By Ken de la Bastide
Billy VanMeter recorded his first victory of the year, but it wasn’t enough to wrestle the McGunegill Engine Performance Late Model championship from Jack Dossey III.
VanMeter set fast time on Saturday at Anderson Speedway for the NASH-FM presented by Intersect Season Championships before rains washed out the racing program.
On Sunday VanMeter jumped into the lead at the start from the pole position, chased by Dossey and Thomas Hufferd.
Hufferd spun on a restart on lap 14 while running third and on the next restart five cars piled up in turn one behind the leaders.
Dossey got stuck on the outside and lost three positions dropping back to fifth after 19 laps with VanMeter maintaining his lock on the top spot.
VanMeter went on to score the victory by 4.3-seconds over Jeff Marcum and Kent Baledge.
With his fifth place finish Dossey won the championship by 13 points.
Dossey, 16, celebrated his first title at Anderson Speedway by climbing onto the roof of his Chevrolet.
“This is the best I’ve felt in a long time,” VanMeter said in the Tim Thompson Nationwide Insurance Winner’s Circle. “It has just been a great season.”
Dossey is the youngest season champion in the history of Anderson Speedway.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Dossey said, who also won rookie of the year honors. “I can’t believe I got this done.
“I’ve been racing against Billy (VanMeter) since we were six or seven,” he said. “If I couldn’t win the championship, I would wish that he did.”
Dustin Burge captured the Street Stock championship, the first of his career, driving a car borrowed by Josh Poore.
Two weeks ago Burge destroyed his primary car when a throttle stuck and he made hard contact with the turn one wall.
He scored the championship with a little help from his closest competitor.
James Kirby took the lead with a bump and run on Burge in turn three on lap 16, but on lap 22 while on the point, Kirby spun on his own in turn two.
That put defending champion Calvin Parham into the lead, chased by Jimmy Kirby and Burge.
A spin by Jamie Ward in turn four brought out the fifth caution and set up a five-lap shoot-out for the victory.
Parham held off Jimmy Kirby for his first win of the season with Burge finishing third and winning the championship. Danny Adams finished fourth with James Kirby recovering to finish fifth.
Burge said he appreciated Poore letting him race the car for the title.
“It took a little while to get used to the car,” he said. “We made a brake adjustment and the car handled better.”
Fan Appreciation Day will take place at Anderson Speedway on Saturday, September 27 when the Season Championships presented by Madison County Storm Water Partnership conclude with NASH FM ThunderCars along with Front Wheel Drives in Oval and Figure 8 action.
