Little 500 Starting Grid

Starting grid for the 68th Little 500 Sprint Car race - Anderson, IN Speedway:

1 7c Caleb Armstrong New Castle, IN Randy Neal Neal Metal Recycling and Processing
2 8 Chris Neuenschwander New Haven, IN Koehler/Nuenschwander Racing KRJ Race Products
3 22 Bobby Santos III Franklin, MA Bobby Santos III DJ Racing
4 5g Chris Windom Canton, IL Goacher Racing DECO Enterprise
5 99 Tanner Swanson Kingsburg, CA Brad and Tara Armstrong Armstrong Garage Doors
6 4 Donnie Adams Jr Gaston, IN Margaret Adams Kleenco
7 33 Dave Steele Tampa, FL Dave Steele Job Site Concrete
8 07 Jacob Wilson Crawfordsville, IN Wilson Bros. Racing Mitch Smith Auto Service
9 26 Aaron Pierce Daleville, IN Sam Pierce Sam Pierce Chevrolet
10 3 Jerry Coons Jr Tucson, AZ Nolen Racing KECO
11 9 Billy Wease Noblesville, IN Randy Burrow Burco Molding
12 2 Jeff Bloom Bangor, MI Jeff Bloom Racing Flint Trucking
13 44 Brian Tyler Mt. Pleasant, NC Contos Racing Inc. Contos Racing
14 69 Kody Swanson Kingsburg, CA Hoffman Auto Racing Hoosier Tire
15 88 Jimmy McCune Petersburg, MI Jimmy McCune B & B Machinery Movers
16 51 Kyle Hamilton Indianapolis, IN Klatt Enterprises Klatt Motorsports
17 1 Davey Hamilton Jr. Jamestown, IN Klatt Enterprises Cocomo
18 87 Ryan Litt London, Ontario Wade Litt BS&B Radiator
19 59 Scott Hampton Greenfield, IN Jerry Ray Powell Hollingswoth Family
20 55 Shane Butler Bushnell, FL Troy Thompson Southwestern Truck Service
21 27 Brian Gerster Fishers, IN Davis-Gerster Racing Winchester Furniture Showroom
22 12 Grant Galloway Lakeville, IN Jerry Ray Powell Todd Galloway Construction
23 20 Shane Hollingsworth Lafayette, IN Nolen Racing KECO
24 68 Mickey Kempgens Tampa, FL P.C.S. Racing P.C.S. Racing
25 41 Shane Cottle Kokomo, IN Contos Racing Inc. Contos Racing
26 94 Geoff Kaiser Fort Wayne, IN Speed Chasers, Inc. Speed Chasers Inc.
27 74 Tony Main Farmland, IN Glen and Virginia Main Big Stuff Paint and Body
28 0 Doug Dietsch Kalamazoo, MI Doug Dietsch Racing Roberts Steel Erection
29 02 Joe Swanson Etna Green, IN Jerry Ray Powell Walters Auto
30 18 Travis Welpott Pendleton, IN Welpott Motorsports Smith Family Farms Meat Market
31 35 Russ Gamester Peru, IN Russ Gamester GRP Chassis
32 71 Brian Vaughn Shirley, IN Robert and Rebecca Vaughn JT’s Trenching and Excavating
33 57 Brad Wyatt Brownstown, MI Don Dietsch BD Enterprises
1st Alt. 18 Jim Sheets Anderson, IN Jim Sheets Guttermaker
2nd Alt. 45 Mark Hall New Palenstine, IN Ronald Hall Hall Motorsports

Lil 500

I have been hearing about this race for years. My family and I had was given tickets to the Indy 500 that we decided to go to. A friend of mine Troy Thompson told me weeks ago that he was going to race at Anderson, Indiana. A long story short i put two and two together and was able to make the Lil 500. You would all be proud of how our hometown men performed. David Steele as usual put on a show as he made his way to second with 5 laps to go but came up short. Shane Butler went through one hell of a field…must of passed a hundred cars at one point or another lol. he diced his way through and finished 8th. I am unsure where Micky Kimpgens finished but he also made Florida proud. They all had a mandatory 2 pit stops. It was impressing

Very impressive indeed!

