By Ken de la Bastide
CNHI News Service
ANDERSON, Ind. —
Veteran driver R.J. Norton took the lead on a restart after eight laps and held off Gary Bedel to capture the International Outlaw Figure 8 Series feature at Anderson Speedway on Sunday.
Jeff Hizer took the early lead chased by Norton and Doug Grieg when the caution flag waved for debris on the eighth lap. On the restart Norton and Greig got inside of Hizer.
The first action at the crossover took place on Lap 18 when Jeff Shakelford and Hizer made contact. Shakelford spun to a stop on the front straight and Hizer came to rest in Turn 4.
Bedel, who was running sixth on the restart passed Jesse Tunny for the fifth spot with an inside move entering Turn 3.
The third caution flag waved on Lap 37 when Chuckie Hargraves and Corey Turner made contact in the crossover and both spun to a stop on the front straight.
At the restart the driver on the move was fast qualifier Charlie Hargraves, who passed Tunny on the back straight. He gained two more positions when first Shakelford and then Grieg slowed to a stop.
At the finish Norton won by .255 seconds over Bedel with Hargraves and Tunny all running on the lead lap.
“This is my house,” Norton said of his win at Anderson Speedway. “I’m not running for points, just came out to have some fun.”
Defending Front Wheel Drive Figure-8 champion passed Josh Tharp on the next-to-last lap and went on to record his fourth feature win of the season. Tharp was able to hang with Warner for most of the final lap, but slowed dramatically in Turn 3 and coasted to a fourth place finish.
Mike Alley took the early lead only to be passed by Tharp on the second lap. The only caution flag waved on Lap 8 when Bill Leisure and Kevin Henson made contact in the cross over.
Following Warner to the checkers was Donnie Ellis Jr. and Alley.
In a case of déjà vu, Tharp and Warner battled for most of the Figure-8 Division feature with Tharp holding off Warner on the final two laps to record his first feature win of the season.
James Peterson took the lead at the start and was passed by Tharp on the fourth lap with an inside move down the front straight. Warner moved into second with a pass of Peterson entering turn three on Lap 6.
For the next 19 laps Warner pressured Tharp but came up .192 second short with Rob Allman, Jason Pitts and Rod Phipps rounding out the top five.
Phipps had his regular ride heavily damaged in the first heat race when he made contact with the car of Jerry Norris. Phipps borrowed the car of Rodney Milliner and drove to the fifth place finish to gain valuable points for the season championship.
