Conner Dominates Modified 100; Poore Claims Championship
ANDERSON – Dalton Conner led all 100 laps of the season-ending USA Tires Modified feature Saturday night at Anderson Speedway, while Josh Poore secured the track championship.
Conner set a new track record during qualifying, turning a lap of 12.537 seconds to earn the pole for the 100-lap feature.
He took full advantage of the front-row starting position, leading the entire distance with Poore running second throughout the event.
Jake Owens, making his first appearance of the season, qualified third and held the position for the opening 30 laps before being passed by Jason Thompson.
The race was slowed twice by caution. The first came on lap 23 when Tyler DeHart and Joe Beaver made contact on the backstretch. The second occurred when Lucas Ball and Billy Hayes tangled in Turn 2.
The top three of Conner, Poore and Thompson remained unchanged through the finish.
Nathan Greene turned in an impressive drive after battling a mechanical issue during qualifying. Starting 24th, Greene charged through the field to finish fourth, with RJ Norton III rounding out the top five.
Josh Ebbert Jr. earned Rookie of the Year honors with a seventh-place finish. Ball finished 11th.
“To be able to be here with the equipment we have,” Conner said in Hoosier Lottery Victory Lane. “Races are won in the shop.”
Conner credited lapped traffic for helping him maintain the high line throughout the race.
Poore, meanwhile, kept his focus on the championship rather than the battle for the race win.
“He (Conner) won the battle, but I won the war,” Poore said. “It was a team effort. I was looking at the big picture and didn’t want to lose the championship.”
Stout Wins Inaugural Outlaw 350 Visit
The Outlaw 350 Super Modifieds made their first appearance at Anderson Speedway, with Sawyer Stout taking the feature victory.
Kenny Sharp grabbed the early lead, chased by Keegan Weese and Cody Gallogly.
Gallogly moved into the lead on lap eight with an inside pass of Sharp and began to open a gap over Stout and J.J. Henes.
The complexion of the race changed on lap 24 when Gallogly tangled with the lapped car of Keith Ousley.
The incident handed the lead to Stout, who was chased to the finish by Henes and AJ Lesiecki.
Danny Shirey finished fourth, securing his second consecutive championship with the series.
“I’m real excited,” Stout said of the victory.
Stout said he was preparing to make his move on Gallogly when lapped traffic entered the picture.
“I was getting ready to pass both those cars,” he said.
Burge Takes Ford Division Victory
Caleb Burge captured the Knapp Supply Ford Division feature after starting from the pole. He had qualified fourth fastest earlier in the evening.
Burge was chased for much of the race by Caleb Southerland and Curtis Chapman before the two tangled coming off Turn 4 on lap 22.
That allowed Burge to pull away and hold off JD Blankenship and Dawson Phillips for the victory.
Brown Wins In First Front Wheel Drive Start
Tylar Brown made his first start in the Front Wheel Drive division a winning one, scoring the feature victory over champion Dustin Bartlett and James Allender.
