Nester wins at Winchester, clinches 1st ICAR Modified Championship

[NickHolt]

Brian Nester Wins Third Run For The Gun 50 Rifle At Winchester Speedway; Clinches First ICAR Championship - Hamilton, Indiana veteran and all-time career leader in nearly all statistical categories scores long sought after first title

 

Winchester, Indiana (October 13, 2015) - The 2015 racing season for the Broaster Chicken ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour came to a close with the Southern Division Championships and the most prestigious Modified race in the country; the 10th Annual Run for the Gun 50. Highlighting the second day of the 44th Running of the Winchester 400 Weekend was held at the legendary 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway (IN), located west of the Indiana / Ohio state line and east of Muncie in Winchester, Indiana, the ICAR South contingent headlined the Saturday, October 10th portion of the famed weekend.

 

Courtesy R&S Racing Photos

 

ICAR South Points Leader, Brian Nester, the all-time career winningest driver in ICAR's 27-year history, came into the weekend in search of his first career ICAR Championship. The Hamilton, Indiana veteran, who leads all drivers in career wins, top fives, top 10s and laps led, only needed to only take the Green Flag in the Run for the Gun 50 and the 40-year-old driver of the familiar #11 Burkett-Nester Racecars machine would clinch that long sought after championship. After taking the green flag to seal the title, Nester would then take the lead on lap 30 and hold off a last ditch effort from defending race winner, Kyle Purvis to score his third Run for the Gun 50 Winchester rifle to cap off a career night.

 

"We've been very fortunate to enjoy the success we've had over the past several years in the Broaster Chicken ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour. Even in the days of the USA Modified Series and as well as here at Winchester Speedway, but tonight, this is truly special," The choked up driver remarked in victory lane after the race surrounded by his crew, family and friends. "This feels great. I never thought I would get to the front with all the problems we had today, but the car was really good. To win a championship really does mean a lot. I’ve been racing for years and never really ran for a championship. We kind of got caught up in the points early in the year, won some races, and then decided to run all of them. We came out on top. This is the biggest moment of my career and all these people everywhere are the reason why we are here."

 

After Purvis broke the Track Record in qualifying and drew an inversion redraw of a 10 that placed Steve Minich Jr., and Terry Fisher Jr., on the front row for the prestigious race. Fisher Jr., who earlier in the afternoon won the Pole for the Winchester 400 for the ARCA/CRA Super Series, led the first lap before suddenly slowing and pulling down pit road out of the event. He did get the Genuine Broaster Chicken Hard-Luck award. This handed the lead to Fort Myers, Florida invader, Doug Moff, who started fourth and quickly got up to second on the first lap. The veteran Florida Speedweeks competitor would then pace the field into the halfway point of the race as Nester continued his climb to the front from his eighth starting spot.

 

On lap 30, Nester made the move that counted as he took the lead away from the Sunshine State invader and proceeded to try and pull away from the rest of the pack. Purvis though wouldn't make things easy for the new champion as he got up to second from his 10th starting spot and after a red flag for a big pile-up in turn three with seven laps to go prolonged the action. Nester would get a good restart on Purvis and fight off the defending race winner and stamp an exclamation point on his long sought after first career Broaster Chicken ICAR Top Speed Championship.

 

Purvis finished second in his #13 Farm Transport machine as the Caledonia, Ohio driver was also recently crowned the 2015 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division II National Champion after winning the 2015 Columbus Motor Speedway (OH) Modified Track Championship. The 28-year-old finished ahead of Danny Jackson's #5 Redbank Transport entry as Jackson, the 2014 ARCA Truck Series Champion, scored the final podium finishing position in third and vaulted himself up to third in the final ICAR South Points Standings.

 

Tyler Nuckles was shown in fourth place aboard his #57 AutoSmartsRadio.com modified after the Groveport, Ohio driver started in 12th position. The 25-year-old, who won the last ICAR race that was held back on September 13th at Columbus Motor Speedway, fended off veteran Bob Sibila Jr., who completed the top five in his #7 Duncan Oil machine. Sibila Jr., who started 15th on the grid, grabbed the final top five finishing spot late in the race.

 

Moff finished sixth after leading for 28 laps and also collected the Van Hoy Oil Farthest Traveler award for making the haul from Florida. Kevin Doran scored both the Allstar Performance Hard-Charger award as well as the Van Hoy Oil Hard-Charger award for his impressive 24th to seventh place run after transferring into the show as the last car out of the Last Chance Race. Travis Stepp was eighth after starting 21st while James Krueger won his first M.P.H. Promotions Rookie of the Race award of the season as he finished ninth after taking the initial green flag in 20th. Bud Adams completed the top 10 and will finish fourth in the final Broaster Chicken ICAR South points standings.

 

Earlier in the afternoon in Economy Auto Parts Qualifying, Purvis out-timed the stellar 32-car field on hand by breaking the Track Record and earning the Van Hoy Oil New Track Record bonus with a lap measured at a 16.234 which equals out to 110.878mph. Purvis' time bettered the old record by 0.030 seconds. The Broaster Chicken ICAR Track Record in Winchester, Indiana did belong to Nester who, back on October 11th, 2014 turned a 16.264 around the famed 1/2 mile. In the 15-Lap Last Chance Race, Damon Breedlove went to victory lane to transfer into the show.

 

Official Congratulations go out to Nick Clemens (Broaster Chicken ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour Northern Division) and Brian Nester (ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour Southern Division) on their 2015 Tour Championships. In addition, Donny Matteson Jr., is the 2015 ICAR North Rookie of the Year while Trei Deubel has been crowned the 2015 ICAR South Rookie of the Year.

 

For more information about the fast approaching 2016 racing season within Broaster Chicken ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour, long on to the series website located at: www.topspeedmods.com You can also follow along on the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/TopSpeedModifieds and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/ICARModifieds