With the return of the Modifieds as a regular division at Anderson Speedway the series has produced multiple winners and close competition.
As the season championship looms this weekend three teams will be looking to take advantage of the double points to claim the championship.
The duo of Nathan Greene and JP Crabtree have a slim 17-point lead over Jake Owens with Tyler DeHart within striking distance.
“I’ve always wanted to race,” Owens said, “just like my uncle Joe Beaver.”
Owens has been racing for about five years and called the high powered open-wheel cars Modifieds a good fit for his talents.
He has one win, two seconds and has only finished outside the top five once this season. Owens owns the track record with a lap of 12.833-seconds in June.
“I salvaged the night,” Owens said of the most recent race which saw him make contact with the outside retaining wall.
“Qualifying was not as good as I hoped,” he said. “I had to start in the back of the pack.
“It’s extremely important that we have a good night,” Owens said of championship night.
He said he point raced in the past but considers racing the Modifieds as part of a learning curve.
Willy DeHart said along with his son, Tyler, they’ve been racing Modifieds for three years.
Tyler DeHart has set fast time twice at Anderson and has recorded four top-five finishes.
“I was glad to return to Anderson because it’s a track where we knew we could compete,” he said.
DeHart said two weeks ago Tyler’s car developed an oil leak so the father/son team swapped rides so that Tyler would not have a DNF (did not finish).
“Jake was able to pass us by five points,” he said as the Modifieds go into the championship night.
“We have been very consistent all year,” DeHart said. “We’ve basically had a week off to be prepared for the double points night.”
