By Ken de la Bastide

 (October 19, 2013) - Aaron Pierce continued his dominance of the USSA Sprint Car Challenge by winning for the third time this season and capturing the inaugural championship.

On UAW Paint the Night Pink at Anderson Speedway, which raised over $20,000 to fight breast cancer, Pierce started fourth in the 50-lap feature and immediately went to the high side to move into contention for the lead.

Pendleton’s Travis Welpott led the first four laps before being passed by Tony Hunt using the high line entering turn one and Pierce followed suit on the front straight.

Pierce and Kody Swanson got inside of Hunt on lap nine and from there the Daleville driver was never seriously challenged for the lead.

The only caution flag waved on lap 20 when Welpott spun coming off the fourth corner. At the same time fast qualifier Brian Olson was forced from the race with a water leak while running fifth.

Following Pierce to the checkers was Olson, Chris Neuenschwander, Hunt and Brad Armstrong.

Garrett Green captured rookie of the year honors.

Anderson Speedway crowned champions in nine separate divisions during the night of racing.

Martinsville driver Danny Trent used a restart on lap nine to slip around the outside of early leader Mark Lambert, surviving a restart with four laps remaining to win for the third time in the McGunegill Engine Performance Late Models.

Lambert took the early lead after setting fast time during qualifications and jumped into the lead.

Jeff Marcum, looking for his fourth consecutive win, passed Lambert on lap 15 with an inside move coming off the second corner. Marcum had one final shot at passing Trent when Rob Noel brought out the caution flag on lap 37 with a spin in turn four.

Marcum slipped on the restart entering turn one which allowed Lambert to reclaim the second spot behind Trent. Ron Allman and Steve Stacy rounded out the top five.

Anderson driver Ronnie Rose was crowned the 2013 champion in the division with Allman finishing second.

Josh Poore set fast time during qualifications in the Street Stock division then went out and led the final 27 laps to record his fourth win of the season.

Calvin Parham led the first 13 laps before Poore got to the inside entering turn one to take the top spot.

From there Poore went on to win by 1.5-seconds over Parham with Jimmy Kirby, Tyler Marsh and Danny Adams rounding out the top five.

With his second place finish Parham captured the Street Stock season championship with Marsh finishing runner-up in the points.

Trent Gossar led all 30 laps to capture his first NASH 102.5 Thunder Car feature win of the season holding off Rob Allman and Curtis Chapman.

Allman passed Chapman coming off the final corner on the last lap to claim the runner-up position. Frankie Oakes and Chris Snyder rounded out the top five.

Chapman won the Thunder Car championship on the strength of winning eight feature events during the year.

Nick Warner won his third Front Wheel Drive Oval feature of the year in only his fifth race in the division.

Warner was quickest during qualifying and led all 25 laps chased by newly crowned division champion Paul Phipps.

Jerry Dane, Ryan Claborn and Chris Jennings rounded out the top five.

Phipps locked up the championship when Elliott McKinney lost a right rear tire on lap 16 while running fourth.

Despite being involved in a lap six incident at the crossover, Kevin Henson secured the Front Wheel Drive Figure-8 title.

Henson was collected after Lawrence Jones and Jamie Valentine made contact in the crossover, leaving Henson to where to go to avoid the accident.

Elliott McKinney led the entire distance holding off Claborn and Warner.

John Robbins made it two wins on the night by capturing the Thunder Roadster feature by passing Marty Griffin with an inside move entering
turn three.

Robbins held on to beat Griffin by a half-second followed by Doug Dugger, Nate Shrout and Mike Carroll.

Griffin was crowned the season champion as a result of his second place finish and Dugger’s third place run.

Spencer Bayston capped off his championship season with the Mel Kenyon Midget Series by recording his tenth win of the year.

Driving a borrowed car from Travis Young after his mount lost an engine during qualifying, Bayston passed early leader Cordy Horn with an inside move on the back straight on the ninth lap.

Bayston was followed to the checkers by Horn, Cole Fehr, Don Petit and Clayton Gaines.

With his fifth place finish Gaines captured rookie of the year honors over Fehr.

Eric Black set fast time and led the entire distance to record his first feature win of the season in the Legend Division by holding off John Robbins.

Robbins was glued to Black’s rear bumper, although he bobbled a couple of times in the corner Robbins was unable to make the pass. Mark Dietzen came home in third.

Robbins won his fourth point championship.

Anderson Speedway returns to racing action on Saturday, October 26 with the season finale. The Triple 100’s will showcase McGunegill Engine Performance Late Models, NASH FM ThunderCars and Front Wheel Drives Oval in 100 lap features.