Early in the 2014 racing season, Street Stock driver Craig Barham was mired in bad luck.
Winning a race or contending for a tracks points title at Columbus Speedway didn’t seem within reach.
But while Barham hasn’t won a race this season, the 2006 track points champion finished third in the points race this season. He hopes recent form that helped him consistently finish in the top during the second half of the season will help him win two of the region’s largest street stock races.
This weekend, Barham will compete in a $10,000-to-win race at Batesville, Arkansas. Next weekend, he will compete in the $2,000-to-win Possum Town Grand Prix at Columbus Speedway.
Making the feature race at Batesville will be a win in itself, Barham said.
“The big show in Batesville, it’s tough,” Barham said. “I made the show one time there (2010). There are anywhere from 150 to 200 cars there trying to get into the show. When you can make it into that show, you’ve done something.
“But it’s the same thing with shows around here. If you can get into the show with the guys from out of town, you’re doing well.”
Barham, a Columbus native and driver of the No. 43 car, described the feature he made at Batesville as “hectic” and “nerve-wracking,” noting the difficulty between racing all out and racing clean.
Barham will face stiff competition from Columbus’ Lee Ray and Jamie Sudduth, of Millport, Alabama, next week at the final race weekend of the year at Columbus. Ray finished second behind Sudduth in track points, while Sudduth has won the last three races at Columbus.
Sudduth won’t run at Batesville, but he’s anxious to run next season and head into the offseason on a high note.
“You just gotta do well on the qualifying laps to have a good chance to win next week,” Sudduth said. “We’ll start getting ready for next year, just putting a new body on, fixing stuff that’s bent or tore up that I’ve been getting by with.”
Next Thursday, Columbus will feature open practice and free grandstand admission. Qualifying and heat races Friday will feature $10 grandstand admission. On Saturday night, admission for the B-mains and features will be $15.
Other Saturday features will be the $2,000-to-win Limited Late Model / $125 to start, the $500-to-win 602 Late Model / $50 to start, and the $300-to-win Mini Stock.
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