Storylines: Tony Elliott Classic at Anderson Speedway
Storylines: Tony Elliott Classic at Anderson Speedway
It is Getting Tight at the Top
With only two races left in the 2023 season and a championship battle as close as it can be, this weekend’s Tony Elliott Classic at Anderson Speedway will be a battle to see who will make the first mistake. A three way championship fight between Tyler Roahrig, Kody Swanson, and Kyle O’Gara has a current separation of only 48 points. Roahrig maintains a very slim three-point lead over Swanson, the reigning series champion, and O’Gara is coming on strong as the season finale nears. All three drivers are multi-time winners at Anderson and know their way around the track better than any other venue the series has visited. Neither of the three competitors can afford to make any mistakes this weekend as they hope to simply have a chance when the season comes to a close at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on October 14th.
A sign of growth to come?
A trend from 2022 that has continued throughout the 2023 season is that of continued growth. Five of the first seven races of the 2023 season saw a team or driver make their 500 Sprint Car Tour debut. That trend will continue this weekend as three new teams make their first series appearance. Tim Creech, Brady Allum, and Trey Burke will all be fielding entries for the 8th Annual Tony Elliott Classic. Creech and Allum will both be in new cars for the series while Burke will pilot the Tom Brewer Owned #64 Speed Chasers car. Fans have seen the 64 car on occasion over the past two seasons with local driver Jake McElfresh at the helm. Brady Allum will be the only new driver to compete in a car that has never seen Anderson Speedway as Tim Creech recently bought a chassis from the Mccune family that raced at Anderson nearly six years ago.
Laps, Laps, and More Laps
Anderson Speedway is the home of the 500 Sprint Car Tour. Including the annual Little 500 Sprint Car Classic, held every Memorial Day Weekend, the 500 Sprint Car Tour competes on Anderson’s ¼ mile oval four times each season. In what used to be a wild card event due to the track's unique banking and speed for its size, teams are becoming increasingly more confident and competitive each time they visit. Having turned more laps at Anderson than any other track, Berlin Raceway being the next closest, teams feel as though the competitive advantage that some drivers used to hold has now shrunken to a reasonable gap. With closer finishes than ever before occurring on a more regular basis, the laps turned around Anderson Speedway are potentially the most important laps turned in the chase for the Championship.
Ferns Perennial Front Runner at Anderson
Taylor Ferns started the year off with a bang as she brought home a second place finish in the Glen Niebel Classic at Anderson Speedway. It was her best finish at Anderson and her best with the 500 Sprint Car Tour. The finish did not come as a shock as Ferns has shown to be a perennial front runner on Anderson’s oval. Over her past five races at Anderson, she has an impressive four top five finishes. After a handful of mechanical gremlins caused Ferns to get behind the eight ball after her strong start to the season, things have started to shift back in her favor. She has two top fives over the past three races and enters Anderson with the expectation of topping her second place finish in April with a win in October.
Macenko Shedding his Rookie Status
In an impressive Rookie of the Year campaign, Jack Macenko has shown great maturation in his first year racing in a sprint car. The Cincinnati, Ohio native has had one impressive performance after another. The confidence continues to rise in the young driver as he once again returns to Anderson Speedway, the track he has the most experience at. In his last visit to Anderson, he produced his first top five finish of the year. As he transitions from a learning rookie to a contender for race wins, Macenko continues to show that experience is not always the great equalizer and that raw talent shines through in the brightest moments.
Longtime Driver & Owner returns to Anderson Speedway
Indianapolis native, Mike Blake, will make his return to Anderson Speedway this Saturday for the 8th Annual Tony Elliott Classic presented by CB Fabricating. Blake will be returning with his iconic orange #81 machine that saw 11 Little 500 starts between 1976 to 2002. This trip, however, Blake will not be in the car but will be fielding the entry as an owner for the first time since the 2021 season. Tommy Nichols, a Tampa, Florida native and Little 500 veteran, will be piloting the car for Blake. The entry will have a new power plant that was built by Bill Tranter. Blake’s entry will be the fourth new team competing with the series for the first time this season.
Two Races/Two Weeks
After nearly a month off from competition between the race at Lorain Raceway Park on September 9th and the 8th Annual Tony Elliott Classic at Anderson Speedway this weekend, teams will have to prepare for a quick end to the 2023 season. After the checkered flag drops on Saturday night, teams and drivers will have less than one week to prepare for the championship race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Saturday, October 14th. This will be the second straight year that the series will crown a champion at IRP and it will also be the second year that the Brownsburg, Indiana track will host the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial. Two prestigious short tracks, two prestigious events, and one championship. All in a couple weeks work.
Race Information
The 8th Annual Tony Elliott Classic presented by CB Fabricating is set for this Saturday, October 7th. The Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Part Stores 500 Sprint Car Tour will be joined by the USSA Kenyon Midgets, Thunder Roadster, Legends, and the Midwest Champ Karts in a night full of racing action. Front gates open at 11:30am along with rotating practice being scheduled to begin. Qualifications are set for 1:30pm and the green flag is scheduled to fly at 3:00pm. Adult tickets for the event are $16, kids aged 6-12 are $5, and all kids 5 and under will be admitted for free. Fans can also watch the event live on MAVTV on Floracing here. For updates and more information, follow the 500 Sprint Car Tour on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formally known as Twitter).
-Bill Miller Photo
