NASCAR SJAPS: Anderson Finishes Off July in Fine Fashion at Caraway
30 July 2000
Asheboro, N.C. - July 29, 2000 - Last year Wayne Anderson produced some dominating results at Caraway Speedway, scoring two wins. After Saturday night's performance it might be appropriate to rename the 0.455-mile oval 'Wayne's World.' Leading twice for 172 laps the defending Slim Jim All Pro Series Champion captured his third consecutive win at Caraway in the $41,750 Caraway 200. The win was worth $9,150 to the second-generation driver. "What can I say about Frankie Grill (car owner) and this Jani-King crew! We've had a tough year. We've been good in a lot of places but tonight just showed that we had a great race car," stated Anderson. "I've got to give all of these All Pro drivers a hand. "I mean, there was so much respect on that race track tonight as far as me passing some, some passing me, however it was, it was a great race for the All Pro drivers," he added. During Bud Pole qualifying three drivers eclipsed the one-year-old track record that was set by 1998 Slim Jim All Pro Series Champion Freddie Query. Best of those three was Wildwood, Fla.'s Anderson. The Jani-King Chevrolet driver kept his car low in the turns and raced around the track in a time of 16.187 seconds at an average speed of 101.192 mph for his second Bud Pole of 2000. It was also Anderson's seventh career Bud Pole award moving him into a tie with Mike Garvey and Query for fourth in career Bud Poles. Billy Bigley, Jr. and Scott Kilby also outpaced Query's former record. At the completion of the first lap Bigley was scored as the leader as the outside front row starter nosed ahead of the polesitter. But Anderson battled back on the next go round and took command of the top spot. The field then settled into single file order and proceeded to get into a comfortable racing rhythm. On lap 22 Anderson began to thread his way through lapped traffic. On lap 30 Statesville, N.C.'s Scott Kilby moved past Billy Bigley, Jr. for the second position, but Bigley battled back to regain the runnerup position on the next lap. On lap 44 the right front tire dislodged from rookie Casey Yunick's Chevrolet, bringing out the race's first caution. Green flag racing resumed on lap 49 and Anderson, Bigley, Brian Smith, Lee Tissot and David Reutimann quickly cleared lapped traffic. Again, everyone settled into single file order and green flag racing continued uninterrupted through the race's halfway point, with Anderson maintaining the lead all the while. A blown engine on Ken Weaver's Square D/Low Bob's Discount Tobacco Chevrolet on lap 116 brought out the race's second caution. Fluids dropped on the track in the incident also collected A.J. Frank, Randy Gentry and Jody Lavender. In addition to Weaver, Frank was unable to continue while Gentry was forced to the pits for extensive repairs. Frank's Coastal Medical Associates Chevrolet was severely damaged and the red flag flew in order to remove his race car from the track. All of the leaders pitted for tires when the race went from red flag to yellow flag status. Tissot then took the lead in his Brinkley Racing Chevrolet, with Smith, Anderson, Jeff Fultz and Bigley making up the top five on the lap 129 restart. Green flag conditions lasted only two laps as Kilby, Yunick and Shane Sieg got together in turn four on lap 131. Once the incident was cleaned up Tissot again led the field to the green flag on lap 138. On lap 141 Anderson breezed by Smith's Juba Glass Chevrolet, then five laps later he muscled by Tissot to regain the top spot. On lap 164 the yellow flag was again displayed when Robbie Ferguson, Steven Howard and Bigley came together exiting turn four. Ferguson and Howard were done for the evening while Bigley was able to get going and maintain his lead lap status. Green flag racing resumed on lap 173 with Anderson in a familiar spot, up front and pulling away. He had to survive two more late race cautions but managed to pull away on both restarts to secure his second win of the year. Tissot, Smith, points leader Fultz and Benny Gordon rounded out the top five. Kevin Prince and Bigley finished sixth and seventh, as the last two cars on the lead lap, with Reutimann, Tina Gordon and Chad Bland rounding out the top 10. Anderson beat Tissot to the finish line by 0.601 seconds for his 12th career victory. The 200-lap race was run in one hour, 17 minutes and 18 seconds while Anderson's winning average speed was 70.634 mph. There were four lead changes among three drivers and a total of six caution periods for 43 laps. C&C Boilers/Cleaver Brooks/Honeywell Chevrolet driver Fultz continues to lead the point standings, now ahead of Bigley by 24 points. Reutimann holds down the third position, trailing Bigley by 26 points. Tissot and Smith round out the top five while Frank, Benny Gordon, Gary Terry, Weaver and Yunick complete the top 10. Easily outdistancing Tissot in most laps led, Anderson captured the $500 Gatorade Front Runner of the Race Award for the first time in 2000. Tissot and Bigley also earned points after leading laps. In the season-long chase for the annual award Bigley leads Smith by eight points. Birmingham, Ala.'s Augie Grill earned the $300 Jasper Engines and Transmissions Crew-Chief-of-the-Race Award after leading his team to victory lane for the second time this season. Bigley's crew chief Adam Heckelman leads Fultz's head wrench, Jon Craig, by eight points in this category after 10 races. Ryan Crane, driver of the Fresh Frozen Foods Chevrolet, earned the $250 Moroso Performance Products Rookie-of-the-Race award. The Pendergrass, Ga. driver now sits just two points behind Monroe, N.C.'s Greg Pope, who trails rookie points leader Yunick by eight points as the trio look to secure top first-year driver honors. The teams in the Slim Jim All Pro Series, NASCAR Touring have next weekend off then they head to Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C. for the running of the $48,350 Cintas 200. The race will be the 11th of 17 on the 2000 schedule. It will be the second time in 2000 that the series will have raced at Greenville-Pickens, as well as the 20th time in the 10-year history of the series that a series race has been held at the historic 0.500-mile track. Bud Pole Qualifying will get underway at 6:00 p.m. with the Cintas 200 racing program getting underway at 8:00 p.m.