St. John Gets IOFS Outlaw Figure 8 Win

By Ken de la Bastide

(September 16, 2012) –  Making his first appearance of the year at Anderson Speedway, Mike St. John made it pay off with his first win of 2012.

St. John took the lead from the start and then survived a four-car battle for the lead over the final eight laps on Culver’s Extravaganza night at the speedway on Sunday.

With St. John holding his line, he turned back challenges from Ben Tunney, Johnny Hargraves and Charlie Hargraves. It was St. John’s first win with the International Outlaw Figure-8 Series, which returns to Anderson Speedway in October.

The final eight-lap shoot-out was set up when RJ Norton III spun in turn four while battling for the fifth position.

Tunney looked high and low in an attempt to take the lead away from St. John, but several times ran out of racing room and was unable to make the pass.

St. John won by .222-seconds over Tunney followed by Johnny Hargraves, Charlie Hargraves and Norton.

Following his win, St. John said he is building two new cars for 2013.

The race was red-flagged twice on lap 15 when first Larry Swinford and then Jesse Tunney made contact with the turn one outside retaining wall. Tunney’s incident took place while he was battling for the lead on a restart.

Kevin Henson used an inside move coming off of turn two to pass early leader Mike Alley to take the lead in the IOFS Front Wheel Drive division.

From there Henson pulled away to record his first IOFS win of the year at Anderson Speedway. The win came a week after Henson scored his first ever Figure-8 win in the regular division.

Henson and Donnie Ellis Jr. slipped inside of Mark Allman on a restart on lap three to move into the second and third positions.

Elliott McKinney passed Ellis using a crossover move entering turn one to get the inside line to finish third.

The lone caution flag waved when Jimmy Hendricks spun in turn one on lap three and at the same time Rickie Craig hit the turn three outside retaining wall.

Ryan Cherry recorded his fourth consecutive win in IOFS Super Cart feature, but he had to survive a challenge from David Reynolds.

Cherry and Reynolds were running nose to tail entering the final lap when Reynolds got inside to momentarily take the lead entering turn one. But Cherry got back inside of Reynolds entering turn three to get the victory.

Randy Caldwell survived an incident on the front straight on lap four to finish third with Donovan Hill and Angie Goodin rounding out the top five.

The race was red-flagged on lap four when Goodin and Jerry Reynolds got together on the back straight. Reynolds flipped, but emerged from his cart uninjured.
Ron Phipps used a little rubbing on Trevin Henson to get inside coming off the fourth corner to take the lead on lap 14 to score the win in the G.W. Pierce Auto Parts Front Wheel Drive oval action.

Marshal Clark Jr. got inside of Henson entering turn one on lap 15. But on the final lap Henson turned Clark on the back straight. Henson was sent back to the fifth position.

Phipps was followed to the checkers by Mike Alley, Clark, Paul Phipps and Henson.

The Culver’s Trailer Race was won by Tim Davenport when Tony Rinehart lost his trailer coming to the checkered flag.

Racing action returns to Anderson Speedway on Saturday, September 22 in the Ed Martin Auto Group Season Championships. Featured divisions include McGunegill Engine Performance Late Models, EDCO Welding Street Stock along with G.W. Pierce Front Wheel Drives in Oval and Figure 8 action.

For additional information on Anderson Speedway, visit www.andersonspeedway.com or contact Anderson Speedway at (765) 642-0206.























































 
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