Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

USAC MIDGET CAR SPECIAL EVENT RACE RESULTS: July 25-26, 2008 – Anderson, Indiana - Anderson Speedway – Inaugural “Anderson Midget 400"


QUALIFICATIONS: (Held July 25 - 4-Lap Times) 1. Dakoda Armstrong, 7, C & A-46.453; 2. Tracy Hines, 24, Parker-46.730; 3. Alison MacLeod, 14, East-46.751; 4. James Robertson, 42, Hargitt-46.874; 5. Zach Schiff, 4, Klatt-46.893; 6. Mike Murgoitio, 10, Murgoitio-47.304; 7. Ricky Ehrgott, 8, Ehrgott-47.310; 8. Joe Liguori, 28, Owen-47.617; 9. Jon Laski, 01, Laski-48.444; 10. Jeremy Waren, 57, Warren-48.778; 11. Eric Gordon, 2, Parker-49.558; 12. Chett Gehrke, 06, Gehrke-49.657; 13. Adam Schuyler, 56, Schuyler-50.929; 14. Palmer Eicher, 54, PBH-51.420; 15. Katie Hargitt, 79, Hargitt-51.801; 16. Rob Wyman, 03, Stigall-53.618; 17. David Fuhrman, 32, Fuhrman-54.761; 18. Mike Schenker, 3, Fuhrman-1:02.95; 19. Rex Norris III, 63, Norris-NT; 20. Travis Young, 11, Young-NT; 21. Jacob Thompson, 1, Young-NT.

FEATURE: (400 laps - Held July 26) 1. Dakoda Armstrong, 2. Ricky Ehrgott, 3. Alison MacLeod, 4. Bobby East (#4), 5. Joe Liguori, 6. Mike Murgoitio, 7. Chett Gehrke, 8. Tracy Hines, 9. Adam Schuyler, 10. Jeremy Warren, 11. Katie Hargitt, 12. David Fuhrman, 13. Eric Gordon. 14. Rex Norris III, 15. Palmer Eicher, 16. Jon Laski, 17. James Robertson, 18. Jacob Thompson, 19. Travis Young, 20. Rob Wyman, 21. Mike Schenker. NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-12 Armstrong, Laps 13-38 Robertson, Laps 39-42 Armstrong, Laps 43-44 Hines, Laps 45-107 East, Laps 108-128 Hines, Laps 129-162 Ehrgott, Laps 163-179 MacLeod, Laps 180-213 Armstrong, Laps 214-300; Laps 301-306 Armstrong, Laps 307-325 Ehrgott, Laps 326-400 Armstrong.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

A very entertaining evening of racing at the Anderson Midget Classic. I was rather skeptical when they were only starting 21 cars but it was a very good inaugural race. The top 4 cars all finished on the lead lap with second place Ricky Ehrgott and third place Alison MacLeod separated by about 4 car lengths at the end. Bobby East fought back from being 3 laps down early to finish on the lead lap.

Dakoda Armstrong drove like a veteran and after the race said that he drove approximately 120 laps without power steering. I was very impressed with a number of drivers who compete regularly during the Wednesday night regional midget series and Ford Focus series. Armstrong, James Robertson, Ehrgott, MacLeod, Chet Gehrke, Joe Liguori to mention a few.

I know that Rick Dawson, Anderson Speedway Promotor/Owner was hoping for more cars and fans. However, he couldn't have scripted a better race and finish. There were very few yellows and they didn't tear up a bunch of equipment. The drivers showed patience and for the most part respect toward the other competitors. There were numerous lead changes on the track not in the pits.

I guess this shows that midgets can and will hold up for 400 laps of racing. Hoosier built a very reliable tire as I can't remember a blow out during the race. I am really glad that I went and I hope that Rick can work and promote this into a "special" event like the Little 500. I think that this could be the begining of another classic event.:thumb

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

My thoughts exactly Mud Packer! I hope this event continues to grow each year. I am so glad I went! The funny thing several of us were discussing is that there were tons of cars & fans at ORP for a lot less purse and this race paid one of the biggest purses for pavement midgets and there was a skimpy car count. Somes strikes against this race is that there is so many options on a Saturday night in Indiana, this race didn't have any history, and many were skeptical of what it would produce, so it effected the fan base.

IMO even though the field was shy about 10 cars, those 10 may have just been field fillers and caused more yellows. Very few cautions and great racing thoughout the night. Too bad for Hines & Murgoitio as they had some bad luck earlier in the race but they along with East had great battles even being laps down - they were obviously some of the fastest cars on the track.

