The Central Roadracing Association (CRA) celebrated its 2013 season at the annual awards banquet on November 9, 2013. Season champions and special awards winners were recognized.
The 2013 season featured the first race action on Brainerd International Raceway’s (BIR) newly repaved course, using both the Donnybrooke and Competition Course layouts, and many class championships were determined during the season’s final event. However, 16-year-old Kaleb De Keyrel showed dominant form from the first race of the season, and won the overall expert point championship despite missing the final event of the season.
“I was really surprised to win the championship after missing the July event due to funding…and missing the September event being at NJ for the AMA Pro Racing round riding the 1-855-CzaiaLaw.com Honda CBR600RR prepared by Team Hammer,” said De Keyrel. “Brainerd International Raceway did a great job with the upgrades to the track. I have to thank Jim Wiles the Dunlop rep for the support at the CRA this summer and in the past, thank you to the CRA for giving us this great series to run. GOD for keeping me and all the racers safe, my mom and dad for getting me to as many races as possible, and to all my sponsors.”
The 2014 CRA season will kick off on May 9, 2014, when the club will race on BIR’s Competition Course
The 2013 CRA specialty awards recipients are:
Tuner of the year – Kyle Knutson
Sportsman of the year – Jon Anderson
Ride of the year – Kyle Ohnsorg
Worker of the year – JP Ashton
Most Improved Expert – Bob Barton
Most Improved Novice – Chris Henkel
Captain Hazelwood – John Staska (award given to racer who caused the biggest oil spill of the season)
Pickled Piston – Zack Hughes (given to racer with the most misfortune/mechanical issues over the season)
Where do they come from – Billy Vossburg
Partner of the year – World Wide Machine/Jon Anderson (notably for Worldwide’s support in making the updated track configuration safe for competition this year)
2013 Overall Expert Championship points finishers: 1. Kaleb De Keyrel 2. Christian Schmidt 3. Drew See 4. Justin Ebnet 5. Scott Stall 6. Brian Hebeisen 7. Kyle Knutson 8. Chase Sellers 9. Shane Keaveny 10. Kyle Ohnsorg
2013 Overall Novice Championship points finishers: 1. Jake Schmotter 2. Michael Crotty 3. Tim Ruzek 4. Chris Henkel 5. Drew Sivertsen 6. Bryan Lachmiller 7. Mason De Keyrel 8. Bradley Kreller 9. Trevor Treviranus 10. Kyle Ohnsorg (after racing the first two events of the season as a Novice before being promoted to Expert status)