By Ken de la Bastide

(August 19, 2013) - New Castle’s Jason Atkinson make it two consecutive Champion Racing Association Street Stock wins in the 75-lap race after exchanging paint with leader Jim Crabtree Jr. on lap 55.

The racing action got off to a slow start as the caution flag waved five
times in the first 20 laps as the 27 drivers in the field jockeyed for
track position. Most of the cautions were for single car spins.

During the opening melee Crabtree used the outside line on a restart on the front straight to grab the point from early leader Larry Lathan.
By lap 25 Atkinson moved up to the second position after passing Tyler Marsh on the back straight and was glued to Crabtree’s rear bumper.

There then followed a 30-lap run of green flag racing with Atkinson
looking for a way around Crabtree. On lap 55 as the leaders’ encountered lapped traffic, Atkinson was able to get to the inside of Crabtree.

The two traded paint entering turn one with Atkinson and Marsh getting around Crabtree entering the fourth turn.

“You can’t win in the first 15 laps,” Atkinson said. “You have to take
your time and do what you can.”

The eighth and final caution flag waved on lap 59 when Lathan’s car
erupted in a plume of white smoke. On the restart Marsh, Calvin Parham and fast qualifier Josh Poore all tangled on the back straight while battling for the third spot.

Atkinson went on to win by 1.1-second over Crabtree, Dustin Burge, Colby Lane and Larry Matillo.

Josh Poore set fast time during qualifications and patiently worked his way through the field from the eighth starting position. But was relegated to the tail of the field following the incident with Marsh and Parham. He recovered to finish sixth and Parham came home in ninth.