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St. John, Cox, Rose and Fox to Serve As Grand Marshals
Legendary Figure 8 drivers Mike St. John, Art Cox, Herb
Rose, and Jim Fox will be participating in the International Outlaw Figure 8
Series ( IOFS ) season championship event October 10 at Anderson Speedway as
Grand Marshals. The drivers will be honored for their achievements prior to the
night's events. They will also be on hand to meet with fans and sign autographs
earlier in the night.
The IOFS event will be the season finale for the 2009 season and will also
feature the IOFS Front Wheel Drive Figure 8 division. The evenings events will
be part of the popular Night Of Thrills event and will also feature a
Demolition Derby, School Bus Figure 8's, Trailer Races, and more. The IOFS
Figure 8 and Front Wheel Drive divisions will both crown a champion at the
night's conclusion. The event is the final points night for both divisions.
Currently Doug Greig leads the Outlaw Figure 8 division and Rickie Tharp leads
the Front Wheel Drive division.
Mike St. John, who resides in Indianapolis, is a three-time World Champion who
enjoyed tremendous success at Anderson Speedway in the Outlaw Figure 8 events he
participated in. St. John captured eight wins during his time behind the wheel
at Anderson. St. John won six of his total wins in open competition events while
his other two wins came with the now defunct America's Figure 8 Challenge Series
touring sanctioning body. He is currently tied for second on the all-time
Anderson Outlaw Figure 8 winners list behind RJ Norton Jr. who has ten total
wins.
St. John captured his first Anderson win on July 11, 1992 and collected his
final Anderson trophy on July 4, 2001. Although not formally retired, it is very
realistic St. John could add to his Anderson total before he is officially
retired.
Art Cox, an Anderson resident, competed in Figure 8 events two decades earlier
than St. John. When Cox competed the cars were more stock appearing. Cox
competed regularly at Anderson throughout the 1960's.
Cox has the distinction of being the only World Champion to call Anderson,
Indiana home. Cox claimed the prestigious World Championship event for Figure 8
cars at the now gone Islip, New York Speedway in 1965. At the time the Islip
event was by far the richest and most prestigious Figure 8 event in the World.
Cars and drivers from almost every part of the country made the trek annually to
Islip to be a part of the event. The event was annually televised live on ABC's
Wide World Of Sports television program. To date, no other from Anderson has
even come close to winning a World Championship. Cox's 1965 win is arguably an
Anderson residents biggest motorsports victory.
Herb Rose, who also calls Anderson home, has been a Figure 8 driver to be
reckoned with at Anderson for years. Rose got his start in Figure 8 racing when
the concept was first introduced here at Anderson in 1960. It didn't take Rose
long to win his first Figure 8 track championship as he took home the first of
four division titles in 1963. Rose would go on to win titles in '82,'85, and
1996. Perhaps Roses 1982 and 1986 National Crown wins are his shining moments in
the division.
Greenfield's Jim Fox was also a World Champion who competed in the Red, White,
and Blue Open Competition Series here at Anderson Speedway in the early 1980's.
Fox's career at Anderson was brief yet remarkable. Incredibly, Fox won three of
the first ten events the series contested between June 21, 1980 through June 25,
1983. In 1982 Fox won two of the three events the series held but failed to win
the overall RWB championship. Fox currently sits in tenth place on the all-time
Anderson Speedway Outlaw Figure 8 winners list. Fox would make his last start at
Anderson in 1983. Mike St. John returns to Anderson as a Grand Marshal October
10
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