Great job to Rick Dawson for taking the chance on trying something new! I feel it was a success and hopefully it will be an annual event & the feedback we give will help bring more fans and cars next year! Congrats to Dakota and team for running a great race! Also props to Ricky, Alison & Bobby for all racing hard and finishing on the lead lap! (Bobby making up a few of them too)

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Anderson 400 Winner Dakoda Armstrong

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...erson2x600.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...erson3x398.jpg

David Sink Photos

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

I cant add any more to those post but the Rubes gave it a big :thumb

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

i was worried about the car count,fan count, and many other things. It was a very good race. so many differant leaders and really you didnt know who was going to win until about 10 to go.The top 4 drove a very good race. And Alison MacLeod showed last night that this sport isnt just for guys....women can race to and that she did very well. :applaud: :applaud:

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

There is something I can add.

Our group was invited to participate in the inaugural Anderson 400 to assist with the live action, green flag pit stops. That was incredible and intense.

The staff at Anderson Speedway were very professional, well organized and very friendly. Their experience with the "Little 500" allowed them to pull off this unique midget showcase. Their focus on safety for the drivers, crews, fans and staff was well appreciated and well thought out.

Some race day adjustments were made in the originally scheduled format, with safety in mind. Mandatory 10 minute competition yellows (red flags) were built into the program at lap 150 and 300, making this race a three segment race of 150 laps, 150 laps and a final 100 lap shootout. This allowed drivers and crews an opportunity to check tire wear, make adjustments and refuel.

The promoter was well aware the night was going to be a financial disaster because of the low car count and low fan count, however, his vision is to build this event into a showcase event the caliber of the "Little 500".

The racing and action turned out to be much better than I had anticipated. There were some great perfomances turned in by several drivers. Kudos to Anderson Speedway and all their staff. Well done. :thumb

Joe Chambers, Coordinator
Official Push Trucks

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

I couldn't agree more with Mud Packer and others. From my seat, it was a thoroughly entertaining race. And very clean, with few yellows but lots of side-by-side racing. :thumb

One might look at the fact that just four cars were on the lead lap at the finish. Fact is, the Little 500 often has just one car on the lead lap at the finish, yet nearly everyone I know agrees it is a fabulous race. The nature of these long races is that people get lapped, particularly in a race with so few cautions. I thought it was terrific that three cars were in the hunt over the last 100 laps, and had Bobby East had a few more laps he would have been right there as well.

I was skeptical of the format going in, because I'm not a fan of long races with pre-scheduled breaks. But I have changed my mind. I love this format, and I can hardly imagine this event with 34 cars of equal quality and speed. Wow!

I like the two competition yellows, although I agree with the concerns that the more affluent teams will throw tires at the car at every stop. But IMO the track management did a good job considering that there were many questions and unknowns going in. Now that they've got one under their belt, they have a lot more information for next year.

The most notable thing I got from this race is the terrific impact the USAC Regional midget series (as well as Kenyon and Focus series) is going to have on open wheel racing. This group of kids performed beautifully on a big stage, and proved they are talented, smart racers. Everybody--fast and slow alike--raced cleanly and with a lot of maturity. I was very impressed with the entire group, particularly Dakota, Ricky Ehrgott, Alison McLeod, Joe Liguori, and Chett Gehrke, who proved they can race hard in a long-distance event.

Rex Norris III was very strong in the early going before he lost his brakes. Mike Murgoitio was impressive and would have been a real player if he hadn't had a flat tire in the first 20 laps. The race had lots of players and you could see a completely different scenario if a few things had played out just a little differently. That's the beauty of the longer races.

Do I wish there had been more cars? Sure. Do I wish there had been more fans in the stands? Sure. But you've got to build from the ground up.

Again, this is just the view from my seat, but I thought Anderson promoter Rick Dawson went the extra mile when he offered everyone with a 400 ticket stub a $10 discount for the USAC National race at Anderson in September. He took a huge gamble with this race and I hope over the long haul it becomes very successful, because midget racing needs more marquee events like this one.

This event has the potential to the most significant midget race in our area, and I hope it can reach its potential.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Very well said, Dave! I couldn't have said it any better.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Hey Checker'd Past, aren't you one of the few that was at the inagural Little 500? If so, what was attendace like for that one? Just curious.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Originally Posted by Honest-Sam:
Hey Checker'd Past, aren't you one of the few that was at the inagural Little 500? If so, what was attendace like for that one? Just curious.

He can't even remember last night:confused::D

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Originally Posted by Honest-Sam:
Hey Checker'd Past, aren't you one of the few that was at the inagural Little 500? If so, what was attendace like for that one? Just curious.

His recollection of that would be a little cloudy.:rolleyes: He was still in 3 cornered pants sucking on a bottle back then.:sleep::rolling

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

I can't remember which board member(s) had been to every Little 5. I thought it was checker'd. Anybody know?

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Sam, I can't speak for Checkered Past (he has forgotten more about the Little 500 than I'll ever know) but photos I've seen from the first Little 500 in 1949 show a full house. It was a different era, pre-TV, and it was infinitely easier to sell tickets to sporting events. You could also argue that the city of Anderson was a completely different place than it is today.

All things considered, last night's race was a pretty decent start. One of these days maybe we'll be bragging that we saw the very first Midget 400 at Anderson!

