Salem, IN (July 12, 2011) – The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour will head to Illiana Motor Speedway this Saturday, July 16 th for the fifth event of the inaugural season for the crate motor late model series. The famed Chicagoland race track located in Schererville, Indiana is owned and promoted by local businessman Mike Mikuly, and is the last Indiana asphalt racetrack to have template Super Late Models competing weekly. The event was originally scheduled for May 14 th , but was postponed until Saturday because of weather. Midwest racing veteran Eddie Hoffman comes into Saturday’s event as the current point’s leader with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour with one win on the season at Dixie Motor Speedway on June 17 th . The Wheaton, Illinois native has numerous wins at Illiana including two wins with the CRA Super Series. Hoffman is tied for fifth in wins with the CRA Super Series with a total of eight.
Michigan’s Chad Finley is in second place in series points, he is now only 17 points behind Hoffman. Finley has competed in several ARCA Racing Series events and attempted to make his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan in June, but a practice crash ended that attempt. 15 year old Erik Jones is in third place in series points, only three back of Finley. Claude Plante Jr. is in fourth place, 10 points behind Jones. Canadian racer Brandon Watson is currently in fifth place, only four points behind Plante Jr. The top five are only separated by 44 points, all the top five in series points are entered for Saturday’s event.
Several local drivers are entered that have tons of laps and wins at Illiana including veteran Josh Nelms, who is competing full-time with the series this season and is currently seventh in series points. Wes Griffith Jr. is another local competitor who is competing with the series full-time in 2011, he is currently in ninth place in series points. Other drivers entered with local ties include former ARCA competitor A.J. Henricksen, 2011 Illiana Late Model Feature winner Blake Brown, also Anthony Danta and A.J. Weltmeyer, the son of Mid-west Legendary racer Dave Weltmeyer.
Other top series teams who have entered Saturday’s race include Brent Downey, Jack Smith, Justin Matson, Cole Powell and Matt Puskarich. The top three Howie Lettow Rookie of the Year Award Presented by Howe Racing point contenders are also entered. In the rookie of the year points, were drivers are allowed to drop their worse two finishes, 15 year old Cody Coughlin is the current leader by only six points over Jimmy Novak III. Tom Woodin is currently third in rookie points, he is 28 points behind Novak III.
Just a reminder to all fans and teams Illiana Motor Speedway is on Central Time. Pit gates open on Saturday at 12:30pm, practice will begin at 3pm, with qualifying at 5:45pm. The racing action will begin at 7pm and will include the Illiana 100 Presented by JEGS.com. The night’s program will also feature the INEX Legends and always-popular Illiana Pure Stock divisions.
More event information is available at www.illianaspeedway.com . More information on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour is available at www.craracing.net .
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