I know they are apples & oranges, but which event did you enjoy the most?

Oldschool

The lil 500…

  1. I had friends and Florida drivers in the event
  2. It is an awesome little bull ring with seating all the way around the track and really cool high banks
  3. I could see every turn
  4. It was in the evening with a cool breeze blowing…
  5. I could actually move without touching people next to me.
  6. There was about 355,000 less people
  7. The beer was very close

The winner

was the # 69 of Kody Swanson

second was Steele and 3rd was the 3 of Jerry Coons in a 6 cylinder

Results:

Kody Swanson inherited the lead when misfortune struck the leader and led the final 26 laps to win the 68th running of the Pay Less Little 500 at Anderson Speedway.

Swanson, the first driver to win the classic from California, had to hold off Dave Steele over the final 19 circuits for the win on Saturday.

Swanson started 14th in the 33-car field and ran amongst the leaders all night. Steele and Jerry Coons Jr. rounded out the top three. Swanson was driving for Hoffman Auto Racing.

Swanson gave the grandstand a fist pump after pulling into victory lane.

He was driving aggressively over the final 50 laps of the race.

?When you?re that close to winning the Little 500, you have to take the opportunities as they come,? he said.

It appeared Caleb Armstrong, who started from the pole position, used the right strategy when he took over the lead when Bobby Santos pitted on Lap 451.

But on Lap 472 Armstrong made contact with a slower car on the front straight and came to a stop in Turn 2.

That turned over the lead to Swanson chased by Steele and Coons, the only cars on the lead lap of the 19 still running.

Santos and second-place running Billy Wease caught a break on Lap 206 during a red flag by pitting and not losing any laps.

But by failing to pit on Lap 380, Santos lost any advantage he had as several drivers passed him with 75 laps remaining to get back on the lead lap. The team lost the chess match that is the strategy surrounding the Little 500.

Needing a caution for fresh rubber, Santos got into the back of Doug Dietsch on Lap 442. Santos lost two laps in the process.

Wease?s night ended on Lap 243 when he made contact with Ryan Litt in Turn 2.

With Santos leading Swanson, Steele, Coons and Armstrong, there were seven cars on the lead lap after 300 laps.

The first half of the race saw four of the six former winners that started knocked out of competition.

The attrition started on Lap 64 when Brian Tyler was involved in an incident in Turn 2 with Dietsch.

Two former champions, including defending champion Chris Windom, were knocked from competition in separate incidents. Jeff Bloom made contact with the outside retaining wall on the front straight, and seconds later Windom came to a stop against the Turn 1 wall.

Jacob Wilson was involved in a three-car incident on the back straight on Lap 197 when Travis Welpott spun and the cars of Wilson and Donnie Adams Jr. hit the inside retaining wall.

POS # DRIVER LAPS
1 69 Kody Swanson 500
2 33 Dave Steele 500
3 3 Jerry Coons, Jr. 500
4 51 Kyle Hamilton 499
5 22 Bobby Santos III 498
6 41 Shane Cottle 496
7 12 Grant Galloway 495
8 55 Shane Butler 495
9 1 Davey Hamilton, Jr 495
10 26 Aaron Pierce 494
11 27 Brian Gerster 491
12 68 Mickey Kempgens 491
13 7 Caleb Armstrong 488
14 8 Chris Neuenschwander 487
15 94 Geoff Kaiser 480
16 18 Travis Welpott 478
17 74 Tony Main 470
18 71 Brian Vaughn 461
19 0 Doug Dietsch 448
20 88 Jimmy McCune 381
21 45 Mark Hall 369
22 57 Brad Wyatt 252
23 9 Billy Wease 243
24 87 Ryan Litt 242
25 4 Donnie Adams, Jr. 196
26 7 Jacob Wilson 196
27 59 Scotty Hampton 151
28 2 Jeff Bloom 150
29 5 Chris Windom 149
30 20 Shane Hollingsworth 122
31 44 Brian Tyler 63
32 35 Russ Gamester 27
33 99 Tanner Swanson 8

[QUOTE=ancrdave;169988]Results:

Kody Swanson inherited the lead when misfortune struck the leader and led the final 26 laps to win the 68th running of the Pay Less Little 500 at Anderson Speedway.

