By Paul Warner

KENLY, N.C. -July 19, 2008- Mark McFarland held off Michael Ritch to win the Crane Cams 250 presented by Awesome Awnings at Southern National Raceway Park on Saturday night.

McFarland, driver of the No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevrolet, took the lead from Ritch on Lap 178 and survived several late-race restarts en route to his third Greased Lightning Southern Division event in a row.

“I was worried about Michael on those restart, because you never know what he saved or what he’s going to pull out,” said McFarland. “I thought our car was better, but I was worried until the checkered flag fell tonight.”

Ritch didn’t think McFarland should have worried too much.

“Mark had a great car,” said Ritch, driver of the No. 28s Support Our Troops Ford. “He was definitely faster from the center off. We got him by [pitting early], but that didn’t work this time. He had the dominant car.”

In the first half, Wade Day and Caleb Holman looked to have the best cars in the field. After slipping by pole-sitter Clay Rogers on the first lap, Day, driver of the No. 96s Lopez Wealth Management Ford, led the first 60 laps until Holman took over. The two pulled away from the field and elected not to pit when most of the leaders took tires before the halfway mark.

Holman finally came to pit road after halfway, but Day held the lead until Lap 161, when he finally came to pit road.

Holman charged back to finish fourth, but Day was caught up in a minor mishap and finished 11th.

“If I had to do it over again, I would have done the same thing,” said Holman, driver of the No. 75s Food Country Chevrolet. “The only thing I would’ve done different was pass them faster after I stopped.”

Rogers, driver of the No. 54s C&C Boiler Chevrolet, didn’t lead a lap after starting from the Awesome Awnings Pole, but he did pick up his first podium finish since joining JCR3 Racing.

“We’re headed in the right direction,” said Rogers. “With amount of competition in this series, if you can run in the top three, especially with the late start we got this season, you’ve done something. It’s coming together, and I feel our first win is right around the corner.”

Jay Fogleman, driver of the No. 4n Speedco/The Works Ford, continued his hot streak by completing the top five.

Drew Herring, driver of the No. 22s BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors Ford, picked up $1,000 and the Miller Lite Rookie of the Race Award for his ninth-place effort.

RESULTS

Unofficial Results

1. Mark McFarland
2. Michael Ritch
3. Clay Rogers
4. Caleb Holman
5. Jay Fogleman
6. Bobby Gill
7. Billy Bigley Jr.
8. Carl Long
9. Drew Herring
10. Gary Helton
11. Wade Day
12. Kirk Leone
13. Joey Coulter
14. Tom Hessert
15. Matt Hawkins
16. Hunter Robbins
17. Dakoda Armstrong
18. Woody Howard
19. John Gibson
20. Matt Lofton
21. J.P. Morgan
22. Larry Barrett
23. Bryan Silas
24. Lucas Ransome
25. Dana White
26. Mark Whitaker
27. Allen Purkhiser
28. Dusty Williams
29. Rusty Skewes
30. Michael Phelps
31. Dange Hanniford

Have an opinion on this story? E-MAIL KARNAC to send a letter to the editor!