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Sterkowitz Wins Race of Attrition
(April 26, 2011) –
Keith Sterkowitz worked his way up from the ninth starting position
to take the lead on a lap 26 restart and went on to capture the Champion
Racing Association Sullivan RV Sportsman Late Model feature.
The opening of the 50-lap feature at Anderson Speedway on Saturday was
marked by a red flag stoppage on lap two and three more caution periods that
took out many of the top drivers before ten laps were completed.
Fast qualifier Bret Miles Jr. got loose entering turn three on the second
lap and collected Rick Rinehart with both cars bouncing off the outside
retaining wall and collected Mark Livesay.
On the five circuit, Damon Ecoff spun coming off the fourth corner and
collected Rick Sullivan, the two were running fourth and fifth at the time.
New Castle’s Jason Atkinson took the early lead and led the first seven
circuits before being passed by KC Spillers. Spillers survived several
restarts on the point, but on lap 26 Sterkowitz used the high line to grab
the point.
Terry Cater was the driver on the move in the early stages of the race,
using the high groove to gain four positions in the first 16 laps, when an
ignition problem sent him to the sidelines.
Nick Moore was running fourth with seven laps remaining when he bounced off
the front straight wall which caught the car of Spillers and John Heck in
turn one. Moore was able to continue.
Sterkowitz held off Atkinson on the final three restarts with ten laps
remaining to record his second career win. He won at Plymouth Speedway in
2010. Brett Robinson finished third, with Charlie Hanna and Moore rounding
out the top five.
“There were a lot of good cars out there,” Sterkowitz said. “We were just
trying to keep the car in one piece.”
Of the 33 cars that started the 50-lap feature, only 18 were running at the
end as the race was slowed a total of eight times for mostly multi-car
incidents.
Atkinson captured the first heat race leading the entire distance and was
followed to the checkered flag by Spillers and Chad Richardson.
The second heat race saw Michigan driver Lucas Krick take the high groove
down the back straight on the final lap to pass Mark Parker to record the
win.
Parker faded to a fourth place finish as both Moore and Dean Baker moved
past in the final two corners of the race. Hanna finished fifth.
Randy Hoppes led the entire distance to record the win in the third heat,
chased by Mike Horvath, who finished .296-seconds behind the leader. Chris
Parker finished third followed by Rich Segvich and Roger Northrop Jr.
Early in the heat race John Heck was on the move climbing from the seventh
starting position to fourth, when he spun in turn two and restarted on the
tail.
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