Four Different Winners on Friday Night

By Tom Hammond
Staff Writer

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A huge crowd took advantage of free admission to see some great racing during the Primerica/Families Forever Ministries Free Night at Anderson Speedway on Friday, May 26. Racing on the eve of the 58th Payless Little 500 featured the Insight ThunderCars, Chappy’s Rent to Own Front Wheel Drive cars in both oval and figure 8 racing and the Insight Thunder Pro division.

Anderson’s Dustin Burge won a wild Insight ThunderCar feature. Noblesville’s Katie Beaver took the lead on the 5th lap with a nifty low-side pass of Anderson’s Tom Tackett. Tackett’s night ended just a short time later when he spun on the front stretch, collecting several cars including Nick Warner, Brad Stevens and Alice Riall.

Beaver pulled away on the restart, only to see Dustin Burge, Riall and Anderson’s Tim Dick close the gap. Burge took the lead by passing Beaver on the inside in turn 3 on the 15th circuit. Riall and Dick followed suit, creating a three-car battle to the finish. Burge was able to hang on, followed by Riall, Dick, Beaver and Jeff Eytchison.

Warner took some consolation by winning the first ThunderCar feature. Beaver took the top spot in the second preliminary for her second heat win of the season.

Warner pulled off a late-race pass to win the Chappy’s Rent to Own Front Wheel Drive Figure 8 feature. Warner bided his time and pulled off a 10th lap pass to surge toward a comfortable win. Keith Morris, Travis Burge, Elliott McKinney and Randy Owen completed the top five.

Travis Burge took top honors in the Chappy’s Rent to Own Front Wheel Drive oval feature, but not without a late-race challenge from Owen and Alexandria’s Kevin Harmon. The 15-lap feature saw three lead changes in the first four circuits before Burge took control. He surged to a big lead through the middle portions of the race before Harmon and Owen mounted a challenge three laps from the end. Owen managed to pass Harmon on the white flag lap to gain second behind Burge. McCordsville’s Bobby Sanders and Morris rounded out the top five.

Jerry Smith took the top spot in the first Chappy’s Rent to Own Front Wheel Drive oval heat while Eric Shell was victorious in the second heat.

Anderson’s Ronnie Rose scored his first feature win in the ThunderCar Pro feature. He took the lead at the end of the 2nd lap to score the comfortable victory in the 20-lap event. McKinney crossed the line in second position followed by Chris Bair Sr., Robert Phipps and Ronnie Phipps. Bair also won the ThunderCar Pro heat.


For additional information contact Anderson Speedway at (765) 642-0206.