ANDERSON – For the sixth time in the past eight years Jeff Marcum appears to have secured another track championship at Anderson Speedway. Marcum led all 40 laps Saturday for the McGunegill Engine Performance Late Models to record his sixth feature win of the year on Murat Shrine Season Championship night presented by Sherwin Williams and Byrider. Ohio driver Jason Powers set fast time during qualifying with Marcum just a tick of the clock slower with the two drivers starting on the front row. Marcum jumped into the lead at the start from the outside of the front row with Powers and Ronnie Rose, in a new late model running third. The sizable lead Marcum built up was erased on lap 15 when the cars of Nolan Woods and Kevin Gross tangled in turn four. On the restart Powers was able to stay in close contact with Marcum as the front running pair pulled away from the remainder of the flag. The caution flag waved on lap 26 for a spin by Mike Sargent and on the restart, Marcum again charged to a comfortable lead. Rose took the second spot with an inside pass of Powers on the front straight, but three laps later Powers was back in second. Marcum went on to win by .735-seconds over Powers with Rose coming home in third.
“My crew just keeps doing a great job,” Marcum said in the Peterman Brothers Victory Lane. “They gave me a rocket ship.
“The 9 (Powers) car was a lot better than us tonight,” he said. “We were chasing our tires a little bit, freed the car up for the race. If I hadn’t gotten front of him on the restarts, I don’t think I could have passed him (Powers).”
Josh Ebbert Jr. captured his first Marcum’s Welding Front Wheel Drive feature win in a race long battle with Chris Gray. The two drivers started on the front row with Ebbert setting fast time during qualifying and took the lead at the start. Gray was never more than a few car lengths behind Ebbert as they worked their way through lapped traffic. Ebbert went on to win by one-second over Gray with Cody Riley coming home third. Devon Lane was named the tentative champion in the division.
As he did all season long, Noah Allison won the Vintage Wrench Pro Ford Division feature for the seventh time this year by more than 6-seconds over Matthew Benzenbower.
Ronnie Rose won the feature for the second time in the Noble Wine & Spirit Thunder Car returning for the first time in several weeks. Rose set fast time and led the entire distance with Ricky Craig and Ron Phipps rounding out the top three. Based on five runner-up finishes David McConnell is the unofficial track champion.
Ricky Tharp II captured his third win in the Vintage Wrench Pro Ford Division after a spirited battle with wen Aaron. Colson Gray came home in third to apparently claim the championship.
Doug Dugger won the Thunder Roadster feature for the second time over John Robbins and Allen Edsal. Dugger was named the tentative track champion for the second consecutive year.
