ANDERSON, Ind. – Local product Colin Grissom took advantage of a restart to capture the Day Transportation Mel Kenyon Midget Series feature Saturday at Anderson Speedway.
The fans at Anderson Speedway, able to attend racing for the first time in 2020, were treated to a thrilling two and three car battle for the lead.
Fast qualifier Kameron Gladish took the lead at the start over Grissom and Jack Macenko.
Gladish opened a comfortable lead in the early stages of the race, but at the halfway point, Grissom and Macenko closed to make it a three midget battle for the lead.
With nine laps remaining, Macenko made wheel contact with Grissom, and his night ended against the front straight retaining wall.
On the restart, Grissom grabbed the lead with an outside pass of Gladish, and for the next nine circuits the two raced nose to tail.
Several time Gladish looked to make an inside pass entering turn three, but Grissom was able to maintain the top spot.
Gladish made one final attempt at the win coming off the final corner but came up .173 seconds short. Trey Osborne, Ben Varner and Ryan Huggler rounded out the top five.
“I knew he was fast,” Grissom said of Gladish in the Star Financial Winner’s Circle. “I knew he would try to make a run at the finish.
“My car got faster after the mid-point,” he added. “This is a great way to start the year with a win and a second place finish.”
For the second consecutive week Grissom scored a heat win, and Gladish took the checkered flag in a heat for the first time in 2020.
Gladish picked up the K&K Marketing pole award with a lap of 12.525 seconds followed by Grissom and Macenko.
After sweeping the opening event, rookie Sam Hinds – who set fast time, took a heat win and took the victory in the Dick Jordan Classic on June 6 – wasn’t able to recapture his opening-week magic.
Hinds spun on the first lap in turn two and was never able to restart his midget for the feature race.
The finish:
1. Colin Grissom; 2. Kameron Gladish; 3. Trey Osborne; 4. Ben Varner; 5. Ryan Huggler; 6. Ayrton Houk; 7. Jack Macenko; 8. Sam Hinds.