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World Figure 8 History September 12, 1998
Jack Dossey does it again!!!
Jack Dossey Jr. was self-described “mental mess” just moments before the
start of the 22nd Annual World Figure 8 Championship. He had plenty of
reasons to be in that state of mind.
Less than three hours earlier, he saw the tale-tell signs of an expired
engine as he attempted to better the pole time of Fred Bear Jr. The talented
crew loaded the car, took it there nearby shop, changed engines and returned
to the track about ten minutes before the start of a history-chasing race.
“I was a mental mess,” Dossey related afterward. “I didn’t know what to
expect when I started that race. Then we got a flat tire early and I was
flat-out on every lap.”
Dossey eventually sped to a record-tying fifth World Figure 8
Championship after completing 413 laps in the Chevrolet. He won by a mere
2.5 seconds ahead of Mr. Consistent Richard Fenwick after a frantic final
seven-minute green flag dash to the finish. Fenwick is by far the most
consistent World Championship driver of all time. His style of not going for
the lead and being careful has just not produced a win. Dossey won $10,000
from the $42,000 purse event in grabbing his fifth crown in six years.
“I’m dedicating this win to my crew,” Dossey attested. “Jack Dossey
didn’t win this race-my crew did. Without their hard work, I would have
never started this race.
Bruce Tunny had raced the replacement engine earlier this season. It
performed flawlessly, although Dossey made a precautionary late-race pit
stop for a splash of fuel which moved Fenwick and third-place Duane Lee into
the same lap. Lee later pitted and lost five laps in his bid for his third
win.
Lee led the most laps with 140 laps. Dossey led the last 114 circuits of
the World Figure 8 Championship. Fourth place Tunny led for 115 laps. There
were 19 lead changes among Dossey, Lee, Tunny, Rodney Sizemore, Gary Bedell,
Eddie VanMeter and pole winner Fred Bear Jr., who lasted only five laps
until losing an engine.
The top ten finishers included fifth place Bobby Douthitt, then George
Sutton, Sizemore, Steve Frost, Kevin Ford and Louisville’s Jerry Whitten,
the top finishing out of towner. Ford earned the Sonny Thompson Memorial
Award for best start-finish improvement by finishing ninth after starting
31st.
Florida’s Gordon Brown earned the Sonny Eaton Memorial Award for rookie
of the race after completing 268 laps and finishing 18th.
“We were absolutely thrilled to qualify for the starting field through
the qualifying race, but to finish in the top 20 in this great race is the
biggest achievement in my racing career. I plan on winning this event some
day,” said Brown.
Bear earned pole position for the second straight year with a lap of
16.823 seconds.
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