CLERMONT, Ind. — Chris Gabehart scored an impressive victory Saturday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park, capturing the $10,000 winner’s share in the 100-lap CRA Super Series Late Model Circle Track Nationals.
Gabehart took the lead on lap 36 when leader Andy Hanson lost an engine and spun. Gabehart withstood a late charge from John Van Doorn, but held a lead of several car lengths at the finish.
Gabehart, along with car owner Jim Winters, were co-promoters of the event.
“I’m so excited to see this race come … and go!” grinned Gabehart. “It’s been a lot of work to pull everything together, but it turned out just about as well as we could have imagined.”
Van Doorn, who appeared to have something for Gabehart in the closing stages, was disappointed with second. He had a good look at the leader, but a caution with less than 20 laps remaining sealed his fate.
“We had a good setup, but it took a few laps to really get going,” he said. “That late caution didn’t help us at all.”
Third was Evan Jackson, followed by Chuck Barnes and Justin Drawdy.
Jeff Weston won the USA Modified feature, with Gabe Cerny taking the sportsman race and Beau Mitchell winning the street-stock event.
The finish:
Chris Gabehart, John Van Doom, Evan Jackson, Chuck Barnes, Jr., Justin Drawdy, Dennis Schoenfield, Rick Turner, Robbie Pyle, Jeff Fultz, Keith Gardner, Scott Hantz, Tommy St. John, Heath Hindman, Brian Reivley, Eddie Mercer, Jeff Cannon, Johnny Brazier, Terry Fisher,Jr., Butch Miller, Boris Jurkovic, Sean Matthuis, Scott Whitehouse, Ray Mool, Jason Dietsch, Jason Shively, Casey Smith, Grant Enfinger, Robert Maynor, Hunter Robbins, Jack Smith, Jeff Lane, Andy Hanson, Matt Merrell, Doug Mahlik, Jeff Berg.