(SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Aug. 19, 2013) – Controversy and confusion swept over the Illinois State Fairgrounds as Brennan Poole took the checkered flag as with winner of the ARCA Racing Series event Sunday afternoon.
Many in the crowd – including the public address announcer and the broadcasters on NBC Sports Network and arcaracing.com thought either hometown driver Kelly Kovski or A.J. Fike had won the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 race.
However, officials from ARCA Racing Series had black-flagged both Kovski in the No. 16 and Fike in the No. 11 for jumping the re-start, meaning Poole retained the lead.
“They told me that the 16 had been black-flagged and to just let him go (by),” Poole said in victory lane. “There was no sense racing him hard. I knew I was in the lead.”
Poole held on during the green-white-checker finish to win the race. Spencer Gallagher was second.
“I knew they had jumped the restart,” Poole said. “They were passing me before I got to the (restart) line. You can see the line.”
Many spectators in the fairgrounds grandstand appeared to think either Kovski or Fike, both local favorites, won the race.
According to ARCA officials, here’s how the scenario played out:
Just prior to the fourth and final caution during lap 96, Poole edged past Gallagher for the lead. On the re-start, both Kovski and Fike accelerated and advanced before leader Poole reached the established and marked re-start line that permits cars to resume racing once the green flag is waved. ARCA Racing Series officials quickly ruled that both Kovski and Fike had jumped the re-start and they were black-flagged as the actual leaders – Poole and Gallagher – took the white flag for the final lap.
ARCA procedures allow that if a driver is observed jumping the restart, he or she has the opportunity to “give the position back” without further penalty. In other words, if they allow the car they illegally passed to resume its spot in the running order, i.e. back in front of the car that illegally passed, then they can resume racing without further consequence.
Neither Kovski nor Fike relinquished their position to the race leader on the final lap and Poole drove under the checkered flag – after both of the other drivers had passed it – for the win.
ARCA officials made the call over race control immediately and attempted to relay the message to both Kovski and Fike, as well as the public address announcer and other assembled media. Kovski and Fike were penalized for the infraction and scored in 13th and 14th place, the final two running positions on the lead lap.
Fike told The State Journal-Register that he thought he timed it right.
“I know the 16 jumped, but I kind of laid back,” Fike told Ryan Mahan of the Journal-Register. “I did not think I passed him until the green came out.”
Fans are encouraged to make their own judgment by watching the broadcast at 11 p.m. ET Friday on NBC Sports Network.
WIN NO. 4 FOR THE NO. 15
Venturini Motorsports now has four wins this season in the No. 15 car.
John Wes Townley won at Daytona, Erik Jones at Berlin and Poole at both Michigan and Springfield. Poole just the third multi-race winner of the season behind Frank Kimmel’s three victories and Corey LaJoie’s two.
20 YEARS FOR SARGENT
Bob Sargent of Track Enterprises celebrated his 20th season of promoting racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds this past weekend with Saturday and Sunday events.
“Twenty years is a long time,” he said. “It’s been great. It’s because of the fans, the teams, the cars and the crews.”
Sargent has been promoting the ARCA Racing Series events at Springfield for those 20 years, but also has promoted ARCA events at other tracks, such as DuQuoin, Elko and Indianapolis Raceway Park. Sargent was the RPM National Promoter of the Year in 2011.
“This race was another exciting one,” he said following Sunday’s Allen Crowe 100. “There was a lot of lead changes and side-by-side racing. It’s always a good show.”
SCOTT ROOKIE
Justin Boston captured his second SCOTT Rookie Challenge of the race award Sunday. In his first stockcar race on dirt, Boston took home fifth place in his ZLOOP Computer & Recycling Chevy.
Boston, who trails Mason Mingus in the SCOTT Rookie Challenge point standings, has four consecutive top 10 finishes and 11 for the season.
SIX REMAINING EVENTS
The ARCA Racing Series has six races left on its 2013 schedule. The breakdown includes three short track, one dirt track and two superspeedway events. The season concludes Oct. 4 at Kansas Speedway.
SCHRADER TAKES IN THE ACTION
NASCAR driver and ARCA veteran Ken Schrader was among those watching Sunday’s race in Springfield.
Schrader, who won the ARCA race at Toledo earlier this year and finished fifth at Elko, will race again in the series on Labor Day in DuQuoin. He will be in the NBC Sports Network broadcast booth this weekend when the ARCA Racing Series heads to Madison International Speedway. He will also be a car owner for the race when Ross Kenseth pilots his No. 52 car.