FIRST-TIME WINNER BRUCE TUNNY OVERCOMES EARLY & LATE PIT STOPS IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGURE-8

By Al Stilley, News Director Indianapolis Speedrome

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Bruce Tunny overcame early and late pit stops and finally captured a career-first World Championship Figure-8 Three-Hour Endurance Race in front of a standing-room-only crowd Saturday night at the Indianapolis Speedrome.

Tunny, driving the Troy Motors Pontiac, completed 430 laps and led five different times for a total of 189 laps. Tunny regained the lead for good with 34 minutes to go after leader Bobby Douthitt was involved in a collision at the crossover on lap 358.

Tunny, the 1987 and 2000 Late Model champion at the Indianapolis Speedrome, won the $10,000 winner’s prize from a $42,000 purse. His winning margin was four laps over two-time runner-up Rodney Sizemore. Rich Fenwick was third. Louisville (Ky.) Figure-8 veteran was fourth and had the best finish of any "invading" driver from another track.

"I still can’t believe I finally won this race," a relieved Tunny said. "I couldn’t bear to look at the scoreboard so I just raced to the checkered flag. I didn’t want to look. It’s just hard to believe this (win)."

Tunny was forced into the pits early in the race to replace a flat tire and late in the race for fuel with both stops during caution periods.

"The flat tire got me going early because I knew I had to fight my way back. I knew I had to race sharper and faster. If you’re not fast, you’re not going to win. This was a three-hour sprint race, " Tunny said after his 14th World Championship Figure-8 race.

The winner’s prize of $25,000 for the 25th running of the World Championship Figure-8, Sept. 7-8, 200 was announced to the crowd by long-time track supporter and Indy Racing League car owner Jonathan Byrd, sponsor of Jonathan Byrd’s "Sizzlin’ Six" preliminary events.

Special awards were earned by Don Eslick, Seattle, Wash., who finished 11th in his first three-hour race, for the Sonny Eaton Memorial Award, and Billy Allen, Taylor, Mich., who started 37th and finished 19th, for the Sonny Thompson Memorial Award for best start-finish improvement.

Drivers from coast-to-coast included New York’s Roger Maynor, 29th, and Joey Biondolillo, 34th, and Florida’s Gordon Brown, 40th.

Rounding out the top 10 were fifth-place Jeremy Miller of Michigan followed by Doug Greig, 1988 champion Leonard Basham, Douthitt, Donnie Garrigus Jr. and three-time champion Mike St. John.

Record six-time champion Jack Dossey Jr. completed 100 laps but did not finish due to engine problems.

A frantic early pace saw 11 lead changes in the first hour. Tunny led the most laps (189) with brother Bill Tunny Jr. leading 97 laps, Douthitt 94, Dossey 28, Sutton 19, and three-time champion Wayne Arnold 3. There were 15 cautions for 82 laps.

Qualifying race winners during Jonathan Byrd’s "Sizzlin’ Six" were Dossey, Basham and George Sutton. Dossey earned pole position with a lap of 17.204 seconds.

Tunny is the 10th different driver to win the World Championship Figure-8 and the first driver to win the race for the first time since 1993.

