Anderson’s Randy Owen captured wins in the first two Triathlon events for the Vintage Wrench Ford Crown division to win the overall title. Owen set fast time during qualifying Saturday at Anderson Speedway, starting from the pole position he took the early lead in the first oval feature challenged by Adam Lee. Lee took the lead on the 13th circuit in heavy traffic from Owen. Owen charged back into the front on the next circuit. Lee finished second followed by Rickie Tharp II, defending Triathlon champion Randy Hoppes and Noah Allison.
In the reverse oval race, Tharp took the early lead with Hoppes in close pursuit followed by Owen, Lee and Tyler Dobbs. Hoppes bid for a repeat title ended on lap eight when he tangled with the lapped car of Owen Aaron on the back straight. Tharp remained out front until the 15th lap when Owen got inside on the back straight to take the point, a lap later the two would make contact with Tharp bouncing off the wall and rolling to a stop. Owen claimed his second feature win of the night followed by Michael Phipps, Jordan Tharp, Allison and Jacob Miller.
It was Phipps that would lead the entire distance in the Figure-8 race that almost saw Owen’s bid for the overall title come to an end on the first lap. Starting fourth, Owen attempted to make a three-wide pass for the point when he spun coming to the crossover and fell to the back of the pack. The race was red-flagged on lap 14 when Tommy Rogers and Dobbs made heavy contact in the crossover. As the race unfolded Owen kept gaining positions as drivers dropped out of the Figure-8 and three cars were eliminated on lap 16 when Austin Ward, Timmy Perkins and Logan Brough all got together in the first turn. At the finish it was Phipps the winner followed by Allison and Jordan Tharp. Owen’s ninth place finish allowed him to claim the Triathlon title by a single point over Phipps.
In other racing action: Danny Trent made it two consecutive wins in the McGunegill Engine Performance Late Model division in a race that finished under a caution flag when several cars battling for the second spot crashed in turn one. Nick Kronenberg was credited with second followed by Kevin Gross, Scotty Tomasik and Charlie Keevan. Ronnie Rose worked his way from the eighth starting spot to take the lead from visiting Ohio driver Scott Drake with Ron Phipps coming home in third. Caleb Southerland grabbed the lead on lap 10 of the 25 laps Marcum’s Welding Front Wheel Drive Division and then held off Ohio’s Mike Wintrow to record his second feature win of the year with Alec Young finishing third.
