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Hargraves Holds Off Bedell; Powell, Bair Score Wins at U.S. Air Force
Night of Thrills
(April
30, 2011) –
Charles Hargraves took the lead on lap nine and had
to hold off fast qualifier Gary Bedell over the final 34 laps to capture the
International Outlaw Figure 8 race at Anderson Speedway on Saturday during
the U.S. Air Force Night of Thrills.
Hargraves started at the tail of the field when he failed to post a
qualifying time and worked his way up through the field, which included
plenty of action at the crossover.
With three laps remaining Bedell got inside of Hargraves entering turn
three, but was hung up behind the lapped car of Josh Tharp. Bedell came back
from a flat tire early in the race to finish second.
Third place when to Chris Green, who also came back from a flat tire, with
Tharp and Rod Phipps rounding out the top five.
It proved to be a race of attrition with only 7 of the 16 cars still running
at the end. The mayhem started on lap 6 when Curtis Chapman and Danny
Stanley Jr. got together in the crossover.
Then on lap 12, Chuckie Hargraves and Jeff Hizer got together on the front
straight away with Hizer’s night ending against the outside retaining wall.
Hargraves night ended on lap 16 when he slowed in the crossover and was rear
ended by Bruce McFall.
Dave Powell and Elliott McKinney swapped the lead twice in the final two
laps with Powell getting the win in the cork screw race when McKinney got
trapped behind lapped traffic.
A total of 16 cars started the unusual race in which the competitors have to
circle a tire in the middle of the Figure-8 track.
Powell led most of the race by cutting a sharp turn around the tire, but
McKinney closed on lap nine and was able to go outside at the corkscrew to
take the lead. On the next lap McKinney went high and had to go around a
slower car which allowed Powell to grab the point. Bruce McFall came home
third followed by Trevin Henson and Nick Warner.
Eric Bair led the entire distance to win the backward race, despite
suffering significant rear-end damage from a collision on the back straight
halfway through the race. Cody Rinehart and Warner rounded out the top
three.
Mike Alley led the entire way in the School Bus Figure-8 competition
followed by Mike Irwin, who held off a determined Jeff Reichart.
Shane Marshel got together with Irwin coming off the fourth corner, almost
causing Irwin to flip. Irwin was able to continue, but Marshel’s night was
finished with a broken right front suspension.
Cody Rinehart captured the Culver’s Trailer Race with Warner finishing
second.
The Champion Racing Association Super Late Model series returns to Anderson
Speedway for the Seal Wrap 125 next Saturday. The Anderson Late Models, WMDH
ThunderCars and Front Wheel Drive Figure 8’s complete the racing card.
Racing starts at 8 p.m.
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