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| - The Race::2008 Winchester 400 was a CRA Super Series event held at Track::Winchester Speedway on October 12, 2008. NASCAR driver David Stremme returned to his Midwestern roots to claim the victory in the prestigious Winchester 400, holding off fellow NASCAR star Kyle Busch. "I am tired," remarked Stremme after sitting next to his car in victory lane. "I love this race, I feel like I have finished my short track portion of my career and this was unfinished business. I really want to support short track racing and Winchester Speedway. Charlie Shaw the owner of Winchester is very special to me, he helped me a lot in my career and I really appreciate it!" The South Bend, Indiana native had been attending the legendary Winchester 400 for most of his life and had developed a deep love affair with the race and a close friendship with Charlie Shaw. Sunday was his 10th time to compete in the Winchester 400. Stremme had to hold off the hard charging Busch who closed right on his bumper over the final laps but could not make the pass. Stremme was forced to start at the tail of the 36-car field because he missed qualifying while at the NASCAR events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch had 2007 Winchester 400 winner Ryan Lawler practice and qualify his car in ninth place for him on Saturday. Series rules permit a car qualified in the top-20 to drop to only 20th in the starting line-up in the event of a driver change, which happened when Busch got in the car for the race on Sunday. The pair worked their way through the field with Busch leading the event for 52 laps on two occasions. Stremme got the lead from Busch by getting out of the pits first after all the lead lap cars pitted on lap 326. From there Stremme held on to get the much desired victory; it was his second CRA Super Series victory of his career. Busch was trying for the fourth time to get a win in the Winchester 400. "I guess I’m going to have to come back and try again to get my name on the Winchester 400 winners T-shirt," remarked Busch after the race. "I like to come out and support the local racing. This is where the new drivers from NASCAR come from, this is great competition, and we need to keep people coming to the local tracks and supporting these races." 2006 Winchester 400 winner Scott Hantz finished in third after also leading the event for 59 laps. With the third place finish the Angola, Indiana, native secured his record breaking third CRA Super Series Championship with one point’s event still left on the 2008 schedule. Oklahoma City native Donnie Wilson fought back from being three laps down to finish in fourth place right behind Hantz. K & N Filters Rookie contender Aaron Pierce finished one lap down in fifth place earning the K & N Filters Rookie Of The Race Award. 2007 series Champion Chris Gabehart finished one lap down in sixth after leading the first 133 laps of the event. Gabehart earned the Schoenfeld Headers Lap Leader Award for leading the most laps. Brent Jack was nine laps down in seventh. Justin Alsip was 15 laps down in eighth. Jason Shively came back after repairs from being involved in a lap 207 wreck to finish ninth. Kenny Tweedy finished in tenth place. Gabehart set a new track record in getting the Appleton Rack & Pinion Fast Qualifier Award on Saturday evening. Stremme and Alsip earned Hoosier Racing Tire Performance Awards. Stremme received the ISKY Racing Cams/Lane Automotive Hard Charger Award after gaining 35 positions to get the win. Stremme also got the ARP Bodies Cool Move Of The Race Award for his pit crew getting him out in front of Busch on the last pit stop. Jeff Fultz got the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway Leader Award bonus money. Event lap leaders included Gabehart with 133 laps lead, Stremme with 75 laps lead, Hantz with 59 laps lead, Busch with 52 laps lead, Fultz with 49 laps lead, Rick Turner with 27 laps lead and Boris Jurkovic with 5 laps lead. Those seven leaders split $10,000 in lap leader bonus money as each lap was sponsored at $25 a piece.
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