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Agreed

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Originally Posted by Honest-Sam:
I can't remember which board member(s) had been to every Little 5. I thought it was checker'd. Anybody know?

Sam,

Yes, Checker'd Past is one of only two (I think) who have witnessed every Little 500. He was a wee little sprout back then so his memory of that event might be a little skewed?:confused::rolling Possibly a Bud Light or two has crossed the palate in the mean time as well.:wink

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

I want to thank eric gordon, and Tracy hines for comeing back out after problems. when they were on the track you would think that they were raceing to win the race. Parker brought 2 fast cars and drivers! East and Murgurteeo did it it too, and were bad fast compared to the leaders. it paid off for east and murgurteo, both had good finishes. Hines was pushing hard, and it was fun to watch. Thats the spirt that makes these races special. Congrats to Dakota Armstrong, nice to see a local guy do very well.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Yes Honest-Sam, I have seen every one of the Little 500's. Since I was only four years old I don't remember much about the race except there were a lot of people. As Dave stated I have seen photographs of the crowd and it indeed seemed like a packed house. The stands were configured differently 40's when it was called Sun Valley Speedway (what a great name).

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

I thought the event was pretty good for a first time event. About 10 more cars would have been great. I don't blame some teams from staying away until they saw what it was going to be like. I think they have something to build on. I also agree that some cars didn't belong out there. The cars at the front put on a good show. Watching East race to get all of his laps back was something to watch. I thought fan turnout wasn't too bad for a wait and see event. The best part was the lack of yellows. The 500 can get a little bogged down at times with yellows. This went green most of the time. I hope it's back next year with more cars.

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last thought on this race, Most of the cars were little unknown teams. I for one am very glad that they were able to get a good payday. Think about this, for some of these guys, Anderson speedway just became there biggest sponsor. I know $1000 is nothing but a drop in the bucket in the raceing world, but to the majority of this field a $1000 means they will make a few more races this year.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

It was a great race. I'll be back next year if they do it again:Steer

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

better race than i thought it would be. very entertaining. i would like to thank the drivers, car owners, and promoter for soldiering on with the event. I'm having a hard time with the fact usac has this race on their schedule as a se event and so few cars were there. where were the Stewart and Kahne cars?

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Originally Posted by duel:
better race than i thought it would be. very entertaining. i would like to thank the drivers, car owners, and promoter for soldiering on with the event. I'm having a hard time with the fact usac has this race on their schedule as a se event and so few cars were there. where were the Stewart and Kahne cars?

You answered your own question. Stewart is after the championship. This was a non point event.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

i don't understand why they do not offer points for these events. Even if its just for distance reached.

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I feel sort of guilty because I was going to go and then bailed out because of the car count. Shame on me.:thumbsdown:

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Originally Posted by Seadog:
I feel sort of guilty because I was going to go and then bailed out because of the car count. Shame on me.:thumbsdown:

Gregg,

After I read your post on Saturday, I wish I could have offered some positive information concerning car count. Unfortunately, there were only a couple of additions and I certainly didn't feel comfortable telling you to drive over here for that. I guess it all comes down to you really don't know what type of show it will be and if you have the right mix of cars it can be great. My hope is that it will grow from here and become a very "special" event.:thumb

Did you try to make Lawrenceburg?

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

just make sure you don't miss it next year. :D I really hope the track gives it 1 more attemp.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

one employee told me that usac had guaranteed cars. we heard that all day but only 3 or so extra showed up. i like the points idea for laps ran. i think if they lump the event on their national schedule they should maybe take points away from car owners who don't support them.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Originally Posted by Mud Packer:
Gregg,

After I read your post on Saturday, I wish I could have offered some positive information concerning car count. Unfortunately, there were only a couple of additions and I certainly didn't feel comfortable telling you to drive over here for that. I guess it all comes down to you really don't know what type of show it will be and if you have the right mix of cars it can be great. My hope is that it will grow from here and become a very "special" event.:thumb

Did you try to make Lawrenceburg?

Lucky(?) for me I got a late start and it rained so I turned around and went home.

I cetainly appreciate the thought, though.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Originally Posted by duel:
one employee told me that usac had guaranteed cars. we heard that all day but only 3 or so extra showed up. i like the points idea for laps ran. i think if they lump the event on their national schedule they should maybe take points away from car owners who don't support them.

Kinda sounds like the old AAA days.

Re: Anderson 400 Midget Classic Results
 

Attention Don Moore:

You could have thrown some old pavement tires on your car, and have your driver do a start and park. You would have made money on this deal as 22nd place paid $1200.

In addition, it kinda makes you wonder. Car owners constantly complain about how they want more money for races. This race had a huge purse, and only 21 cars came. WOMS had a midget race the same night with a much much smaller purse, and had the same car count.

Congrats to Dakoda Armstrong though. Every time I have seen him race, he continues to impress. A very good driver with a bright future ahead of him. :checkered: