1-Hour Victory Propels Doug Greig to
Speedrome Late Model Title
Indianapolis, IN (September 4, 2011)
- The Bryant Heating and Cooling Indianapolis Speedrome® held
its oldest racing event on Sunday September 4th. The 35th Annual
One Hour Figure 8 Endurance Race was the challenge ahead of
a star-studded Dad’s Truck & Auto Late Model field.
This 60-minute clash was the last contest on the 2011 Chase
for the Cup schedule with $10,000 waiting for the series champion.
The evening’s agenda also contained competition for the
Peters Auto Service Stocks, Thirsty Turtle Tavern Hornets,
Roadrunners, Hornet Figure 8’s, and American Super Cups.
The time had arrived to settle the $10,000-to-win Dad’s
Truck & Auto Late Model Chase for the Cup championship.
The final test was the 35th Annual One Hour Figure 8 Endurance
Race. Time trials started the evening with important grid positions
and vitally needed qualifying bonus points for the fastest
four. 2009 World Figure 8® Champion Ben Tunny won the pole
with a lap of 18.030 seconds. He did it by the slightest of
margins eclipsing his younger brother Austin by just .001 seconds.
Previous track champions Mark Tunny and Doug Greig rounded
out the top four with Greig winning the trophy dash race,
6 drivers entered this finale with championship hopes and
dreams still at their grasp. The first title trying domino
fell on the pace lap when a freakish front suspension failure
sent Casey White to the pits. The green flag waved and the
clock started its 60-minute countdown with Ben taking the lead
with Austin settling into second. The crossover was crazy early
with this fast roster that included 3 top drivers from the
state of Washington. That group included Brian and Nick Gunderson
who raced the previous evening at their Evergreen Speedway
home track and then flew cross country after that race to join
their Late Model cars in Indianapolis. Brian had won that NASCAR
sanctioned Figure 8.
Ben was driving at an incredible pace lengthening his advantage
to a straightway by lap 15. The runner-up spot changed hands
around this time when Mark slid around his cousin Austin. By
the 30th circuit, Ben was lapping cars quickly making it to
the rear bumper of 7th place Greig. 10 laps later the intersection
claimed its first casualty when two cars had contact placing
them in the path of second running Mark catching his right
rear and damaging his suspension ending his championship quest.
This made a new fight for second between brothers Austin and
Jesse Tunny. That duo went three-wide with a lapped car in
turn three of the 50th circuit. Austin emerged from the spark
flying situation in the runner-up slot.
Lap 60 saw Jerry Lee Ward loop in turn one stacking up several
contenders. Austin would get the worst of this giving him damage
and sending him to the pits. He would return a couple of times,
but only completed 24 more laps. Over the next segment Ben
has built his lead to 14 seconds placing him on the tail of
the 4-car pack wrestling over second. The race hit a turning
point on lap 92 when the red flag flew for the stalled cars
of Chad Sizemore and Bill Tunny Jr. This eliminated that massive
advantage held by Ben. 3rd place running Greig was the only
one of the 5 lead lap cars to pit making a strategy gamble.
The crew made quick work of the stop replacing the rear tires.
Ben resumed the primary position on the restart with Jesse
topping the pursuit pack now a little closer to the leaders
pace. Another three-wide situation for second changed the running
order on lap 138. Jesse and Greig had Ward in a sandwich in
turn three causing Jesse to spin dropping him back to the 4th
spot after resuming. Doug was now making these new tires work
and began cutting some gap to Ben. Two red flags inside the
6-minute-to-go mark bunched up the race and championship deciding
group. The first stoppage was for the stalled car of White
while the other was for a broken Steve Frost Jr machine.
The final lap 172 restart saw sparks fly as each front running
driver knew the gravity of the situation. Doug ducked under
Ben just a few circuits later and they fought for first. Lap
176 he made the pass stick for the only lead change of the
event. Ben chased him in vein the final 11 laps, but could
not regain the spot. Greig went on to win his first career
One Hour Figure 8 Endurance Race. The finishing position was
enough points for Doug to claim his second career Late Model
championship. When asked about his pit stop he said, “I
sat there for a second under the red at halfway and thought
what the heck. I knew that I had to do something to change
it up and came in for tires. I wanted to win this race for
my family and my crew. The Loud Crowd (Doug’s loyal rooting
section of fans) is back and stronger than ever”. Greig
continued, “Winning this $10,000 is amazing! I am proud
to be a champion at the Indianapolis Speedrome”.
Ben Tunny finished a very close second in the race and the
season standings. He was followed in the top five by family
members Jesse Tunny, Bruce Tunny, and Bill Tunny Jr on an emotional
weekend in which patriarch Bill Tunny Sr passed away at the
age of 80. 6th place was a very impressive Manny Aguilar. The
top ten was completed by a resilient Chad Sizemore, Washington’s
Brian Gunderson, Jerry Lee Ward, and Casey White. The race
went 186 laps with only Doug and Ben on the primary circuit.
Join us for World Figure 8® Championship Weekend at the
Speedrome
Thursday September 8, 2011 – World Figure 8® Practice
Speedrome Live radio presented by AT&T Advertising Solutions
on XL950 at 6pm
Roadrunners, Hornets, and Hornet Figure 8’s
Racing begins at 7pm
Friday September 9, 2011 – Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria
presents the “Sizzling Six”
World Figure 8® Championship Qualifying Races
Roadrunners, Hornets, and Hornet Figure 8’s
Racing begins at 7pm
Saturday September 10, 2011
35th Annual World Figure 8® Championship Three Hour Endurance
Race® presented by Pure Power Technologies & UAW The
Greatest Figure 8 Race on the Planet®
Racing begins at 8pm
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