ANDERSON – The right set-up coming off the corners at Anderson Speedway allowed Eddie VanMeter to score his third consecutive Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Powered by JEGS win at the track, it was also VanMeter’s fourth straight series win and fifth series overall win for the 2016 season.
The Indianapolis driver started on the outside of the front row on Saturday and quickly moved into the lead passing Greg VanAlst at the Ivy Tech green flag.
For the first 30 laps the top five ran nose to tail when the first caution flag waved when Tony Brutti and RJ Norton tangled in turn four.
The restart created a shake-up in the top five with fast qualifier Jeff Marcum moving inside of VanAlst to claim the second spot when the final caution flag waved on lap 54 when Billy VanMeter hit the turn four wall.
Marcum stayed glued to the rear bumper of VanMeter repeatedly closing the gap earning the corners but giving ground on the straightaways.
VanMeter won by six-tenths over Marcum followed by VanAlst, Wes Russell Jr. and Brutti.
Entering the night VanMeter had a 15-point lead over Terry Fisher Jr. for the Champion Racing Association’s CRA Late Model Sportsman title.
That margin widened when Fisher’s night ended on lap 33 when he made contact with a spinning Billy VanMeter. Fisher was credited with a tenth place finish.
“I love this place,” Eddie VanMeter said of his third win at the quarter-mile oval. “I really appreciate that Jeff (Marcum) raced me clean.”
“The car was a little tight in the corners but it was good coming off the corners,” he said.
Dyer driver Brutti started on the tail of the field after not posting a qualifying time than overcame an incident on lap 30 to finish fifth.
Marcum, a three time winner in the Anderson Speedway McGunegill Engine Performance Late Model action at Anderson Speedway, posted the fast time during Allstar Performance qualifying with a lap of 12.748-seconds to edge out Fisher and Billy VanMeter.
By Ken de la Bastide
