By Ken de la Bastide
(April 28, 2014) -
Two-wide racing was the rule in the best
racing of the young 2014 racing season for
the drivers in the Front Wheel Drive Oval
Division last Saturday at Anderson Speedway.
Adam Lee scored his first career feature win
when apparent winner Nick Warner was
disqualified during post-race tech
inspection for using a set of illegal engine
heads.
Although Lee was awarded the victory, he had
to work for it coming from the 15th starting
position as for the first time this season
there was a full-field inversion.
The early lead was taken by Austin McKinney,
chased by Brian Slavey and Billy Hooten.
Hooten’s run at the front of the field only
lasted one lap when he tangled with Marshall
Clark and Jerry Dane in turn three. The
incident ended Dane’s quest for four wins in
a row.
On the restart Slavey took the lead with an
outside pass of Austin McKinney with the
cars starting in the back making their way
to the front.
The front running cars were in a tight pack
until the second caution flag waved on lap
14.
Warner took the lead from Slavey with an
outside pass entering turn one and Lee
followed with an inside pass of Slavey
entering turn three on lap 17.
Behind Warner and Lee, Kevin Henson, Kevin
Harmon, Slavey and Dylan Hoppes battled for
the third position.
Henson spun on the back straight with Harmon
following Lee to the checkers with Slavey,
Hoppes and Ron Phipps rounding out the top
five.
The first heat set the stage for the feature
event with the top six drivers running
side-by-side for most of the 10-lap
distance.
Phipps grabbed the early lead and led until
lap seven when Dane was able to get the
preferred inside groove exiting turn four to
take the lead.
Dane was followed by Clark, Jeff Williams,
Phipps and Henson.
Slavey recorded his first win ever at
Anderson Speedway taking the lead on lap
five when early leader Austin McKinney was
black-flagged for turning laps faster than
his qualifying time.
There were some fireworks on lap six when
Brian McKinney and Jesse Thomas tangled on
the back straight and the feud continued
with the caution flag waving onto the front
straight.
Hooten finished second with Brandon Lee
Cook, David Powell and Warner rounding out
the top five.
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