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Brown Bags Win, Peters Snags Title in NCRA Sprint Finale FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 27, 2008 - Park City, Kansas - Brian Brown of Grain Valley, Missouri took advantage of a late race restart to snare the O'Reilly/NCRA Sprint Car presented by ICM/Ethanol feature while veteran Mike Peters locked up his second career series championship as the series concluded their 2008 season Saturday night at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas. Peters started on the outside front row for the 25 lap feature but it was Oklahoma City driver Larry Neighbors leading the field into turn one as the green flag fell. The initial start would quickly fall under caution as rookie Cody Forshee and Don Droud, Jr. got together entering turn two. Droud's Ochs Brothers racing crew would make front end repairs in time for the Lincoln, Nebraska veteran to rejoin the field before race went back under green. On the complete restart, Neighbors would again jump out front and would lead the first lap with Marc Robe, Peters, Zach Chappell and A.J. Selenke in tow. Neighbors lead would be short lived, however, as lead would get around the leader down the backstretch to take the lead on lap two. Robe would set the pace the next several laps and opened up a six car length advantage over Chappell, who passed Peters and Neighbors two laps earlier for the runner up position. Chappell would use the top side of the 3/8 mile oval to close the distance to three car lengths on Robe, who was working the bottom side of the track, by lap seven. Lap nine would see get a strong run coming out of turn four and would pass Robe down the front stretch to take the lead and quickly built an eight car length lead by lap ten. Robe would then lose the runner up position to Selenke one lap later. At the races midway point it was Chappell, followed by sixth starting Selenke, eighth starting Jack Dover and Robe. Lap fifteen saw Dover make his way towards the front, passing Robe for second and looked to set his sights on Chappell, who looked to have the race well in hand. However, lap seventeen saw the Talala, Oklahoma residents hope for his first career NCRA victory go up in smoke as his engine expired as he coasted to a stop in turn three. This would allow Dover to inherit the lead on the final restart with Brown, Selenke and tenth starting Gary Taylor close behind. Brown would chase Dover into turns one and two, pulling even with the leader before using the top side of the track in turns three and four to take the lead. Once out front there was no stopping Brown and his Super Clean/Housby/Ditsfeld sponsored Maxim cruised the final seven laps to record his third career series victory and become the ninth different feature winner in the eleven races held on the tour in 2008. "The track was awesome fast, C Ray did and excellent job on the track tonight," said Brown in victory lane. "Those cautions, sometimes you like them and sometimes you don't. Tonight we liked them as it went our way." Dover would finish ten car lengths behind for second, followed by Taylor, Selenke and Peters. For Peters, it was only his second career series championship, having won the series championship dirt car finale back in 1987. "This one is special, means a lot more," said the soft-spoken Wichita veteran. "This is our family owned car and we take care of everything on it. It means more that way. I also want to thank Mid-America Millwright for their help and for them coming back with us again next year." The ten lap heat races for the 38 car field were won by Peters, Robe, Gavin Punch and Selenke while Chad Humston, in only his third night aboard the Mark Burch Motorsports #1M and Mike Chadd took home the twin, twelve lap "B" feature honors. In NCRA sprint car rookie of the year honors, despite motor problems throughout the night, Norman, Oklahoma's Koby Barksdale secured the honors over Cody Forshee and Steve Richardson. The race closes out the 19th consecutive year for the NCRA sprint car division and the series already are making plans for their 360 series for 2009. If you are interested in scheduling an event, climb aboard as contingency partner or for any questions concerning the series, contact the office (316) 755-1781. The O'Reilly/NCRA presented by ICM/Ethanol would like to thank the following contingency sponsors in the sprint car division for the 2008 race season: O'Reilly Auto Parts, ICM/Ethanol, Sunoco/Simons Petroleum, Hoosier Racing Tire, Arizona Sports Shirts, Triple X Race Company, Racetech, Brodix, Vertex Magnetos, Outerwears, KSE, Maxim Chassis, Saldana Racing Products, Weld Racing Motorsports, Winters Performance, Eagle Chassis, QA1, Ultra-Shield, Taylor Wires, Auto Meter, Schoenfeld Headers, Racing Optics and Design 500. (David Smith, jr./www.oklahomatidbits.com) A Feature: 1. Brian Brown 2. Jack Dover 3. Gary Taylor 4. A.J. Selenke 5. Mike Peters 6. Mike Chadd 7. Don Droud Jr. 8. J.D. Johnson 9. Chad Humston 10. David Wheeler 11. CJ Johnson 12. Marc Robe 13. Jon Freeman 14. Brent Swift 15. Luke Cranston 16. Larry Neighbors 17. Gavin Punch 18. Zach Chappell 19. Cody Forshee 20. Dwight Schroeder
Lap Leaders: Neighbors 1; Robe 2-8; Chappell 9-17; Dover 18; Brown 19-25
1st B Feature: 1. Chad Humston 2. Don Droud Jr. 3. CJ Johnson 4. Luke Cranston 5. Jason Danley 6. Jeff Stasa 7. Steven Richardson 8. Patrick Stasa 9. Dustin Dugan 10. Derek Drown 11. Mark Schmidt 12. Jason Schroeder
2nd B Feature: 1. Mike Chadd 2. Dwight Schroeder 3. Brent Swift 4. J.D. Johnson 5. Corey Moore 6. Kyle Merriman 7. Allan Unruh 8. Zach Davis 9. Roger Sundquist 10. Rodney Droud 11. John Oneal 12. Koby Barksdale
1st Heat: 1. Mike Peters 2. Jon Freeman 3. Cody Forshee 4. CJ Johnson 5. Kyle Merriman 6. John O'Neal 7. Brent Swift 8. Billy Alley 9. Steven Richardson 10. Mark Schmidt
2nd Heat: 1. Marc Robe 2. David Wheeler 3. Gary Taylor 4. Brian Brown 5. Mike Chadd
6. Dustin Dugan 7. Jason Schroeder 8. Roger Sundquist 9. Forrest Sutherland 10. JD Johnson
3rd Heat: 1. Gavin Punch 2. Jack Dover 3. Corey Moore 4. Luke Cranston 5. Don Droud Jr.
6. Allan Unruh 7. Jason Danley 8. Jeff Stasa 9. Chad Humston
4th Heat: 1. A.J. Selenke 2. Larry Neighbors 3. Zach Chappell 4. Derek Drown 5. Dwight Schroeder 6. Patrick Stasa 7. Koby Barksdale 8. Zach Davis 9. Rodney Droud
David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com
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