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October 14, 2008

KEN de la BASTIDE: Winchester 400 was a classic

It was the finish that almost 5,000 fans of super late model racing wanted to see at last Sunday’s 37th running of the Winchester 400.

The two visiting NASCAR drivers were each in a position to add the Winchester 400 to their résumé with 2006 winner and Champion Racing Association champion Scott Hantz in the hunt.

As the laps wound down I thought that Hantz used the right strategy to score his second 400 victory. While eventual race winner David Stremme and Kyle Busch both stopped for right-side tires with about 100 laps remaining, Hantz stopped the first time for left tires and a second time for right tires.

Several media members observed that with the fresher tires, Hantz would make a charge to the front. Hantz did make a charge over the final 50 laps, closed to the rear deck lid of Busch’s Toyota and then faded, eventually finishing third.

Hantz said his car became difficult to drive after the final stop, and he opted to place third and clinch the CRA title instead of wrecking his mount.

The one surprising thing about the Winchester 400 was that there were far too many caution periods early in the race.

Many of the contenders were taken out by on-track incident including Brian Rievley, Rick Turner, Boris Jurkovic, Mitch Cobb and Jeff Lane.

Even Busch explained that he was surprised that so many drivers seemed to want to wreck during the 400-lap event. Before the race, drivers commented their strategy was to drive cautiously early in the race and then run hard in the final 50 laps.

From a spectator’s perspective it appeared that the entire field turned the level of competition up a notch with 150 laps remaining. There was Hantz and Busch rubbing each other coming off the fourth corner while battling for the lead, and Stremme getting into Rievley entering the third corner.

Busch and Hantz had differing views on their battle for the lead. Hantz said he was holding his line and, after twice making contact with Busch, decided to back off. Busch believed that Hantz was blocking like it was the final 10 laps and should have let the Las Vegas driver take the lead.

Whatever the case might have been, it was good racing.

I was disappointed to hear that longtime late model competitor Bull Baker say that he was retiring because the cost of racing got too expensive. Baker was always fast at whatever track he was competing. I can still vividly remember the night he captured the Anderson 400 and the broad grin on his face.

I hope that Sunday was not Baker’s last appearance in a CRA late model race and that the necessary sponsorship dollars will emerge to keep him behind the wheel for a few more years.

In other racing news:

• Anderson Speedway closes out its 2008 season Saturday with a 100-lap feature for the Front Wheel Drive division and a 200-lap endurance race for the Thunder Cars. Racing starts at 7 p.m.

Ken de la Bastide can be reached at (765) 454 -8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com.

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