ANDERSON, IN – In what became a race of attrition, Dalton Conner was able to survive a late restart to capture the Champion Racing Association Street Stock feature.
The race saw problems befall several of the leaders on Military Appreciation Night presented by JD Byrider at Anderson Speedway.
Conner started on the outside of the front row with Josh Poore and ran in the top five for the first 84 laps.
The Greenfield driver was forced to pit on lap 85 for a flat tire and he rejoined at the back of the field. But within 15 laps was running third behind leader James Kirby III and Andrew Teepe.
Kirby, who set fast time during qualifying, took the lead on lap 85 when leader Ryan Amonett lost an engine.
It appeared that Kirby was going to secure the victory but fate played a hand on lap 136 when his ride lost a gear which ended his night.
Conner who had taken the second spot on lap 101 inherited the lead and held off Teepe on the final restart to win by 2.3-seconds with Josh Ebbert coming home in third followed by Larry Hahn and Kimmie Greig.
Poore took the lead at the start chased by Conner and Amonett until the halfway break.
The Anderson driver missed the call for the restart and had to start at the back of the field. Poore’s night would end on lap 80 against the turn one wall after contact with Duan Damon.
“There were a lot of good cars that fell out, which worked in my favor,” Conner said in the Hoosier Lottery Victory Lane. “I hated to see it, but I loved to see it at the same time.”
Conner said he hated to see the problem beset Kirby, who is an I-racing body.
“I felt the car was a little snug, really the whole race,” he continued. “I didn’t know if I could get back to the front after the tire went flat. But the car was better than with the older one on.”
Teepe said he didn’t really have a car to contend with Conner for the victory because the tires were used up.
Ebbert, making one of his first Street Stock starts, survived a spin on lap 101 to claim a podium spot.
“I’m wore out,” he said. “It was a good run for us. At the end I was just trying to hold on. On short runs the car was great.”
Of the 17 cars that started the event, only six were running at the finish in a race slowed by nine caution periods.
Race statistics: Time of race: 1:38:11.477; Winning margin: 2.338-seconds; Lead changes: 3 among 4 drivers; Lap leaders: Poore, 1-75; Amonett, 76-84; Kirby, 85-134; Conner, 135-150; Cautions: 9
