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World Figure 8 History
1984 World Figure 8 Championship
Saturday, September 8, 1984
Father-Son Team Achieve Figure 8 Goal
Frank & Bobby Ellett win!!
|
FN |
ST |
Laps |
# |
Driver |
|
1 |
16 |
351 |
6 |
Bobby Ellett |
|
2 |
4 |
318 |
2 |
Jim Fox |
|
3 |
29 |
307 |
75 |
Jerry Gordon |
|
4 |
23 |
282 |
7 |
Jack Dossey Sr |
|
5 |
3 |
279 |
1 |
Wayne Arnold |
|
6 |
33 |
270 |
9T |
Bill Tunny Jr |
|
7 |
26 |
269 |
779 |
Ray Gaddis |
|
8 |
9 |
263 |
36 |
Jim Wampler |
|
9 |
28 |
262 |
1X |
John Bradley |
|
10 |
20 |
251 |
14 |
Larry Harris |
|
11 |
17 |
247 |
A60 |
Lubie Allen |
|
12 |
2 |
240 |
41R |
Charlie Reed |
|
13 |
11 |
239 |
97X |
Dean Griffin |
|
14 |
32 |
238 |
08 |
Dave Lambert |
|
15 |
31 |
237 |
26R |
Duane Lee |
|
16 |
1 |
230 |
31 |
Kenny St John |
|
17 |
15 |
226 |
11 |
Jeff Brown |
|
18 |
7 |
219 |
4J |
Jack Dandy |
|
19 |
14 |
212 |
87 |
Danny Turner |
|
20 |
37 |
190 |
07 |
Tim Eastom |
|
21 |
13 |
189 |
10 |
Cecil Karr |
|
22 |
48 |
172 |
17 |
Mitch Diekman |
|
23 |
44 |
172 |
91 |
Ronnie Clontz |
|
24 |
43 |
169 |
60 |
Joe Jackson |
|
25 |
27 |
168 |
41 |
Glenn Kerns |
|
26 |
41 |
160 |
A111 |
Al Grinde |
|
27 |
47 |
140 |
15 |
Ed Fruits |
|
28 |
6 |
120 |
52 |
Jack Dossey Jr |
|
29 |
55 |
108 |
42X |
Don Paugh |
|
30 |
56 |
107 |
49 |
Scott Martin |
|
31 |
24 |
105 |
9 |
Leonard Basham |
|
32 |
49 |
103 |
23 |
Richard Schaeffer |
|
33 |
39 |
89 |
28X |
Mike Stiles |
|
34 |
25 |
88 |
114 |
Rick VanVyve |
|
35 |
40 |
85 |
28 |
Bob Cloud |
|
36 |
18 |
84 |
17X |
George Sutton |
|
37 |
59 |
77 |
06 |
Mike Baas |
|
38 |
5 |
76 |
4 |
Bruce Tunny |
|
39 |
34 |
74 |
101 |
Vern Okopski |
|
40 |
53 |
67 |
83 |
Wayne Burns |
|
41 |
42 |
64 |
51 |
Phil Lynch |
|
42 |
22 |
63 |
16 |
Ray Loe |
|
43 |
45 |
49 |
98 |
Oza Hoosier |
|
44 |
57 |
48 |
87X |
Don Sloan |
|
45 |
36 |
46 |
13 |
Manny Aguilar |
|
46 |
58 |
46 |
78 |
Skip VanMeter |
|
47 |
10 |
30 |
70 |
Joe Lowe |
|
48 |
30 |
29 |
54 |
Donnie Garrigus II |
|
49 |
46 |
28 |
80 |
Chuck Cloud |
|
50 |
52 |
27 |
79X |
Jim Burnett |
|
51 |
38 |
27 |
36A |
Dave Bazzy |
|
52 |
51 |
24 |
97 |
Bob Stephens |
|
53 |
35 |
21 |
93X |
Bruce McFall |
|
54 |
50 |
19 |
22 |
Dick Horn |
|
55 |
12 |
6 |
14A |
Ben Benedict |
|
56 |
19 |
4 |
99 |
Jim Tunny |
|
57 |
21 |
4 |
01 |
Al Rackley |
|
58 |
54 |
1 |
93 |
Dave Rhyne |
|
59 |
60 |
1 |
74 |
James Skiles |
|
60 |
8 |
0 |
25 |
Billy Arnold |
Father and son—chief mechanic Frank Ellett and driver Bobby Ellett combined
talents to win the most prestigious race in their storied careers in the
eighth annual World Figure 8 Championship in 1984.
Competing in his fifth three-hour race, Ellett took the lead with only 20
minutes remaining when leader Jim Fox stalled during a caution period and
was forced to pit. Ellett skillfully kept No. 6 Buick Regal far in front of
the pack while Fox gamely returned only to be forced into the pits again
after two accidents.
His father, a veteran Speedrome car builder, expertly prepared Ellett’s car.
Although Ellett’s victory margin over Fox was a record 33 laps, the eighth
annual chase was anything but a runaway for the 25 year old driver. Ellett
completed 351 laps.
He miraculously survived a crossover accident with Joe Jackson with only 28
minutes left on the clock. At the time Ellett was in second place and trying
to get on the lead lap with leader Jim Fox.
Five minutes later he passed Fox to erase the one-lap deficit. Fox
maintained a 13-second lead over Ellett until he stalled. With Fox in the
pits, Ellett’s closes competition on the track was Jerry Gordon, who
finished 44 laps behind the winner. Fox had compiled enough of a lead over
Gordon that he finished second while sitting out the last 20 minutes of the
race.
Jack Dossey Jr. was fourth and defending champion Wayne Arnold was fifth.
Five time champion Kenny St. John returned after a year’s absence and placed
16th after exiting on lap 280 after his Camaro was damaged after running
over debris.
When Ellet took command of the World Figure 8 Championship, it marked the
12th lead change in the event. St. John started on the pole after qualifying
at 17.570 second but held the lead only for 13 laps. Bruce Tunny took over
for nine laps before Arnold and St. John hooked up in a duel for the ages
that lasted more than 100 laps.
Fox grabbed the lead on lap 301 and was involved in a major crash on lap
312.
Jerry Gordon started 29th and finished third but was narrowly edged by Bill
Tunny Jr. for the coveted Sonny Thompson Memorial Award for best
start-finish improvement. Tunny Started 33rd and finished 6th.
For an unprecedented fourth consecutive year, a driver from the Detroit Area
earned the Sonny Eaton Memorial award for best finishing rookie. Dave
Lambert, driving a Camaro owned by Eaton recipient Dempsey Apperson,
finished 14th with 238 laps. No nosed out rookie Duane Lee by one lap.
The triumph by the Elletts was popular. Father Frank Ellett called the win a
“neighborhood triumph,” pointing out the help he and his son received from
many sponsors and his crew. Who could forget when former 5 time World Figure
8 Champion Kenny St. John standing in the pits pointing to his head as Bobby
went by to use his head. Kenny provided a classic Speedrome moment. Bobby
was the fourth different winner in eight years.
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