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Story by Ken de la Bastide
Photo by David Sink
 (April 14,
2013) - Muncie’s Aaron Pierce
recorded his third Glen Niebel Classic
victory for non-winged sprint cars at
Anderson Speedway on Sunday.
Pierce inherited the lead on lap 70 when
leader Bobby East tangled with the slower
car of Travis Welpott on the front street
with the two cars coming to rest in turn
one.
Pole sitter Joe Swanson took the early
chased by Jo Jo Helberg, Pierce, East and
Brian Gingras. Helberg went to the point on
lap 17 when he slipped inside of Swanson
coming off the fourth corner and East got
inside of Pierce to claim the third spot.
Helberg’s run
ended on lap 22 when he bounced off the
lapped car of Kyle Feeney, coming to a stop
against the turn four retaining wall.
Helberg’s bad luck put East on the point
chased by Pierce, Swanson, Gingras and Tony
Hunt.
For the next 47 laps East was able to hold
off a determined Pierce, who looked high and
low for a way to the front. On lap 69 with
East and Pierce running amongst slower
traffic, the race deciding incident took
place.
Pierce went on to win by three-seconds over
Swanson with Hunt getting inside of Gingras
on the final lap to finish third.
“The car was great,” Pierce said following
his third Niebel victory. He’s the first
driver to win back-to-back races to go along
with a win in 2003.
“I saw it coming,” he said of the contact
that took East out of the race.
Swanson said his car lost its brakes for the
second half of the race, but the car was
good until then.
“It was tight racing,” he said of the USSA
sanctioned race.
Hunt said his car wasn’t as good for the
feature as it had been for qualifying and
the heat race.
“It might have been something with the
tires,” he said. “I didn’t want to wreck. We
wanted to get a solid finish, which we did.”
 Spencer Bayston set fast time; win a heat
race and the feature for the Mel Kenyon
Midgets as he started his rookie season
campaign in impressive fashion.
It was only Bayston’s, fifth time in
competition with the series.
Bayston
slipped inside of Jessica Bean entering turn
three to take the lead with 11 laps
remaining and went on to record the victory.
Alexandria’s Clayton Gaines, who recorded
his first ever win in a heat race, led the
first 14 laps until Bean and Bayston got
underneath coming off the second corner.
Bayston won by
4.5 seconds followed by Bean, Travis Young
(2012 champion), Cordy Horn and Gaines.
“I just ran a good line,” Bayston said. “I’m
very happy.”
Racing returns to Anderson Speedway on
Saturday, April 20 with McGunegill Engine
Performance Late Models, Top Speed
Fabrication Modifieds and Front Wheel Drives
Oval.
For additional information on Anderson Speedway contact Anderson Speedway at
(765) 642-0206.
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