ANDERSON – The first ever Grocery Getter Enduro race produced seven lead changes among four different drivers at Anderson Speedway. The Grocery Getter Enduro was a 20-minute timed race for ordinary street cars, SUVs and Mini-Vans during Saturday’s Carter Express Night of Thrills presented by Uranus Fudge Factory. A total of 24 cars were on hand for the event which saw a number of the competitors experiencing flat tires during the race that saw a total of 62 laps turned by the leaders. Clayton Rhoton took the lead at the start and was chased down and passed by Francisco Santigo after 12 circuits. On lap 28, Ricky Craig went to the point when Santigo suffered a flat tire ending his night. Rhoton regained the lead on lap 39 with an outside pass of Craig on the front straight with David Powell running a close third. Three times Roton and Craig swamped the lead over the next eight laps with Powell staying in striking distance. Powell took the lead on lap 48 with an inside pass of Rhoton exiting the second corner. Craig’s night ended on lap 50 with a flat right front tire. At the finish Powell won by less than a half-second over Rhoton with James Ashton, Jeremy Cole and Cody Sheets rounding out the top five. Powell and Rhoton were the only drivers on the lead lap after 20 minutes.
“I have to thank Austin Russell for the sponsor on the car,” Powell said in the Peterman Brothers Victory Lane. “Three days ago, he told me to go ahead and run the race”.
“Before the race I was thinking there was no way because there were a bunch of cars here,” he said. “It was going to be checkers or wreckers.” Powell said he was concerned about the tires, but set the pressures before the race.
Michael Phipps won the Vintage Wrench Ford Division Figure-8 taking the lead from Owen Aaron on the second lap. Phipps was pressed for most of the race by fast qualifier Josh Tharp, who came home in second followed by Colson Gray.
Ryan Krugler won the Mattress race in which the driver had to hold onto a mattress for six laps.
Phipps won the Prairie Farms Trailer Race on the Figure-8 course.
