Phipps Claims Enduro Win; Crash Eliminates Contenders
(October 27, 2010) – Drivers in the WMDH ThunderCar division has produced some great racing during the 200-lap Enduro events and last Saturday was no exception.

The first 70 laps of the event produced plenty of excitement with side by side racing among the front runners.

In the course of 70 laps there were six lead changes among four different drivers.

Fast qualifier Hannah Lundy led the first 11 circuits before being passed by eventual winner Rod Phipps with an outside move on the front straight in lapped traffic.

On lap 17 Kentucky driver Tommy Brown Jr. grabbed the top spot with an inside move on Phipps down the front straight.

Phipps led on lap 20 but Brown reclaimed the top spot a lap later.

The leader board got mixed up on lap 24 when Chris Jennings lost an engine going down the front straight and the resulting oil on the track collected leader Tommy Brown Jr., who came to rest on the turn one wall. Nick Warner, running second at the time was also collected along with Shawn Cullen and Rob Allman, all running in the top five. That would have put Allan Williams Jr. into the lead, but he pitted.

Phipps commented that the accident took out five good cars that could have won the race.

Following the red flag Phipps maintained the top spot with Ronnie Rose glued to his rear bumper. Rose took the lead on lap 67 with an inside pass entering turn one.

Phipps then reclaimed the top spot on lap 85 with an outside move on the front straight.

Phipps led the final 115 laps to capture the Enduro. Lundy made a bid to move into the second position early in the
second half of the race, several times trying to get inside of Rose. At one point she pulled along side, but slipped coming off the fourth corner and was unable to complete the pass.

Phipps was followed to the checkers by Rose, Lundy and David McConnell, the only cars on the lead lap. Chris Hanna came home in fifth.

Phipps and his team locked up the WMDH ThunderCar track
championship last weekend. The Enduro win was worth $3,000.

There was only two stoppages in the action during the second half of the race and a total of nine for the event.

"I had my hands full," Phipps said after the race. "Ronnie (Rose) was really working me. I want to thank everyone for racing clean."

Before the race Phipps said the team hit on the right set-up for the race and it was the best it had been all season.

Rob Wyman Jr. making his first start of the season was running third with five laps remaining when he tapped the back of the lapped car of Ricky Puckett and suffered a flat right rear tire, forcing him to make a stop to change the tire.

Cathage's Johnny Magee, who has dominated recent Enduro races only lasted 24 laps before exiting the race.
Louisville driver James Goodman gained the most positions in the race starting 29th in the field and driving to a seventh place finish.