Salem, IN (July 26, 2020) – Multiple-time Anderson Speedway MEP Late Model champion Jeff Marcum got his first win of the 2020 season Saturday night at Anderson Speedway in the 100 lap Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Powered by JEGS second event of the season.
The event was one of two special 100 lap $2000 to win events the series will have in 2020 and the second of four series events scheduled at Anderson Speedway. Marcum lead the final 83 laps to claim his seventh all-time series win, putting him in a tie for fourth on the series all-time wins list with Eddie Van Meter.
With the invert Marcum started fifth in the 19-car field and was running third behind Austin Coe and Tony Brutti after the first circuit. He moved underneath Brutti on a restart on lap 11 and started putting pressure on Coe, finally taking the point on lap 18 with an inside pass coming off the fourth corner.
Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier James Kirby III climbed from the eighth starting spot after the invert and was running third when the second caution flag waved on lap 26. Kirby passed Coe on the restart and ran glued to Marcum’s tail for the next 35 laps with Ronnie Rose moving up to third.
Rose and Coe swapped the second spot several times over 14 laps when the fifth and final caution flag waved on lap 83.
Rose claimed the second spot on the restart, but it was Marcum pulling away from the field for the victory by 2.5-seconds with Rose, Kirby, Dan Leeck and Coe rounding out the top five.
With Marcum on the point there was a good battle for the next four positions all finishing separated by a second.
It was Leeck’s first ever start with the Sportsman Late Model division, he is a two-time CRA/JEGS All-Stars Tour Champion.
“I’m glad to get the monkey off my back,” Marcum said of the win in the Star Financial Winner’s Circle. “To be able to win with the class of cars that were here tonight is special. There were 12 or 13 cars capable of winning, it was tight racing, but everyone raced me clean.”
Marcum picked up the KRJ Race Products Sweet Move of the Race for his pass of Coe to grab the lead and eventually the win.
Rose said his car was loose coming off the corners.
“I don’t think I had anything for Jeff (Marcum),” he said. “We were loose in the corners, but I was hoping to be able to get close at the finish, but he was too strong.”
Kirby agreed that it was close quarters running for position among the front runners, but that it was clean racing.
“We were off just a little,” he said. “We’ll get the car better.”
The race was slowed only by five caution flags.
The next Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman event will be Sunday, August 2nd at Kil-Kare Raceway, the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman versus the Shadybowl Late Model Challenge. Information on all the CRA Series is available at www.cra-racing.com.
