1997 World Figure 8 Championship -Indianapolis Speedrome, Home of Figure-Eight Racing Action

with Bill Baas, President of Blossom Chevrolet

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Bill Tunny Jr wins 2003
World Championship

For a complete Recap Click Below

Bill Tunny Jr. wins the 27th Annual World Figure 8

Bill becomes the fourth different winner in the last four races

Bill Tunny Jr. wins for G & M Trucking, Jim Jones Racing Engines and Big Bee's Towing

Bill Tunny Jr. wins his first World Figure 8 in his 25th try

2003 T-Shirt art
front - back
Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader You can buy your shirt in the Pit Office during race nights or at the Awards Banquet

more stats

America's Number One Crew

On behalf of Checkered Flag Enterprises LLC
we would like to thank the
employees of the
Blossom Chevrolet
Indianapolis Speedrome

Jeanna Stiles Office Manager
Tracy Mann Pit Office
Sandy Johnson Pit Office
Denise George Pit Office
Tina Archer Pit Office

Torry Stiles Communications Director

Jason Abney Track Caretaker

Track Crew
Dennis Love Chief Steward
Jerry Gulley Senior Track Official
Tommy Ellis Flagman
Wayne Thompson Backup Flagman
Toby Thompson Track Official
Mike Brydges Track Official
Randy Storm Track Official
Todd Shelby Track Official
Bob Mcfayden Track Official
Blue Green Track Official
Leon Patterson Track Official
Chuck Bloomfield Track Official

Dewey Burgess Pit Registrar

Brenda Jenkins Assistant scorer and Sign operator
Rose Krimmel Official Scorer
Vanessa Stiles Scoreboard Operator/Assistant Scorer
Jay Baker Voice of the Speedrome
Jonathan Byrd II Advertising Director of the Speedrome
Danielle & Brianna Assistant Scorers and Runners

World Figure 8 Scoring Team
John Stiles Jr. Group Leader
George Lane
30 Other volunteers

Seals Ambulance Services

We could not of done it without all of you

Thanks from Checkered Flag Enterprises

1997

World Figure 8 History

September 6, 1997
Jack Dossey does it again!!! Dossey wins World Figure 8

After nearly three hours, the $10,000 to win World Championship Figure 8 boiled down to the final 90 seconds in the 21st Annual World Figure 8 Championship.

Jack Dossey Jr. snatched the lead from Bruce Tunny in a red-hot duel with less than two minutes remaining in front of a standing room only crowd. Tunny lost the lead when contact with another car forced him into a spin in the first turn.

Dossey scampered to the $10,000 win, his fourth in last five years. Dossey led the final five laps. Long-time Speedrome supporter Jonathan Byrd, an Indy Racing League co-car owner, presented Dossey with the Championship trophy.

“Most of the time this race goes down to the last 30 minutes and its settled, but this time it went down to the last minute,” Dossey exclaimed after a victory leap on top of the winning car. “It was just not his (Tunny’s) time to win this one.”

Dossey completed 451 laps in the most torrid Figure-8 since 1983 when 470 laps were completed. Dossey led six times for 164 laps. Tunny had led three times for 109 laps.

The disappointed Tunny, who has never won the World Figure 8 Championship, slipped to third after running out of fuel moments after spinning. Two-time winner Duane Lee was second, three laps behind Dossey.

“Devastating,” Tunny said. “ I thought I had it. I was prepared to go wheel-to-wheel until the end.”

Pole winner Fred Bear Jr. was leading with 45 minutes to go when he was gathered into a six-car accident in the third turn. He had a lead of one lap over Tunny and Dossey. Bear had led 171 laps, the most of any leader. He finished tenth.

Richard Fenwick once again was right there as he finished fourth, only six laps down. Three-time winner Mike St. John was fifth.

The hottest pace in 13 years was evident after the first hour with 146 laps complete. At the halfway mark, 224 laps had been completed.

There were 16 lead changes among four drivers, including Lee who led twice for seven laps. The World Figure 8 pace was slowed only by 88 caution laps.

The Sonny Thompson Memorial Award was earned by rookie John Conner Jr., who finished 12th and the Sonny Eaton Memorial Award for start-finish improvement was earned by Steve Ridener, who went from 40th to 22nd.

21st ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGURE-8 -- September 6, 1997
Fin	Car	Driver		Hometown	Qual	QU	QU	QU	25L	St.	3Hr	Fin	QU1	QU2	QU3	OVL	3-Hr.	Spl.	Total
Pos	#				Time	#1	#2	#3	OV	Pos.	Laps		$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
1	1	Jack	Dossey Jr.	Indianapolis, IN	17.143					6	451	1					10000		10000
2	15	Duane	Lee	Greenfield, IN	17.103	3				4	448	2	100				5000		5100
3	4	Bruce	Tunny	Indianapolis, IN	16.902		3			2	445	3		100			2500		2600
4	5	Rich	Fenwick	Indianapolis, IN	17.240	5				9	445	4	85				1500		1585
5	12	Mike	St. John	Indianapolis, IN	17.452		4			16	442	5		90			1000		1090
6	33	Doug	Greig	Indianapolis, IN	17.275	8				10	419	6	70				900		970
7	7	Rodney	Sizemore	Indianapolis, IN	17.328		7			12	408	7		75			800		875
8	38	Kenny	Rackley	Indianapolis, IN	18.081		2			24	408	8		200			700		900
9	71C	Charles	Coles	Indianapolis, IN	17.342		9			14	391	9		65			600		665
10	94	Fred	Bear Jr.	Indianapolis, IN	16.793	1				1	389	10	400				500	100	1000
11	91	Butch	Lanum	Indianapolis, IN	17.734	10				21	374	11	50				425		475
12	20	John	Conner Jr.	Greenfield, IN	16.936	4				3	360	12	90				350	100	540
13	44	Jerry	Brown	Louisville, KY	17.925			3		23	354	13			100		300