Tony Elliott Classic at Anderson to Set up Final Championship Push
For the third and final time in 2023, the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Part Stores 500 Sprint Car Tour descends on Anderson Speedway for the 8th Annual Tony Elliott Classic presented by CB Fabricating. With only two races left in the 2023 season, and a tightly contested championship battle, Anderson will surely play a factor in determining who is crowned Champion of the 500 Sprint Car Tour.
When the series came away from its most recent event at Lorain Raceway Park, it saw its championship battle grow only closer. With the top three drivers in the points standings being separated by only 48 points, and the top two having only a three point separation, the intensity is building stronger and stronger as the October 14th championship race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park draws near. Tyler Roahrig, Kody Swanson, and Kyle O’Gara have been atop the class in every category this season. Each driver has two wins in 2023 and have amounted multiple top five finishes and a number of podium finishes. Swanson is looking to defend his 2022 title while Roahrig and O’Gara look to dethrone the reigning champion. All three drivers will be favorites going into Anderson especially considering the group has five Little 500 championships and 18 victories at Anderson since 2015.
The 8th Annual Tony Elliott Classic presented by CB Fabricating will see the return of familiar faces and the debut of new ones. Fans will recognize the likes of Donnie Adams Jr., who makes his first trip to Anderson since the 2019 Little 500, and Jeff Bloom. The three-time Little 500 Champion returns to Anderson for the first time since the 2022 edition of the Tony Elliott Classic. Shirley, Indiana native and Little 500 veteran, Brian Vaughn, also returns to Anderson for the first time since he came home 26th in the 2023 Little 500, and will make his first 500 Sprint Car Tour start since the series went to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on July 29th.
A few new faces will be joining the series for the first time as Trey Burke, Brady Allum and Tim Creech all make their debuts. Burke will be making his first start in a pavement sprint car as he competes in the Tom Brewer owned #64 Speed Chasers machine. Allum has competed at Anderson before but this Saturday will be his first start with the series. Creech, a local dirt racer from Greenfield, Indiana, competed on Anderson’s ¼ paved oval in 2021 and now returns to the famed track in his first appearance with the 500 Sprint Car Tour.
Including the 75th Annual Little 500, run in May of 2023, the Tony Elliott Classic will be the fourth time the 500 Sprint Car Tour has visited Anderson Speedway this season. All three of the previous visits have been won by a different driver. In fact, we have not seen a repeat winner at Anderson since Tyler Roahrig won the 2021 Tony Elliott Classic before winning his second Little 500 in May of 2022. Being the most recent Anderson winner, Kody Swanson has the opportunity to end the drought and win consecutive races at Anderson, all while attempting to regain the championship lead.
The 8th Annual Tony Elliott Classic presented by CB Fabricating is set for this Saturday, October 7th. The Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Part Stores 500 Sprint Car Tour will be joined by the USSA Kenyon Midgets, Thunder Roadster, Legends, and the Midwest Champ Karts in a night full of racing action. Front gates open at 11:30am along with rotating practice being scheduled to begin. Qualifications are set for 1:30pm and the green flag is scheduled to fly at 3:00pm. Adult tickets for the event are $16, kids aged 6-12 are $5, and all kids 5 and under will be admitted for free. Fans can also watch the event live on MAVTV on Floracing here. For updates and more information, follow the 500 Sprint Car Tour on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formally known as Twitter).