24th ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGURE-8 THREE-HOUR RACE - Sept. 9, 2000
Fin Car Driver   Hometown Qual QU QU QU St. 3Hr Fin
Pos #       Time #1 #2 #3 Pos. Laps  
1 1T Bruce Tunny Indianapolis, IN 17.217   3   2 430 1
2 51 Rodney Sizemore Indianapolis, IN 17.526 2     4 426 2
3 3 Rich Fenwick Indianapolis, IN 17.601       7 424 3
4 42 Tony Anderson Louisville, KY 17.846       10 413 4
5 52 Jeremy Miller Carleton, MI 18.194     4 21 379 5
6 33 Doug Greig Indianapolis, IN 17.859 5     11 374 6
7 9 Leonard Basham Jeffersonville, IN 18.011     1 15 360 7
8 1 Bobby Douthitt Indianapolis, IN 17.552       6 358 8
9 00 Donnie Garrigus Mooresville, IN 18.176 6     19 328 9
10 36 Mike St. John Indianapolis, IN 17.989 15     13 317 10
11 49 Don Eslick Seattle, WA 18.220     3 22 309 11
12 0 Dan Wright Louisville, KY 18.687     6 27 308 12
13 50 Kevin Ford Speedway, IN 18.030   4   17 301 13
14 15 George Sutton Indianapolis, IN 17.718   1   9 282 14
15 7 Bill Tunny Jr. Fairland, IN 17.539 3     5 276 15
16 98 Scott Martin Indianapolis, IN 17.902 9     12 266 16
17 77 Donnie Garrigus Jr. Mooresville, IN 18.181   5   20 212 17
18 9A Manny Aguilar Indianapolis, IN 18.693       30 197 18
19 60 Billy Allen Taylor, MI 20.002     7 37 197 19
20 31 Eddie Snapp Jr. Indianapolis, IN 18.858 13     32 196 20
21 83 Country Brown Indianapolis, IN 18.608       29 179 21
22 99 Jerry Lee Ward Indianapolis, IN 18.323   7   23 179 22
23 69 R.J. Norton Jr. Indianapolis, IN 17.696   2   8 174 23
24 38 Jimmie Foster Indianapolis, IN 18.463       25 163 24
25 21 Wayne Arnold Indianapolis, IN 17.401 14     3 140 25
26 71 Steve Frost Indianapolis, IN 18.152 4     18 135 26
27 23 Kenny Payne Indianapolis, IN 19.008 7     35 128 27
28 2 Jack Dossey Jr. Indianapolis, IN 17.204 1     1 100 28
29 28 Roger Maynor Bayshore, NY 18.441     9 24 94 29
30 95 Keith Richee Indianapolis, IN 18.715   6   28 85 30
31 59 Steve Prine Whiteland, IN 18.933 10     33 83 31
32 22 Chris Green Indianapolis, IN 17.991 8     14 80 32
33 17 Jack Smith Indianapolis, IN 19.052   8   36 76 33
34 66 Joey Biondolillo Holtsville, NY 18.658     5 26 74 34
35 86 John Passehl Indianapolis, IN 20.847       40 67 35
36 19 Ronnie Rigdon Indianapolis, IN 20.145   9   38 41 36
37 195 David Reel Indianapolis, IN 22.106       43 37 37
38 28A Jeff Armour Indianapolis, IN 18.984 12     34 36 38
39 97 Dave Lewis Brooklyn, IN DNQ       43 30 39
40 55 Gordon Brown Largo, FL 18.026     2 16 22 40
41 35 Mike Hughes Franklin, IN 20.507       39 15 41
42 20 Jack Dossey Jr. Indianapolis, IN DNQ       42 9 42
43 48 Larry Harris Cyrstal River, FL 20.532     8 41 9 43
44 11 Joe Whisman Brownstown, MI 18.723       31 4 44
92 Bob Johnson Indianapolis, IN 19.641   10       DNS
36 Ron Brandt Indianapolis, IN DNQ 11         DNS
19 Oza Hoosier Indianapolis, IN DNQ            
77 Mike Burgess Indianapolis, IN 21.342            
16 Donnie Sloan Indianapolis, IN 21.036            
75 Richard Amos Indianapolis, IN 22.087            
33 Jack Smith Indianapolis, IN 20.429            
89 Lonnie Goble Indianapolis, IN 22.204            
12 Wesley Spillers Indianapolis, IN 21.220            
94 Mark Dailey Jr. Indianapolis, IN 22.988            
71 Speedy Teepee Indianapolis, IN 21.879            
32 Dennis Sloan Indianapolis, IN 23.232            
26 David Lee Byrd Indianapolis, IN DNQ            
537 Rick Howard Indianapolis, IN 21.291            
521 Danny French Indianapolis, IN 21.880            
538 Scott Settles Indianapolis, IN DNQ            
591 Henry McDougalle Indianapolis, IN 26.509            
512 Ken Turnipseed Jr. Indianapolis, IN 22.389            

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