Tunny, Tharp, Fisher and King Score Saturday Night Victories at Anderson Speedway
ANDERSON, Ind. — A large crowd packed Anderson Speedway on Saturday night as the Stars & Stripes 50 for the Outlaw Figure-8 division headlined an action-packed racing program featuring the Vern’s Concrete Late Models, Beaver Contracting Legends and Knapp Supply Ford Division Figure-8 competitors.
Tunny Returns to Anderson with Stars & Stripes 50 Victory
For the first time since 2019, Indianapolis veteran Jesse Tunny returned to the Hoosier Lottery-sponsored Anderson Speedway and made the most of the opportunity, leading all 50 laps to capture the Stars & Stripes 50 for the Outlaw Figure-8 division.
Starting on the front row, Jesse Tunny quickly took the lead from his brother, Mark Tunny, while a third family member, Ben Tunny, settled into third position. The trio controlled the race early with Mark Tunny applying pressure throughout the event.
The race remained caution-free, putting a premium on consistency and endurance. Ben Tunny’s night came to an end on lap 35 with an engine failure, promoting Tommy St. John into third.
At the finish, Jesse Tunny crossed the line less than a half-second ahead of Mark Tunny, with St. John completing the podium.
“I had a feeling it might go green the whole way,” Tunny said in Victory Lane. “Starting on the outside, that was the way to make a run coming off turn two. I was able to hold him off. There was hard racing.”
Tunny also noted the physical challenge of racing 50 laps on Anderson Speedway’s demanding quarter-mile oval.
Tharp Captures Ford Division Figure-8 Feature
Rickie Tharp took advantage of a front-row starting position to score the victory in the Knapp Supply Ford Division Figure-8 feature.
Tharp survived four restarts while fending off challenges from Josh Tharp and fast qualifier Randy Owen. Owen’s night ended early when he suffered an engine failure on lap eight, while Josh Tharp spun on the backstretch on lap 14.
Caleb Burge and Colin Grissom mounted late-race challenges, but Rickie Tharp maintained control to secure the victory.
One of the most impressive performances of the evening belonged to defending National Crown champion Curtis Chapman. After starting last in the 21-car field, Chapman received the lucky dog pass on lap 14 to return to the lead lap and charged through the field to finish third.
Tharp took the checkered flag ahead of Grissom and Chapman, while Jordan Tharp and Nick Warner rounded out the top five.
Fisher Ends Decade-Long Wait for Late Model Win
In the Vern’s Concrete Late Model feature, Terry Fisher Jr. returned to Victory Lane at Anderson Speedway for the first time in a decade.
Fisher’s previous Late Model victory at the speedway came in 2016, and the northern Indiana driver showed he will be a contender for the upcoming 200-lap Late Model portion of the Redbud 400 weekend in July.
Nash Engdahl led the early stages of the race while Billy Hayes and defending feature winner Ryder VanAlst battled behind him. Fisher quickly worked his way into contention and moved into third before the race’s only caution flag waved on lap six following an incident involving Tyler DeHart, Caleb Rescher and Josh Poore. Only Poore was able to continue.
Following the restart, Fisher and VanAlst traded the second position multiple times before Fisher prevailed and chased down Engdahl. He completed the winning pass on lap 16 and drove away to the victory.
Engdahl finished second, followed by VanAlst, JP Crabtree and Jake Hinton.
“It feels really good to be back in Victory Lane,” Fisher said. “The car was really good.”
King Holds Off Robbins for Legends Victory
The Beaver Contracting Legends feature was not decided until the closing laps as Xavier King held off multi-time champion John Robbins for the victory.
Landon Hoffman started on the front row and led early with Kristen Hammer and Gavin Burge in pursuit. The race took a dramatic turn on lap four when Burge made contact with Robbins entering turn three, collecting the car of Chaise Penrod.
Following the restart, King began advancing from fourth position while Caleb Burge moved into the lead on lap seven.
King made the winning move on lap 15, diving to the inside on the frontstretch to take the lead. Robbins methodically worked his way back through the field and reached second on lap 19, but could not close the final gap before the checkered flag.
King scored the victory over Robbins, with Derik Gacom completing the podium.
Anderson Speedway returns to action with another exciting night of racing as the 2026 season continues on the high banks.
