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World Figure 8 History September 7, 2001
A New Winner Bobby Douthitt wins the 25th Annual World Figure 8
The biggest event in the Indianapolis Speedrome history played before a
sell out crowd as the 25th Annual World Figure 8 crowned Indy’s Bobby
Douthitt the King of the Crossover. Bobby became the World’s Richest Figure
8 pocketing $25,000 of the $75,000 posted prize money. Both records for any
Figure 8 races in History. The race went green at 7:30 and with the front
row of Bear and Dossey. Dossey led the opening laps before giving way
briefly to Bruce and then Fred Bear Jr. The raced ended early for the six
time World Champ Dossey as he encountered traffic and destroyed the left
front on lap 60. Bill Tunny Jr. swapped the lead with brother Bruce before
bailing with driveline failure on lap 122.
With Bill Jr. out the race came down to a battle between Bruce Tunny and
Bobby Douthitt with former World Champ Wayne Arnold lurking and Danny
Turner, former World Champ Leonard Basham, Rodney Sizemore and R.J. Norton
Jr. laps down but very competitive.
Pit stops near the 175-lap mark kept the lead in question until Tunny
took control from laps 200-321. Arnold lost contact with the leaders as
Seattle’s Don Eslick gave a crowd a thrill with a rollover that slid up to
the south wall. Eslick’s crew repaired the car and he did return to the race
to finish 19th. Turner continued to charge with Rich Fenwick coming into
play in the last third of the race.
A collision at the crossover took Bruce Tunny from the lead at lap 345
and gave Douthitt a clear shot at winning $25,000 with about 45 minutes to
go. Arnold and Turner enganged in an incredible race some say the best laps
ever raced side by side in Speedrome History. The final laps ticked by
relatively smoothly for Douthitt. A brief rest when the red came out for
Manny Aguillar. Douthitt finished with a seven lap lead over Danny Turner.
Louisville’s Artie B. Ware received the Sonny Eaton Memorial Award for
highest finishing rookie and Mooresville’s Donnie Garrigus II soldiered home
with the coveted Sonny Thompson Memorial Award for best start to finish
improvement.
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