Winner likes it dirty

Winamac native Justin Haley didn’t know that a phone call last Tuesday, Aug. 17 from 2014 ARCA series champion Mason Mitchell Motorsports would have a storybook ending. Having an off weekend, Haley accepted the offer from Mitchell to get behind the wheel of their #98 Chevy for the 54th annual Allen Crowe 100 on the dirt at the Springfield Mile on the last day of the Illinois State Fair. On Wednesday, Haley was getting fitted to the car for the race on Sunday.
During a radio interview last Thursday with rubbingsracing.com, Haley said his first goal was to not wreck in practice, his second goal was to not wreck in qualifying, and his third goal was to not wreck during the race, and hopefully be in the top three at the finish. Rain during the week would eliminate his second goal as the saturated infield at the Springfield Mile would relegate the teams to push all of their equipment into the pits, taking up valuable time as the TV broadcast time at 2:30 EDT drew near. With a shortened day, the field would start by practice times.
Having run a lot of dirt races in mini-sprints around Indiana growing up, Haley was anxious to get back to the dirt and see what an ARCA stock car could do. Having only one short practice session, Haley would start in the 12th position for the 100-mile race. Chase Briscoe would start from the pole looking for his fifth consecutive series win.
Briscoe would jump out to a healthy lead from the beginning, and after a second caution on lap 24, Haley, running 12th, would pit with the lead pack, picking up six spots with a fast tire and gas service. Haley would later comment over the radio “it’s pretty sporty right now,” when asked about his car’s handling and that he was only “running about 80 percent.” Haley would get shuffled back twice during the race, the first time overtaking a lapped car getting very loose in the marbles up out of the groove in Turn 3, and once restarting in the second position, where leader Briscoe ran him up into the loose dirt before the green flag dropped. Unable to get any power down he finally got back in the racing groove in 12th.
As the end of the race drew near and driving the car to the limit, Haley’s persistence paid off. On lap 81 the leader got loose in lapped traffic in Turn 3, the caution would allow him to restart sixth. Then on lap 88 a three-car pileup in Turn 3 would move him into third for the restart on lap 93. The new leader, Josh Williams, and local favorite Ryan Unzicker in second battled from the drop of the green flag. Williams was powering away from Unzicker on the back stretch when they got together. Williams would spin into the outer wall, while Unzicker continued after Haley passed them both. 
Haley would then restart on lap 100 from the lead, for the green-white-checkered finish, with Unzicker to his outside. Unzicker tried to stay with Haley through Turns 1 and 2, but Haley started to get a good drive off of Turn 2 and pull away. Unzicker then got into Haley on the backstretch, getting himself loose, allowing the other local favorite A.J. Fike to drive into second place. Haley completed the next two circuits like a rocket ship, finishing about half a straight away from second place, taking the checkered flag on lap 102.
Haley becomes the youngest championship auto racing driver to win at the Springfield Mile since the first race in 1934, beating 2006 winner Justin Allgaier. It was also his first win in the ARCA racing series despite previous pole positions and a second-place finish this spring at Salem Speedway. 
“I tried to hold him (Unzicker) off the best I could,” Haley said. “I stayed strong through that first corner. I was very impressed how well he ran us, up on the outside of us. We almost wrecked down the backstretch, but we held onto it.” When asked about the finish Haley continued, “I’m a little surprised. Never would have dreamed in a million years my first ARCA win would come on a dirt track, but to be here in victory lane is super cool. This dirt track racing is definitely different; it’s tough. I would never have expected this. I’m really happy for Mason Mitchell Motorsports. It’s so cool to get those guys a win here.”
Haley’s next two races will take him back to road courses; the first on Aug. 27 at Road America with his Trans Am team for the Muscle Car 100, where he currently sits fourth in the series points championship, then to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park on Sept. 4 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck series Chevrolet Silverado 250.