Allman Gets Street Stock, ThunderCar Wins; Bragg, Pitts, Tharp and Noel Also Victorious
Rob Allman jumped into the lead of the spring championship race for the Street Stocks at Anderson Speedway on Saturday and was never seriously challenged.

Fast qualifier Josh Poore ran second to Allman but was only able to close during a caution period which wiped out a substantial lead for Allman. After the restart Allman again pulled away to win by 2.78 seconds.

There was a good early battle for third between Rich Boyer, Derrick Layne and Jeff Perry. On lap 16 Layne used the outside groove to get around Boyer entering turn one.

Following Allman and Poore to the checkers was Layne, Boyer and Perry. It was Allman’s first feature win of the season, which includes two runner-up finishes.

“I think the 27 (Poore) was a little faster than me,” he said. “We’re points racing and he’s not, so I really respect him for racing me clean.”

After setting the fast time in the Thunder Cars Allman led all 30 laps pulling away from Rob Wyman Sr. following a caution period of lap nine to win by 6.3 seconds.

Ronnie Rose passed Wyman for second on lap 13 with an inside move coming off the fourth corner, but he slowed two laps later giving Wyman the second spot who was chased the rest of the distance by Rod Phipps.

Shawn Cullen and Nick Warner rounded out the top five.

“The car was really good tonight,” Allman said. “Nothing better than this.”

Kokomo’s Mad Cow Racing swept the first four positions in the oval feature for the Front Wheel Drive division with Gary Bragg Jr. taking the lead and holding off Chris Teepe early in the event.
Teepe appeared to have a mechanical problem slowing on the seventh lap which allowed Jerry Dane, Gary Bragg Sr. and Frank Gasho were all able to make the pass. Mike Alley grabbed the fifth position with an outside pass of Teepe on the front straight on the 13th circuit.

The caution flag waved on lap 3 for a multi-car crash in turn one and again on lap six for a two-car incident on the back straight.

It was Bragg’s second feature win of the season. He won by 7.5 seconds over his father with Dane, Gasho and Alley rounding out the top five.

Jason Pitts held off Rod Phipps over the final ten laps to capture the Figure-8 division’s Spring Championship event with Josh Tharp grabbing the third spot from fast qualifier Dale Phillips on the final lap.

It was Pitts second consecutive win in the division.

“Rod (Phipps) has always raced me hard and clean,” Pitts said. “The car was running real good tonight.”

Rickie Tharp took advantage of lapped traffic to pass Bill Leisure with three laps remaining to capture the Front Wheel Drive division Figure-8 event.

Leisure was able to hold off Tharp’s repeated attempts at a pass until he had to slow dramatically to avoid the lapped car. Donnie Ellis Jr. claimed the third place with Nick Warner and Josh Tharp rounding out the top five.

It was Rickie Tharp’s fourth consecutive win at Anderson.

Rob Noel took the lead on lap two of the Pure Stock feature from Lisa Bickford entering turn three with an inside move to record the victory. Kenny Bickford came home second followed by Patsy Smithson.

The biggest week of the year takes place at Anderson Speedway starting on Wednesday with the Must See Racing 60 for winged sprints and a 50 lap Kenyon Midget feature starting at 7 p.m.

Pole Day for the 62nd running of the Pay Less Little 500 is set for Thursday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. with the fastest 15 drivers locked into the field. Bump day to complete the 33-car field takes place from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday.

The Pay Less Little 500 is set to roll off at 8 p.m. Saturday.