Kratzer reflects on 2016 NCRA Late Model success

[rebelracewriter]

Kratzer Reflects on 2016 NCRA Late Model Success

 

Park City, Kansas – December 28, 2016 - After ending his first full season on the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products as co-crate late model champion last year with Dan Smith, Chris Kratzer laid claim to sole possession of the championship this 2016 season past. Yet it wasn’t the “high-light" to his very successful year behind the wheel of a late model.

 

“I would say winning the Hutchinson Grand Nationals (Kansas State Fairgrounds) was probably a bit bigger because it's a very tough race to win,” said Kratzer. “Everything has to go just right and you have to have a little luck. It is one race and the NCRA points is twelve races or so I don’t know. They are both a huge accomplishment.”

 

The mid-July staple on the NCRA schedule has been the high-light of every driver that has competed on the famed half mile for the past sixty-one years and his victory was the first of three he would have the latter half of the season.

 

The 2016 season was the second with the series utilizing the crate motor and Kratzer thinks it is the direction that was needed for late model racing in the region. “I love the cost of the Crate engines and with the softer tires and rule package that they have in place we turn about the same lap times as the open engines do except of you are on a big half-mile track. I think the future is good with the crates. It's taking a bit to take off but I hear of more and more people buying crates and late models right now. Of course, I miss the open engines except for the expense of them and the longevity of the engines themselves. Crates seem to last a lot longer with less maintenance and freshening costs.”

 

Besides his first Hutch Grand Nationals championship, his win at 81 Speedway in Park City stands out because “it is my home track and I actually hadn't won a late model A feature there in about 15 years!”

Kratzer plans to be back in 2017 to defend his championship and has already order a brand-new Barry Wright chassis and keep his 2013 Wright chassis that he has run the past two seasons.

Kratzer would like to thank the following for their involvement during his 2016 championship campaign. His crew chief Cameron Brewer, pitman Mike Fatkins, Barry Wright and his crew at Barry Wright race cars. His sponsors Wichita Tire & Alignment, Crone Quarter Horses, O'Hara & O'Hara attorney at law, Alan Girrens of Hooterbuilt, Kratzer Industries, Amanda Gilmer with Spastic Stickers as well as Delbert, Sam, & Dan Smith.

Kratzer and the rest of the top ten in the final point standings will be officially crowned at the series annual banquet set for Saturday night, January 28, 2016, inside the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita, Kansas.