Short track racing sensation Augie Grill heads a list of some of the most talented drivers in the South who have already entered the inaugural CRA Super Series South event coming up on Saturday, April 4th at the Watermelon Capital Speedway located in Cordele, Georgia. Grill has been the driver to beat in all the big late model events recently, coming off his second straight victory in the Snowball Derby in December and winning The Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway on March 8th. The Alabama native will come in as one of the favorites to win the first ever CRA Super Series South event, but will have plenty of competition trying to get to victory lane in the CRA Watermelon 125.
The Kyle Busch Motorsports team with driver Ryan Lawler has also entered. The former CRA Winchester 400 winner and 2007 PASS South Champion from Colleyville, Texas will be making several starts this season for the KBM team. Lawler was right on Grill’s tail though out the closing laps of The Rattler, only to spin on the bottom of turn four while trying to make a move for the win around a car that had spun while the leaders were racing back to the checkered flag. Lawler managed to straighten the car out and cross the finish line in fourth place. Lawler would like nothing more than to get his boss a win in the first ever CRA South event.
Veteran North Carolina racer Jeff Fultz has also filed an entry for the Watermelon 125 with the Curtis Venable owned WearCrete Racing out of Goldsboro, North Carolina. Fultz is always a favorite to win were ever he shows up. Fultz is looking to “do what it takes” to get back into victory lane after not winning a race during the 2008 season. Fultz has one win with CRA, he won a CRA Super Series 100 lap event on Labor Day Weekend in 2007.
2007 CRA Super Series Champion and 2008 CRA All American 400 winner Chris Gabehart has also entered. Gabehart, who recently relocated to Kennesaw, Georgia, will be debuting a brand new Port City racecar after destroying his last car in the Southern Slam 250 at South Georgia Motorsports Park when his right from hub broke. Gabehart will race selected late model shows in 2009 while continuing to develop his new Georgia based business ventures.
2008 Five Flags Speedway Blizzard Series Champion Josh Hamner has entered. Hamner, the newest member of the Alabama Gang will focus on the 2009 Blizzard Series at Five Flags with the goal of winning the 2009 Snowball Derby and make selected CRA Super Series starts.
Fellow Alabama veteran racer Stanley Smith was the first driver to ever enter a CRA South event, entering as soon as he received the entry form at The Rattler. The former NASCAR Sprint Cup competitor had one of his best runs in a long time at The Rattler, surviving some early damage to finish in eighth. Smith has announced he will run all the CRA Super Series South events in 2009. Alabama Hardcharger Korey Ruble has also entered, it will be Ruble’s first ever CRA points event. The South Alabama Speedway star looks to expand his Super Late Model resume with some CRA starts in 2009.
The state of Florida will be well represented in the Watermelon 125 lead by Ft. Pierce native Justin Drawdy, the Southern Slam 250 winner is looking to get back behind the wheel after work forced him to miss The Rattler, were Josh Hamner jumped in the Drawdy car and finished in sixth place. Fellow Florida driver Fain Skinner has also entered and will be making his CRA debut. Sam Watts will also make his CRA debut in the Watermelon 125, Watts has also indicated he will pursue the CRA South Championship in 2009.
The state of Georgia will also be well represented with Ryan Sieg in his S & W Motorsports machine and Michael Pope in the Bob Dilner owned BDI Racing team. Sieg is coming off a big third place finish in The Rattler and finished in ninth at the CRA SpeedFest event at Lanier National Speedway in January coming all the way from his 26th place starting position. Pope turned a lot of heads with a great run in the second half of the SpeedFest event to get a fifth place finish. He and winner Kyle Busch were the only drivers able to hook up on the outside to make some great passes while coming to the front.
The Watermelon Twin 125’s event on Saturday, April 4th at Watermelon Capital Speedway will feature both the CRA Super Series South super late models and the G.A.S Series pro late models in their 2009 season openers. Pit gates will open at 10am, practice begins at 1pm with qualifying at 5pm. The race program will begin at 7:30pm and will include racing action from the some of the Watermelon Capital Speedway local divisions and Legends. More event and track information is available at www.watermeloncapitalspeedway.com. More information including rules and event entry forms are available for the CRA Super Series South at www.craracing.net and the G.A.S. Series at www.lanierspeedway.com.
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