ANDERSON, Ind. – There was plenty of rubbing during the ARCA/CRA Super Series event at Anderson Speedway on Saturday night, with Cody Coughlin emerging as the victor.
Coughlin won for the first time in the series since 2016 in the Mitch Smith Auto Service 125 by leading the final 48 laps.
Throughout the 125-lap race on the quarter-mile bullring, the drivers didn’t fail to use the front bumper to gain the preferred inside line.
Coughlin started eighth in the 18-car field and by lap 26 had cracked the top five. He moved into the second position behind Scottie Tomasik on lap 68 when pole sitter Travis Braden brought out the caution flag for a broken sway bar.
Coughlin took the point on lap 77 with an inside pass on Tomasik coming off the fourth corner. The Ohio driver had to survive five more restarts before taking the checkered flag.
Challenging for the win was rookie contender Mason Keller, Dalton Armstrong, Casey Johnson and Kyle Crump.
Following the final restart on lap 115 Coughlin pulled away from Keller by 2.4 seconds with Armstrong, Johnson and Crump rounding out the top five.
“We haven’t won in a while,” Coughlin said in victory lane. “The car was consistent all night.”
Keller recorded the runner-up finish in a pro late model that he ran the week before in a 100-lap race at Anderson.
“We buried ourselves in qualifying,” Keller said “We have to come from 11th. This place is a bullring. Just like Dick Trickle said, it’s like flying a jet fighter in a gymnasium.”
Armstrong was in a back-up car and qualified ninth and challenged Coughlin for the lead during the end of the race.
“We were off on the set-up,” he said. “We were trying to hang on at the finish. The car wouldn’t turn and didn’t have enough drive off the corners.”
Braden was hoping to record his first win at Anderson Speedway and led the first 25 laps before giving way to Tomasik, who took advantage of a restart to make the pass in the high groove on the front straight.
Johnson, the defending ARCA Midwest Tour champion, set fast time in his first visit to Anderson Speedway.
After starting seventh as a result of the invert, the Wisconsin driver ran in the top five for the final 45 laps.
The finish:
Cody Coughlin, Mason Keller, Dalton Armstrong, Casey Johnson, Kyle Crump, Greg Van Alst, Josh Brock, Dan Leeck, Jeff Marcum, Ryan Issacs, Cassten Everidge, Jaren Crabtree, Michael Simko, Scottie Tomasik, Logan Runyon, Travis Braden, Hunter Jack, Austin Kunert.