Warner Scores Two Feature Wins During Opening Night of Don Miller Tire Wheel to Wheel Weekend

By Tom Hammond

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Anderson’s Nick Warner carried his success in the Chappy’s Rent to Own Front Wheel Drive Figure 8 division over to the Oval division Friday night during the MAX/WLBC Friday Night Summer Series at Anderson Speedway. He scored wins in both the Figure 8 and Oval features during the first night of the Don Miller Tire Wheel to Wheel weekend.

Other winners were Albany’s Daniel Russell, who continued his domination in the Legends division, Westfield’s Clint Groves scored his first feature win in the Insight Thunder Car Oval division and Yorktown’s Billy Riddle picked up another checkered flag in the Insight Thunder Car Figure 8 division.

Warner started his big night with his fourth Chappy’s Rent to Own Front Wheel Drive Figure 8 win in five tries. He took the lead on the fifth lap after an early three-car battle with Mt. Summit’s Keith Morris and Anderson’s Travis Burge. After taking the point Warner never looked back. Burge, Anderson’s Randy Owen, Muncie’s Cale Ramey and Anderson’s Allen Wagner rounded out the top five. Morris fell by the wayside after mechanical problems developed on lap eight, placing him in sixth finishing position.

Warner then capped off the night by winning his first Chappy’s Rent to Own Front Wheel Drive Oval feature of the season. He made his way through the pack and took the lead on the 10th circuit on the world’s fastest quarter-mile paved oval. The early stages of the race featured some four-wide racing on both the front stretch and back stretch as the 32-car field jockeyed for position. Alexandria’s Kevin Harmon grabbed runner-up honors followed by Dustin Burge, Travis Burge and Brian Stevens to complete the top five.

Warner also won the first Chappy’s Rent to Own Front Wheel Drive Oval heat while Greenfield’s Brandon Tweedy took top honors in the second heat.

Riddle led flag-to-flag in capturing his second Insight ThunderCar Figure 8 feature win of the season. He surged in front from the outside of the front row and faced an early battle from Anderson’s Mike Peters. Riddle was able to pull away as he swiftly navigated his way through slower traffic. Peters ended up second followed by Terry Malone Jr. and Anderson drivers Paris Swallows Jr. and Roy Grissom Sr.

Russell scored his fifth consecutive Legends feature win in another impressive drive by the Albany competitor. He avoided disaster on the first lap as four cars tangled in the second turn in front of him. The No. 22 machine of Greenwood’s Mark Sullivan rolled one and half times during the melee, but he wasn’t injured.

Russell then took the lead on the 13th of 25 laps and held off early leader Danny Jackson of Loveland, Ohio. Third-place honors went to Paul Holden with Pendleton’s Mark Dietzen and Anderson’s Clark Dietzen filling out the top five.

Russell also won the first Legends heat race in impressive fashion, charging from last to first in 10 laps. Clark Dietzen headed to the Texas Roadhouse Winner’s Circle after winning the second heat.

Groves was finally able to put everything together in winning the Insight ThunderCar Oval main event in dominating fashion. Groves has had some hard luck this season and was unable to finish several races. Grissom and fellow Anderson drivers Lonnie Burton, William Coffman and Tim Brown also took top five honors. Thunder Car oval heat victories were captured by Riddle and Anderson’s A.J. Jones.

Anderson Speedway returns to racing action Saturday Night, June 4, with the conclusion of the Don Miller Tire Wheel to Wheel Weekend. The Star Press Saturday Night Series will feature USA Modifieds, Ed Martin Auto Group SuperTrucks and Boss Hogg Catering & Jerky Figure 8’s.

On Saturday Night, the spectator gates open at 5 p.m. with the racing beginning at 8 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $4 for kids ages 6-12. Children five and under get in free.
 
For additional information contact Anderson Speedway at (765) 642-0206.