KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Kyle Crump broke through for his first ARCA/CRA Super Series victory during Wednesday’s Kalamazoo Klash XXVII at Kalamazoo Speedway.
The 23-year-old Crump, from Brighton, Mich., battled with last year’s Klash winner and three-time Super Series champion Johnny VanDoorn. Crump, driving Stan and Judy Rosen’s R&D Racing Chevrolet No. 131, finally secured the lead in the closing laps and went to take the checkered flag with a .444-second advantage over Travis Braden, who won the race in 2017. Crump took home $5,000 for his winning effort.
Last year’s series champion Josh Brock finished third with Hayden Sprague, Logan Runyon and Austin Kunert rounding out the top six. Mechanical problems caused VanDoorn to drop out of the race after completing 123 laps, with VanDoorn being credited with a 12th place finish in the 21-car field.
Jack Dossey III led the first 10 laps with VanDoorn moving to the front on lap 11. Fastest qualifier Brian Campbell brought out the first of nine yellow flags after rear end woes ended his race after only 12 laps.
Van Doorn was out front till lap 54 when Braden took the top spot. VanDoorn came back to the front on lap 60 with Krump putting on the pressure and taking over the lead for one circuit on lap 84. VanDoorn was the leader on laps 85 and 86 and Crump taking over on lap 87 but with plenty of challenges from VanDoorn.
“With about 25 (laps) to go, I was leading and pulling away from them and there was a yellow,” said Crump. “Are you kidding, I’m about to win the Klash and I saw the smoke and then the yellow flag. There were those continuous yellows over and over (four in the last 20 laps). I had to ‘kill’ the restarts because I’m racing against the best, Johnny VanDoorn and all of them. It was a heck of a race and I’m glad that I was able to hold them off.
“Johnny and I had a heck of a race. The last 20 laps seemed to be side-by-side. I’d edge him and he’d edge me. Finally, I was able to get him. I don’t know what happened to him at the end.”
The finish:
Kyle Crump, Travis Braden, Josh Brock, Hayden Sprague, Logan Runyon, Austin Kunert, Justin Schroeder, Jordan Dahlke, Trever McCoy, James Krueger, Greg Van Alst, Johnny VanDoorn, Harold Fair Jr., Jack Dossey III, Hunter Jack, Carson Hocevar, Evan Shotko, Tyler Hufford, Scott Tomasik, Phil Bozell, Brian Campbell.