IN, was simply take the green flag in the main event of the weekend to clinch the 2013 ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS Championship.
The Wheeling, WV standout did more than that as he took advantage of a pivotal multi-car pile-up which started when the top two cars on the track, defending Fall Brawl Winner, Brian Campbell and former Winchester 400 Winner, Boris Jurkovic collided going into turn one on a lap 85 restart resulting in a massive 11-car melee. Braden swerved by the incident unscathed, inherited the lead, and would then fend off a hard-charging Jeff Cannon to win his fourth ARCA/CRA Super Series race of the 2013 season and stamping an exclamation point on his title winning season.
“It’s finally official and I don’t think the championship could have been earned in any better way, in victory lane,” the emotional and jubilant driver said in victory lane. “We had a great car all weekend, but it looked like we were going to have to settle for a solid third place run, which I was pretty content with because I was having a hard time seeing because of an enormous amount of oil that was on our windshield from another competitor’s car.”
After winning his fourth EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Award of the season the day before, his inversion draw of a seven would see his #01 West Virginia University / Chevrolet start from the inside of the fourth row. He moved his way up to third and that’s where he stayed as race leader, Campbell and the second place car of Jurkovic were setting a torrid pace as the first 85 laps went caution free.
“I was kind of wanting to just get it over with in a way, but boy am I glad I was thinking the wrong way,” Braden said. “When the caution came out I told the guys I felt like a sitting duck because I was having to be so cautious off the corners, but they convinced me I could hang in there. Just one of many times this season they have helped me think about the positives and I think it really makes a difference. Lucky for us we restarted on the inside and we missed the huge pileup.”
After inheriting the lead, Braden would fight off Cannon to score win number four of the season.
“I can’t think of a more perfect scenario heading into the Winchester 400,” Braden said. “A championship in the books, two straight wins, three out of the last five and Winchester is probably our strongest race track. There’s really nothing I would love more than a 400 win, and I’m confident we’ll be as good or better as we normally are. We’ll see if we can ‘dethrone’ JVD (Johnny VanDoorn). It could be one of the most thrilling 400s in recent memory with all he has on the line and all the fierce competitors looking for that oh so special Winchester 400 victory.”
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Cannon, a regular in the weekly Super Late Models division at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Indiana fought valiantly, but settled for a career high second place finish.
Brett Robinson posted a career high finish of a third for a first ever visit to the podium, while Jurkovic recovered from lap 85 pile-up to post a fourth place. Scott Hantz wrapped up the top five.
Chad Finley, one of several cars that was involved in the race changing accident, managed a sixth place finish in a mangled racecar while Kenny Tweedy, who did not qualify due to mechanical issues the day before, started 26th and charged through the field to post a seventh place run. Eddie Hoffman would collect an eighth place finish.
19-year-old Brandon Oakley was the highest finishing Rookie in the field by crossing the stripe in ninth. Brent Downey, who started last, 27th, also picked his way through the field and would complete the top 10.
The final jewel in the $100,000 JEGS Triple Crown Series for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS is also the final points race of the 2013 racing season and one of the most prestigious short track races in the world; the 42nd running of the Winchester 400, which is held at the legendary 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana on Friday-Sunday, October 11-13.
For more information, visit cra-racing.com.
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