Warner Dominates Enduro; Attrition Takes Out Front Runners

(October 25, 2011) – Aside for a four lap period late in the WHDM Thunder Car Enduro last Saturday at Anderson Speedway, once Nick Warner took over the lead it was his race to win.

Warner inherited the lead on lap 63 when Artie Ware was forced to pit with a flat right front tire. From there Warner held off Phil Jenkins the rest of the way to capture the $3,000 purse by a full lap over his closest rivals.

Jenkins did take the lead on lap 128 when he got inside of Warner entering turn three following a stoppage, but four laps later Warner retook the point with an inside lap of Jenkins on the front straight.

From that point Jenkins was able to keep Warner in sight as the two drivers worked their way through lapped traffic. Any chance Jenkins had of winning evaporated on lap 152 when he spun in turn four and lost a lap to the leader.

At the finish it was Warner, Jenkins, Allan Williams Jr., Ranny Hinton and Jameson Owens rounding out the top five. Ware finished sixth followed by Lundy, Shawn Cullen, Jamie Goodman and Ronnie Rose.

“It was slick,” Warner said of the track conditions. “I was trying to make it to the end, I think the rear-end was going out.”

Williams, the fast qualifier during Herald Bulletin qualifications, took the early lead chased by track champion Hannah Lundy, Warner, Marcus Elliott Jr. and Rob Allman.

Williams was forced to the pits with a flat left front tire which gave the lead to Warner, who was promptly passed by Ware. Ware retained the lead until lap 63 when his mount suffered the flat tire.

Flat tires forced several drivers that were running with the leaders into the pits forcing them to go down multiple laps.

Two of the front runners were taken out of action on lap 46 when Robbie Wyman lost an engine. Second place running Herb Rose got into the oil and came to rest against the outside retaining wall in turn four and Allman, running in the top ten, couldn’t stop in time and made heavy contact with Rose’s stopped car.

In the second half of the event, Williams got back one of the two laps he lost on lap 128 but was never able to get any closer to Warner.

“Mr. Enduro” Johnny Magee’s night ended on lap 118 with a mechanical failure.

Ellis’s night ended on lap 179 while he was running third when he slowed and pulled to the inside pits.

A total of 43 cars were entered in the field with 25 still running at the halfway break and 13 running at the finish.

































 
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