Cordele —
In front of a standing room only crowd at Watermelon Capitol Speedway, Kyle Busch ran past the field to capture the win in Sunday’s CRA Super Series Speedfest 200.
With three-wide racing the first three laps out for spots 8-15, followed by side-by-side racing for much of the first half of the race, Jeff Fultz left the track on lap 97 and went into the creek off of turn 3 after hitting an oil patch for a wild ride that marked the halfway mark of the race.
After the car was pulled out of its perch, Fultz managed to drive it back onto the track and actually finished the race on the lead lap.
On the re-start, Busch took the lead from polesitter Bubba Pollard and there were several cautions and a rolling red caused by a grass fire in the turn 3 grass outfield.
Busch went on to win the lead-off race of the season when he got past Pollard and Unadilla native David Ragan who finished second and third, respectively. "It's awesome to come down to the south to see a full grandstand,” Busch said before thanking everyone for “coming out to see us race."
Busch, who captured back-to-back CRA SpeedFest victories in 2009 and 2010, returned to the event after a one-year absence. Chase Ellliott won last year’s competition.
Elliott wins Rheem 150
On a beautiful Georgia Sunday afternoon, the Rheem 150 race was filled with fast and furious action featuring three-wide racing at times and action all the way around the track.
Chase Elliott, the 16-year-old son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, sped to the win when two cars spun on the white flag lap allowing him and Mike Garvey to thread the needle. Elliott then became the first to take the checkers.
Given one of the biggest cheers from the crowd while in victory lane afterwards, young Elliott said he “didn’t know if it was our strongest (showing) or not, but it worked out and we got to the front."
RACE NOTES: Pollard started on the pole for both races after a 3 invert was drawn for the Rheem 150 and a 5 invert was pulled for the CRA Super Series Speedfest 200. ... Elliott set the fastest time with a lap of 15.839 seconds. ... Due to two cars not being able to continue, the last chance race was cancelled allowing all 32 cars on hand to start the race. ... In the No. 2 spot for the SpeedFest 200 was John Hunter Nemechek, followed by Busch at No. 3, Erik Jones at No. 4 and Ragan at No. 5. ... With a lap of 15.609 followed by Erik Jones at 15.685, Ragan was the fastest of seven drivers to break the old track record of 15.756 seconds, or 91.394 mph, set April 4, 2009, by Ryan Seig.
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Related Photos
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NASCAR competitor Kyle Busch (L) is interviewed after winning the CRA Super Series Speedfest 200 race this past weekend at Watermelon Capital Speedway. Photo courtesy Champion Racing Association
Busch, Elliott prevail in local speedway race
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