Hagerstown Speedway
Anderson captures Steel Block Bandits opener
Winner Andy Anderson used the extreme high side at Hagerstown. (wrtspeedwerx.com)
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (April 27) — Making only his second career start in the Steel Block Bandits Late Model Series, Andy Anderson of Bunker Hill, W.Va., captured the tour’s season opener at Hagerstown Speedway. He collected $2,000. | Slideshow
Anderson also scored his second victory of the season at Hagerstown after winning the Small Car Nationals qualifier two weeks earlier in his Doug and Dougie Timmons-owned entry.
Anderson started sixth and swept around the outside of Justin Weaver and leader Rick Hulson on the 19th lap and led the rest of the 30-lapper, taking the checkers .804 seconds ahead of Weaver.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to get them,” Anderson said. “Hats off to Justin; he could have used me up there on the frontstretch and he didn’t. That’s what won the race, that lap right there. I think I went a little harder on left rear tires than they did but it paid off.”
Hulson finished third followed by Gene Knaub and Tyler Armstrong in the fifth season opener for the tour.
The 30-lapper got off to a skirmish when Hulson and several others got turned around in the second turn, but got their starting spots back for the restart. Hulson pulled to the front over Mike Walls and the fifth-starting Weaver, who quickly advanced into third and then into second on the fourth circuit while Knaub came from seventh to grab third on the sixth.
Following a lap-seven caution for Joey Leavell and one on the ninth lap when Kris Eaton rolled to a stop, the remaining laps were under green.
Hulson continued to lead with Weaver in tow but Anderson passed Knaub on the last restart. Weaver closed on Hulson and was giving it his all for a few laps as Hulson resisted, but then Anderson was on the scene and tried his luck around the outside. His effort paid off when he came away with the lead. Weaver got around Hulson the next lap and chased Anderson into rear traffic two laps later.
Anderson led the rest of the way while Weaver settled for his third straight runner-up finish in tour action at Hagerstown.
“I wasn’t sure in the beginning, Hulson went down there and parked and I got in the back of him there and the 86 had to check up,” Anderson said. “We fell back there and then we got rolling. I have to thank Dougie and Doug for letting me drive this thing. It’s almost a dream come true.”
Notes: Anderson’s Rocket Chassis is unsponsored. ... Kyle Lear came from his 11th starting spot to sixth. ... Rick Singleton was the hard charger with his 18th-to-seventh run. ... Drivers failing to crack the feature lineup: Courtney Shreiner, Fred Harden, Duane Harbaugh Wayne Walls Jr., Kyle Lee, Devin Frey, James Lichliter, Ryan Walls, Chad Julius and Gerald Davis. ... Next up for the Steel Block Bandits is a May 11 event at Hesston (Pa.) Speedway.
Steel Block Bandits @ Hagerstown: (1) Andy Anderson, (2) Justin Weaver, (3) Rick Hulson, (4) Gene Knaub, (5) Tyler Armstrong, (6) Kyle Lear, (7) Rick Singleton, (8) Chad Myers, (9) Brad Ritter, (10) Bruce Kane, (11) Michael Walls, (12) Joe Leavell, (13) Andy Fries, (14) Walker Arthur, (15) Paul Cursey, (16) Scott Palmer, (17) Brent Smith, (18) Wes Bonebrake, (19) Will Rowe, (20) Chaz Walls, (21) Billy Beacher, (22) Frankie Plessinger, (23) Kris Eaton, (24) Doninic Defino. Heat race winners (among 34 cars): Palmer, Arthur, Walls, Hulson. Consolation winners: Cursey, Singleton.
Correction: Fixes winning purse to $2,000 sted $1,500.
