Anderson, Indiana – Indianapolis driver Eddie VanMeter had to recover from a late race incident to post the win in the Champion Racing Association Sportsman Late Model race at Anderson Speedway.
Maybe the presence of the full moon on Saturday during Military Appreciation Night presented by Double T Leather was the cause for only seven of the 16 starters still running at the end.
VanMeter took the lead from Shawn Amor on lap 32 with an outside pass going down the back straight and remained on the point until lap 61.
With Terry Fisher Jr. moving into the second spot following a restart on lap 33 with a nifty move around Amor and Jeff Marcum, Fisher quickly closed on VanMeter’s rear bumper.
Lap after lap Fisher was trying to find a way inside of VanMeter’s car with no luck. On lap 61 Fisher got into the back of VanMeter’s car entering turn three, the result was that both drivers spun and stacked up five other cars.
When the dust settled Amor was leading chased by VanMeter, Fisher, Tony Brutti and Wes Russell Jr.
A lap after the Ivy Tech restart, VanMeter passed Amor coming off the second corner and would go on to record the victory. Fisher passed Amor on lap 69 and again closed on VanMeter, but came up three-tenths of a second short.
Amor, Brutti and Russell rounded out the top five.
“I had to work for the win tonight,” VanMeter said in victory lane. “I love this place.”
“Normally the 28 (Fisher) doesn’t race like that,” he said of the lap 62 incident.
Amor led the first 31 laps but it was VanMeter on the move using the outside line to his advantage to move from the fourth starting spot to the second spot by lap 27.
The race was slowed five times by the caution flag and by one red flag. There were three lead changes among two different drivers.
Cautions: 5; Red Flag 1; Lap Leaders, Amor-1-31, E. VanMeter, 32-61, Amor, 62, E. VanMeter, 63-75
By: Ken de la Bastide
