ANDERSON – Rickie Tharp II had an up and down night at Anderson Speedway, but it ended with a visit to the Hoosier Lottery victory lane.
Before a sold out crowd Friday for Figure-8 Madness sponsored by Best Way Disposal and presented by the Scrounge Around, Tharp emerged the winner in Knapp Supply Ford Division action.
With a total inversion for the start of the feature event, fast qualifier Colin Grissom was relegated to the back of the field.
Veteran campaigned Nick Warner took the lead on the opening lap but on the second circuit was passed by Tharp.
Tharp remained on the point until the eighth lap when he was black-flagged for turning laps faster than his qualifying time and sent to the back of the pack.
That put Warner back on the point when the caution flag waved on lap 12 when Andrew Evans ride lost a tire in turn two.
With the lead pack battling for position the entire tenure of the race changed on lap 15 when four of the leaders were involved in action at the cross-over.
The cars of Grissom, Randy Owen and Dalton Owen were sent to the pit area to remove loose body parts and the night was over for Timmy Perkins.
On the restart leader Warner exited the track which gave the lead to Curtis Chapman who was chased by Colson Gray and Tharp.
With Chapman and Gray battling for the top spot on the penultimate lap, Tharp made it a three-way battle in turn three and emerged as the leader.
Tharp went on to win by 2.4-seconds over Chapman and Gray with Grissom and Randy Owen recovering to round out the top five.
In the Marcum’s Welding Front Wheel Drive action Austin Russell took the early lead chased by Trevor Fippen and Chris Hodson.
The first caution flag waved on the third circuit when Dylan Hoppes and Derek Lane made contact in the “X”.
On the restart Hodson took the point followed by Mike Phipps and fast qualifier Josh Ebbert Jr.
The caution flag waved on the ninth lap when Hodson and Josh Hague tangled in the cross-over, which ended Hodson’s night.
That gave Phipps the lead and he was able to hold off Ebbert by less than a second for the victory with Gaige Hulett, Cody Riley and Hague rounding out the top five.
Owen Aaron took home the victory in the School Bus Figure 8 event taking the point from Tony Grissom on the 11th of 12 laps.
Deante Tate won the Prairie Farms Trailer Figure-8 in which Nick Warner’s ride flipped at the cross-over.