Swanson, the first driver to win the classic from California, had to hold off Dave Steele over the final 19 circuits for the win on Saturday.

Swanson started 14th in the 33-car field and ran amongst the leaders all night. Steele and Jerry Coons Jr. rounded out the top three. Swanson was driving for Hoffman Auto Racing.

Swanson gave the grandstand a fist pump after pulling into victory lane.

He was driving aggressively over the final 50 laps of the race.

?When you?re that close to winning the Little 500, you have to take the opportunities as they come,? he said.

It appeared Caleb Armstrong, who started from the pole position, used the right strategy when he took over the lead when Bobby Santos pitted on Lap 451.

But on Lap 472 Armstrong made contact with a slower car on the front straight and came to a stop in Turn 2.

That turned over the lead to Swanson chased by Steele and Coons, the only cars on the lead lap of the 19 still running.

Santos and second-place running Billy Wease caught a break on Lap 206 during a red flag by pitting and not losing any laps.

But by failing to pit on Lap 380, Santos lost any advantage he had as several drivers passed him with 75 laps remaining to get back on the lead lap. The team lost the chess match that is the strategy surrounding the Little 500.

Needing a caution for fresh rubber, Santos got into the back of Doug Dietsch on Lap 442. Santos lost two laps in the process.

Wease?s night ended on Lap 243 when he made contact with Ryan Litt in Turn 2.

With Santos leading Swanson, Steele, Coons and Armstrong, there were seven cars on the lead lap after 300 laps.

The first half of the race saw four of the six former winners that started knocked out of competition.

The attrition started on Lap 64 when Brian Tyler was involved in an incident in Turn 2 with Dietsch.

Two former champions, including defending champion Chris Windom, were knocked from competition in separate incidents. Jeff Bloom made contact with the outside retaining wall on the front straight, and seconds later Windom came to a stop against the Turn 1 wall.

Jacob Wilson was involved in a three-car incident on the back straight on Lap 197 when Travis Welpott spun and the cars of Wilson and Donnie Adams Jr. hit the inside retaining wall.

POS # DRIVER LAPS
1 69 Kody Swanson 500
2 33 Dave Steele 500
3 3 Jerry Coons, Jr. 500
4 51 Kyle Hamilton 499
5 22 Bobby Santos III 498
6 41 Shane Cottle 496
7 12 Grant Galloway 495
8 55 Shane Butler 495
9 1 Davey Hamilton, Jr 495
10 26 Aaron Pierce 494
11 27 Brian Gerster 491
12 68 Mickey Kempgens 491
13 7 Caleb Armstrong 488
14 8 Chris Neuenschwander 487
15 94 Geoff Kaiser 480
16 18 Travis Welpott 478
17 74 Tony Main 470
18 71 Brian Vaughn 461
19 0 Doug Dietsch 448
20 88 Jimmy McCune 381
21 45 Mark Hall 369
22 57 Brad Wyatt 252
23 9 Billy Wease 243
24 87 Ryan Litt 242
25 4 Donnie Adams, Jr. 196
26 7 Jacob Wilson 196
27 59 Scotty Hampton 151
28 2 Jeff Bloom 150
29 5 Chris Windom 149
30 20 Shane Hollingsworth 122
31 44 Brian Tyler 63
32 35 Russ Gamester 27
33 99 Tanner Swanson 8[/QUOTE]

And that it why you are the man…lol are you like an announcer ? I know your an encyclopedia of racing. Thanks for the details.

Agreed, that was an outstanding night at the races! The track went all out for the big event: no 5 car features with antique Monte Carlos, etc… It was a multi-race, week long festival that ended with an exciting and compelling race.

By the way, the “contact with a slower car on lap 472” was actually Kody Swanson passing Caleb for the lead. The did a little nerfing in turn 3, and it looks like Caleb ended up with a flat tire.

Whatever happened to Troy Decaire? I googled his name and didn’t see him listed for any recent race results.

Troy won the SSSS race in New Smyrna last May.