Rookie Takes Anderson 75

Anderson, IN (July 31, 2010) – In only his sixth start with the Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman series Brett Robinson found himself with his first Top Five finish and his first trip to Victory Lane. The Anderson 75 at Anderson Speedway Saturday night started with John Heck on the pole after the invert. Heck took an early lead and held it until the sixth lap when he and Terry Cater came together causing Heck to spin and both he and Cater were sent to the tail. Joe Beaver then took the lead with Keith Sterkowitz in second. They raced nose to tail for over 30 laps until Sterkowitz drove under Beaver in the second turn, but came up into him causing Beaver to spin, sending both cars to restart on the tail, leaving Robinson on the point. Robinson then held off a hard charging Charlie Hanna fort the last 35 laps as Hanna looked under and on the outside of Robinson, but Hanna could not finish the pass giving Robinson the win. Hanna finished second, Mark Lambert third, Eldon Wright fourth and Sterkowitz fifth.


"I want to thank God for this win. My Dad really worked hard on this car and I need to thank him also." Robinson stated. "I really like the way these guys race with me. They all raced me clean; it was a good race from where I sat. I have to thank Charlie Hanna he raced me clean there at the end of the race."


Hanna set a new track record breaking Nick Lay’s two year old record by turning a lap at 13.071 seconds to win the Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier Award only a minute or so after Sterkowitz had broken Lay’s record. Hanna then drew an eight for the invert putting Heck on the pole with Rick Rinehart on the outside.


The first of 11 cautions happened on the second lap when Rinehart’s car lost his gas cap and he was spraying fuel out of his car. Rinehart retired early on the 39^th lap after getting tangled up in the aftermath of the Beaver spin. Scott Neal also was knocked out at that time while running third when he dove down to the infield to avoid the spinning car and was struck in the rear by the rear of Beaver’s car as he slide off the track.


Jason Atkinson started the day running in second place in the Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman points race with a 21 point cushion over third place Sterkowitz. During practice he broke a piston forcing him to drive a borrowed car for qualifying and the race. With his 10^th place finish and Sterkowitz’s fifth place finish Atkinson stayed in second but it tightened to less than a five point margin.


Robinson took the Howe Racing Award, the McGunegill Engine Performance Award and for leading the most laps the Turn One High Performance Steering Award. Lambert started 13^th and with his third place finish earned the AFCO Hardcharger Award and the Racing Electronics Hard Charger Award.


To learn more about the Howe CRA Late Model Speedway see www.craracing.net.
Official Results

---from the CRA website