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Warner Wins Enduro; Local Driver Scores Two Feature Victories

Anderson’s Nick Warner used the outside line to pass race leader Rob Allman with 65 laps remaining to capture the ThunderCar Enduro Sunday at Anderson Speedway.

The race was stopped Saturday after 93 laps when rain interrupted the proceedings and 18 of the 32 cars returned to complete the 200-lap event on Sunday.

Allman started on the point chased by Rod Phipps, Warner, Eddie Wolf, Josh Poore and Randy Hoppes all on the lead lap.

The top five cars ran nose to tail with Phipps looking to make a pass for the lead on the high groove, but he was never able to get enough momentum to complete the pass.

Warner and Wolfe pinned Phipps to the high side on lap 129 and moved up two spots with Warner immediately starting to apply pressure to Allman, who first took the lead on lap five.
With 65 laps remaining Warner used the high line on the front straight to claim the top spot. Phipps moved into second on lap 141 with an outside pass of Allman in Turn one.

From there Phipps closed on Warner but was never able to get around on the high side. Allman finished third a lap down, followed by Poore and Hoppes.

“The first half was hit and miss,” Warner said of his race. “I dropped back a few positions and being able to work on the car helped.”

Warner thanked Phipps for racing him clean over the final distance and said the jump he got on the final restart with 25 laps remaining was enough for the victory.

The first half of the race was stopped by rain on lap 60 for the first time and again after 93 laps when a persistent drizzle started to fall.

The race was stopped at lap 91 with Cullen leading the race when Joe Beaver lost a right rear tire while running fourth and Mike Riddle Jr.’s car left fluid around the race track.

Cullen was pushed to the pit area after his mount ran out of gas which gave the lead to Allman on the restart.

At the start fast qualifier Ronnie Rose jumped into the lead but Allman was at the point after five laps. Rose remained among the top five cars when he suddenly slowed on the 29th circuit and retired from the event.

After the first delay for rain at the 60-lap mark, Allman was chased by Cullen, Phipps and Beaver.

When the leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 70 Cullen was able to grab the lead from Allman and started to open a comfortable lead.

Allman never was out of the top two spots for the entire 93 laps. Hoppes started 18th in the 32-car field and turned in an impressive performance to finish sixth.
John Magee seeking to win his fifth consecutive WMDH Thunder Car Enduro saw the attempt come to an end on lap 46 when he was black-flagged for a transmission leak while running in second.

Kokomo’s Gary Bragg Jr. avoided disaster on lap 6 of the Front Wheel Drive Division oval feature when he was slammed on the left side of his Dodge Neon by Jeff Hopkins in Turn four which also collected Kevin Harmon.

The invert for the 20-lap feature was 16 with the fast cars starting in the middle of the pack and having to work their way to the front.

On the restart Bragg started behind Ron Phipps, who took the lead at the start, and on lap 9 he was able to move into the lead taking the low line through Turn one.

From there Bragg was not challenged for the win earning his fourth win of the season and third in the past month. Phipps finished second holding off fast qualifier Jeff Saxon at the finish followed by Jack Leisure and Gary Bragg Sr.

Anderson’s Nick Warner took the lead of the Front Wheel Drive figure-8 feature with an inside pass of Ray Zirkle and motored onto the victory.

There was some excitement on the final lap when Harry LaShure lost the right front tire at the crossover and Andy Keller hit the tire sending it high in the air in punt-like fashion. Keller went on to finish second followed by Bill Leisure.

Warner won the championship in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and has won four consecutive features and is leading the point standings for the division.

Next Saturday two traveling divisions of the Champion Racing Association return to Anderson Speedway with 75 lap feature events for the Sportsman and Street Stock divisions. The ImmediaDent Figure-8 cars are also on the racing program. Action starts at 8 p.m.

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