Hurricane Scott Hantz rolls through Toledo victory lane once more

By James MacDonald
August 14th (TOLEDO, Ohio) - The Indiana based CRA Super Series made their annual trip to the Glass City and it's famed high banked oval. 28 cars would be entered for the 100 lap event. In all the Gold Cup outlaw late model races held at Toledo this year the Richard Poe Motorsports #72 of Scott Hantz would dominate taking the checkers in all three events. At last weekends Berlin Raceway (MI) event the Angola, IN based team had planned on debuting a new Finish Line Fabricating chassis. Mother Nature had other plans and the car would have to wait a week to see some asphalt. High temps and the chance to meet a NASCAR villain would pack the front stretch grandstands. Toledo was also holding their annual Racer's Reunion featuring several historic coupes, sprint cars, midgets and super modifieds along with some retired drivers. After CRA qualifying these cars would take to the track for some parade laps, much to the thrill of the fans.
Practice would kick off with Brian Ickler hot lapping NASCAR star Kyle Busch's No. 51 NOS Energy super late model. Busch would be qualifying his Cup car, and practicing his Nationwide car over at nearby Michigan International Speedway. The lone Canadian entry, No. 44 of Rick Brown would lose it on the front stretch collecting No. 26 Rick Turner and the inside pit wall. This would end Brown's day, while Turner and the Great Deals crew would repair the heavy right side damage in time for qualifying. The No. 0 entry of Tony Dager would also scratch from the event with mechanical problems during hot laps.

Qualifying would see a new track record of 15.437 by last year's race winner Johnny VanDoorn. After arriving by helicopter Kyle Busch would also break the track record with a 15.494 . Busch would also sign autographs for over an hour after qualifying. Kyle Busch's last appearance at the track would be in 2001, at the age of 16 behind the wheel of a Roush Racing ASA National late model. VanDoorn would draw a 6 for the invert, putting Jeff Lane and JR Roarhig on the front row come race time. Roarhig would pull out to the lead from the first lap, with Lane falling in to second. Busch would pass Turner for third while Hantz pulled into the fifth spot. By lap 11 Lane would fall back to fourth with Hantz and Busch swapping spots while tracking down the leader. On lap 15 in an all too familiar scene at Toledo this season, Busch would slam the outside turn two wall before coming to a rest on the inside of turn three. A broken shock mount would render his Hamke chassis done for the night. On the restart, it would only take seven laps for Hantz to steal the lead from Roarhig, and he would keep it until the checkers. Roahrig would come home second, a late race charge from Boris Yurkovic would net a third, followed by Rick Turner and rookie Nick Diano. Tyler Roahrig, Brent Jack, Kenny Tweedy, Nick Lay and Terry Fisher Jr. completed the top ten.

NOTES: Hantz' No. 72 has a Finish Line Fabricating chassis, Five Star Body and McGunegill engine. Sponsor are EMF Corporation, Finish Line Fabricating and . Hantz is a three time series champion and this is his second Toledo victory in CRA Super Series competition.