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Beaver Takes McGunegill Engine Performance Late Model Victory; Kirby,
Dane and Ellis Also Victorious
By Ken de la Bastide
(April
7, 2012) –
Noblesville driver Joe Beaver turned back a number of challengers
to win the first McGunegill Engine Performance Late Model event of the year
at Anderson Speedway on Saturday.
Beaver took the lead from Robert Amos Jr. on the second lap with an inside
pass going down the back straight. From there Beaver turned back challengers
on seven double-file restart to record the victory.
Amos crashed on the third lap after trading paint with Greg Van Alst on the
front straight and made contact with the outside retaining wall in turn one.
Defending champion Terry Cater experienced a mechanical problem while
running third on lap 12.
With the double file restart rule several of the front runners elected to
remain in the low groove, which allowed Rob Allman to climb from seventh to
second on lap 16. After trying to pass Beaver on the outside several times,
Allman elected to remain in the low groove on the final restart.
Following Beaver to the checkers was Allman, Nick Moore, Fred Hopkins and
Ronnie Rose.
“We weren’t very good early in the night,” Beaver said of the team’s fifth
place qualifying effort. “We made some changes; we still have a lot of work
to do.”
Jimmy Kirby took advantage of the double file restart by using the outside
groove to pass early leader Colby Lane and went on to record the EDCO
Welding Street Stock feature.
Lane led the first 14 laps by using the low line to keep Kirby at bay. But
on the restart Kirby powered around to take the lead. On the next restart
Josh Myers inside of Kirby entering turn one to claim the second spot.
Following Kirby to the finish were Myers, Lane, Rickie Tharp and Tyler
Marsh.
Jerry Dane used lapped traffic to his advantage to pass Chris Jennings
coming off the fourth corner and went on to win the G.W. Pierce Front Wheel
Drive oval feature.
Jennings took the lead from Ron Phipps on the second lap with an outside
pass and pulled away from the pack as Dane worked his way to the front. Dane
passed Kevin Harmon for third on lap four entering the third corner and five
laps later passed Phipps down the back straight.
At the finish it was Dane, Jennings, Harmon, Phipps and Andy Jennings.
Donnie Ellis Jr. passed Mike Alley entering turn one on lap 12 to win the
G.W. Pierce Front Wheel Drive Figure-8 feature after a spirited battle
between the two front runners and Kevin Henson, who dropped out with a
mechanical problem.
Anderson Speedway returns to action on Saturday, April 14 with the ARCA/CRA
Late Models, WMDH ThunderCars and G.W. Pierce Front Wheel Drive Oval.
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